Also, for those who were too young to watch him, it's worth mentioning how he evolved as a footballer whilst at Goodison. He was a kid of twenty-one when he signed. He was like lightening. He thought faster than anyone else on the field and had quicksilver feet. It was nothing to see him drop his shoulder and beat two men inside a yard with a trick. He played further up the field then as his goalscoring record shows. Eighteen in his first season, then twenty, then another eighteen. We were scintillating to watch, but couldn't find the consistency to dominate a whole league season. By 69/70, he'd moved back a little and the Holy Trinity were in their full pomp. Bally stopped trying to beat the opposition on his own and didn't dribble as much, but was everywhere. He was called Mr Perpetual Motion and was the get-out ball if any of his team mates were under pressure. He was the oil that made the brilliant machine run. He was twenty-five by then and more responsible, and the more experienced he became the better he read the game. And he still chimed in with twelve goals. Turbo Paul Scholes? With a bit of Peter Reid thrown in? And perhaps even a touch of Denis Law? Maybe. But comparisons aren't much use because he was unique. And he was ours.
RIP Bally. Still my Hero.
