May the Good Lord be with you all .
As the Son of a Union Man , I'm a Socialist to the core of my being , an ' I recognized a kindred spirit , in the subject of today's Sermon , the Great , Neville - The Bin Man - Southall .
In a Club , renowned for it's sartorial elegance , he was , without doubt , the scruffiest mufuka to EVER walk through the door . However , once we saw the goods , he transformed from the ugliest of ducklings into the most beautiful of swans , an' became one of the 6/7 or so GREATEST Everton Players , EVER to grace the jersey .
Born in Llandudno , North Wales , on September 16 , 1958 , he signed for Everton for £150,000 from Bury , in 1981 , one of Kendall Mk1's , Magnificent 7 - Now , THERE'S an Oxymoron , ....
His early career here , didn't really pull up any trees . Second to Jim Arnold in the pecking order - avain analogy maintained , btw - , he would go out on loan to Port Vale in 82/83 , playing 9 games for them , before being recalled , breaking into the first team , an' , well , staying there for 16 odd years .
By the time we , Got Boss Again , Big Fat Nev' / The Bin Man - he had done the job , pre - professionally playing , also Hod Carrying , Waiting On . Proletarian , as I said ; was not only the foremost Goalkeeper IN THE FUKN WORLD , if you don't mind , but one of the Top PLAYERS on the Planet .
After a fukn good hiding at home by the RS , 5-0 , we , wanted to kill ourselves . HK , on the other hand , saw it differently . He bought Steven , Sheedy was bedded in , then Gray arrived , an' tah-dah , !!! We rule Europe .
However , THIS WOULD NEVER , EVER have happened without 1 person ; Big Fat Nev' .
Fact .
The year after the Goodison Derby Debacle , '83 , we began a campaign , in no particular great heart . However , by the end of it , we would appear in our second ever , League / Milk Cup Final , losing - after the First Ever All Merseyside Final ; What a day that was !!! ; in a replay to the only goal to Sourpuss , at Man City . However , in a reversal of our fortunes that last time we got to that competion's final game , we went back to Wembley in the F.A. Cup to triumph over Watford . Kendall and the Bin Man , would earn the club it's first Trophy and Winner's medals in 14 years . Oh , yes , we part-eh'd .
The following season , for any blue whom witnessed ANY of it , was one of those times in life when God , taps you on the shoulder , an' says ,
" See you ??? You're fukn sound , you , lad . "
We lost the first game at home 4-1 to Spurs , an' it seemed like , same ol' , same ol' . How wrong could we be ???
We would absolutely blister Man Utd at home , 5 Fukn Nil , then on the Monday night went to O.T. an' kicked them out the League Cup . Next came Castle Grey Skull . Now , remember ,we hadn't won there since the '60's , AND , Pinocchio had The Evil Eye , on us . Would do for another ten years ,
but today , big nose , WE had The Guv'nor .
Sharpy went on to score a wonder goal . PLEASE , if you haven't seen this , Google it , but I recall 2/3 one-on-one's , Rush Vs Nev' , an' the un-svelte one was Supreme . No **** . He ran off the pitch like Linford Fukn Christie , but not before a few Star - Jumps an Fist Pumps to the Anfield Road , first .
Geezer , btw.
We went on the Title , with the whole Continent wanking over us . Cloughie called us The Next Team of The Decade . Cups ??? All day . Cup Winner's Cup in Rotterdam ( Though ,THAT night , I had a COB ON with him over the Red Jersey ,..) , gave the club it's First - an' sadly , only European Trophy to date . Only bein' , basically , out on our feet , saw us lose to Man Utd at Wembley - how that beats the Bin Man from there STILL AMAZES me , thus foregoing an unprecedented Treble .
However , WE WERE THE DOG'S BOLLOX , An' THE WORLD KNEW IT .
Neville would become P.W.A. Footballer of the Year - Reidy won the Player's award .
The following Wednesday , the RS would play at Heysel , ....
When anyone does a reprise on the Bin Man , they generally show , Falco's header at Spurs ; the Sheff' Wed' wonder save ; Utd at Wembley , Mk 2 . I was present at all of these , an' they were indeed superb , but for me , it's Middlesboro , either the same year or the following year to that Sheff Wed' game .
Cup game , night time , same sort of save as the Wednesday one . Striker puts bullet header in bottom corner . Our ragarse , 17 stone Goalie , flips the ball , a la Banks , off the line but back into play , where it gets another rebound , sending it towards the opposite corner . St . Neville of Southall , picks up that frame of an Ocean Liner , an' is at the other fukn corner waiting by the time it gets there !!! Truly breathtaking .
Another time , at Wembley . Charity Sheild versus the RS . It was him against Rush for about 60 minutes after we'd scored .
The fukn 5-0 Derby game , he was M.O.M. !!!
His tragic injury , received by an Aldridge tackle in an International in Dublin , many people - myself included , believe , cost us that year's Double . We lost the League by 2 points - after RUNNING WAY WITH IT , AN' WERE BEATING the RS - again , at Wembley , 1-0 at HALF TIME . we LOST 3-1 .
It CERTAINLY , cost us the Cup Final . The next time you see , Jimmy Fukn Durante hitting that camera in the Wembley goal , REMEMBER , Mimms was between the sticks .
Big Fat Nev' would have saved that with a part of his anatomy , not fit for Sunday Sermon , but you take my point . Believe me . He WOULD'VE saved it . I was in THEIR end that day . Ho -Hum .
You'll never beat the fukn Reds , indeed , .... ( Shivers , ...)
Despite the 86/87 season seeing YET ANOTHER League Title , this was no longer Champagne Footie . We grafted our way to it the second time . No bad thing , that . However , due to our Murderin' Bretheren , the writing was on the wall . The side began to age , an' after ANOTHER RS F.A. Cup Final , in '89 - lost 3-2 in extra time , to break up .
However , through ALL THIS , Big Neville stood STAUNCH Blue .
Time went by , an' the Man's waistline grew in tandem with his rep' . However , once Beardo fukd off , he would be our ONLY World Class footballer , until Asbo - I don't count Tsar Andrei .
On his day , even then , he was STILL MUSTARD . See their goals in the 4-4 game . Look what it took to beat the Bin Man , to how we scored our goals , ...then onto the '95 Cup Win , when he had Fergie's Stars off , all on his own - Scholes STILL can't believe THAT save .
He left this great club , as THAT IS HOW HE FEELS about us , after 16 some years of TOP CLASS SERVICE , in 1997/8 .
Was gutted to do so , an' all . He joined Stoke City after a loan period . He left , the LONGEST serving player of the modern era , playing over 500 League Games , and 750 odd games in all for his Beloved Everton F.C.
He could Spit the Dummy , too , mind . DID NOT like Loser's Medals , an' the famous Half Time Sit In , was actualy , Hilarious . Least , I thought so . Defo Idiosyncratic to a fault , an' ALWAYS his own man , the I Love My Wife , T Shirt , was typical of him .
Like Bally , IT IS A TRAVESTY , that this Legend has not been given a role at Everton . Any role . he'd FUKN WALK HERE TO DO IT .
Another Bally comparison , to my mind they are the ONLY two players to have played for us - whom I have witnessed - to be HONEST TO GOD World Beater's . As good as ANYTHING , ANYWHERE . An' I love him like one of me own .
Evertonians are CHOSEN . WE DO NOT CHOOSE , an' The Bin Man , IS ONE OF OURS .
God bless , this Domingo , to a TRUE Everton Legend , Sir Neville of Southall .
Amen .
May the Good Lord be with you all .
Look after your peoples .
Peace out .
( The Catholic ) Reverand L.C.A.B.
