Best Ever Signings ?

[Old Blue 2]

but we didn’t witness it!

Witnessing the signing is not part of the thread title. Go read it...

 

[Swartzy]

Excitement of signature - Gary speed

Overall Contribution - ?

( Sorry can't narrow it to a single player )

 

[Old Blue 2]

Couldn't argue with that, but if we're talking about best signing in living memory it would have to be Alan Ball.
There really can't be any argument.
Signed shortly after a World Cup Final Man of the Match performance. Sold 5 years later for twice the price paid.
I was an over-joyed 12 years old when we signed him and a quivering wreck of a distraught 17 year old when he was sold.

The thread title does not mention 'in living memory'...

 

[Gwladys St. Glory]

Well, I bulldozed this thread... sorry @summerisle

 

[Swartzy]

Witnessing the signing is not part of the thread title. Go read it...

The contribution factor is fine, but the excitement of the signing can't work..

 

[summerisle]

Well, I bulldozed this thread... sorry @summerisle

I don't care, I'm gorging myself with chocolates.

For the avoidance of doubt : the signing that you thought, what the feck, he's signing for us, thank you Jebus !

 

[Hinchcliffe's Corner]

Marc Hottiger, close thread.

 

[irishblue11]

Seamus Coleman
Tim Cahill
Andrei Kanchelskis
Leighton Barnes
Jordan Pickford
In whatever order you want.

Could pick a completely different list and it wouldn't be wrong

 

[hallamblue]

Peter Reid. Knitted together our young players brilliantly. If Chelsea could sign someone like Reidy they'd win the league at a canter.

 

[Kevsleftpeg]

It has to be Kanchelskis. We were bottom of the league and winless in October and 8 months later we were buying the best winger in the league in his absolute prime. Beardsley a very close second. James was obviously exciting but he wasn't at his peak. I was amazed we managed to sign Lukaku but he'd already played for a year for us so it felt less out of the blue.

 

[Kurt.]

Stuart Mcall ….. don’t really know why but he was a great signing for us. Not the most technically gifted, fastest or prolific player we’ve ever signed but he just had something extra that set him apart in my opinion.

 

[Goodison87]

As a kid, I sobbed when Andy Grey left. This fella came along. Short lived but, goals, goals and more goals.

 

[roy vernon]

I may be repeating myself here...but, Alan Ball, what a signing, what a player.

 

[weltonblue]

Lineker was amazing..... Still haven't forgotten that miss at Oxford though.

 

[Tony Hibbert's Wife]

Daniel Amokachi.

I was 11. The miracle escape against Wimbledon still weighing heavy on me. Utterly depressed about Vinny Samways arriving for two million quid (ffs) when Spurs had signed Klinsmann for the same price.

And then... superstar of the uber-cool (to an 11 year old) Nigerian World Cup team arrives at Goodison. In my head he was going to score 35 goals and everything was going to be great.

To be fair to Ammo, that season did turn out great and he played a crucial part in that - the demolition of Spurs in the FA Cup semi final with him scoring a brace and his absolutely iconic celebration is still my favourite Everton memory. Just wasn't what I expected when he signed.

I was also pretty excited about the double signing of Materrazi and Dacourt, especially during a time when those kinds of signings were proving so successful (for Arsenal in particular).