Colin Harvey - a personal appreciation

[Tel001]

I was born in 81 so never got the chance to see him play. Obviously he is loved and regarded as one of our best ever players. I know he was a midfielder and was called "the white pele" I also no he didn't score many goals. So my question is this... what type of player was he? And is there a player today that you could name in order to give me an indication of the type of player he was. Really interested as I don't know if he was a play maker , box to box , defensive mod etc.

 

[BigMick]

Moggsy was always the safety valve outlet, and very underrated as a player, and a winger

Very true Joey - him and John Hurst the most underrated of that team.

 

[Joey66]

Very true Joey - him and John Hurst the most underrated of that team.

Its John Hurst birthday recently too!
What a player he was pure footballer - the legs of Labby - their understanding etc - the way he moved up with the attack his goals - the fans raved about Stones this guy was 100 times better

 

[Bluebonic]

I was born in 81 so never got the chance to see him play. Obviously he is loved and regarded as one of our best ever players. I know he was a midfielder and was called "the white pele" I also no he didn't score many goals. So my question is this... what type of player was he? And is there a player today that you could name in order to give me an indication of the type of player he was. Really interested as I don't know if he was a play maker , box to box , defensive mod etc.

I am genuinely struggling to describe him? Imam sure the guys on here who are better with words will explain it way better than I ever could, but what I will say about him is that, similar to Scholes at ManU, he tended to be overlooked by the media as it was Ball and Kendall who stole all the headlines (similar to Beckham and Giggs grabbing all the headlines ahead of Scholes).

 

[Tel001]

I am genuinely struggling to describe him? Imam sure the guys on here who are better with words will explain it way better than I ever could, but what I will say about him is that, similar to Scholes at ManU, he tended to be overlooked by the media as it was Ball and Kendall who stole all the headlines (similar to Beckham and Giggs grabbing all the headlines ahead of Scholes).

He played the same style as scholes? How would you was the better player? I know football has changed a lot so it might be a difficult question to answer.

What about ball and Kendall?

Which players do they remind you of?

 

[Joey66]

I am genuinely struggling to describe him? Imam sure the guys on here who are better with words will explain it way better than I ever could, but what I will say about him is that, similar to Scholes at ManU, he tended to be overlooked by the media as it was Ball and Kendall who stole all the headlines (similar to Beckham and Giggs grabbing all the headlines ahead of Scholes).

I read an interview where he stated Scholes was the nearest player to him with an added bonus of more goals from Schloes
Colin is remembered for great important goals semi final v United - the clinching of the title in 60/70 but his goal srecord was so low, but he created many the lynch Pin in that trio of breaking up attacks, and putting blinding balls through!

 

[BigMick]

Didn't Alf Ramsay say he didn't pick Colin and Howie for England because they didn't score enough goals? He picked Alan Mullery though, who had a similar record, and even a yard dog like Peter Storey ahead of them!

 

[graham79]

He played the same style as scholes? How would you was the better player? I know football has changed a lot so it might be a difficult question to answer.

What about ball and Kendall?

Which players do they remind you of?

it is usually said that the Kendall-Ball-Harvey midfield was so well balanced which I take to mean that one player did the running, one the tackling and one the passing (or something like that). I always thought that was wrong and that each of the three was balanced. All three could defend and tackle, all three could run, all three could pass (though only Ball was a regular scorer, Kendall scored a few, Harvey not many). Also in those days midfield players were usually categorized as workers/consistent/limited or skilful/flair/inconsistent. These three fell into both categories except the inconsistent.

Harvey's particular talents were short passing, long passing, tackling, running back to help the defense and covering the whole of the pitch except perhaps the opposition penalty area. He was incredibly consistent, hardly any poor games, and in most games he was always one of the Everton's best players. Of his contemporaries the player he most reminded me of was Billy Bremner (without the goals and without the temper). Of more recent players Xavi of Barcelona reminded me of Harvey in the way he kept the ball moving from teammate to teammate with a stream of accurate passes, usually simple and short but sometimes long and penetrating.

One last thing. I always thought of Colin Harvey's playing type as a cross between Alex Young (stylish and graceful) and Alan Ball (relentless and dynamic).

 

[Joey66]

Just magic to witness if an England manager had them today he would play them as a unit easily no doubts about it!

 

[wilfjacko]

Just magic to witness if an England manager had them today he would play them as a unit easily no doubts about it!

Joey and 8 more players of thier quality.
That would be some team.

 

[Ducans elbow]

Brilliant player Bally is still my all time best Everton player maybe cause we are/was both gingers

 

[Bluebonic]

He played the same style as scholes? How would you was the better player? I know football has changed a lot so it might be a difficult question to answer.

What about ball and Kendall?

Which players do they remind you of?

For the more recent fans they were as fluid and effective a unit as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi were for barca, or closer to home, Imaging Baines and Pienaar at their most telepathic, then add a third player,mtwice as good as the two combined, but with that same telepathy! I often struggle to think of them as individual players, it was like they were joined by some invisible cord! Of them all Bally was my favourite, but to be fair he was godlike!

 

[Tel001]

it is usually said that the Kendall-Ball-Harvey midfield was so well balanced which I take to mean that one player did the running, one the tackling and one the passing (or something like that). I always thought that was wrong and that each of the three was balanced. All three could defend and tackle, all three could run, all three could pass (though only Ball was a regular scorer, Kendall scored a few, Harvey not many). Also in those days midfield players were usually categorized as workers/consistent/limited or skilful/flair/inconsistent. These three fell into both categories except the inconsistent.

Harvey's particular talents were short passing, long passing, tackling, running back to help the defense and covering the whole of the pitch except perhaps the opposition penalty area. He was incredibly consistent, hardly any poor games, and in most games he was always one of the Everton's best players. Of his contemporaries the player he most reminded me of was Billy Bremner (without the goals and without the temper). Of more recent players Xavi of Barcelona reminded me of Harvey in the way he kept the ball moving from teammate to teammate with a stream of accurate passes, usually simple and short but sometimes long and penetrating.

One last thing. I always thought of Colin Harvey's playing type as a cross between Alex Young (stylish and graceful) and Alan Ball (relentless and dynamic).

Appreciate the post but of all the players mentioned Xavi is the only one I seen play. I am jealous of older blues because since I have been watching us our teams have been awful with the Moyes years the highlight . I am pleaseee I got to see nev and Beardsley but nev wasn't in his hay day, although he was still outstanding in the early to 90's

 

[Tel001]

For the more recent fans they were as fluid and effective a unit as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi were for barca, or closer to home, Imaging Baines and Pienaar at their most telepathic, then add a third player,mtwice as good as the two combined, but with that same telepathy! I often struggle to think of them as individual players, it was like they were joined by some invisible cord! Of them all Bally was my favourite, but to be fair he was godlike!

Reading that makes me wish I was 70 years old

 

[graham79]

Appreciate the post but of all the players mentioned Xavi is the only one I seen play. I am jealous of older blues because since I have been watching us our teams have been awful with the Moyes years the highlight . I am pleaseee I got to see nev and Beardsley but nev wasn't in his hay day, although he was still outstanding in the early to 90's

Yes I see your point. Will try and think of more recent players you might have seen. You asked earlier if Colin Harvey was box-to-box, a playmaker or a defensive mid. I say yes, yes and yes - which kind of sums him up !