Don Hutchinson/Everton story in the Journal

[BoysInBlue]

Supposedly a story on how Walter Smith staged a row with Hutchinson in the dressing room to test if Hutchinson would stand up for himself:

http://www.thejournal.co.uk/sport/sport-opinion/don-hutchison-getting-tough-players-6720893

I was playing for Everton when I had one of the fiercest rows with a manager I’d ever had, and to an outsider it would look like an example of a dressing room that was completely out of control and a boss who had lost control.

We were playing Leeds at Goodison Park and the game finished 0-0. I was playing well but Walter Smith, who was the manager, took me off in the second half and the fans booed the decision.

Afterwards, Walter went for me verbally in the dressing room. I knew I’d played well but he was accusing me of all sorts, claiming I’d not done my job and that I was responsible for us not winning the game.

I sat there thinking ‘Stay cool, don’t say anything’ because I knew as soon as I responded all hell would break loose.

But this rant went on and on and on and I couldn’t hold my tongue. I snapped back at him telling him he was completely out of order and he’d got it wrong. Walter – who was a big man – grabbed me and had me by my shirt up against the dressing room wall.

I told him where to go and his response was forthright. “Get in the shower, get your stuff and go – you’ll never play for me again,” he yelled.

I was in the shower when his assistant Archie Knox poked his head around the corner and said the gaffer wanted to see me in the boot room. As I walked to the little room I prepared for a fight, to be honest. I was thinking, ‘I’ll let him have one punch because he’s the manager, but if he punches me twice I’ll have to react.’

Walter sat me down and asked me if I was all right. ‘No,’ I said. Then he asked me whether I thought Duncan Ferguson was a hard man. Yes, I replied.

He asked me the same about Dave Watson and David Unsworth. ‘They might be hard men but they didn’t stand up for you in there,’ he said. ‘I’m impressed you did stand up.’

He decided to take the club captaincy off big Dunc that day and give it to me because he wanted to see a reaction: he wanted a character who stood his corner and fought. It didn’t go down too well with Duncan but I walked away feeling like a million dollars. Sometimes you need that kind of thing to turn a corner.

The only problem with this is that a lot of isn't true. We did draw with Leeds 0-0 at home on Sept 12, 1998, and Hutchinson was subbed in the 78th minute.

Smith didn't take the captaincy off Ferguson that day, nor did he give it to Hutchinson.

A quick check of this table shows that Hutchinson was never made Everton captain:
http://www.evertonfc.com/history/captains

When Ferguson left in November 1998, the captaincy was given back to Dave Watson, and on a couple of occasions when Watson was injured, Hutchinson deputised as captain. But it was nothing like the story Hutchinson told.

Whether or not the rest of it is b.s. remains to be seen, particularly the bit about Smith belittling Watson and Unsworth for supposedly 'not standing up for Hutchinson in the dressing room'.

I guess Hutchinson's Kopite roots are rearing their ugly head and affecting his power of recall.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

1999-2000 saw Hutchison become captain when Dave Watson was out the side, and Hutchison produced great form in both midfield and when asked to play upfront, so much so he was courted by other premier league sides.

According to his Wiki.

 

[davek]

I'd have said Hutch was skipper off the top of my head.

Strange quote this. An attempt to undermine DFs reputation?

 

[Walken]

he was very good for a period, I remember in the england scotland game he was the best cm apart from scholes

 

[Pabbers]

he was very good for a period, I remember in the england scotland game he was the best cm apart from scholes

didn't he score the winner, in that game ??

 

[Walken]

didn't he score the winner, in that game ??

yeah now you mention it, the return at wembley

 

[bignev23]

Loved getting his bell out in public when drunk too didn't he?

 

[BoysInBlue]

According to his Wiki.

Yeah, as I said, he deputised for Watson on occasions. He was never handed the captaincy as he makes out in that article though.

It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if Smith did nearly attack him in the dressing room, as that was what him and Knox were like. They definitely wouldn't get away with that sort of thing these days. Alan Myers told a story at his Tea Party a few weeks back about Knox trying to attack him.

I think Hutchinson was exaggerating to prove his point about what Newcastle should do.

I was surprised at the stuff about Smith belittling Watson and Unsworth though. Whether true or not, I've always thought Smith ran the playing side really badly during his tenure.

 

[Deleted member 28206]

Yeah, as I said, he deputised for Watson on occasions. He was never handed the captaincy as he makes out in that article though.

It wouldn't shock me in the slightest if Smith did nearly attack him in the dressing room, as that was what him and Knox were like. They definitely wouldn't get away with that sort of thing these days. Alan Myers told a story at his Tea Party a few weeks back about Knox trying to attack him.

I think Hutchinson was exaggerating to prove his point about what Newcastle should do.

I was surprised at the stuff about Smith belittling Watson and Unsworth though. Whether true or not, I've always thought Smith ran the playing side really badly during his tenure.

I've heard that story about Hutch being pinned against the wall by Knox,

 

[davek]

I've heard that story about Hutch being pinned against the wall by Knox,

They were cave men. If ever people were unsuited to Everton FC it was those pair of tools, Smith and Knox. A stain on the history of Everton.

 

[Huyton Layne]

Poor reasoning by Smith if true.

Then again Smith's the man who thought 7 defenders was a good idea

Maybe ferguson thought Hutchinson was a bellend so didn't defend him.

 

[teppic]

The decision to sell Hutchinson was odd as he was playing the best football of his career at the time for us. He was captain when we sold him too. I seem to remember he asked for 20k a week as parity with the top earners at the club. That was why he was sold as he turned down the 12k a week that was offered. The things you remember from years back concerning EFC!

 

[Zatara]

Hutchison for me came into his own when Smith took charge and signed Dacourt and Collins. Collins was a very peculiar signing and never should have been made.

Dacourt and Hutchison could have and should have been our central midfield for the coming years, instead both were sold under market value (Hutchison went for 2.5mil as we wouldnt give him a payrise--Dacourt was bought for 3.8mil and sold for 6.2mil a year later which seems like great business but he was worth alot more).

 

[Groucho]

Totally odd situation if you ask me.

To defend three players who actually pulled their finger out and won something with us, Ferguson, Watson and Unsworth were probably all sitting there going "OK MATE......"

 

[ijjysmith]

Hutchison was a funny one wasn't he?

Could never decide if I liked him or not.