Is praise of Harvey Ball and Kendall unfair of other players?

[roy vernon]

I'm well on in my 40s now and grew up in the 1970s just as the RS dominated us and the glow of the great 1968 to '71 team was fading fast. I became and remain accustomed to hearing people talk of the great midfield trio as representing the best of Everton.

No problem with that. But look at the other players on that team; Royle, Wilson, Labone etc. Prolific scorers and tough world class defenders. They are like forgotten men with the Trio sharing the podium up with Dean and Lawton as the pinnacle of what the School of Science is.

One of the older fans. Were Harvey Ball and Kendall really that much of a stand out on what looks like a very evenly matched and balanced team?

They were the outstanding part of an outstanding team. There was no weak link in that team, it is a pleasure and a privilege to have watched them play

 

[Joey66]

The best footballing side for pure football I have ever seen - Ball Harvey - Kendall were a major part of it!

 

[bluestevon]

I'm well on in my 40s now and grew up in the 1970s just as the RS dominated us and the glow of the great 1968 to '71 team was fading fast. I became and remain accustomed to hearing people talk of the great midfield trio as representing the best of Everton.

No problem with that. But look at the other players on that team; Royle, Wilson, Labone etc. Prolific scorers and tough world class defenders. They are like forgotten men with the Trio sharing the podium up with Dean and Lawton as the pinnacle of what the School of Science is.

One of the older fans. Were Harvey Ball and Kendall really that much of a stand out on what looks like a very evenly matched and balanced team?

When people talk about the great united sides, they tend to mention beckham, scholes, keane, cantona, goggs, its just natural that one part of a great team gets the attention, and harvey/kendall and ball were a magnificent midfield worthy of any side in the the history of this league

 

[Eggs]

...it was the balance of that trio that made it so effective, especially considering that Kendal and Harvey amassed 1 international cap between them. Ball was a top player in world terms, the best I've seen in Blue. I do think the others have been a bit undervalued, but there were others that didn't get much international recognition. I'm thinking of the likes of Johnny Morrisey, who was brilliant, and John Hurst.

 

[Eggs]

Tommy Jackson played ( I think ) 17 games deputising for one or the other of them. The vastly under rated Sandy Brown played half a season.

Husband was as effective as Ronaldo in his pomp

The holy trinity was just a label, the whole team was,on most days, virtually unstopable

TEAM, TEAM.

Did I mention Team

....whenever anybody mentions Jimmy Husband, I always think of the tackle from Dave McHugh that almost broke him in half. I don't think he was in the Ronaldo mode, but he was decent.

 

[roy vernon]

...it was the balance of that trio that made it so effective, especially considering that Kendal and Harvey amassed 1 international cap between them. Ball was a top player in world terms, the best I've seen in Blue. I do think the others have been a bit undervalued, but there were others that didn't get much international recognition. I'm thinking of the likes of Johnny Morrisey, who was brilliant, and John Hurst.

Probably my favourite blue of all time Moggsy, he could play a fullback off the park and he could, and often did, kick them off the park if they fancied the rough stuff.

There were only 2 names in Jack Charlton's infamous little black book...Johnny Morrisey and Hutchinson of Chelsea.

 

[Joey66]

....whenever anybody mentions Jimmy Husband, I always think of the tackle from Dave McHugh that almost broke him in half. I don't think he was in the Ronaldo mode, but he was decent.

Dave Mackay cut Jimmy Husband in half in a league cup game at home - what a yard dog of a dirty player he was at the end of his career - Jimmy Husband, and Johnny Morrissey were key players and then Alan Whittle - but John Hurst was so underrated too - It was a team with one centre forward The great Joe Royle which played telepathic football from front to back - Colin Harvey always states the season before the brands of football was even better, but we were unlucky with some results - The late great manager Bobby Robson after seeing the Ball Harvey Kendall midfield trio at Portman road for the first time raved about the football they played, and it was nice as an away fan for home fans to admire such a superb footballing team! That's how good they were and no they are not overrated in anyway! - Do not forget the England team in those days picked many southern players out of favourtism!

 

[rbm]

To an extent of course the '60s was an era when it was fashionable to concentrate on three man groupings and idolise them. We has our trinity. Man U had their famous three. Man City had Lee Bell and Summerbee and WHU had the World Cup winners. There may be other less famous examples.

 

[allezlesbleus]

Probably my favourite blue of all time Moggsy, he could play a fullback off the park and he could, and often did, kick them off the park if they fancied the rough stuff.

There were only 2 names in Jack Charlton's infamous little black book...Johnny Morrisey and Hutchinson of Chelsea.

Wasn't it bobby Lennox of Celtic and JM?

 

[allezlesbleus]

They were the outstanding part of an outstanding team. There was no weak link in that team, it is a pleasure and a privilege to have watched them play

This, although as a young kid I was always puzzled at how 1 footed john Hurst was. But he was ace at bringing the ball out of defence.

 

[JAYTALITY]

I'm well on in my 40s now and grew up in the 1970s just as the RS dominated us and the glow of the great 1968 to '71 team was fading fast. I became and remain accustomed to hearing people talk of the great midfield trio as representing the best of Everton.

No problem with that. But look at the other players on that team; Royle, Wilson, Labone etc. Prolific scorers and tough world class defenders. They are like forgotten men with the Trio sharing the podium up with Dean and Lawton as the pinnacle of what the School of Science is.

One of the older fans. Were Harvey Ball and Kendall really that much of a stand out on what looks like a very evenly matched and balanced team?

No no no, none of them matter. It's all about Pembridge, Watson and Gemmill these days. They are the new legends.

 

[hullefc]

This, although as a young kid I was always puzzled at how 1 footed john Hurst was. But he was ace at bringing the ball out of defence.

John Hurst was great at reading the game, needed to be as he was not the fastest, and chipped in with the odd goal. Was it unfair on the other players to talk about the Holy Trinity? It is always the way when any time a particular team are good Best, Charlton, Law, Keagan, Toshack, Giles, Bremner, Gray, Bell, Summerbee, Doyle etc..

The 1969 - 1970 season we played some great football with Harry Catterick the master tactician. You could not tell whether we played 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 4-1-2-3 we were so flexible, it was horses for courses. If we played Leeds for instance and we knew they would be dirty we could mix it and give as good as we got. If we needed to play a team off the park we could with fluid football. The hub of the team was Kendall, Ball and Harvey by virtue that they were our midfield, the link between the defence and the attack. And they were intelligent footballers, something Catterick seemed to insist on, being able to read the game and adjust as need be. But when you look at the others well, most would have graced any team in the division then.

Gordon West - amazing goalie that won us many points that season with some breath taking saves.

Tommy Wright - up and down that wing and never seemed to get caught out of position.

Sandy Brown - underrated but again up and down the wing and wouldn't shirk a tackle

Brian Labone - utter class that not only read the game superbly but was a fantastic passer of the ball

John Hurst - underrated, great reader of the game, good passer and chipped in with goals

Jimmy Husband - could play alongside Joe if need be, drifted to the back post when the play was on the left, went wide and cut in, or got to the byline and crossed

Kendall - one of the greatest midfielders of his era, never got the recognition he deserved, was a supreme tackler, passer and was Catterick's 'brains' in the middle of the park.

Ball - no words could describe the little maestro when he performed, one minute making a tackle in our penalty area, winning it pass move and the next pop up in their area. Could pick a pass long or just short, could mix it with the dirtiest if they could get near him.

Harvey - lovely passer of the ball kept the play moving, one of those players that glide through the game and not stand particularly out but never really has a bad game.

Joe Royle - Led the line well, powerful hardly ever got pushed around by defenders, great movement for the through ball and fantastic in the air an all round superb centre forward.

Johnny Morrissey - brilliant crosser of the ball, would not be intimidated by anyone, up and down the wing helping the defence and then attacking, cut in from the left and couldn't half strike the ball.

Alan Whittle - came in when Husband got injured and banged in the goals, silky skills and would glided over the pitch, when they were more often like bogs than grassy pitches.

We used 19 players that season and they all played their part in winning the league in 1969-70, and while the Holy Trinity rightly get the accolades the other players were as important in making the 1969-70 season so memorable.

 

[Joey66]

Also that midfield holy trinity scored many goals and Joe Royle was a top scoring centre forward - with Morrissey the provider with beautiful crosses - that midfield was not overrated it was sublime!

 

[Toffeelover]

I doubt if you couldf ind in any other club such a trio or at any time.

HK did not get an international lookin because Bobby Moore was favourite.

 

[hullefc]

I doubt if you couldf ind in any other club such a trio or at any time.

HK did not get an international lookin because Bobby Moore was favourite.

Howie was in competition with Alan Mullery (Spurs) who was so inferior to Kendall in every department it was unreal. FFS even Peter 'the yard dog' Storey (Arsenal) won 19 England caps.