Alan Ball piggy backs on the GV - who its recorded helped him to decide to choose the Blues over Leeds as he wanted to play with the admired GV - to see them play together in a short period was a joy for me to witness - pure magic -
Here's Joe's 100th goal for the Blues -
20th August 1974 Joe Royle nets from the penalty spot for his 100th goal for the club as he scores against Stoke -in a 2-1 win Joe netting twice in that game -
20th August 1974 Joe Royle nets from the penalty spot for his 100th goal for the club as he scores against Stoke -in a 2-1 win Joe netting twice in that game -
Alan Ball of Everton in 1970 -
In the KOP 1970 we won 2-0 I was in this lot -
little elfin
Player Valuation: £10m
In 1994, the greatest relegation battle the Premier League has ever seen took place - narrated brilliantly by Des Lynam.
What a day that was. One of those afternoons where football just refuses to follow any script.
Everton couldn’t have started worse. Four minutes in, Anders Limpar stuck out an arm to Gary Elkins’ corner—no one quite knew why—and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Dean Holdsworth stepped up and buried the penalty. Just like that, Everton were behind and already staring into trouble.
And it didn’t get any easier.
Elsewhere, Danny Williamson put West Ham ahead against Southampton. As Saints defender Francis Benali later admitted, “I began to think, ‘Oh my God, here we go,’ because we didn’t know what the scores were elsewhere.” That uncertainty made everything feel even more tense.
Back at Goodison, things went from bad to worse when Wimbledon doubled their lead after 20 minutes. Gary Ablett, trying to deal with an Andy Clarke shot that was actually going wide, sliced it into his own net. Everton manager Mike Walker summed it up bluntly: “The way in which we conceded the goals was ridiculous—typical of our season.”
At 2–0 down, Everton looked finished. Even Tony Cottee admitted, “If that third goal had gone in, it would’ve been game over. Teams don’t usually come back from 3–0.”
But football rarely sticks to logic.
Just four minutes later, Everton got a lifeline. Limpar was fouled in the box, and Graham Stuart calmly slotted home the penalty. Suddenly, there was belief again. Ian Snodin later reflected, “It was crucial we hit back straight away. If we’d had time to dwell on it, it would’ve been much harder to recover.”
Still, the bigger picture wasn’t kind to Everton. Other results weren’t going their way. Jostein Flo put Sheffield United ahead at Chelsea, and although Matt Le Tissier’s trademark free-kick pulled Southampton level before half-time, Everton were still deep in trouble.
At the break, the scores told a grim story:
Everton 1–2 Wimbledon
Chelsea 0–1 Sheffield United
West Ham 1–1 Southampton
Blackburn 0–0 Ipswich
As fans across the country tuned in on their radios, one thing became clear: as long as Wimbledon were winning, Everton were going down.
Inside the dressing room, Mike Walker kept things simple. “The players knew what they had to do,” he said. No dramatic speeches—just focus. The senior players took charge. Snodin recalled, “I was one of those going around, making sure everyone was up for it. Me and Dave Watson—there was no way we were letting this slip.”
The second half? Chaos.
Goals started flying in everywhere. Southampton surged ahead. Chelsea equalised, then fell behind again. The tension was unbearable.
Everton kept pushing, wave after wave of attacks—but still trailed 2–1.
Then came the moment.
In the 67th minute, the ball dropped to Barry Horne—who hadn’t scored all season. From 30 yards out, he smashed it into the top corner. Absolute perfection. The famous commentary said it all: “Oh, Horne!”
2–2. Game on.
Even then, Everton weren’t safe. They still needed a winner.
And with nine minutes left, it arrived.
A scrappy one-two between Stuart and Cottee broke Wimbledon’s defence. Stuart got the shot away—it wasn’t pretty, but it found its way past Hans Segers and into the net.
3–2.
Goodison Park erupted. Fans flooded the pitch. For the first time all afternoon, Everton were out of the relegation zone.
But the drama wasn’t finished.
At Chelsea, Sheffield United—thinking they needed a win—pushed forward unnecessarily. “Our bench told us we had to win,” said Carl Bradshaw. “A draw would’ve been enough, but we got the wrong message.” Chelsea broke on the counter, and Mark Stein scored a late winner.
That goal sealed Sheffield United’s fate.
Meanwhile, Ipswich held on for a draw at Blackburn, nervously waiting for confirmation. “It was chaos,” said John Wark. “One minute we were told to attack, the next to defend.”
When the final whistles blew across the country, the table had flipped dramatically.
Final scores:
Everton 3–2 Wimbledon
Chelsea 3–2 Sheffield United
West Ham 3–3 Southampton
Blackburn 0–0 Ipswich
Everton were safe.
“The scenes were unbelievable,” said Mike Walker. “There were grown men crying.” Even then, Cottee kept it grounded: “For me, it was relief more than anything. Celebrations are for winning trophies.”
For Sheffield United, it was heartbreak. Manager Dave Bassett later summed it up perfectly: “When you play Russian Roulette, sometimes you get the bullet.”
That day had everything—panic, confusion, brilliance, and sheer drama. A reminder of why football can be so cruel… and so unforgettable.
(Cr. 90s Football)
What a day that was. One of those afternoons where football just refuses to follow any script.
Everton couldn’t have started worse. Four minutes in, Anders Limpar stuck out an arm to Gary Elkins’ corner—no one quite knew why—and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Dean Holdsworth stepped up and buried the penalty. Just like that, Everton were behind and already staring into trouble.
And it didn’t get any easier.
Elsewhere, Danny Williamson put West Ham ahead against Southampton. As Saints defender Francis Benali later admitted, “I began to think, ‘Oh my God, here we go,’ because we didn’t know what the scores were elsewhere.” That uncertainty made everything feel even more tense.
Back at Goodison, things went from bad to worse when Wimbledon doubled their lead after 20 minutes. Gary Ablett, trying to deal with an Andy Clarke shot that was actually going wide, sliced it into his own net. Everton manager Mike Walker summed it up bluntly: “The way in which we conceded the goals was ridiculous—typical of our season.”
At 2–0 down, Everton looked finished. Even Tony Cottee admitted, “If that third goal had gone in, it would’ve been game over. Teams don’t usually come back from 3–0.”
But football rarely sticks to logic.
Just four minutes later, Everton got a lifeline. Limpar was fouled in the box, and Graham Stuart calmly slotted home the penalty. Suddenly, there was belief again. Ian Snodin later reflected, “It was crucial we hit back straight away. If we’d had time to dwell on it, it would’ve been much harder to recover.”
Still, the bigger picture wasn’t kind to Everton. Other results weren’t going their way. Jostein Flo put Sheffield United ahead at Chelsea, and although Matt Le Tissier’s trademark free-kick pulled Southampton level before half-time, Everton were still deep in trouble.
At the break, the scores told a grim story:
Everton 1–2 Wimbledon
Chelsea 0–1 Sheffield United
West Ham 1–1 Southampton
Blackburn 0–0 Ipswich
As fans across the country tuned in on their radios, one thing became clear: as long as Wimbledon were winning, Everton were going down.
Inside the dressing room, Mike Walker kept things simple. “The players knew what they had to do,” he said. No dramatic speeches—just focus. The senior players took charge. Snodin recalled, “I was one of those going around, making sure everyone was up for it. Me and Dave Watson—there was no way we were letting this slip.”
The second half? Chaos.
Goals started flying in everywhere. Southampton surged ahead. Chelsea equalised, then fell behind again. The tension was unbearable.
Everton kept pushing, wave after wave of attacks—but still trailed 2–1.
Then came the moment.
In the 67th minute, the ball dropped to Barry Horne—who hadn’t scored all season. From 30 yards out, he smashed it into the top corner. Absolute perfection. The famous commentary said it all: “Oh, Horne!”
2–2. Game on.
Even then, Everton weren’t safe. They still needed a winner.
And with nine minutes left, it arrived.
A scrappy one-two between Stuart and Cottee broke Wimbledon’s defence. Stuart got the shot away—it wasn’t pretty, but it found its way past Hans Segers and into the net.
3–2.
Goodison Park erupted. Fans flooded the pitch. For the first time all afternoon, Everton were out of the relegation zone.
But the drama wasn’t finished.
At Chelsea, Sheffield United—thinking they needed a win—pushed forward unnecessarily. “Our bench told us we had to win,” said Carl Bradshaw. “A draw would’ve been enough, but we got the wrong message.” Chelsea broke on the counter, and Mark Stein scored a late winner.
That goal sealed Sheffield United’s fate.
Meanwhile, Ipswich held on for a draw at Blackburn, nervously waiting for confirmation. “It was chaos,” said John Wark. “One minute we were told to attack, the next to defend.”
When the final whistles blew across the country, the table had flipped dramatically.
Final scores:
Everton 3–2 Wimbledon
Chelsea 3–2 Sheffield United
West Ham 3–3 Southampton
Blackburn 0–0 Ipswich
Everton were safe.
“The scenes were unbelievable,” said Mike Walker. “There were grown men crying.” Even then, Cottee kept it grounded: “For me, it was relief more than anything. Celebrations are for winning trophies.”
For Sheffield United, it was heartbreak. Manager Dave Bassett later summed it up perfectly: “When you play Russian Roulette, sometimes you get the bullet.”
That day had everything—panic, confusion, brilliance, and sheer drama. A reminder of why football can be so cruel… and so unforgettable.
(Cr. 90s Football)
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Alanbileysfeathercut
Player Valuation: £80m
Annie Road end, Joe
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