Super League - Pat Nevin's opinion

[GraemeS1980]

I went to an evening with Pat Nevin last week in Brighton for the launch of his second book. Having read his first book which was very good and him being one of my favourite players when I was young I went along to see what he had to say.

It was an outstanding, honest evening from Pat and thoroughly enjoyable. The thing I found most interesting was his opinion on the Super League that was turned down by fans not too long ago. Pat said the Super League is forming in front of us and it is only a matter of when not if it will happen.

He talked about how teams are being taken over by the very people that wanted a Super League and that it wont just be European but a global league. Hence why Saudi are signing all these players and their heavy investment into Premier League Clubs.

Pat also went on to say about his poor relationship with Howard Kendall, Pat didnt like Howard being drunk 'most of the time' but did say that Colin Harvey is the nicest person he has ever met in and outside of football. He said Colin has the finest football mind of anyone and that we wouldn't have done anything without Colin in the 80s.

If you get the chance read Pat's first book as that covers his time at Everton.

 

[Pat Butcher]

What a waste of an evening, Nevin is one of the biggest clowns walking gods green earth

 

[gonetomorrow]

Pat is usually right. Great bloke and a good Hibby.

 

[Billy Dean]

I thought this interview he did was quite interesting. Easy enought to find where he starts talking about his time at Everton

 

[Walken]

I went to an evening with Pat Nevin last week in Brighton for the launch of his second book. Having read his first book which was very good and him being one of my favourite players when I was young I went along to see what he had to say.

It was an outstanding, honest evening from Pat and thoroughly enjoyable. The thing I found most interesting was his opinion on the Super League that was turned down by fans not too long ago. Pat said the Super League is forming in front of us and it is only a matter of when not if it will happen.

He talked about how teams are being taken over by the very people that wanted a Super League and that it wont just be European but a global league. Hence why Saudi are signing all these players and their heavy investment into Premier League Clubs.

Pat also went on to say about his poor relationship with Howard Kendall, Pat didnt like Howard being drunk 'most of the time' but did say that Colin Harvey is the nicest person he has ever met in and outside of football. He said Colin has the finest football mind of anyone and that we wouldn't have done anything without Colin in the 80s.

If you get the chance read Pat's first book as that covers his time at Everton.

Very much enjoyed his first book and I am a fan of his in general. Worth noting in his book he states that his Everton relationship with Howard finished on a note of typical generosity from Howard, even though their personalities didn't fit together.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

I was incredibly excited when he signed but found myself so let down by him. I think it is too easy for him to blame others about his time at Everton and he does - the cliques, Howard drinking, his none team bonding/ drinking ways and of course his non footballer ways.

At the end of the day he wasn't good enough and didn't win anything. Plus it rankles with me his leaving Chelsea for Everton because Everton was an upward move. Now he only mentions Everton in a negative manner.

I don't think he had enough fight in him, which I evidence by settling for a move to Tranmere when still young enough to play at a higher level.

 

[LEONARD]

With his quirky musical and dress sense, plus left of centre politics, he was never going to fit into any dressing room 'culture'.

I used to get to matches early , down by the front of the lower Bullen's, to watch Pat warm up.

Amazing skill's.

Never worked out for him at EFC, which was a shame.

 

[Moonlight dribbler]

With his quirky musical and dress sense, plus left of centre politics, he was never going to fit into any dressing room 'culture'.

I used to get to matches early , down by the front of the lower Bullen's, to watch Pat warm up.

Amazing skill's.

Never worked out for him at EFC, which was a shame.

Not really sure I agree, Neville Southall hardly fits in to any dressing room culture either. Cottee, Nevin, McDonald and to a less extent McCall were just not quite good enough.

Easier for Nevin to say he was a bit different and it was because of cliques than say he was just not good enough.

He seems a cool guy but he was not the necessary consistent level.

 

[Walham Green Blue]

At the time he played for us he was absolutely the most skilful player I’d seen play for Chelsea (I’m 52). I’ve met him a couple of times and he is a genuinely lovely man.

 

[OneTrueLegend]

I think what the Saudi's are trying to do is create their own "Super League". The logistics of a "world super league" are a nightmare. But Fifa are planning a 32 team world club cup in 2025 in the USA and I could see the Saudi's putting everything into winning that, they could have up to 4 places in the tournament.

 

[ForestBlue]

I think what the Saudi's are trying to do is create their own "Super League". The logistics of a "world super league" are a nightmare. But Fifa are planning a 32 team world club cup in 2025 in the USA and I could see the Saudi's putting everything into winning that, they could have up to 4 places in the tournament.

I Saudi owned team perhaps, or even likely, but not a Saudi based team as its only 2 years away and they aren't yet buying enough quality to compete with Europe's best (yet)

 

[OneTrueLegend]

I Saudi owned team perhaps, or even likely, but not a Saudi based team as its only 2 years away and they aren't yet buying enough quality to compete with Europe's best (yet)

Maybe, but I dont think the Saudi's are going to take their time though, it is only July and they have signed a decent amount of high profile players, they are not playing by any FFP regulations, I think they are going to build fast. You look at what they have done with other sports, they are happy to throw money at it.

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Cant happen fast enough the super league many will rue the day it not happen a while back. Then the rest of us can get back to football.

 

[Bohemian Toffee]

Cant happen fast enough the super league many will rue the day it not happen a while back. Then the rest of us can get back to football.

The critical issue is separation of super league from domestic league or the qualification and elimination process to the entire thing being on merit rather than reputation.

There is a palpable sense in Italy and Spain that they can't compete with premier league finances. Late stage capitalism demands that domestic competition be sacrificed even if the replacement competition will be an unwatchable procession of Spurs getting humped in Riyadh on consecutive Tuesdays to an ever diminishing audience.

The genie is out of the bottle, and frankly the sooner perspective and competition are re-introduced to whatever the remaining teams are left contesting the better.

 

[Simon Buttle]

With his quirky musical and dress sense, plus left of centre politics, he was never going to fit into any dressing room 'culture'.

I used to get to matches early , down by the front of the lower Bullen's, to watch Pat warm up.

Amazing skill's.

Never worked out for him at EFC, which was a shame.

Yeah I remember hearing him talk about being on the team buses going to games and there would be folk listening to music or playing cards and he would be sat on his own somewhere reading a book about Greek Mythology or Philosophy or doing the Times crossword. He is a very clever man is Pat and I can understand when he says he didn't want to be a footballer, he just doesn't seem suited towards it like you say.