Was Kevin Campbell's transfer in 1999 our most significant of all time?

[- Bradders -]

I was only 7 at the time. Remember being gutted Marian Pahars (I think) got player of the month instead of him. Loved super Kev!

 

[BlueLlama]

Gareth Farrelly saved us from relegation. (Admittedly is otherwise gashness was partly responsible for us being down there in the first place)

We got Peter Reid for buttons too

 

[Housequake]

I was 10 when we signed him.

Therefore he's a f*cking KING.

 

[blue_aussie05]

The Gareth Farrelly goal against Coventry was the season before. But when we signed Campbell on loan the following season with 8 games left, we were in deep deep ****.

Didn't look like we were gonna score much and were deffo struggling to survive. Campbell didn't score himself until his 3rd game (after 2 defeats), and I still don't know to this day where he pulled that incredible scoring run out from!! I still maintain if he hadn't signed and done that, we'd have been relegated. It's possible we may have struggled to get promoted again for a long time.

 

[Loz]

Another significant signing (like most of the 1980s Kendall side) was Andy Gray. Although he only scored 14 or so goals (most from horizontal positions with his head) he gave the team a real lift when he signed in late 1983. We won the FA Cup with him scoring in the final in 1984 and won the league and Cup Winners Cup in 1985 (again, I think he scored in the Cup Winners Cup final).

 

[scratchnsurf]

Made a significant impact on signing for sure , and formed a good partnership with Jeffers. Is up against some serious opposition in terms of the significance of his signing though.

As an aside, Campbell is a top bloke who loved his time with us, loves the city and the North West region and has never said a bad word about the club. My old man recently attended a legends dinner and came back raving about Campbell, the effort he made to speak to all the evertonians there and how he was a genuinely nice guy.

 

[Carlito]

It's hard to look beyond Kevin Campbell in terms of Everton's recent history. Barry Horne and Gareth Farrelly each stepped up at a critical moment, but Campbell dragged the team to safety with several superhuman performances.

As much as I think Evertonians dwell too much on the dark period (almost every top club in England has had to move on from being down there at some point), I do believe Campbell should be fondly remembered for what he did, even if he was garbage for years after his big injury.

 

[mawders]

probably the most important signing in the post-Royle era as he kept us up. I never rated Campbell until he came to us and I actually saw him play...I didn't realize that he was a really good player.

 

[Niall Kingdom]

Campbell did allot in the first 9 games, but from that point on he was not really the player who came in, he played 137 times once he signed permently with 36 goals, this a goal every 4 games, not really up there with the greatest signings of all time, personally Big nev southall or if your going on goals to game, gary lineker, money for games would be Cahill, and personally I think the best siging in recent times would be Phil Neville.

 

[andy4efc]

Hero, loved by everyone but doesn't get the creditfor what he did for us. Grew up with him as my hero after starting to go the match in 99. My brother got my a Campbell 9 shirt printed or my birthday, it's now framed and in my room. Absolutely adore it.
Great in his first 3 seasons with us (including the 10 goals in 8 games spell when he joined on loan).

[video=youtube;ZV4mZ2mVUvU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZV4mZ2mVUvU[/video]

 

[chicoazul]

Suuuuuuper, super Kev.

 

[andy4efc]

Suuuuuuper, super Kev.

Is right.

 

[flibbyflob]

What we'd give for a striker to be as good as he was in his first few years for us next season. Thanks Super Kev for some great memories in a bad time.

His performance as a midfield dynamo at Villa when we played 4 strikers and 4 centre halves in a goalless draw for some reason stands out over all his goals.

 

[Groucho]

A mate of mine would tell you that Gary Lineker to Barcelona was the most significant transfer, as that was the day we became a selling club. Not sure I totally agree with him there, as we'd done that years earlier with Alan Ball. My nan used to say that the day we sold Bally, that was the day football became about money. And that was from someone who loved Harry Catterick.

I see your point about Kevin Campbell though as he really made a difference and probably was the difference between us staying up and going down. But what about Graham Stuart? He scored the winner Vs Wimbledon. Now I'm not suggesting for a moment that Gareth Farrelly should be held in the same regard as Peter Reid, but how significant is significant?

 

[blue61]

The signing of Wayne Rooney will be significant