When Bingham’s Robots Malfunctioned: Everton’s 1974/75 Season

[macdog]

I think the author of the piece got a number of things spectacularly right, most notably the lost opportunity of the mid-1970s (as the great teams of the 1960s dissolved and their creators retired, were sacked or lost the plot), and the limitations of the managerial mind-set that was to dominate our club in the 1970s and beyond - that of the earnest puritan. In this latter point I see a timely warning about the present. What we desperately needed post-Catterick was a charismatic, a figure who roused the spirits and understood our love of the skilful and the impassioned, qualities mistrusted by Harry, but never entirely suppressed or deserted. What we got was Bingham and Lee, the undertakers of flair and adventure.

The earnest puritan mistrusts the spontaneous, the unpredictable, the flamboyant and the non-conformist. Functionality and work-rate are always to be preferred to the creative and the intermittent inspiration. The earnest puritan offers a public persona and rhetoric - more accurately, a set of cliches - with which the kind of figure who dominated the Everton boardroom - provincial middle-managers, accountants, that sort of respectable chap - feels reassured and comfortable. You can see their point. No earnest puritan beds the physio's wife, gets poured into a taxi to Formby, or makes a controversial remark to a Fleet Street reptile.

The problem is, the earnest puritan rarely puts a trophy on the shelf, or leaves a legacy of thrilling memories. To endure as a major force, we needed - and need - both, urgently.

Howard Kendall was emphatically not an earnest puritan. He liked a tipple, laughter, and was secure enough to embrace strong characters with their own views. This gave him men who could change things on the pitch on their own initiative, without waiting for a half-time managerial intervention. He recognised the imperative for diversity, balance, and inspiration, all qualities largely beyond the earnest puritan, if a team is to reach the pinnacle and stay there. He was not a typical Everton manager.

This is good, although the assessment of Lee is a bit harsh. He nearly won us a title and some of my all time favourite players of flair and character were Lee era. In Looking for the Toffees no one has a bad word to say about him. For me, the only managers we have had since who are better are Big Joe and Immortal Howard. I do agree, however, that a charismatic figure would have better suited - Clough, ideally, although with Cloughie anything could have happened. I particularly liked your comment about "a timely warning for the present".

 

[Major Gowen]

This is good, although the assessment of Lee is a bit harsh. He nearly won us a title and some of my all time favourite players of flair and character were Lee era. In Looking for the Toffees no one has a bad word to say about him. For me, the only managers we have had since who are better are Big Joe and Immortal Howard. I do agree, however, that a charismatic figure would have better suited - Clough, ideally, although with Cloughie anything could have happened. I particularly liked your comment about "a timely warning for the present".

Fair point on Lee, a thoroughly decent man, but you'll doubtless remember the fate of McKenzie, who I thought was playing well and deserved better - it was all too reminiscent of the Catt's attitude to Alex Young - and the utterly baffling signing of Nulty, an earnest journeyman if ever there was one. But, yes, the thrilling sight of Dave Thomas racing down the wing and firing a cross to Big Bob endures.

 

[degsy]

It all started going wrong before Carlisle x 2 tbh. 1 Achilles in the Semi Vs them and some dodgy reffing in Greece

So, In the best Bullseye tradition...and here's what you could've won.

...With Harry Catterick leaving Everton in the summer of 1971 in a blaze of glory, having reached the European Cup Final, though losing 2 – 1 to Ajax, and brought the F. A. Cup back to Merseyside, there were some who wondered if Everton could continue their dominance, especially with League Champions Arsenal emerging as a powerful force. However, Sir John Moores again proved himself to be a good judge of character by persuading the controversial Derby County manager, Brian Clough, to leave County for Goodison Park.
Clough persuaded Moores to raid his old club for Roy McFarland to replace the ageing stalwart Brian Labone, who retired later that year. Clough was happy to appoint Archie Gemmill as captain, having almost signed Gemmill for Derby before the Scot opted for the then reigning champions in 1970.
In the following year, Clough managed to persuade Peter Shilton to join Everton. This was a key factor in Everton beating their neighbours Liverpool to the title in 1972/73. Clough performed another masterstroke in signing the Birmingham City pair of Trevor Francis and Bob Latchford for a British record combined fee of £800,000 in 1974, though the fee included two Everton favourites, Howard Kendall and Joe Royle, going the other way.

Re Bingham; more than a few players found it hard to say nice things about him...the 'Clockwork Orange Robots' - hates to loses - it's what you do off the ball. Plenty of modern day resonances

do I not like orange?...you might think so but I couldn't possibly comment.
@macdog

 

[Major Gowen]

It all started going wrong before Carlisle x 2 tbh. 1 Achilles in the Semi Vs them and some dodgy reffing in Greece

So, In the best Bullseye tradition...and here's what you could've won.

...With Harry Catterick leaving Everton in the summer of 1971 in a blaze of glory, having reached the European Cup Final, though losing 2 – 1 to Ajax, and brought the F. A. Cup back to Merseyside, there were some who wondered if Everton could continue their dominance, especially with League Champions Arsenal emerging as a powerful force. However, Sir John Moores again proved himself to be a good judge of character by persuading the controversial Derby County manager, Brian Clough, to leave County for Goodison Park.
Clough persuaded Moores to raid his old club for Roy McFarland to replace the ageing stalwart Brian Labone, who retired later that year. Clough was happy to appoint Archie Gemmill as captain, having almost signed Gemmill for Derby before the Scot opted for the then reigning champions in 1970.
In the following year, Clough managed to persuade Peter Shilton to join Everton. This was a key factor in Everton beating their neighbours Liverpool to the title in 1972/73. Clough performed another masterstroke in signing the Birmingham City pair of Trevor Francis and Bob Latchford for a British record combined fee of £800,000 in 1974, though the fee included two Everton favourites, Howard Kendall and Joe Royle, going the other way.

Re Bingham; more than a few players found it hard to say nice things about him...the 'Clockwork Orange Robots' - hates to loses - it's what you do off the ball. Plenty of modern day resonances

do I not like orange?...you might think so but I couldn't possibly comment.
@macdog

If only...but to be honest, I'd have settled for Tommy Doc. Less trophies, for sure, but his teams attacked and the man had the kind of personality we'd have loved.

The strange thing is - and this is not with the benefit of hindsight - most Evertonians would have welcomed Cloughie, did not exactly die of excitement at the news of Bingham's appointment, and have never engaged in Stephen Milliganesque uses of the 'umble orange.

 

[Jeff Jones]

It all started going wrong before Carlisle x 2 tbh. 1 Achilles in the Semi Vs them and some dodgy reffing in Greece

So, In the best Bullseye tradition...and here's what you could've won.

...With Harry Catterick leaving Everton in the summer of 1971 in a blaze of glory, having reached the European Cup Final, though losing 2 – 1 to Ajax, and brought the F. A. Cup back to Merseyside, there were some who wondered if Everton could continue their dominance, especially with League Champions Arsenal emerging as a powerful force. However, Sir John Moores again proved himself to be a good judge of character by persuading the controversial Derby County manager, Brian Clough, to leave County for Goodison Park.
Clough persuaded Moores to raid his old club for Roy McFarland to replace the ageing stalwart Brian Labone, who retired later that year. Clough was happy to appoint Archie Gemmill as captain, having almost signed Gemmill for Derby before the Scot opted for the then reigning champions in 1970.
In the following year, Clough managed to persuade Peter Shilton to join Everton. This was a key factor in Everton beating their neighbours Liverpool to the title in 1972/73. Clough performed another masterstroke in signing the Birmingham City pair of Trevor Francis and Bob Latchford for a British record combined fee of £800,000 in 1974, though the fee included two Everton favourites, Howard Kendall and Joe Royle, going the other way.

Re Bingham; more than a few players found it hard to say nice things about him...the 'Clockwork Orange Robots' - hates to loses - it's what you do off the ball. Plenty of modern day resonances

do I not like orange?...you might think so but I couldn't possibly comment.
@macdog

I was in a different world reading that. Thanks, degsy. If only.

 

[degsy]

I was in a different world reading that. Thanks, degsy. If only.

If you think that's good wait until we replace the Barca bound Kendall with the manager of Aberdeen in 1987.

 

[evertoniano]

If you think that's good wait until we replace the Barca bound Kendall with the manager of Aberdeen in 1987.

Omg. If we could only go back in time ....

 

[evertoniano]

I was only about 12 in the mid-70's, remember them as so close and yet so far.

 

[degsy]

Omg. If we could only go back in time ....

 

[NilesRossly]

Imagine Chelsea sell us Djemba Ba and don't force el fraudo to take Lukaku on loan. We get relegated in our first season under el coco and Mosh doesn't take over, Liverpool win the league and keep suarez.

 

[degsy]

Disclaimer; ( belated)
To all Re the Clough Extract and the SAF references.
This is not my work, as I stated some months previous on a different thread. But the work of a chap called Rolant Ellis, to him and him alone goes all the credit...
@macdog, @evertoniano.

 

[rochdaleblue]

If you think that's good wait until we replace the Barca bound Kendall with the manager of Aberdeen in 1987.

Reading Kendall's book on holiday, haven't got to the bit about him leaving for Bilbao, Barcelona I could accept at the time but Bilbao? Hopefully the book will shed some light on why he made this strange decision.

 

[Toffe3m4n]

Imagine Chelsea sell us Djemba Ba and don't force el fraudo to take Lukaku on loan. We get relegated in our first season under el coco and Mosh doesn't take over, Liverpool win the league and keep suarez.

Was only thinking about that scenario the other day. What could've been

 

[Armaghtoffee]

Never liked Billy Bingham. Didn't realise he had played for Everton and was disappointed when finding it out.

Maybe just got carried away with the times and all that.

Big Jack refusing to shake his hand is a vivid childhood memory.

 

[johnnydawg68]

I sat next to a pair of late middle-aged Del Trotters and their wives in the Upper Bullens, more or less overlooking the St End, as the calamity unfolded. They couldn't believe what they were watching. I did briefly think of seeing a shrink after this one:

Swear to God that sounds like Eric Idle on commentary