Harry Catterick: The Untold Story of a Football Great

Product Information

Burnley became a major force. They won the title in 1960, having reached the top of the table for the first time that season when the whistle blew at the end of the campaign's final match. They had to win at Manchester City, and did so 2-1, reserve winger Trevor Meredith scoring the decisive goal. Potts had kept the team calm ahead of the match, treating it as just another game. The rest is history, well enough documented to require little comment from me, but another great side swept all before them and garnered huge applause from football fans everywhere for their stylish league title win in 1969-70 – the “ School of Science” returned with interest. By the late 1960s, the vision of producing an entertaining team based on a fluid 4-3-3 formation was coming to fruition. No less than six players developed through the Club’s youth system were regulars in the starting 11.

Ramsey’s approach was in stark contrast to those in similar situations around the game; rarely one to employ bombast or trash talk, he actively avoided scrutiny by the media, and when he did have to play the game, he did so with a ‘straight bat’. He went to great lengths to maintain his staid manner whilst never wavering from a quiet, inner belief in his and his team’s capabilities. Renowned as a strict disciplinarian, those who played under him greatly respected Ramsey for his thorough professionalism and attention to detail, yet, most would admit to having never really known or warmed to him such was his will to sustain a distant relationship to the men under his control.There was Tottenham’s double winning Bill Nicholson – loved and revered by those who played under him. Given Manchester United have just won a record 19th English league championship, the fact that they've had only three title-winning managers comes as quite a surprise. But while two of them are world-famous giants of the game, indelibly etched into the history books, United's other champion boss is a relatively peripheral figure these days.

The striker – who was the first major football talent from sub-Saharan Africa to shine on the big stage having been born in the then Portuguese colony of Mozambique – netted 41 goals in 64 internationals and enjoyed a phenomenal scoring rate at club level with Benfica, plundering 473 goals in 440 matches for the Lisbon giants, with whom he won 11 domestic titles and the 1962 European Cup. Eusebio never forgot his exploits at Goodison Park though and when returning to Everton's home for a Europa League match in November 2009, he said: “Sorry, I don’t speak good English. But today for me, for my family, it’s a good day, for Benfica to play here. This stadium for me is the best stadium in my playing life.” Sunderland were granted league status in 1890 – the first new team to be admitted, replacing Stoke City – and they soon reached the top. After taking a season to acclimatise, Watson's side won three titles in four years. The first championship saw them win all 13 of their home games, a campaign during which they also recorded 13 wins on the bounce. In their second title season, they were the first team to score 100 goals in a campaign, 43 more than second-placed Preston. They also made the FA Cup semi-finals in 1892 and 1895.A Goodison legend handed his debut in the San Siro at the age of 18, Colin Harvey, says: “The press enjoyed being courted by Bill Shankly, but Harry was an introvert and snubbed them.

Until Evertonian author Rob Sawyer heard of Veall’s frustration and made representations to the Football League. Most would go for the charismatic bosses, Bill Shankly or Matt Busby, men who courted publicity and made headlines as well as winning trophies. Despite Harry’s achievements in football he seemed to have been practically whitewashed from the sport’s history - something that irked me when I saw the coverage afforded to many of his contemporaries.It didn’t seem so at the time, but 1964-65 was obviously a season of transition with the 1962-63 champions gradually being replaced as he built a new side. A week on, it is still difficult to think of anything more depressing in a Premier League game this season than the scene that unfurled when Kevin Mirallas gave James Tomkins a push in the chest and West Ham’s defender took a split-second to think about it before crumpling to the floor, hands over his face in pretend agony.

The following season saw some changes in the Blues’ ranks, as Harvey cemented his place, Tommy Wright came through to replace Alex Parker and Sandy Brown came in to play everywhere. No doubt the people behind the latest stunt will get their laughs from the “lolz” generation and Spurs, with a hefty fine on the cards, will be accused of not getting the joke.These words were vindicated when the challenge of great rivals Leeds was seen off as the Blues surged to a seventh League title. With the Toffees out of both domestic cups and fading in the league, they travelled to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, who was competing for the title. At the time, Nikica Jelavic had scored in 4 successive matches away from Goodison, which included two FA Cup matches, and he had no plans of stopping there. In a match where the Toffees were down 3-1 and 4-2, Jelavic helped close the gap with 2 goals in the match as Everton came from behind to earn a thrilling 4-4 draw. Along with the result, Jelavic became the first player in club history to score in 5 successive away matches, a streak that would fall in the team’s next away fixture. As a man with a record for success – one that stands up to those of Shankly, Busby, Revie or Nicholson – you would expect plenty of ex-players queuing up to gush about how great a man he was and how much affection they had for their time spent under him. Yet, that was rarely the case. The antagonistic clash of dispositions between rivals from the dugout is certainly not a new phenomenon, although the mischievous stoking of the coals by outside influences does seem to be of a greater prevalence these days.