14 Years ago today.....

[degsy]

That Holy Trinity side had to be seen to be believed, drove on by Bally - he was a 110 % player & lifted the team , ,but at the same time never a captqin as his standards he set were too high ...... that I think was the Catts mistake with him temporary yes as a captain permantly - No should have been handed back to Labby imo...

Even Geoff Hurst hat trick in the 1966 cup final - somehow imo many teams bust a gut to get him - why because imo he was the MOTM in that game - Mr perpetual motion ....

How lucky Blues Fans were when the Catt swooped to pull the stops out to sign him - the team was built around him alone - a thorn in the side of LFC .....

When you went to a game it was how many we would win by, who's the greatest of them all little curly Alan Ball....
We went to many away games just to see the trinity side - the football was telepathic with Bally pulling the strings - he could receive it & dish it out a hard player - The best box to box midfield player ever to play in the Royal Blue shirt .....

It is said if we got beat he would cry in the dressing room - sold far too early 6 months earlier -The Catt stated only offers of over I/2 a million he may consider, yet he sold him for £210,000 ?

The rumours have always gone on why would you sell a world-class player ? & break a championship team up?

I am glad to have had the pleasure of seeing that pure football Everton team v many great sides in that league at that time - Bally was a true Legend - just like the other two that made up that Holy Trinity Midfield ......

He just dominated most games ........

We played the Charity Shield Vs the rs...we've all seen the pictures of the 3 cups going around the ground.
We we dogshight awful, lost 0-1and were lucky to get Nil tbh, for the rs it was just a canter, a run out

Fast forward 2 weeks...
Ball or so it seemed best them on his own - he lifted the whole team, He - We, ripped them a new one, it was an annihilation.
Chalk and Cheese just doesnt cover it.

It was probably the best footballing day of my life.
In fact, having found both Beer and Girls, I saw this and my life was complete.

And it got better in the next 4 seasons
Then...this is Everton after all...it all turned to shight.

 

[peteblue]

Used to love watching him play, an absolute winner of a man....

 

[blue1948]

I remember him sitting on the ball inviting someone to try and get it .Loved him ,the best I ever saw in a blue shirt but Harvey and Kendall were not too bad ;-)

 

[AndyC]

Remember being in school the day Bally was announced as having been sold to Arsenal... and feeling distraught.
Our Spanish teacher was a rabid Blue, I don't think he uttered a coherent word in either English or Spanish for days.
To be fair the rest of the teachers and my mates all went easy on me that day, they (all Mancs) knew what Bally meant to Everton and Evertonians.

 

[Seathestars]

Once Everton has touched you.
That famous sentence, how could so few words be so profound.

 

[LEONARD]

Old enough, and lucky enough to see him grace Goodison.

A player of supreme quality and consistent application.

Privileged to have witnessed such a fantastic footballer.

 

[bcblue1878]

My favourite Everton player of all time, was devastated when he was sold to Arsenal! His performance in the 1966 World Cup Final really doesn’t get the credit it deserved!
As a seven year old watching him alongside Kendall and Harvey you don’t realise at the time, but certainly do now, what a privilege it was to see the three of them play together in the Royal Blue!

 

[AndyC]

My favourite Everton player of all time, was devastated when he was sold to Arsenal! His performance in the 1966 World Cup Final really doesn’t get the credit it deserved!
As a seven year old watching him alongside Kendall and Harvey you don’t realise at the time, but certainly do now, what a privilege it was to see the three of them play together in the Royal Blue!

The best midfield trio ever, will never be bettered

 

[Dario Terracotta]

Our second greatest ever player, only Dixie above him in the Everton pantheon, our twenty four "carrot" Legend.RIP Bally.

 

[peteblue]

I remember him sitting on the ball inviting someone to try and get it .Loved him ,the best I ever saw in a blue shirt but Harvey and Kendall were not too bad ;-)

I remember that day, it was white boots and all if I remember correctly, but maybe not...

 

[PSB1]

I remember that day, it was white boots and all if I remember correctly, but maybe not...

and @blue1948 ... did it fairly often against Liverpool. Remember him taunting Peter Thompson at the Street End. He also had a trick of killing a lofted ball with his backside ... did that against the Reds and Leeds. Bremner was less than amused!

 

[Dario Terracotta]

I remember as a kid the reception he got one game when he returned with Southampton in about 1978 I think,I was too young to appreciate Bally when he was with us but that reception has always stuck with me and my thoughts at the time were this fella must have been one hell of a player for our football club and how I wished I had been born ten years earlier to appreciate him

 

[Dario Terracotta]

The best midfield trio ever, will never be bettered

The quartet in 1984-85 were pretty special Andy,I can't compare as I only really saw Sheeds,Brace,Reidy and Tricky, but my old man saw both and the 1963 team and he always reckons, the Trinity were the Kings

 

[Blues Harp]

The quartet in 1984-85 were pretty special Andy,I can't compare as I only really saw Sheeds,Brace,Reidy and Tricky, but my old man saw both and the 1963 team and he always reckons, the Trinity were the Kings

Your dad's a good judge I also saw all those teams, and I would wholeheartedly agree with him.
Best EFC midfield I have seen but Bally was without comparison
Indeed the greatest of them all

 

[blue1948]

and @blue1948 ... did it fairly often against Liverpool. Remember him taunting Peter Thompson at the Street End. He also had a trick of killing a lofted ball with his backside ... did that against the Reds and Leeds. Bremner was less than amused!

Yes I forgot about that ,he was and always will be special .Special as a blue ,special as player and even more special for the effort he put in every game . Still saddens me when I look back at what he could have done here with us .