Class of 85 - The Greatest team you never saw?

[banno]

Remember the 83-84 season when it was as bad as it gets. Horrible football and floundering and nothing to look forward to. Similar to how we are now. No light at the end of the tunnel to say. By the end of the season we were playing great footy with exactly the same players reaching both FA Cup and League Cup finals and matching Liverpool in the league cup final. We could sense something special for the 84-85 season when we beat Liverpool in the charity shield by more than matching them again. Roll on the defeats by Spurs 1-4 at home then West Brom away and we thought here we go again. Seeemed like a wake up call to the team and the rest is history. What a great team with Southall supreme when called upon and some inspirational football that sometimes took your breath away. When we clicked into gear we were unstoppable but the matches were we struggled for a while had Southall holding the fort until we got our act back together. It was a hard team yet the right mixture of grit and flair. That season I seen that we actually played 13 games in one calender month between April 13th to March 13th. The fixture list did not aid us one bit with winning the ECWC on a Wednesday then the FA Cup game on the Saturday....even us fans were knackered nevermind the players. It was a travesty really as it deprived us of a certain treble (IMO).

85-86 season with Lineker was IMO still the best team in the league by far but those injuries and the Oxford game was just too much. Still a great team but more direct for me and less of a team. I suppose that is harsh as they were still great but that was the comparison between both seasons.

 

[Gladystweet]

This team was so good, that when we won the league again 2 years later, it just didn’t feel as good..if that makes sense?
We played some amazing football in 86/87, but nothing will compare with the class of 85.
Every single player came in to his own that year, and all at the same time. We just looked unbeatable at times. A glorious time.

 

[degsy]

I liked watching all the teams who won the four titles that I saw.......

Me too

 

[degsy]

Some of our older supporters might be able to confirm whether this was true, but I’ve heard we actually played better football the season before we won the league in 70 despite finishing third. Was this true?
Similar to us finishing running up in 86 and winning the league the following season. I happen to believe we played better football in 86, but just faltered in the run in.

68-69?...at times yes
Ive posted on 69-70 Vs 84-85 about 4 times now
Short version; 84-85, just, by the smallest of margins
Reason; they hated to lose that bit more.
But if I was given just One free go in the TARDIS or De Lorean, I'd set the dial for Aug 1969...
'Pick me up next May Doc'
'Great Scott !

 

[jaycee]

Theres one of the differences between then and now,Reidy told the physio to koff the field when he told him to come off for treatment,it was a team that would not lie down for anybody

 

[GwladysBlue]

Can those who seen the 1970 side explain to me how it didn’t win the European Cup when the final was at Wembley?

Also, why it didn’t go onto dominate the 1970s like it was suppose to.

Seems like a proper Everton bottle job.

 

[degsy]

Sometimes we dont realise how good things are until they are not there. That 85 team was magnificent. Mixture of skill and battlers, never knew when we were beaten. In typical Everton fashion I used to be critical of Kevin Sheedy, never tackled or ran back! Why the hell did he need to? Reidy and Bracewell did that for him, and that left foot- say no more.

I think you'll find he did sometimes, you just didn't notice so much. Check out Bayerns goal and who slid in on the line trying in vain to keep it out.

 

[Joey66]

Can those who seen the 1970 side explain to me how it didn’t win the European Cup when the final was at Wembley?

Also, why it didn’t go onto dominate the 1970s like it was suppose to.

Seems like a proper Everton bottle job.

an alleged corrupt referee v Panifi

Can those who seen the 1970 side explain to me how it didn’t win the European Cup when the final was at Wembley?

Also, why it didn’t go onto dominate the 1970s like it was suppose to.

Seems like a proper Everton bottle job.

An alleged corrupt referee put us out in the quarterfinal - we beat the favourites Borussia Monchengladbach - a greek side managed by Puskas put us out on the away goal rule -Panathinaikos F.C.

 

[Thetigerblue]

Remember the 83-84 season when it was as bad as it gets. Horrible football and floundering and nothing to look forward to. Similar to how we are now. No light at the end of the tunnel to say. By the end of the season we were playing great footy with exactly the same players reaching both FA Cup and League Cup finals and matching Liverpool in the league cup final. We could sense something special for the 84-85 season when we beat Liverpool in the charity shield by more than matching them again. Roll on the defeats by Spurs 1-4 at home then West Brom away and we thought here we go again. Seeemed like a wake up call to the team and the rest is history. What a great team with Southall supreme when called upon and some inspirational football that sometimes took your breath away. When we clicked into gear we were unstoppable but the matches were we struggled for a while had Southall holding the fort until we got our act back together. It was a hard team yet the right mixture of grit and flair. That season I seen that we actually played 13 games in one calender month between April 13th to March 13th. The fixture list did not aid us one bit with winning the ECWC on a Wednesday then the FA Cup game on the Saturday....even us fans were knackered nevermind the players. It was a travesty really as it deprived us of a certain treble (IMO).

85-86 season with Lineker was IMO still the best team in the league by far but those injuries and the Oxford game was just too much. Still a great team but more direct for me and less of a team. I suppose that is harsh as they were still great but that was the comparison between both seasons.

Great goal by Lineker, but a super example of the point.

 

[Thetigerblue]

This team was so good, that when we won the league again 2 years later, it just didn’t feel as good..if that makes sense?
We played some amazing football in 86/87, but nothing will compare with the class of 85.
Every single player came in to his own that year, and all at the same time. We just looked unbeatable at times. A glorious time.

There were a few games when I thought we were sensational. There was one, against Norwich where I felt that we'd exceeded 84/85, we were on a different planet that day (akin to when City beat us a few weeks ago)



The goals in this game don't really convey what I felt. Except goal number 4. I think it's a worldy.

 

[Alanbileysfeathercut]

Remember the 83-84 season when it was as bad as it gets. Horrible football and floundering and nothing to look forward to. Similar to how we are now. No light at the end of the tunnel to say. By the end of the season we were playing great footy with exactly the same players reaching both FA Cup and League Cup finals and matching Liverpool in the league cup final. We could sense something special for the 84-85 season when we beat Liverpool in the charity shield by more than matching them again. Roll on the defeats by Spurs 1-4 at home then West Brom away and we thought here we go again. Seeemed like a wake up call to the team and the rest is history. What a great team with Southall supreme when called upon and some inspirational football that sometimes took your breath away. When we clicked into gear we were unstoppable but the matches were we struggled for a while had Southall holding the fort until we got our act back together. It was a hard team yet the right mixture of grit and flair. That season I seen that we actually played 13 games in one calender month between April 13th to March 13th. The fixture list did not aid us one bit with winning the ECWC on a Wednesday then the FA Cup game on the Saturday....even us fans were knackered nevermind the players. It was a travesty really as it deprived us of a certain treble (IMO).

85-86 season with Lineker was IMO still the best team in the league by far but those injuries and the Oxford game was just too much. Still a great team but more direct for me and less of a team. I suppose that is harsh as they were still great but that was the comparison between both seasons.

It's was enjoyable
No queuing
Leave the blue house at 2.55 still make kick off
Just decide last minute to go to away games
Standing was an option
Same speck every week
Al fella shouts

 

[peteblue]

There should be an age limit on this thread.... maybe only allow anyone born before 1980!!!!

(just jealous... at least I'm old enough to remember winning the 95 cup lol)

Don’t worry lad, when Moshiri cleans up the club and you move to a nice new stadium on the docks, you’ll get to see a fair few trophies and titles won......

 

[peteblue]

Can those who seen the 1970 side explain to me how it didn’t win the European Cup when the final was at Wembley?

Also, why it didn’t go onto dominate the 1970s like it was suppose to.

Seems like a proper Everton bottle job.

No idea. I was in GS the night we drew with Panathinaikos, they got the first goal, we battered them for the rest of the game and got a goal right at the end. Then cocked it up by drawing 0-0 at their place. I still don’t know how we didn’t score 3 or more at GP......a real gut wrenching sickener.......

 

[sotnas]

There was no other level for us to aspire to. There was however, Heysel. The ban from Europe with the result that the side disintegrated.

Well, I understand the Heysel effect. But our neighbours were able to renew their team and to build a very entertaining side. We had a couple of questionable decisions signing players.

And it seems that we were the only top side of the country to be submitted to players demands of a new challenge abroad. Why only us?

 

[GwladysBlue]

No idea. I was in GS the night we drew with Panathinaikos, they got the first goal, we battered them for the rest of the game and got a goal right at the end. Then cocked it up by drawing 0-0 at their place. I still don’t know how we didn’t score 3 or more at GP......a real gut wrenching sickener.......

Sounds about right then. Nothing ever changes!