He represented his beloved Everton in more matches than anyone else in the club’s history, won more medals and left a legacy which remains unequalled. Many stories and preconceptions persist about Neville Southall, but now the big man has written his autobiography to give people an insight into the kind of person he really is. In the first of an Exclusive three-part serialisation today, Nev recalls the 80s glory days and one of his best ever saves.
ALTHOUGH we would eventually lose it after a replay, for me the 1984 League Cup Final represented a turning point in Everton history.
Because we matched Liverpool every single step of the way, it confirmed my conviction that we were the best team in the league. In fact, because Liverpool were the best team in Europe it put us on the same pedestal.
The first game at Wembley – a 0-0 draw on a muggy afternoon – hinged on a goal-line clearance by the hand of Alan Hansen, after Adrian Heath had dispossessed Grobbelaar and hooked a shot in. Had it gone in or we’d have scored a penalty Everton’s barren streak would have been at an end.
What did I make of Hansen’s handball? I think everything ultimately evens itself out in the end. Those sort of decisions can kill you on the day or save you – as might have happened in the semi-final when Kevin Richardson got away with a similar offence.
But the good teams always get more decisions; that’s partly why they’re good teams. Whether it’s something in-bred in the referees, or because they’re cleverer players, I don’t know, but you do get more decisions in your favour if you’re at the top.
You know, for example, that if you go to Old Trafford there’ll always be a little bit more added time on if United need it. Part of it must be the human frailties of referees; they see famous players or large crowds and want to be liked and bow to their wishes.
I’ve seen it myself when Everton have played a lower-league team with a lower-league referee; it put us at a massive advantage. I think the same thing sometimes manifests itself in the top flight too.
Whatever the reason, that day referee Alan Robinson didn’t give us a penalty, nor did he send off Alan Hansen, and the match ended goalless.
After all the hype and expectation we made the short journey to Manchester for the replay the following Wednesday.
The match was massively anticlimactic and Liverpool won 1-0 through a Graeme Souness goal. But Souness’s strike was a sliver between two evenly matched teams and the way we had performed as Liverpool’s equals massively boosted our confidence.
All this was less than 17 months after the 5-0 annihilation and more recently the dark days of Christmas 1983. The transition from no-hopers to contenders had been incredibly swift but in other ways it didn’t surprise me.
At White Hart Lane on 3 April 1985, we were riding high at the top of the league, but Spurs weren’t far behind. It was a genuine six-pointer and had they won it might have changed the complexion of the title race.
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