To another sell-out audience in the cellar full of Blues, author Paul McParlan regaled the gathered throng with the full unexpurgated journey through the 1986-87 season, cumulating in our second championship win in three years.
Paul has been a Toffee all his life, his first match being on very cold away trip to Blackburn Rovers during the ‘Big Freeze’ of 1962-63. [This author followed suit and watched his first game in a big coat at Goodison the week after]. A former teacher, now enjoying retirement, Paul is just as busy as ever, writing for the Athletic, The Guardian, regularly appearing on Radio Merseyside, and podcasts like the Blueroom, while representing EFCHS on the Fans Advisory Board. As well as being a season ticket holder at HDS, he also attends Marine games with his son Mark. He is arguably most well-known however, for his excellent account of our last championship winning season in his book ‘The Forgotten Champions – was 1986/1987 Everton’s Last Ever Title?’
The evening began with our debut presenter, Lewis Royden, asking Paul about the close season upheaval of the departure of Gary Linekar for Barcelona, together with the newspaper reports of Howard Kendall following him out of the club. The latter turned out to be untrue, but Paul set up the forthcoming season with a summary of the state of the club at that time and the new signings on their way in – most notably Dave Watson, plus the double swoop of Paul Power and Neil Adams.
Paul’s presentation throughout was complimented with a game-by-game display of photos, news reports, and footage of many of the goals scored home and away that season. It was an evening of nostalgia, but also great despondency at the reoccurring reminder of this being the last time that trophy was held aloft.
This was an unlikely team on paper, and consequently features little in discussions of great championship winning sides, and despite Paul entitling his book as ‘Forgotten,’ he argued convincingly that this should not be the case, highlighting great team and individual performances, effective management, and a plethora of superb goals, many shown on screen.
As expected, it generated a very lively Q&A afterwards, which Paul enthusiastically answered well past 10.30pm, and by then in the hot seat for a riveting two hours!
Well done to both Paul and Lewis with providing an evening of excellent entertainment!
