Match by Match reports

1963-64

17^th December 1963

2^nd Round – Home to Liverpool

Won 1-0

Scorer – John Hurst

 

Liverpool Echo

17^th December 1963

 

TWO TALENTED YOUTH TEAMS

By PAUL O’BRIEN

17^th December 1963

Two former colleagues in the Mid-Cheshire Hon UM, Geoff Barnett and John Seeley, will find themselves much in opposition when Everton entertain Liverpool in an F.A. Youth Cup second round tie at Goodison Park this evening (7:30). Barnett who kept goal for England Schoolboys joined Everton as an apprentice professional straight from school, while Sealey arrived at Anfield this season after being spotted playing as an amateur with Roger Hunt’s old club, Warrington Town. He is a centre forward of great promise. An indication as to how the two local clubs cast their nets in search of talent can be seen from the fact that in addition to eight former England and schools internationals scattered among the two sides, there are also two from Scotland, Phillips (Everton) and Totten (Liverpool) and one from Wales, Humphreys (Everton). Four of the England internationals, Hignett, McCulloch, Roach (Liverpool) and Maher (Everton) are products of the Liverpool Boys team, while of the others, two, Hurst and Curwen (Everton), came from Blackpool: Husband (Everton) is a former Newcastle Boys player, and Brnett of course, played for Mid Cheshire. It is unfortunate that these two very fine local teams should be drawn together at such an early stage of the Youth competition, and winners will obviously be much fancied to reach the final stages. To-night they are capable of producing football worthy of a final. The results of the game is anybody’s guess, with much depending on whether Liverpool’s wing-halves, Lowry, a professional and Bennett, who has two previous seasons in the Youth side, can hold the clever Everton attack. At the other end, the battle between Sealer and Smith, a collegiate boy who is rated very highly, should prove interesting. Neither local club has yet won the trophy, but Liverpool were beaten finalists last season and Everton runners-up in 1960-61. EVERTON: Barnett, Rooney, Curvet; Clark, Smith, Phillips; Roberts, Humphreys, Hurst, Husband, Maher, LIVERPOOL: Swindlehurst: Totten, Hignett: Lowry, Parsley, Bennett: Long, McCulloch, Sealer, Roach, Hoare.

 

Liverpool Echo

18^th December 1963

 

FINE GOALKEEPING JUST FAILS TO SAVE LIVERPOOL

BY PAUL O’BRIEN

18^th DECEMBER 1963

Gallant defence and outstanding goalkeeping almost earned Liverpool a replay in the F.A. Youth Cup, second round tie with Everton at Goodison Park, last night. Everton’s greater forward skill told in he end, however, and Harry Catterick’s youngsters won by the only goal of the match.

 

Local amateur goalkeeper, Rodney Swindlehurst, however played brilliantly, and had it not been for him Liverpool would have been out of the game before the 74^th minute when John Hurst, the former English schools international, scored Everton’s goal.

Ironically this was a goal that could have been avoided. There was no Everton challenge when a long ball down the middle overran the forwards, but Liverpool’s defence – no doubt beginning to feel weary after their earlier efforts – decided on safety first and settled for a corner.

Everton’s outside left, Maher, who had switched wings a few minutes previously took a nasty in swinging kick from the right, Swindlehurst caught it under the crossbar at the second attempt, and Hurst followed up to charge goalkeeper and ball into the net.

PROTEST

Liverpool protested to Mr. K.E.Walker of Blackpool, who refereed exceptionally well, but the score stood.

It was a hard blow to a Liverpool defence which had fought so well, but the goal had looked possible from the 15^th minute when Everton’s half-back line of Ambrose Clarke, Derek Smith and John Phillips took a grip of the game.

Phillips, a young Scot, was outstanding, and if this is a sample of his true form, then Scotland’s selectors would be wise to invite him for a trial before they pick their party for next year’s youth international tournament in Holland.

Although the team did not reach the heights expected, there was ample evidence that Everton have recruited their youngsters wisely.

HUSBANDS PROMISE

Young Jimmy Husband who comes from Newcastle and played for the England Schools XI last season, was an example. One of the youngest players on view, Husband’s display at inside-left stamped him as one of the most promising, and had Swindlehust not played so well then he could have notched at hatrick.

Humphreys, too showed up well and inside right for Everton in the opening half hour, producing some defence splitting passes and always darting into open space. After this, however, he was inclined to keep the game close instead of opening the game up. Husband and Humphreys both cracked shots against the post in the second half.

Liverpool lacked penetration on the wings and were therefore unable to spring from defence into attack quickly enough to cause Everton any great worry.

Most of the Anfield’s sides foraging was left to their centre-forward Sealey a former Mid-Cheshire Boys’ player whom they spotted with Warrington Boys.

GREAT GAMENESS

Although there were often three, sometimes four Everton defenders marking him Sealey stuck to a difficult task with great gameness. He bobbed one way and then the other in an attempt to find an opening but unfortunately none of his colleagues appeared to have the speed or experience to find the spot in time for a through pass.

The heroes of the evening, however, were Swindlehurst, Parsley and the rest of the Liverpool defence. Everton’s progress in this competition will, I feel, indicate how gallant the fight really was.

 

14^th January 1964

3^rd Round – Home to Wigan Athletic

Won 12-1

Scorers – John Hurst (4), Gerry Humphreys (3), Jimmy Husband (3), Aiden Maher (2)

YOUTH MATCH AT GOODISON

EVERTON MAKE TWO CHANGES
BY PAUL O’BRIEN

14^th JANUARY 1964

For their FA Youth Cup Third Round match against Wigan Athletic at Goodison Park this evening (7:15) Everton make two changes from the side who beat Liverpool in the previous round.

Former Schoolbuys captain, Geoff Harcombe, who attended Prince Rupert School, Liverpool, comes in at right back in place of George Rooney, while Alec Wallace, a 16-year-old amateur from a local grammar school, will be on the right wing instead of Tommy Roberts.

Wigan include four players who have gained Lancashire County Youth honours – Ashcroft, Morris, Wilson and Cadman. Ashcroft played for England Schoolboys in the same season as Harcombe – 1960-61 – and captained the side on one occasion.

The Wigan side is the same as that which accounted for Huddersfield Town in the last round, all the members coming from Wigan except inside right Wilson, who is a St Helens boy.

EVERTON: Barnett: Harcombe, Curwen; Clarke, Smith, Phillips; Wallace (A), Humphreys, Hurst, Husband, Maher.

WIGAN ATH: Gaskell: Dickinson, Moss; Collier, Ashcroft, Morris; Boon, Wilson, Knowles, Cadman, Bowen

 

MAHER PLAYS BIG PART IN EVERTON’S WIN

BY PAUL O’BRIEN

15^th JANUARY 1964

Outside left Aiden Maher scored two goals and played a major role in making another six when Everton trounced Wigan Athletic 12-1 in the third round of the F.A. Youth Cup at Goodison Park last night.

Maher, an old boy of St.Teresa’s, Norris Green, the school which produced Liverpool’s Phil Ferns and Chris Lawler, had too much speed for Wigan’s tall right back, John Dickinson, and made full use of the splendid service he received from inside forwards Humphreys and Husband, and left half Phillips.

Everton, playing exceptionally well, won as convincingly as the score line suggests, and might have had half a dozen more goals but for some courageous work by Wigan’s centre half Alan Ashcroft.

After scoring four times in the opening 14 minutes, Everton eased off slightly and Wigan stemmed the tide by bringing their inside-left, Jimmy Cadman, back into the left half position, where he did quite well.

Everton, however, were so much on top that goalkeeper Barnett was never really troubled in the first 45 minutes and it was half an hour before Wigan forced their first corner.

Leading 6-0 at the interval through Maher, centre forward Hurst (3) and inside right Humphreys (2) Everton took things a little too easily at the beginning of the second half and at the 47^th minute right winger David Boon, the only Wigan forward to threaten danger, made his sides only goal.

Boon cleverly took the ball almost up to the goal line before lobbing it over Barnett and onto the far post, where left winger Ernie Bowen was on hand to push it into goal.

Everton soon regained complete command, however, and clever approach play, sometimes in the exhibition class, saw Husband (3), Hurst, Humphreys and Maher add further goals.

Although outclassed Wigan kept on trying and they almost got a second goal when Everton’s right back Geoff Harcombe, tackled Bowen and sent the ball only inches outside of his own upright.

Any progress which Wigan made was usually on the wings, for their inside forward trio were completely subdued by the clever Everton half back line of Clarke, Smith and Phillips.

Alec Wallace, a 16 year-old Holt High schoolboy, got a chance on Everton’s right wing because regular Tommy Roberts is injured and possible deputy Gerry Glover has just had a cartilage operation. Wallace did not receive anything like the service Maher did, but he is a clever ball player and showed great promise.

 

12^th February 1964

4^th Round – Home to Leeds United

Lost 1-2

Scorer – Aiden Maher

ROBERTS AND ROONEY PLAY

LEEDS’ DOUBTS

12^th FEBRUARY 1964

BY PAUL O’BRIEN

Former Liverpool Schools F.A. winger Tommy Roberts will play at inside right for Everton against Leeds United in the F.A. Youth Cup fourth round tie, at Goodison Park this evening (7:30).

The only other change from the side which beat Wigan Athletic 12-1 in the last round is at left back, where another former Liverpool Schoolboy, George Rooney, takes over from Eric Curwen.

Two of Leeds’ youth players, full back Barrie Wright and wing half Jimmy Greenhoff, are among the party of 16 named to-day to tour Spain and The Canary Islands with the England youth team later this month.

CHOICE DELAYED

Injuries to Greenhoff, Nigel Davey and Mike Bates prevent Manager Don Revie naming his side for to-night’s game until just before the kick-off.

If Greenhoff is fit, Leeds will field three youngsters who have played in their Second Division side. The others are Wright and inside forward Peter Lorimer.

Leeds’ three successes in previous rounds have all been away from home – at Billingham, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday – with inside left Rodney Belfitt who has had extensive Central League experience, making quite a name for himself as a goal scorer.

EVERTON: Barnett; Harcombe, Rooney; Clarke, Smith, Phillips; Wallace, Roberts, Hurst, Husband Maher.

 

LEEDS DEFENSIVE PLAN BEATS EVERTON

15^th FEBRUARY 1964

BY PAUL O’BRIEN

Leeds United avenged this season’s F.A. Cup defeat when they knocked a much fancied Everton side out of the F.A. Youth Cup by 2-1.

United gained their success in this fourth round tie by means of a clever, but unattractive, defensive plan, in which four players were stationed almost permanently in the penalty area and only two forwards roamed about in the Everton half of the pitch.

Whether introducing these tactics into Youth football, which usually attracts spectators because it has few of the less desirable aspects of the senior professional game, is questionable, but last night they were an unqualified success.

To play this type of game Leeds needed an early goal and they got it in the third minute when, following a rather harsh free kick for a tackle by Everton’s right back Harcombe, the ball bounced about in the penalty area before United’s inside left, Belfitt, scored with a beautiful overhead kick.

CONFIDENT GOALKEEPER

Everton, moving the ball well, fought back but never really managed to extend Leeds’ confident goalkeeper, Harvey. Centre forward Hurst and outside right Maher both missed reasonable chances before the 32^nd minute when Maher got the equaliser.

Right half Ambrose started the move which led to the goal, with left half Phillips providing a cleverly lobbed final pass for Maher to run on to.

All the hard work Everton put in to draw level was wasted three minutes before half time when Leeds inside right Greenhoff who spent nearly the whole of the match in his own half, moved forward to collect a loose ball 40 yards from goal and hit a bouncing shot which caught Barnett, in the Everton goal, off guard.

Everton continued to plug away against the Leeds defensive wall, in which centre half Graham Smith, right back Barrie Wright and Jimmy Greenhoff were outstanding, but the best chance of the second half fell to United’s Scottish centre forward Peter Lorrimer in a breakaway – Lorrimer found himself 15 yards out of goal with only Barnett to beat, but hit the ball hard and straight at the advancing keeper.

As Everton became more anxious, their play lost much of its polish, but wingers Maher and Wallace provided enough centres to produce an equaliser. Unfortunately, the nearest Everton got was when a superb header from Hurst missed the upright by inches.

HUMPHREYS MISSED

Everton missed the skill of inside forward Gerald Humphreys (injured) for hard though Husband and Roberts played they did not have the experience to tackle this kind of defensive problem. Hurst tried hard to bustle his way through, and in the first half looked like succeeding, but he faded in the later stages.

On the wings, neither Maher nor Wallace were at their best, being too inclined to bring inside when the situation called for a run around the outside of the full back and a quick centre.

In the Everton defence, Harcombe gave an outstanding display at right back, while Ambrose, because he realised that the game could be won on the wings and kept pushing the ball out there, was the most effective Everton half back.