Neville Southall: My Everton home
Neville Southall, one of the game’s true enigmas, the man who stood out as truly unique even at a time when footballers, in particular goalkeepers, were a quirky bunch.
The Welshman, born in Llandudno back in 1958, had an uninspiring youth.
After leaving school without a qualification to his name, a young, stocky teenager dabbled into the world of waiters, hod carrying and even a binman. Whatever he could do to get by.
As he dwindled between jobs, his semi-professional football career followed suit. He would chase a rapidly fading dream by moving from club-to-club before finding a home at Cheshire-based Winsford United.
In 1980 came his chance, he joined Bury at the age of 22.
In typical Nev fashion, he would be gone in just over a year. This time it was different, he was moving on to bigger and better things. He would leap from the fourth division to first division giants Everton.
The rest, you could say, is history. 747 appearances in total, an Everton record. 578 in the league, another record. Two league titles, two FA Cups, a European Cup Winners Cup.
But, just how did this man find himself a true home for 17 years, a home where he would win the lot? Not to mention the hearts of a famously arduous fanbase.
“The people, this city, the fans”
“It was simply a place I felt at home in,” says Southall. “The people, this city, the fans, I had everything I needed.”
Joining any other club, Southall’s looks, weight and inexperience may have been criticised. Not Everton. They had a talented squad, but the fans cried out for a hero. In Southall they got all that and more, he was one of them.
“The reception I’d get from the Gwladys Street End each and every week is something you do not forget,” recalls Southall, as he reminisces fondly of his bond with the fans.
‘Big Nev’, as he was christened by his adoring fanbase, is still a regular at supporters club events — you only have to check his Twitter following to see that the love for the man is as strong as ever.
“The greatest of them all — the gaffer”
Southall’s time at Everton ran symmetrically with the clubs most successful manager of all time, the man who took a leap of faith to bring him to Goodison Park, the late Howard Kendall.
“When Howard brought me to Everton he gave me his respect and he gave me his trust,” Southall says, who speaks of ‘his gaffer’ with the fondness ringing in his voice.
Though Southall would work under seven managers during his time at Everton, it would be ‘his gaffer’ who would deliver all but one of his career trophies (1995 FA Cup).
“We had a certain way of playing and that was it,” says the ex-goalkeeper. “We never went anywhere to defend or try and draw.
“And his training, his training was better than anyone I’ve ever come across. He was further advanced than most coaches at that time. Nowadays you hear about how great these foreign coaches are, well Howard was doing all that years ago.”
It wasn’t just Kendall the coach that Southall needed at that time, he needed the person. A ‘realist’ who wasn’t afraid to bring his star ‘keeper down to earth when required.
“He nearly packed me off to Port Vale on loan once,” he says with a smile.
He needed stability and guidance — Kendall was there. He seemed to work out the enigma and the pair struck a long-term bond, only to be broken by his passing last year.
“I’m glad I played when I did, it’s boring today”
A staggering 747 appearances for Everton — a club record never likely to broken. A figure that Southall himself admits he would get nowhere near in the modern day.
“It’s different now because I would be upset if they dropped me for a cup game,” he demands.
“These days you don’t get the chance because you get all these people telling you that you’re tired, that you need a rest, I think that’s a complete load of b*****ks in all fairness.”
Of the current squad, Leighton Baines leads the way with 349 appearances, less than half of Southall’s record haul.
He’s been at Everton 10 years now, and won’t get anywhere near — true testament to the feat of Southall’s longevity.
“I’d swap everything else we won, for that one night”
Two league titles, two FA Cups and a European Cup Winners Cup but Southall simply doesn’t hesitate when asked to recall his fondest memory.
“It has to be the cup winners cup semi-final second leg, at home to Bayern Munich,” he says with a glint in his eye.
“We didn’t even win anything that night, but I just remember standing there thinking, this is the greatest night in Everton’s history.”
After a hard-fought 0–0 in the first leg away in Munich, Everton conceded an away goal early in the return fixture. Going in at the break 1–0 down, Kendall’s side returned attacking the Gwladys Street End and three second half goals saw Everton overturn the deficit, evoking scenes never to be repeated at Goodison.
“For me it was the fans that made the difference that night,” he said.
“If you could put Liverpool as a city and its character into one game, that would be it.
“It had fight, a big heart and it had humour and that is everything that Liverpool is. Whenever I think of Liverpool I think of that night.”
“I needed to clear my head, for the good of the team”
An image synonymous with Southall’s career is that of the big man, slumped against his post, not a teammate in sight.
Colin Harvey’s Everton were 2–0 down at home to Leeds United on the opening day of the 1990/91 campaign, when Southall, angered by his own contribution, chose to distance himself from an turbulent dressing room and remained on the pitch for the entire break.
Cue the headlines: ‘Southall wants out’.
The truth? “I thought I’d had a s*** first half, and needed to clear my head,” he explains.
“It doesn’t seem like such a good idea now because it caused a lot of grief for a lot of people, which isn’t good but I was doing it, I thought, for the benefit of the team. If I can play better then it would help us.”
Method behind his madness?
It didn’t matter.
Southall did it his way, always, and things didn’t turn out too badly.
