Iconic Moments in Football No.60
This week’s ‘Iconic Moment’ comes from the opening day of the 1990/91 season and involves former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall.
The Welsh goalkeeper was going through a tough spell at Everton, having handed in a transfer request that was denied by the club. Everton had been champions only four years prior, but the sixth place finish the previous season had frustrated Southall and his transfer request was his way of showing the Everton board his discontent.
Leeds United were the visitors to Goodison Park and were back in the First Division after an eight year absence. Everton’s top six finish the previous season would probably have meant a home win was on most Pools coupons across the country.
The visitors started well and were 2-0 up at the break. Chris Fairclough opened the scoring after only six minutes, latching on to a long throw in to head past Southall. Gary Speed then added a second with 34 minutes on the clock.
The Everton goalkeeper could maybe have been blamed for both goals, not coming out to claim the opener and for also causing confusion in the lead up to Gary Speed’s goal.
As the players left the pitch at half time, Southall had already concocted a plan. He thought that both he and his team mates had performed badly and was frustrated. After a few minutes in the dressing room, Southall went out onto the pitch and sat in the goalmouth that he would be defending in the second half.
This was, and still is, an unusual act but Southall claims that he did it once before – in an away game at Wimbledon’s Plough Lane. He decided that it was more beneficial for him to go out and ‘clear his head’, in front of a crowd of 34,412.
Southall’s decision to go out early to sit on the Goodison Park pitch proved to do little good as Leeds went 3-0 up eleven minutes after the interval when Imre Varadi scored the third goal of the afternoon. Everton scored two late goals but couldn’t find an equaliser and Leeds took all three points.
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