A cracking summary from Ian Macdonald on the recent event when the Holy Trinity were reunited back home at Goodison Park.  Thanks Ian!

Sadly, ladies and gentlemen, for one night only...

For the first time since their sad departures from Everton, Ball, Kendall and Harvey were back home, the place where they forged a deal with God to present us with arguably the best midfield in modern day football.  If you're a younger reader just ask your Dad or Uncle, whether Red or Blue, what these three special footballers where like.

If I was Doctor Who one of the first things I'd do would be to go back to 1970 and bring these three fantastic footballers back to the present day.  Our problems would be no more.  Just imagine this midfield in the present squad and the doom and gloom surrounding us at present would be lifted with only Blue Skies above.

Season ticket price increases would not even be mentioned let alone the heart-searching.  There would have to be a second tier on the Park End close season for the demand of increased season ticket holders.  The Marquee in the car park pulled down and a big screen installed just for the home games.

How much would this lot fetch these days?   Would David Moyes be given the money then to build around them with a kid at the front feeding off balls that only get served up to him once in a while at England games.  How many goals would Wayne score with the service they would provide never mind Radzinski (even Rad would get twenty odd goals), mouth watering...

Bluenose Productions assembled these Three Amigos and I thank them for that deed, it really is a privilege and an honour to be in their company.

We assembled first in the Dixie Dean suite, the father of these players. As I looked upon his sons I turned to a fellow Blue and said that for one night Mathew I want to live in the past.  You see that's where we hide when times are like the present, you feel safe and smug again in our illustrious history.

But history of Everton is not all glory, ten years ago this week Barry Horne and Co. saved our pride against Wimbledon, never again eh!

I asked Bally in Dixie's Suite any answers to our current problems, he just smiled and replied, " Just play Rooney 20 yards up front by himself - he's that good ", the family completed.  The grandson of Dixie talked about with affection and pride by the son of Dixie in our extended family of Everton.

Westy (I love this guy) listened in to the conversation with Bally and said, "Ian I'll throw the ball to Wayne".

Everyone bar the top table was led into another famous son of Goodison suite, the Alex Young suite.  Everyone sat at their table and waited, excited, like kids at Christmas for their heroes to enter.  Lets face it were just a bunch of groupies when players like these turn up back on our patch.

Elton Welsby, another great Evertonian, was compere for the night and he built up the atmosphere like a drum roll.  Introducing Billy Butler, another great Blue who bangs the drum everyday on Radio Merseyside, Brian Snagg and Roger Kenyon (Blue nose productions), Mickey Finn (comedian), Mark Langly (impressionist), Dopey - yes Dopey - played by John Bailey in the Bluenose Pantomime, our record post war goal scorer Graeme Sharp, Brian Labone ("one Evertonian is worth twenty reds") - Mr Everton, the pillar of the great sixties and early seventies side.

Lastly and not least, winning his battle with anorexia, Gordon West!

Then the moment the crowd had waited for - "For the first time together back at Goodison", Elton boomed, "BALL ,KENDALL and HARVEY - the most complete midfield ever - The Holy Trinity."  The false ceiling tiles came off with the reception these three guys got, nostalgia at its best.

As Howard sat down he noticed Wayne's dad in the audience and gave him the thumbs up, class knows class even if its just his Dad.  Thank you Wayne senior and Jeanette his mum for producing a kid who fills us with such pride and a bit of hope.  Wayne senior's presence at a lot of these functions gives me hope that his son will stay a while longer.  Without doubt the whole family are Evertonians and no better pride felt of your son than when seeing him playing for our team.

The three course meal ensued but I noticed many splashes on freshly ironed shirts as starry eyed Evertonians ate whilst watching their heroes every move, missing their mouths with the scoff.

The staff led by Marie (happy birthday mate) worked hard to quench the thirst of the 300 Evertonians gathered.  Not just getting drunk on ale but memories of the glory days.  I can't help but feel when I looked over at Bally about the day he left Everton when I was a kid and glanced at Wayne senior with an ache in my heart.

I know we were drooling at the midfield on show now but such is the void now in our engine room I'd gladly have Speed (although don't tell Howard), Hutchison and Stuart back now!

After the food was served, do we really want a meal when we have enough food for thought on nights like these and anyway it takes more room up when ale and wine is flowing, Elton popped back up to introduce a kid we signed from Dumbarton who helped shake the football world with his team mates in the eighties - a fully paid up member of the centre forward club of Everton and now Fans Liaison officer, Graeme Sharp.

Graeme spoke in glowing terms of the man he played for so admirably in the Royal Blue shirt, Howard, of Bally and Colin he spoke of the adoration of the fans towards these guys and knew they must be special as such reverence is not easily earned.

Sharpy raised his glass to three genuine football legends, enough said.

Brian Snagg thanked everyone gathered for coming and their loyalty for such events, he said you never know this might be the last time they are all together.  Everyone looked at Howard!

Then came the turn of the acts, first on the chair (because he's so small) was Mickey Finn, a scouser's comedian, never really Blue but a Blue at heart always.  He starts off with "Its nice to have a booking so soon after Christmas!"  I like the part of his act when he tells us of his mate's trip to Saudi Arabia.  "Err was the ale dear?" "About twenty lashes a pint!"  "You get stoned for adultery over there, over here is the other way round" "Me mate saw an Arab with his arm sown back on, he turned to his friend and said what's with him? Oh he won his appeal!"  "How about the two smack heads who had two kids called Charlie and Avaline!"  "Do you remember when coke was two bob a bag and ecstasy was when you got a Yankee bet up without her knowing?"  Ah Mickey makes me laugh, but don't heckle him.  He shouted at one lad, "see what happens when cousins marry".

Then it was the turn of the new kid on the block, Mark Langly, an impressionist and comedian I had not seen before.

He was working in Manchester last week so for safety he'd put on a Manc accent - "Alright" a voice straight out of the group Oasis, he went to the toilet and three Scousers beat him up!  Mark said he was having trouble with his girl friend when she called him a stalker - "Well she's not me girl friend yet!"  Mark said his mum told him if he can make one person laugh then.....your shit!  Mark then went on to do a galaxy of impressions from the world of football.  Bobby Robson who thought Bowyer was Dyer last night, to the Premiership hosts and Match of The Day presenters.

Then onto Mr Houllier who talked of his pliers and the part the crowd played after the second goal went in my eyes nearly popped out!  In fact they did.  He did everyone's fall guy (but who's laughing all the way to the bank?), David Beckham.  David said that Posh is very good and gives all her old clothes to the starving in Africa.  Its the only place where they will fit!  When David was asked about Rio he replied it's a lovely place in Brazil! Mark looks a very good prospect in the entertainment world, I wonder if he can play in midfield?

Little curly Alan Ball was asked to stand up by Elton and asked of his time at Everton after the clapping and singing subsided he squeaked out that when he asked his Dad, his mentor, after he signed for Everton "when I get there what shall I do?"  His Dad told him to be a honest pro, fight for everything, give plenty of sweat and blood for the cause, do it for the supporters and they will take you into their hearts.  And he did and we did.

Alan told us he was a Bolton fan as a boy but knocked back as a player for them for being too small, I think Wolves did the same to him.

Alan told us that at 21 he won the World Cup but was still at Blackpool at the time and although he was with great players in the England set up he was with them part time.  When he signed for Everton he looked around the dressing room and felt humble - there was Young, Parker, Labone, Wilson, Westy, Gabriel, Morrissey to name but a few.  He thought how am I going to get a game but he did the following week at Fulham away where he scored on his debut, 1-0.  "You know lads we were together then we felt privileged to put the shirt on. We had a hard manager who led by fear, and a miserable sod to boot, but he instilled in us nothing but the best, like the clubs motto.  I know I was in a World Cup winning team but I came to play for the best club in the world.  I went to Arsenal broken hearted, they treated me like a king there, but their derby games were nothing like ours.  At Southampton I played with six England captains (can you name them?) in front of just 14000 fans.   I had happy times there as well but nothing like Everton."

"Where I live now on the south coast by the Isle of Wight there is a pub called the 'Jolly Farmers'.  In that pub a set of Evertonians gather and we talk of our one love, you see there are Evertonians everywhere.  If the Reds had had to endure what we have these last 16 years their crowds would be down to 19000."

"When I was a kid Westy would give me many a belt at Blackpool to keep me in check, he's just give me one now on the way in!  We were never really coached by Catterick - we did that together, if we made mistakes on Saturday we'd sort them out on the Monday; Wilf Dixon our trainer at the time just left us to it."

"If a team wanted to play football against us we would beat them at us, if they wanted to fight us we'd fight them as long as Morrissey was in the side!"

"We still feel very privileged to be here tonight with you - thanks for your feelings towards us."  Cue 'Who's The Greatest Of Them All? - Little Curly Alan Ball'.  A little man with big words.

Next up at the altar was Howard.

In a reply to Brian Snagg's view that this could be the last time together here,  "nice to be here for the last time - is Peter Johnson making a comeback?"

He was asked a question, "could you three have become the England midfield?"  Howard replied, "Ramsey was loyal to his players - like Styles and Mullery - and why not, they were winning games.  I really thought I would get that elusive England cap, in fact I was told I would come on as sub when England played Yugoslavia and Joe Royle scored to make it 1-1, but sadly I never got on."  Sir Alf you should be ashamed of yourself.  God rest his soul.

As a manager Howard says he showed the same loyalty as Ramsey to performing players.  "Now England caps are given away like Kellogg's box tops", he said despairingly.

Howard told us about the time we played Leeds away, when he fell to the floor after a corner and Giles stamped on his chest.  Howard thought I'll get him next game.  Next season, at Goodison, two minutes into the game, "fuck off, right through Giles - the ball nowhere. Giles got up and shouted Jack, Billy, and Norman and pointed to Howard, bang Norman 'Eat your legs' Hunter got me back."

Did Big Jack Charlton really have a little black book of a hit list for opposing players?  Howard - "If he did then Morrissey was top of his list!"  I wonder why Johnny never comes to these functions, he only lives down the road in Crosby.

Then the quiet man was ushered up, what a servant Colin has been to this club over the years even as manager.  It has been said when Colin had to have his hip operations they found blue and white strips running through the worn bones.  Colin just stands there with a big grin on his face and respect channels to him.  Colin was asked who were the best inside forwards he played against.  With that Cheshire cat grin he answered, "Howard at Preston and Bally at Blackpool."  It was no coincidence that an early autobiography written about Bally was called 'The Ball of Fire', because he was just that said Colin, "he just would not rest or lie down after a tackle."

Colin was asked another weird and wonderful question of the night as to who was the top womaniser of the three?  Colin's eyes just looked at Howard.

Colin then went on to describe the camaraderie of the team all those years ago.  He told us of the time Tommy Wright came to Bellefield one morning worse for wear for drink.  In training that morning a running routine in pairs was the norm where one player would do a lap of Bellefield then the next would do another after a hand tag.  Now Tommy managed just one lap then hid behind a big tree, so Colin took it upon himself to do Tommy's laps as well.  Wilf Dixon the trainer noticed Colin's times were getting slow and would have to be reported to Catterick.  So there's Tommy back home sleeping it off while Colin's kept behind in Bellefield getting told off for him.  Tommy's son goes on our away coaches now, God help him.

Alan was asked up again about those white boots.  Alan told us there was a boot manufacturer at the time called Hummel and they were looking for someone mad enough to wear them, and get a fee of two thousand pounds.  Alan told his Dad of their approach, he said "I hope your bloody good son."  "To be honest lads they were crap, like cardboard, so I got the young apprentices - John McLaughlin was one - to paint my Adidas boots white.  It was great till one day it rained and the black came through.  A not too happy watching Hummel rep saw what I'd done so goodbye to the two grand."

Alan was asked why Hurst never passed to him in the World Cup Final  -he replied, "he was a greedy bastard".

Bally asked us to spare a thought for Sandy Brown who is in ill health. "God he was mad", Alan said affectionately.

Howard was then asked about his favourites in his team.  "There wasn't any really", then he looked at Dopey, I mean John Bailey.  Howard said he had inherited John, he's signed him and sacked him then signed him then sacked him again, signed him once again then couldn't find him.  But what a character to have in the dressing room, just brilliant.

One derby game the buzzer went to go out to the field of play, Bails said to his team mates, "don't worry lads I saw them last night and there as nervous as fuck!"  John ran out with his top inside out...

During another game, Rushie ran through Ratters and Bails to score.  Ratters said to Bails, "where did he come from?"  Bails replied, "I think it was Chester!"

Howard, when asked about Moyes, said " He just needs help."

During all this nostalgia two stalwarts of the Holy Trinity period where looking on, Everton's answer to Hinge and Bracket - Westy and Labby.

Howard was mentioning the Spanish write ups, 'Los Tres Manifique', to which Labby stood up and threw a few balls back at them.  "Yes it was lovely to watch, you know what lads, this must have been the only three man team to win the league in the history of football!  In that season I only headed two balls out and Westy saved one".

To which Westy got up to back him up sweating like Ron Atkinson in the Notting Hill carnival.

Yes ladies and gents there was other players in that fabulous football team.

Westy was now asked while he was up who was the best between him and Big Nev.  To which Henry Kissinger, I mean Westy, replied, "all in the sixties and seventies I was better than Nev, in the eighties and nineties Nev was better than me, now we're two fat bastards."  When Gordon said this at the recent Adelphi do Nev looked at him with a scowl on his face!

A few signed pictures where auctioned for charity and raffle prizes.

Everybody was in the party mood.  A fan stood up on the top table and sang the old ode to Shankly song from the era, you must look this up in the Everton archives it's a cracking song.

It was a cracking night.  Let me leave you with a message from the heart from little Alan Ball to sum up how the club touches certain players.  Alan's wife is in ill health, she has cancer.  She is currently in hospital with her family around her.  Alan was asked to come up for a couple of days for this night and the last home match of the season.  He was in turmoil of what to do and asked his wife advice.  She said, "you go and be amongst your people, I'll be ok"  

Nothing more for me to add is there?
 

Ian Macdonald Independent Blues.