LOOK FORWARD--LOOK BACK
LEICESTER CITY v EVERTON 16th August 2014
At last the football season is upon us again and following our record breaking season in the championship last term, we now look forward to Premier League football at The King Power Stadium for the first time in 10 years. Our last Premier league game at Leicester was on May 8th 2004 and we recorded a 3-1 home win against Portsmouth with goals from Dickov, Scowcroft and an own goal in front of 31,536 spectators.
Next week we kick off against Everton with a sell out stadium guaranteed and a wave of optimism and excitement that has carried over from our record breaking season and the encouraging results that we have obtained in our pre-season games.
Everton will be no strangers to our players as we have recently played them in Thailand in a friendly game that had the added incentive of a trophy for the winners to celebrate 25 years of King Power. It was only fitting that Leicester won the game and the trophy, but it will have no bearing on our meeting next Saturday.
Everton have a team of talented players that has been strengthened by the permanent signings of Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku ( who incidentally I believe is one the best strikers in the premier league) and they have also signed Bosnian world cup midfielder Muhamed Besic. Add to the mix USA goalkeeper Tim Howard England internationals Baines, Jagielka and Barkley plus Mirallas and Pienaar, an impressive array of talent to feature in our first game back in the top flight.
Of course it is all about Leicester on the day and we have some new additions to our team, we welcome Marc Albrighton, Matthew Upson, Ben Hamer and Leonardo Ulloa to the ranks and we wish them well at our football club.
Looking back at past results against Everton I have chosen two games that stick in my memory, one was way back on September 10th 1977 when Everton came to Filbert Street and tore us apart with some devastating football, and one man in particular that day ran riot. Duncan McKenzie. I remember McKenzie giving us a torrid time and although we were well and truly hammered you had to admire the sheer class of the opposition and in particular McKenzie.
It has to be said that, that particular season was for me the worst football I have ever seen Leicester play ( and I include our relegation to league 1 in that statement) It was the infamous Frank Mclintock season that saw us relegated with the lowest points tally (22) the record for least wins (5) most defeats (25) most home defeats(10) It was a season that tested our endurance as Leicester supporters and I hope our supporters who can’t recall those dark days will never witness football that bad at Leicester again.
Gary Lineker was and probably still is the best striker we have ever had at Leicester and so it was sad times when we sold him to Everton in June 1985 for £800,000. Alongside Alan Smith, Lineker was deadly and I still think they were the best striker partnership I have seen at Leicester.
Following his move to Everton it was ironic that the first game of the 1985/86 season saw Everton travel to Filbert Street for the opening day fixture, complete with our Gary!
The task of filling Gary Lineker’s boots fell on Mark Bright and it was strange standing in the kop seeing Gary lining up for the opposition in what was a star studded Everton team. Southall, Stevens, Van Den Hauwe, Ratcliffe, Mountfield, Reid , Steven, Lineker, Sharp, Bracewell, Sheedy
The Leicester line up was. Andrews, Ramsey, Smith, Kelly, Osman, O’Neill, Lynex, Bright, Smith, Wilson, Banks
Everton swept into the lead with a goal from Derek Mountfield before Bobby Smith pulled one back just before the break. In the second half it was the Mark Bright show as he scored two brilliant goals to give City a 3-1 win, and he stole the headlines from our Gary!
The attendance that day was 16,932. I think there will be a few more than that inside the King Power Stadium for next Saturdays opener against Everton.
The last time Everton visited Filbert Way in the Premier League was March 20th 2004 and the game ended 1-1 with Bent scoring for Leicester and Rooney scoring for Everton but unfortunately the day will be remembered for the tragic freak accident that saw Everton supporter Bernard Murphy lose his life on the Upperton Road. Another sad occurrence where a football supporter never returned home, R.I.P. Bernard.
There is still a plaque dedicated to Bernard’s memory situated in our garden of remembrance at the King Power Stadium
All that remains now is to bring on Saturday and The Premier League. Shout loud for the boys and enjoy
Alan’meashamfox’Bennett.
LTID
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