Ahead of Everton's trip to Selhurst Park, we look back at a classic away match against Crystal Palace
Lee Carsley and Thomas Gravesen celebrate during the match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on August 21, 2004
Lee Carsley and Thomas Gravesen celebrate during the match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on August 21, 2004(Image: Jo Caird/Getty Images)
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Even though the kids still hadn’t gone back to school from their summer holidays, in 2004 a collection of doom merchants were already dubbing Everton’s trip to Crystal Palace as a potential ‘six pointer’ in the battle against the drop but a 3-1 comeback win for David Moyes’ men proved to be the springboard for the club’s highest Premier League finish to date.
The Blues’ visit to Selhurst Park on August 21, 2004, has gone down as a major turning point in their fortunes. With his “People's Club” declaration on being appointed and a seventh-place finish in his first season in charge while bringing through the likes of Wayne Rooney and other hungry, young players, Moyes had proven a breath of fresh air at Goodison Park in his first year or so in charge but things had started to go wrong badly by this point.
Despite never being in a relegation battle, an end-of-term collapse at the back end of the 2003/04 season saw Everton finish in 17th position with a paltry 39 points after a 5-1 mauling at Manchester City. Turmoil then soon enveloped the club on and off the field.
It was claimed by some that Moyes had lost the dressing room while Trevor Birch, tasked with overhauling finances, was appointed the Blues new chief executive in June but quit after just six weeks. By August there was a power struggle at boardroom level as Paul Gregg tried to launch takeover plans to oust Bill Kenwright.
Even in the world of the theatre, Kenwright’s day job and other great passion, it was evident that Evertonians’ patience was wearing thin. The ECHO reported that the gloom at Goodison was being blamed for the collapse of pantomime starring former Everton players.
Lacklustre ticket sales for the midsummer run of Snow Blue and the Blue Noses at the Empire Theatre had caused producers to pull the plug. Ex-Brookside actor Danny McCall, comedian Micky Finn and radio presenter Billy Butler had been booked to appear with Everton legends Colin Harvey, Brian Labone, Neville Southall and Kevin Ratcliffe in the Snow White parody.
Scriptwriter Mike Howl cautioned: “It seems fans are just not in the mood for a laugh.
“The situation at Everton has got to the stage where it’s no longer a joke. There is only so much that the fans can take, and they are definitely not in the mood for pantomime.”
After starring for England at the European Championship finals that summer, Rooney, arguably Everton’s most-talented home-grown player of all-time, was on the brink of a record-breaking transfer to Manchester United while still just the tender age of 18 and would depart for Old Trafford before the month was out.
Despite the impending windfall that Rooney’s sale would generate, plus a £20million rescue package from Kenwright to help stave off the threat of administration, there had been little spent on bolstering Moyes’ squad over the summer and their star buy that year, Tim Cahill – who proved to be a £1.5million snip from Millwall – was still on Olympic duty with Australia.
The Blues boss actually recruited a second Aussie in the shape of Eddy Bosnar from Austrian club Sturm Graz on a season-long deal but the centre-back would fail to make a single first team appearance. Meanwhile, a move for PSV’s Jurgen Colin – who would join Norwich City 12 months later – fell through despite the player arriving on Merseyside to seal a deal and training at Bellefield.
A 4-1 thrashing at home to the reigning champions and previous season’s ‘Invincibles’ Arsenal on the opening day did little to quell the fears that this real life panto might see the curtain coming down on Everton’s long run in the top flight with the threat of the relegation trap door looming large but all this was to change in the Selhurst Park sunshine. The Blues – perhaps protected from the heat somewhat in their all-white away kit – showed their battling qualities to come from behind to secure a much-welcome 3-1 victory on the road.
When Mark Hudson headed newly promoted Palace ahead just nine minutes in, sides of lesser character could have crumbled. The early onslaught continued as Andrew Johnson, who would move to Goodison for a then-club record £8.6million two years later, rounded the visitors’ former Eagles keeper Nigel Martyn only to see his effort cleared off the goal-line courtesy of a desperate lunge from Alan Stubbs.
Andy Johnson of Crystal Palace beats Everton keeper Nigel Martyn but his shot was cleared off the line by Alan Stubbs
Andy Johnson of Crystal Palace beats Everton keeper Nigel Martyn but his shot was cleared off the line by Alan Stubbs(Image: Jo Caird/Getty Images)
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Everton got themselves level in farcical circumstances on 19 minutes when home keeper Julian Speroni conceded a penalty as he fouled Kevin Campbell after his own poor clearance. Thomas Gravesen – who had been linked with moves to both former club Hamburg and sensationally to neighbours Liverpool that month – coolly despatched the resultant spot-kick.
It would also be the ‘Great Dane’ who fired them into the lead on 62 minutes in spectacular fashion as he controlled the ball and then dummied before launching a 20-yard effort beyond Speroni into the top corner of the goal. The visitors survived more adversity as left-back Gary Naysmith was sent off on 71 minutes for dragging back Wayne Routledge.
However, their 10 men added a third goal eight minutes from full time when Marcus Bent, starting for the first time following his £450,000 move from Ipswich Town and the only new signing in the side, latched on to a through-ball by Gravesen to finish calmly past Speroni.
Thomas Gravesen scores a penalty during the match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on August 21, 2004
Thomas Gravesen scores a penalty during the match between Crystal Palace and Everton at Selhurst Park on August 21, 2004(Image: Jo Caird/Getty Images)
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After the game, Moyes spoke about the speculation over two-goal Gravesen’s future and said: “If people want to make a bid for him then it has got to be really big money. We have not got enough players to let anyone go.
“He is probably one of the top midfield players in Europe. He is an important player for us and why should I let him go?
“If you were standing here as Everton manager, you would keep him. People might think that they can get him because of what has happened at the club, but once they come on to the manager they soon think different, and I am the one that matters.
“Hamburg is the only club to have made an offer, but it would have only bought a leg.”
With the player moving into the final six months of his contract, Gravesen would ultimately be sold to Real Madrid for £2.5million the following January with many observers claiming the Spanish giants snapped up the wrong bald-headed central midfielder from Everton and they should have signed Lee Carsley as Claude Makelele’s successor. The Blues headed to La Liga to for the Dane’s replacement though, in the shape of a certain Mikel Arteta.