Everton won their only European trophy to date 40 years ago today by beating Rapid Vienna 3-1 in Rotterdam
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The Everton team ahead of the European Cup-Winners' Cup final against Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam on 15 May 1985. Back row, left to right, Derek Mountfield, Andy Gray, Trevor Steven, Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy and Pat Van Den Hauwe. Front row, Gary Stevens, Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, Paul Bracewell and Peter Reid.
The Everton team ahead of the European Cup-Winners' Cup final against Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam on 15 May 1985. Back row, left to right, Derek Mountfield, Andy Gray, Trevor Steven, Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy and Pat Van Den Hauwe. Front row, Gary Stevens, Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, Paul Bracewell and Peter Reid.
(Image: David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Images/Hulton Archive)
Fate – and tragic events elsewhere beyond their control – would cruelly deny them of what should have been their destiny to chase even greater glories. But watching back Everton winning what remains their only European trophy to date some 40 years ago today proves fascinating viewing for football fans a quarter of a century on from the millennium.
On May 15, 1985, Howard Kendall’s heroes, who had battled back from a goal down to defeat Bayern Munich 3-1 in their semi-final second leg – a brutal encounter which four decades on remains widely regarded as being Goodison Park’s greatest-ever night – defeated Rapid Vienna by the same scoreline at the Feyenoord Stadium in Rotterdam to lift the European Cup-Winners’ Cup.
The now defunct competition was last played in 1999, but at the time it was ranked above the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) as being second only to the European Cup and was a tournament that would regularly feature some of the continent’s top sides given that only the champions of each domestic division would go into the latter.
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After starting slowly, and scraping past Irish part-timers University College Dublin in the first round by a single goal over two legs, Everton grew into the competition and having despatched of Inter Bratislava and Fortuna Sittard en route, the strike by Dieter Hoeness in front of the Gwladys Street that fleetingly silenced Goodison, was the only time Neville Southall had been beaten ahead of the final.
For the Blues, who would lift the eighth of their nine League Championships by a then-record 13 points with five games to spare, the trip to Rotterdam was the second part of a treble bid with the FA Cup final against Manchester United to come at Wembley less than 72 hours later.
Unlike their neighbours from across Stanley Park, who had enjoyed successful European trips on a regular basis for several seasons, the trip to Rotterdam was the culmination of what for many Evertonians had been a novel experience of following their side across the continent throughout the campaign.
As well as being able to appreciate the “classy” football that Trevor Steven, the scorer of Everton’s second goal, said his team played on the night, in contrast to the blood and thunder approach that had been deployed at Goodison to sink Bayern in the semis, one of the most-illuminating aspects of the coverage is the co-commentary provided by the legendary Brian Clough who was watching on alongside Brian Moore. On so many levels, the occasion is far less polished than today’s European finals but that also adds to its charm.
The night starts as it ends – more of that to come – in chaotic fashion. Rapid, who in the eyes of many were fortunate to make it to the final having been initially knocked out by Celtic in the second round but then given a reprieve through a neutral play-off at Old Trafford after one of their team claimed to have been injured by an object thrown by a fan of the Glasgow giants, kick off, but almost instantly lose the ball to Peter Reid as an Austrian player falls over.
It’s mentioned that a coach load of Reid’s relatives have come to the game from Huyton while there’s another contemporary Merseyside reference in the shape of a ‘Frankie goes to Rotterdam banner’ displayed on the terraces.
Everton boss proceedings from the start but it takes them almost an hour to find a breakthrough, even though we’re told by Moore that they stayed in the same hotel as Aston Villa, who won the European Cup final (1-0 against Bayern Munich) at the same stadium in 1982 and manager Kendall is wearing his “lucky suit.”
Everton fans at the European Cup-Winners' Cup final against Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam on 15 May 1985
Everton fans at the European Cup-Winners' Cup final against Rapid Vienna in Rotterdam on 15 May 1985
Kevin Sheedy tests Rapid goalkeeper Michael Konsel, playing just his fifth game for the club since joining in December, with a shot on his weaker right foot which is pushed away, while after being called into a rare piece of defending, Everton captain Kevin Ratcliffe is lauded by Clough as being: “The quickest defender in the Football League,” and faster than his old player Colin Todd, who also turned out for the Blues, after he makes an “incredible recovery” tackle on Zlatko Kranjcar.
The Nottingham Forest manager reveals that he was: “Staggered by the progress of Sheedy,” adding: “It’s been extraordinary,” while when it came to Everton’s strike partnership of Scotland pair Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray, he remarks that Rapid will have: “Nothing like that in their league, they’re right to feel perturbed as they are two really brave young men.”
An insight into Rapid’s tactical plan is also revealed after it’s detailed that they had wanted to throw the kitchen sink at the Blues in a “blitz for first 15 minutes, but as Clough scoffs: “The blitz has been on the other foot,” and there had been “Nothing resembling a threat to the Everton back four.”
He then quips that the way that “Krankl (Rapid’s captain and 32-year-old centre-forward) is strolling about, I think you (Moore) could make a comeback!”
It’s pointed out that there might be as many as 25,000 Everton fans at the game and amid what is the constant din of a security dog barking, viewers are treated to the first of several touchline updates from substitute John Bailey who discloses that with the score still goalless at the interval, Kendall has told his players: “Keep it going, keep on your toes, the game will be ours.”
Soon after the restart, a deflected cross hits the Everton bar but they survive the scare and soon afterwards with 58 minutes on the clock, Sharp passes the ball through the Rapid keeper’s hands to Gray for first goal. Sheedy then ushers a pitchside photographer out of the way to take the corner kick that picks out Steven at the back post for the second goal and back with Bailey on the bench, the message is: “Keep the ball, we’re looking great and I can’t see us getting beat.”
Although a falling out between Clough and Sharp at the City Ground the previous Saturday is referenced (a game in which the Glaswegian didn’t play), the Forest manager, whose side triumphed 1-0 against the champions that day, insists he has no differences with the Everton centre-forward, but: “I just told him he was out of order.” Clough once dismissed Kendall as “a young pup” in the dugout, only for the Blues boss to be asked to give a response and reply with: “I can’t – I’m a hush puppy!” However, by this point, the fellow North Easterner is far more charitable and said: “Everton have a superb young manager, a magnificent young team, and will be a force for many a year.”
Everton's Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Steven and Andy Gray celebrate with the trophy after their 3-1 victory over Rapid Vienna in the 1985 European Cup-Winners' Cup final
Everton's Graeme Sharp, Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Steven and Andy Gray celebrate with the trophy after their 3-1 victory over Rapid Vienna in the 1985 European Cup-Winners' Cup final
With the Scouse fans chanting: “Are you watching Manchester?,” Rapid’s Peter Hrstic finds himself offside but still shoots and Southall saves his shot anyway and has words.
The contrasting behaviour of the two sets of supporters is debated as Rapid fans start launching rockets from the stands, prompting Clough to question whether UEFA will take action given that there’s been: “A lot of criticism of ‘our lot.’” Moore mentions how they have been chatting to some prison officers from Liverpool who comment on what magnificent ambassadors the Blues supporters have been with an impromptu street football game between Everton fans and the local police.
At this point, Rapid look like they might play an unlikely ‘get out of jail’ card when Krankl finally bursts into life by reducing arrears five minutes from the end, but the Blues respond by going straight down the pitch and adding a third goal from Sheedy barely 60 seconds later. Clough states: “We’re back winning European trophies, we’re in the habit and I think we’ll carry on winning European trophies. Nobody has done it as well as Everton, they’ve done it in style.”
After the final whistle blows, more pitchside interviews follow with Kendall proclaiming: “You’ve seen something special tonight. Tremendous.”
Reid says: “The fans have been terrific,” before Ratcliffe adds: “It’s great for the club,” ahead of going up a few cramped steps to hold the trophy aloft among a crowded scene which includes dozens of security men wearing caps that make them look like ships captains.
Keep a look out for the ECHO's special anniversary edition of the Royal Blue podcast to mark the 40th anniversary of Everton's triumph in Rotterdam.