The FA Cup 3rd round gets underway today, and Everton travel to Championship side Scunthorpe United, hoping to avoid an upset. This time every year, I can't help but think back to some of those horrible, dark moments when Everton played the role of giants being defeated by relative minnows. Sadly, it's happened all too often in my lifetime - both in the FA Cup and the League Cup. I've narrowed it down to just 5 here - all in the FA Cup. I'm hoping that I won't have to add Scunthorpe to the list later today! So, in chronological order....
1. Port Vale, 1996
Things were generally looking pretty good at Everton in the 1995/96 campaign. They were the FA Cup holders, having beaten Manchester United in May 1995, and were going well in the league too, eventually finishing 6th. Andrei Kanchelskis was playing some scintillating football down the right flank, and the likes of Joe Parkinson, Andy Hinchcliffe and Graham Stuart, amongst others, were having good seasons. So it was something of a surprise when Joe Royle's men had their defence of the trophy unceremoniously ended by Port Vale, of the 2nd tier (then the 1st Division). Vale came to Goodison in the 4th round, for what would surely be a routine win for the blues. But despite taking the lead twice (Amokachi and Ferguson), Everton were pegged back and held to a 2-2 draw, meaning a difficult looking midweek replay in the Potteries on Valentines day evening. Vale's 2nd goal in that first tie came from midfielder Ian Bogie. And wouldn't you know it, he would prove to be Everton's 'Bogie-man' (sorry) in the replay, slamming the Valiants into the lead with a cracking strike on 17 minutes.
The Blues were able to recover with a Stuart equaliser, but it was Jon McCarthy who had the final say, sending the home fans into ecstasy and dumping the blues out of the cup in the second half. McCarthy and his opposite winger, Steve Guppy, had caused Everton problems in both matches, and it was fitting that it was Guppy's cross which set up the winner. Guppy of course went on to have a good Premier League career at Leicester City.
2. Bradford City, 1997
Evertonians didn't have long to wait before the next FA Cup upset. The very next season, Everton were drawn at home in the 4th round again, this time against Bradford City, who were struggling in the 1st Division. However, Everton were in no great shape either. The wheels were coming off for Joe Royle's team. Andrei Kanchelskis was fading badly, and it was becoming apparent that he'd be moving on soon. The team was struggling for form, and this game came towards the end of a 6 game losing streak in the league.
Bradford, although not having a good season, arrived at Goodison with star veteran Chris Waddle enjoying the twilight years of his career. And it was his goal for which this game will be largely remembered.
John Dreyer put the Bantams ahead early in the 2nd half with a sweetly struck volley. And then came the moment which most Evertonians will remember as being the end of Andrei Kanchelskis. The Russian, trying to make something happen, inexplicably started running towards his own goal, trying to find a pass. He could have just laid the ball back to Neville Southall, but in a moment of blind panic, he attempted a silly pass, and succeeded only in playing the ball loosely to Chris Waddle, 40 yards out. The ex-England winger didn't hesitate and unleashed a wonderful, looping left footed shot, which sailed over Southall (another Everton man on his way towards the end of his Everton career) and into the back of the net. Kanchelskis was sold to Fiorentina days after this game - his last in a blue shirt.
This wasn't the end of the action though, as the Blues set about launching a fightback. They quickly made it 1-2 with a Bradford City own goal - Andy O'Brien the culprit. But as they pushed for an equaliser, Everton left themselves open to the counter attack, and Waddle superbly played in Rob Steiner for the goal which effectively sealed the victory. Everton grabbed a late consolation when a Gary Speed cross flew into the far corner. But Bradford held on, and Everton went on to finish the season under the caretaker-management of Dave Watson, barely holding on to Premier League survival.
3. Tranmere Rovers, 2001
Things were generally crap for Everton under Walter Smith, but there were very few worse days than this. Everton and Liverpool fans generally have a bit of a soft spot for Tranmere Rovers of the Wirral (just the other side of the Mersey), and I certainly had always followed their yo-yo exploits with interest. At various times they've been either on the verge of reaching the top flight, or alternatively almost going out of existence at the other end of the Football League. They became famous for exciting cup runs under John Aldridge - and again, many Evertonians wished them well with their adventures up until this point.
When Rovers arrived at Goodison for this 4th round tie, though, you could sense something bad was going to happen. Smith's teams were fragile and low on confidence almost all of the time, and plucky underdogs like Tranmere were exactly the sort of opponents one dreaded to see the hapless men in blue face. Aldridge's 1st division side would finish rock bottom that season, and drop into the 3rd tier of English football. But they still had some decent individuals - including future Wales international and Premier League player Jason Koumas. They also had the pace of Andy Parkinson - and a host of decent old pro's like defender Steve Yates and former cup-winning Evertonian, Paul Rideout.
It was Yates and Koumas who would make the headlines that day - with the defender exposing Everton's dismal marking to score two headers, either side of a wonderful Koumas lob. Walter Smith was never a hugely popular man at Goodison - and even though he lasted another year or so, many saw this dismal 0-3 defeat as the final nail in the coffin for the dour Scotsman's reign.
4. Shrewsbury Town, 2003
With Smith now gone, Everton were resurgent under young manager David Moyes. In the 2002/3 season - the Scotsman's first full season in charge - the Blues would finish 7th in the Premier League, and had unearthed the most exciting young player of his generation....a certain Wayne Rooney.
So it was with some confidence that the team travelled down for a 3rd round tie at lowly Shrewsbury Town - who themselves were on their way to finishing 92nd out of 92 Football League clubs that season. Under the management of and Everton legend, Kevin Ratcliffe, few gave the Shrews hope getting anything out of the game at Gay Meadow (no sniggering at the back, please).
Everton fielded a strong team that day too. Young Peter Clarke made a rare appearance at the back, but aside from that, the team featured the likes of Rooney, Radzinski, Gravesen, Carsley etc. Moyes was taking this very seriously.
So he would have had that sinking feeling just after the half hour mark, when veteran Nigel Jemson curled in a superb free kick which beat Richard Wright (eeuuugh) all ends up to put the home side - at that point a full 80 places below Everton in the football league - into a shock lead. Everton managed to regroup, and in the second half, Niclas Alexandersson restored parity, and looked to have spared the blushes of his manager. The game was petering out towards a replay, when Jemson nodded in an Ian Woan free-kick two minutes from time, to stun Everton and seal a famous victory. Moyes would of course recover from this set-back and become a hugely popular manager for Everton. But this was a dark day and one which would take some beating.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/2607229.stm
5. Oldham, 2008
So finally, the most recent of Everton's cup upsets. Oldham Athletic arrived at Goodison in 2008 as a team of League 1 (3rd tier) play-off contenders. Everton meanwhile were thriving under David Moyes, on their way to an excellent 5th place finish. Yakubu was banging the goals in for the Blues in his first season. But Moyes shuffled his pack a little for this game, handing a start to German goalkeeper Steffan Wessels, and leaving The Yak on the bench, with Andy Johnson and James Vaughan starting up front. Everton were also without the influential Mikel Arteta. However, there was still more than enough talent on the pitch, one would have thought, to see off lowly Oldham.
Think again. Oldham were superb on the day, and were full value for their 0-1 victory. Gary McDonald scored the only goal, beating Wessels from long range with a looping left-footed effort. The defeat represented what many Evertonians viewed as an opportunity missed for the Blues. With the side doing so well in the league, cup runs still represented their best chance of gaining silverware and pushing on to that ever elusive 'next level'. Moyes' continuing failure to put such a run together was beginning to frustrate. That season though, they did at least manage to reach the semi finals of the Carling Cup. And the following season saw Everton go all the way to Wembley, reaching the FA Cup final.
This Oldham game though will serve as the most recent reminder that ANYTHING can happen in the FA Cup, and the Toffees will have to be on their guard this afternoon at Scunthorpe if they are to avoid a repeat of these 5 dismal days.
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