Bob Latchford was a big, burly centre-forward. The archetypal ‘English number nine’. In the 1977-78 season, whilst at Everton, he fancied earning himself some extra cash.
The Daily Express newspaper put up an award of £10,000 for the first player to score 30 goals in the First Division. Francis Lee had been the last player to breach the 30-goal mark, back in 1971-72, helped by a record 15 penalties.
Latchford fancied having a go. Bob Latchford.
He’d been signed from Birmingham by Billy Bingham in 1974 for quite a sizeable fee at the time, £350,000. For a big man he was pretty quick across the ground, with a reputation for muscling defenders out of the way.
Seven goals in 13 league appearances in his first season was followed by hauls of 17, 12 and 17. Decent numbers but not much to suggest records were under threat.
The league goalscoring record was the Holy Grail at Goodison Park. Dixie Dean still held it for his astonishing 60 goals in 1927-28. Top scorer again four years later, Dean was then followed by Tommy Lawton who hit the top of the charts in successive seasons at the end of the 1930’s.
Since then no Everton player had been at the top of the tree. Latchford was out to change all that.
He’d need to stay injury-free, though. Missing 26 games in the previous three seasons suggested this could be tough.
He missed the season’s opener at home to newly promoted Nottingham Forest, which wasn’t a great start.
Everton went down 1-3 as Brian Clough’s newbies put down a marker.
Latchford pulled on the Everton number nine shirt three days later when they travelled to the capital to take on Arsenal. The Gunners had also lost their opener when Bobby Robson’s Ipswich beat them at Portman Road. Richie Powling’s first-half strike won it for the home side and Everton had lost their first two games.
Everton fans had to wait until his fourth appearance of the season before they saw him score his first goal. They were at Filbert Street to take on Leicester City. The Foxes hadn’t conceded in their first three matches before QPR put three past them. Then they were up against an Everton side who’d only scored three in their first four. Few predicted this result.
With virtually their first attack of the game, Dave Thomas and Latchford combined for the big striker to beat Mark Wallington in the home goal. Thomas himself was on target as Everton won 5-1.
October
‘Big Bob’ didn’t find the net again until the beginning of October when over 43,000 saw him equalise Asa Hartford’s opener in a 1-1 draw with Manchester City at Goodison. It was his first home goal of the season. At this stage, if any Everton player was going to collect the cash it looked like Duncan MacKenzie would, as he’d hit five by then.
A week later MacKenzie played his last game for two and a half months as injury kept him out of the side until after Christmas.
Midweek involved a trip to The Hawthorns to take on a West Brom team sitting third in the table. Latchford scored the third goal in a 3-1 win.
The weekend saw them travel down to London to take on QPR. In the summer Everton had signed Dave Thomas from them so this was his first visit to the ground where he’d spent five years.
Thomas was involved in the build-up for Everton’s first. His pass on the left found Dobson, who in turn found King on the edge of the area and his right-footed cross was headed in at the far post by an unmarked Latchford.
10 minutes later Thomas was the provider for the Everton number nine. King found him in acres of space on the left and he was able to do for Latchford, what he’d done time after time at Loftus Road in the preceding seasons. He picked out the striker in the box and delivered the perfect cross for Latchford to glance his header past Parkes.
Two years earlier QPR had been within 15 minutes of winning the league title. Now they were a shadow of that team. The absence of Thomas a factor.
Peter Eastoe, signed from Swindon just after QPR’s historic season, reduced the arrears with a great strike from the edge of the box after Mark Higgins tried to head away Dave Clements’s long ball into the area. At the end of the following season, Eastoe followed Thomas to Goodison Park.
2-1 at the break and if the home fans hoped Eastoe’s goal would spur their side on, they were soon brought down to earth as the second half belonged to Latchford.
The half was barely three minutes old when Everton had a free-kick about 30 yards out just left of centre. Thomas took it, floating the ball to the far post where King was all alone. He unselfishly clipped it across for Latchford to turn it into the empty net for his hat-trick.
Rather cheekily, Latchford claimed years later Needham got the final touch. Latch claimed it knowing full well the defender wouldn’t want to wrestle it from him.
Soon after MacKenzie scored his sixth of the season after a loose pass from the back by Needham allowed him to beat Parkes.
It was all Everton as Thomas took an inswinging corner from the right which Parkes punched away. But the visitors got it back into the area, Dobson and Buckley combined to see the ball bounce clear to the one Everton player all on his own. Unfortunately for QPR, it was Latchford. Commentator Brian Moore asked;
“Now Latchford. Not his fourth goal surely?”
He couldn’t really miss as he hit it firmly left-footed under Parkes.
His sixth goal in a week and he now had seven in nine for the season. Everton had registered their second 5-1 win of the season and were then the division’s top scorers.
Everton sat back for the rest of the game as QPR tried hard to get something out of it. Bowles was especially influential as he forced George Wood into two excellent saves. Eastoe hit the post twice.
Then Bowles was bundled over in the area by future Wolves, Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday manager, Dave Jones. Referee Roger Kirkpatrick pointed straight to the spot. Bowles stepped up but scuffed his shot and Wood saved quite comfortably.
Almost the perfect day for Evertonians.
He didn’t score in the next two matches, a 1-0 home win against Bristol City and a goalless draw in the Merseyside derby at Anfield.
At the end of October Newcastle United rocked up at Goodison. They’d won their opening game of the season at home to Leeds United but then lost their next ten. A win over Chelsea didn’t alter the fact they were rock bottom of the table and had the leakiest defence in the division.
Tommy Craig gave the visitors a surprise lead, but Mike Pejic equalised. Skipper, Mick Lyons then put the home side in front before half-time. Goals from Alan Gowling and Tommy Cassidy put the visitors back in front in the second period. Latchford then got his goal to level things.
Gowling scored again to give Newcastle the lead for the third time, but soon after Latchford also grabbed his second and a pulsating match ended 4-4.
Latchford was now on nine for the season, eight coming during October.
November
November was a memorable month for Bob. He didn’t score in the 1-0 win at Derby but he was on target against his old club, Birmingham at Goodison. He’d scored twice in his first meeting with his old employer at the same venue back in March 1974. He also scored twice on his first visit back to St. Andrews the following year.
Keith Bertschin put the visitors ahead inside the first 15 minutes, but on the half-hour, Latchford equalised with his tenth of the season.
His 11th came just five minutes into the second half when he put Everton in front. It was the second home game in succession he’d scored twice in a match.
The Toffees were second in the table, three points behind the early pacesetters, Nottingham Forest.
Four days later came one of the proudest moments of his career. Ron Greenwood had taken over as England boss from Don Revie in the summer, and for the crucial World Cup qualifier at Wembley against Italy, he chose Latch to lead the line. This was an experimental attack where Keegan was employed just off the Everton man up front with other new boys, Steve Coppell and Peter Barnes on either wing.
Up against the experience of Claudio Gentile and Giacinto Facchetti, he had a tough game but acquitted himself pretty well before he was replaced by Stuart Pearson after 75 minutes.
Back in the league, Everton travelled to Portman Road to take on mid-table Ipswich Town. The game ended 3-3 but Latchford was not one of the scorers.
A week later Coventry City arrived.
The Sky Blues were on a good run, third in the table level on points with Everton. Unbeaten in their last eight they were coming off a 4-1 thumping of QPR. This was expected to be a tight game.
Dobson opened the scoring for the home side with Latchford doubling the lead. His goal came when Coventry had defended a set-piece. The ball was hooked forward to Lyons, who’d stayed up. He then lobbed it into the area where the striker was completely unmarked, as the defence tried to push up. He had a free header past Jim Blyth, who stayed on his line.
Right on half-time, Latchford had a claim for a penalty turned down, but almost immediately Thomas was brought down wide on the left. He took the free-kick himself and floated it into the six-yard area, where Latchford beat Jim Pearson to it and headed Everton three goals up.
Pearson extended Everton’s lead after more great work from Thomas on the left. The fifth goal came when McDonald beat Pearson to a long ball from the back, but diverted it into the path of King who decided to ping it first time with his left peg burying it in the corner of the net. It was the fourth time they’d scored four or more in a match that season and it wasn’t even December.
There was time for a sixth. Pejic played the ball out from the back to Thomas on the left. He’d tormented Coventry all game, and the sight of him marauding down the left wing once more had the crowd baying for more. Another perfect left-foot cross from him near the bye-line found Latchford at the far post and he simply met it left-footed on the volley to make it 6-0.
Commentator Gerald Sinstadt was in raptures;
“What a glorious goal”
It was Latchford’s second hat-trick of the season. His tally was now up to 14 and he’d scored seven in his last three Goodison matches. He had nine in eight matches at home.
Thomas had to take a lot of credit. He was in scintillating form and a little unlucky Barnes was playing well at Man City otherwise the Thomas/Latchford partnership could’ve served England well.
With Forest being held to a goalless draw at home to third-placed West Brom, Everton were now one point off top spot.
November was rounded off with a win over Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup as last season’s runners-up were into the Fifth Round again. Latchford had only scored once in their four League Cup ties to this point.
December
December began with another trip to the capital as newly promoted Chelsea were the hosts. They’d won just twice in their previous 11 matches going into this but did well to keep it goalless by half-time. Latchford only took eight minutes of the re-start to add to his tally with yet another header.
It proved to be the only goal of the game. It was his first goal away from home since his quartet at QPR in mid-October and he was now halfway to the magic 30 goals with a maximum of 24 games still to go.
Back home Latchford was again on target with another double in a 3-0 win against Middlesbrough.
Everton were still second, a point adrift of Forest but perhaps more importantly, they were five ahead of Liverpool. Were they serious title contenders?
The Christmas period was a time of celebration for Toffees’ fans. You’d see kids around the area wearing badges saying;
“Bob Latchford walks on water”
“Bob Latchford strikes faster than Fords”
“Jesus saves, Latchford nets the rebound”
Three straight wins, five wins in six, the team was on fire and Latchford was very much the accelerant. What a time to go back to St. Andrews.
A bit of a letdown as they played out a 0-0 draw at Birmingham. More frustrating was Forest and Liverpool both won, but still Evertonians could feast on their Christmas dinners feeling very warm inside.
The fixture schedule in those days was arranged so teams and supporters didn’t have far to travel. Everton were at home to Manchester United. The FA Cup holders were having a poor season, having lost more than they’d won and conceding more than they’d scored.
They’d won just two of their last nine games and had been taken apart at Old Trafford by Clough’s Forest team just before Christmas. Stuart Pearson, Alex Stepney and Arthur Albiston were all missing through injury so Evertonians were hopeful.
Lou Macari broke the deadlock midway through the first half before Gordon Hill doubled their lead just before the break. This was the first time they’d been two goals behind since the opening day of the season.
Hill then added his second early in the second half and Everton were now 0-3 down. So much for the Christmas cheer.
Five minutes later it got worse. Steve Coppell scored the fourth for the visitors. This was incredible as Everton were unchanged for the seventh match in a row. They’d remained unbeaten throughout that period conceding just four goals. Now they were 0-4 down.
Ten minutes later four became five with Jimmy Greenhoff getting in on the act.
The biggest Goodison crowd of the season then finally got their wish for a home goal when Dobson got one back. With 15 minutes to go, Latchford scored. It was the fifth game in succession he’d scored at home but 2-5 was still a long way adrift. There was an eighth goal but it was the visitors who got it through Sammy McIlroy. The 18-match unbeaten run was now in the bin.
A thoroughly miserable afternoon for the home fans. News of Forest’s draw with Liverpool tempered things slightly but now Arsenal emerged as challengers in third behind the Blues.
24 hours later they made the trip across the Pennines to Elland Road to take on Leeds United. Leeds had suffered defeat at Wolves the day before so both sides were determined to turn things around.
Pearson had picked up an injury the day before so Lee brought MacKenzie back for his first game since early October.
Two goals from Ray Hankin and one from Peter Lorimer sunk Everton in a 1-3 defeat. Bah humbug!
New Year’s Eve saw Arsenal as the visitors to Goodison. Just one defeat in their last 12 they were level on points with their hosts in a crunch game.
Latchford opened the scoring in the first half, with King adding one in the second and the mini-slump was ended. Latchford had scored in six consecutive home games and now had 19 for the season as 1977 turned into 1978.
Join us tomorrow for the second part of the Bob Latchford story.
