Harry Catterick

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Lore & Background

Catterick took over from Johnny Carey in April 1961. He soon began to motivate the team and made some astute signings. Under his authoritarian guidance, Everton won the First Division championship in the 1962–63 season and the 1966 FA Cup Final. Although he narrowly lost the 1968 FA Cup Final, the same young team eventually dominated the 1969–70 season, winning the First Division again, one point short of a record points total. Catterick upheld Everton's tradition of cultured, attacking football. Many tipped Everton to dominate the 1970s under Catterick. However, a dip in the team's morale saw Everton struggle in the league the following season. The sale of Alan Ball to Arsenal in December 1971 came as a surprise to supporters. The struggle by a previously great team seriously affected Catterick's health, and he suffered a severe heart attack on 5 January 1972 near Sheffield after watching the League Cup semi-final between West Ham United and Stoke City. He spent 14 days in hospital in Sheffield, being discharged on 19 January, and returned later that season, but later said that he felt it took him twelve months to fully recover. He was persuaded to accept a non-executive role at the club on 11 April 1973 by chairman John Moores.

In Their Own Story

While the manager of rivals Liverpool, Bill Shankly, was an extrovert, Catterick was the opposite, an introvert. He disliked that the press gave information about his team out to the public, even simple details such as the formation. He ensured that the players on the teamsheet were only listed in alphabetical order so that rival managers would not know the lineup. He also disliked televised games as he wanted to keep Everton's playing style out of the public eye. Shankly was the opposite, welcoming televised matches as he felt it frightened opposing teams. Catterick once gave an 'exclusive' story to a journalist that Everton had missed out on the signing of Preston North End's Howard Kendall and that Kendall had in fact opted to sign for Liverpool. The journalist published the story in the newspaper but hours later Kendall had in fact signed for Everton. It is claimed that Catterick had manipulated the media to score points off the field against Shankly.

Reader's Guide

Catterick died of a heart attack shortly after watching Everton draw 2–2 with Ipswich Town in an FA Cup Sixth Round match at Goodison Park on 9 March 1985. He was 65 years old. His death came almost exactly five years after former Everton striker Dixie Dean had died while watching a game at the ground, also of a heart attack. Everton won the replay 1–0 and the players wore black armbands in Catterick's memory. He is buried in the graveyard of St Anne's Church, St Anne's-on-the-Sea, Lancashire, after a funeral held there six days after his death. His gravestone bears the Everton motto, 'Nil satis nisi optimum'. Catterick was portrayed by Colin Welland in the 1997 TV film The Fix, which featured the events of the 1964 football betting scandal.

Did You Know?

• Catterick's wartime record with Everton saw him score 55 goals in 71 games.
• He suffered a severe heart attack on 5 January 1972 near Sheffield after watching a League Cup semi-final.
• Catterick once tricked the media into publishing a false story about Howard Kendall signing for Liverpool, only for Kendall to sign for Everton hours later.
• His gravestone bears the Everton motto 'Nil satis nisi optimum'.
• Catterick died of a heart attack at Goodison Park after watching an FA Cup match, almost exactly five years after Dixie Dean's death at the same ground.