|
Brian
Labone |
Everton FC
26 appearances, 0 goals
P 26 W 14 D
6 L 6 F 44: A
23
65% successful
1962-70
disciplined: none
captain: none
minutes played: 2370 |
 |
Profile |
Full name |
Brian Leslie Labone |
Born |
23 January 1940
in Liverpool, Lancashire [registered in
Liverpool South, March 1940]. |
Married |
to
Patricia E. Lynam
[registered in Wallasey, Cheshire, June 1966]. One daughter, later
divorced in 1970. |
Died |
24 April 2006 in Maghull, Liverpool, aged
66 years 91 days
[registered in Liverpool, May 2006]. Collapsed suddenly and
died from a heart-attack at his home.
Funeral took place at Liverpool Cathedral. |
Height/Weight |
6'
0½",12st.
11lbs [1966]. |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An
English Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990] & FindMyPast.com |
Biographies |
x |
|
x.
- A Football Compendium, Peter J. Seddon (1999). |
Club Career |
Club(s) |
x |
Club honours |
x |
Individual honours |
x |
Distinctions |
x |
Source |
Douglas Lammings' An English
Football Internationalist Who's Who [1990]. |
England Career |
Player number |
One of three
who became the 811th players (811) to appear for England. |
Position(s) |
Centre-half |
First match |
No. 364, 20 October 1962, Northern
Ireland 1 England 3, a British Championship match at Windsor
Park, Donegall Avenue, Belfast, aged 22 years
270 days. |
Last match |
No. 448, 14 June 1970, West Germany 3 England
2, a World Cup Finals quarter-final match at
Estadio de Guanajuato, La Martinica, León, aged 30 years 142 days. |
Major tournaments |
European
Championship Finals 1968; World Cup Finals 1970;
British Championship 1962-63, 1967-68, 1968-69, 1969-70; |
Team honours |
World Cup
Finals 1966 (withdrew injured); British Championship winners 1967-68, 1968-69, shared
1969-70; |
Individual honours |
x |
Distinctions |
x |
Beyond England |
x. -
An English Football Internationalists' Who's Who.
Douglas Lamming (1990). Hatton Press, p.x. |
Brian Labone - Career Statistics |
Squads |
Apps |
comp. apps |
Starts |
Sub on |
Sub off |
Mins. |
Goals |
goals ave.min |
comp. goals |
Capt. |
Disc. |
- |
26 |
14 |
26 |
0 |
0 |
2370 |
0 |
0
min |
0 |
none |
none |
minutes are an approximation, due to the fact that many matches rarely stick to exactly ninety minutes long, allowing time for injuries and errors. |
Brian Labone
- Match Record - All Matches |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts
% |
W/L |
Home |
5 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
3 |
+11 |
0 |
2 |
2.80 |
0.60 |
90.0 |
+4 |
Away |
16 |
8 |
5 |
3 |
25 |
15 |
+10 |
4 |
6 |
1.563 |
0.938 |
65.6 |
+5 |
Neutral |
5 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
=0 |
2 |
2 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
40.0 |
-1 |
All |
26 |
14 |
6 |
6 |
44 |
23 |
+21 |
6 |
10 |
1.692 |
0.885 |
65.4 |
+8 |
Brian Labone
- Match Record - By Colour of Shirt |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS
|
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts
% |
W/L |
White |
21 |
12 |
5 |
4 |
38 |
18 |
+20 |
4 |
8 |
1.81 |
0.857 |
69.0 |
+8 |
Red |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
+1 |
2 |
2 |
1.20 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
All |
26 |
14 |
6 |
6 |
44 |
23 |
+21 |
6 |
10 |
1.692 |
0.885 |
65.4 |
+8 |
Brian Labone
- Match Record - By Type of Match |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
WCP
|
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
=0 |
WCF |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
1.333 |
33.3 |
-1 |
World Cup |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
1.333 |
33.3 |
-1 |
ECP
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
-2 |
0 |
0 |
1.667 |
2.333 |
50.0 |
=0 |
ECF |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
0.50 |
50.0 |
=0 |
European Championship |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.40 |
1.60 |
50.0 |
=0 |
British Championship |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
5 |
+11 |
1 |
2 |
2.286 |
0.714 |
78.6 |
+4 |
Note that the 1967-68
records of the European Championship and British Championship are
duplicated, and one set is therefore deducted from the grand total. |
Friendly |
12 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
19 |
7 |
+12 |
3 |
6 |
1.583 |
0.583 |
70.8 |
+5 |
All |
26 |
14 |
6 |
6 |
44 |
23 |
+21 |
6 |
10 |
1.692 |
0.885 |
65.4 |
+8 |
Brian Labone
- Match Record - Tournament Matches |
World Cup Finals Tournament |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
WCF 1970 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
1.333 |
33.3 |
-1 |
WCF
All |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
1.333 |
33.3 |
-1 |
European Nations' Cup/Championship
Preliminary Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
ENP 1962-64 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
-3 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
5.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
ECP/BC 1967-68 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
+1 |
0 |
0 |
1.50 |
1.00 |
75.0 |
+1 |
EN/CP
All |
3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
-2 |
0 |
0 |
1.667 |
2.333 |
50.0 |
=0 |
European Championship Finals Tournament |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
ECF 1968 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
0.50 |
50.0 |
=0 |
ECF
All |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
+1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
0.50 |
50.0 |
=0 |
European Nations' Cup/Championship |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
EN 1962-64 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
-3 |
0 |
0 |
2.00 |
5.00 |
0.00 |
-1 |
EC 1966-68 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
+2 |
1 |
1 |
1.25 |
0.75 |
62.5 |
+1 |
EN/C
All |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.40 |
1.60 |
50.0 |
=0 |
British Championship Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
BC 1962-63 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
+6 |
0 |
1 |
3.50 |
0.50 |
100.0 |
+2 |
BC/ECP 1967-68 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
=0 |
0 |
0 |
1.00 |
1.00 |
50.0 |
=0 |
BC 1968-69 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
+5 |
0 |
0 |
3.50 |
1.00 |
100.0 |
+2 |
BC 1969-70 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
=0 |
1 |
1 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
50.0 |
=0 |
BC
All |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
5 |
+11 |
1 |
2 |
2.286 |
0.714 |
78.6 |
+4 |
All Competition |
Type |
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
FTS |
CS |
FAv |
AAv |
Pts% |
W/L |
WC |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.00 |
1.333 |
33.3 |
-1 |
EN/C |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
8 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
1.40 |
1.60 |
50.0 |
=0 |
BC |
7 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
5 |
+11 |
1 |
2 |
2.286 |
0.714 |
78.6 |
+4 |
Note that the 1967-68
records of the European Championship and British Championship are
duplicated, and one set is therefore deducted from the grand total. |
All |
14 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
25 |
16 |
+9 |
3 |
4 |
1.786 |
1.143 |
60.7 |
+3 |
Brian Labone
- Match History |
Club: Everton F.C. -
26 full appearances |
manager: Walter Winterbottom - 2
full capsx
|
|
Age 20 |
1 |
u23 |
2 November 1960 - England 1 Italy 1,
St James' Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
Fr |
HD |
Start |
5 |
Age 21 |
2 |
u23 |
8 February 1961 - England 2 Wales 0,
Goodison Park, Liverpool |
Fr |
HW |
Start |
5 |
3 |
u23 |
1 March 1961 - England 1 Scotland 1,
Ayresome Park, Middlesbrough |
Fr |
HD |
Start |
5 |
4 |
u23 |
9 November 1961 - England 7 Israel 1,
Elland Road, Leeds |
Fr |
HW |
Start |
5 |
5 |
u23 |
29 November 1961 -
Netherlands 2 England 5,
Stadion
Feijenoord, Rotterdam |
Fr |
AW |
Start |
5 |
Age 22 |
u23 |
28 February 1962 - Scotland 2 England 4, Pittodrie, Aberdeen |
Fr |
AW |
withdrew |
1 |
364 |
20
October 1962 - Northern
Ireland
1
England 3,
Windsor Park, Belfast |
BC |
AW |
Start |
5 |
2 |
365 |
21 November 1962 -
England 4
Wales
0,
Empire Stadium, Wembley |
HW |
Start |
5 |
|
manager: Alf Ramsey - 24
full capsx
|
|
Age 23 |
3 |
366 |
27 February 1963 -
France
5
England 2, Le Parc
des Princes, Paris |
ENP |
AL |
Start |
5 |
Age 26 |
Alf Ramsey named his provisional list of forty players on April 7 that
excluded Brian Labone. He then named a provisional squad of 28 on 6 May
to attend Lilleshall that did include Labone, but he had to withdraw
because of injury. |
Age 27 |
4 |
414 |
24 May 1967 -
England 2
Spain 0,
Empire Stadium, Wembley |
Fr |
HW |
Start |
5 |
5 |
415 |
27 May 1967 -
Austria
0 England 1,
Praterstadion, Wien
|
Fr |
AW |
Start |
5 |
Age 28 |
6 |
419 |
24 February 1968 -
Scotland
1 England 1,
Hampden Park,
Glasgow |
BC/ ECP |
AD |
Start |
5 |
7 |
421 |
8 May 1968 -
Spain
1 England 2,
Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid |
ECP |
AW |
Start |
5 |
8 |
422 |
22 May 1968 -
England 3
Sweden
1,
Empire Stadium, Wembley |
Fr |
HW |
Start |
5 |
9 |
423 |
1 June 1968 -
West Germany
1 England 0,
Niedersachsenstadion, Hannover |
Fr |
AL |
Start |
5 |
10 |
424 |
5 June 1968 -
Yugoslavia
1 England 0,
Stadio
Comunale di Firenze,
Firenze |
ECF |
NL |
Start |
5 |
11 |
425 |
8 June 1968 -
England 2
USSR
0,
Stadio Olimpico,
Roma |
NW |
Start |
5 |
12 |
426 |
6 November 1968 -
Romania 0
England 0,
Stadionul
23 August, Bucureşti |
Fr |
AD |
Start |
5 |
13 |
427 |
11 December 1968 -
England 1
Bulgaria 1, Empire Stadium, Wembley |
Fr |
HD |
Start |
5 |
Age 29 |
14 |
430 |
3 May 1969 -
Northern
Ireland 1
England 3,
Windsor Park, Belfast |
BC |
AW |
Start |
5 |
- |
431 |
7 May 1969 - England 2
Wales 1, Empire Stadium,
Wembley |
HW |
squad/unused |
15 |
432 |
10 May 1969 -
England 4
Scotland 1,
Empire Stadium, Wembley |
HW |
Start |
5 |
16 |
433 |
1 June 1969 -
Mexico
0 England 0,
Estadio Azteca, Ciudad de México |
tour |
AD |
Start |
5 |
17 |
434 |
8 June 1969 -
Uruguay
1
England 2,
Estadio Centenario, Montevideo |
AW |
Start |
5 |
18 |
435 |
12 June 1969 -
Brazil
2 England 1,
Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho, Rio |
AL |
Start |
5 |
Age 30 |
19 |
439 |
25 February 1970 -
Belgium
1
England
3,
Stade Émile Versé, Bruxelles |
Fr |
AW |
Start |
5 |
20 |
440 |
18 April 1970 -
Wales 1
England 1,
Ninian Park, Cardiff |
BC |
AD |
Start |
5 |
- |
441 |
21 April 1970 - England 3
Northern
Ireland 1, Empire Stadium, Wembley |
HW |
squad/unused |
21 |
442 |
25 April 1970 -
Scotland
0
England 0,
Hampden Park,
Glasgow |
AD |
Start |
5 |
22 |
443 |
20 May 1970 -
Colombia
0 England 4,
Estadio Nemesio Camacho,
Bogotá |
Fr |
AW |
Start |
22 |
23 |
444 |
24 May 1970 -
Ecuador
0 England 2,
Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa,
Quito |
Fr |
AW |
Start |
22 |
24 |
445 |
2 June 1970 -
England 1 Romania
0, Estádio Jalisco,
Guadalajara |
WCF |
NW |
Start |
5 |
25 |
446 |
7 June 1970 -
Brazil
1
England 0,
Estádio Jalisco,
Guadalajara |
NL |
Start |
- |
447 |
11 June 1970 - Czechoslovakia 0 England 1, Estádio Jalisco,
Guadalajara |
NW |
squad/ unused |
26 |
448 |
14 June 1970 -
West Germany
3
England 2,
Estadio de Guanajuato, León |
NL |
Start |
- |
450 |
3 February 1971 -
Malta
0 England 1,
The Stadium, Gzira |
ECP |
AW |
injured squad member |
Notes
To characterise a
professional footballer as noble, and to reflect on his sensitive side,
might seem incongruous when set against the greed, cynicism and rampant
self-aggrandisement which go hand in hand with the modern game. But in the
case of Brian Labone, whose name has been synonymous with that of Everton
for nearly half a century, such treatment seems singularly apt.
An archetypal one-club man, dubbed "the last of the great Corinthians" by
the former Goodison Park manager Harry Catterick - a fearsome fellow not
noted for dispensing fulsome praise - Labone was a colossally influential
figure as the Toffees won the League Championship in 1963 and 1970 and the
FA Cup in 1966, the last-mentioned pair of successes under his captaincy.
Tall and naturally commanding, he operated at centre-half, a position
traditionally associated with flint-hearted bruisers prone to crunching
physical excess, but Labone was cut from an altogether more stately cloth.
He played the game as he lived his life, with dignity, composure and
integrity, and during his 15-year career he picked up a mere two bookings in
more than 530 games for the Merseysiders, a total of appearances exceeded by
only two other Evertonians, the goalkeepers Neville Southall and Ted Sagar.
Yet there was a myth about Labone, perpetuated by his calm, almost
tranquil character and his polished, unflappable style of play. The
contention among some critics was that he was devoid of "devil", - simply
too easy-going for a role which demanded a more ruthless approach; that both
he and Everton would have achieved more if he had been tougher. The theory
was seriously flawed on two counts. First, "Labby" had to be true to his own
nature, which precluded random violence or unnecessary harshness. Secondly,
although he played the game with impeccable fairness, he was a hard
footballer, imbued with every ounce of steel needed to survive and prosper
at the top club level for almost a decade and a half, and to earn 26 appearances
for his country. Had he been anything approaching a soft touch then he
would never have progressed beyond the junior football in which he excelled
during his education at Liverpool Collegiate School in the early 1950s.
In fact, although he was always enthusiastic about sport, the thoughtful,
intelligent youngster might never have signed on at Everton anyway, even
after joining the club as an amateur in 1955. He was sorely tempted to go to
university and deliberated coolly before accepting the offer of professional
terms at Goodison as a 17-year-old in 1957, spurning local rivals Liverpool
in the process. Having taken that momentous decision, Labone made
meteoric progress, first riveting the attention of hard-boiled Everton
insiders with his masterful shackling of the rumbustious centre- forward
Dave Hickson in a public trial game. So impressive was the newcomer that he
leapfrogged the Toffees' three junior teams to claim a place in the
reserves.
Seven months later he made his first-team entrance following an injury to
Tommy E. Jones, but it was not until his next senior outing, at home to
Tottenham Hotspur in April 1957, that he discovered the cruel reality of
top-flight football when he was subjected to an embarrassing runaround by
Bobby Smith. Now the rookie proved he was made of the right stuff, returning
to the "stiffs" to hone his craft, then earning a regular place in the First
Division line-up in 1959/60 and winning England under-23 recognition in
1961. Slim and rather more elegant than most stoppers, but formidably
powerful in the air, Labone was fearless in his tackles and an astute
anticipator of the unfolding action, enabling him to specialise in timely
interceptions. On the ball he was accomplished and often constructive when
using his right foot, invariably employing his left only for emergency
clearances.
His game had developed serenely under the management of John Carey, but
it was when that benevolent Irishman was replaced in the summer of 1961 by
the abrasive Catterick that Labone, and Everton, truly began to prosper.
In 1962/63, with a team in which the star forwards Alex "The Golden Vision"
Young and Roy Vernon tended to monopolise the headlines, the Toffees lifted
the League title, and Labone's part as the rearguard's principal bulwark was
recognised with a first full England call-up in October, to face Northern
Ireland in Belfast. Astonishingly, in view of his club's historical
eminence, he was the first Everton player to be capped by England at senior
level since the Second World War. At that point, though, he was unable
to inch ahead of Sheffield Wednesday's Peter Swan and Maurice Norman of
Tottenham Hotspur to claim a regular international berth. Still he continued
to advance his case, being made Everton skipper in 1964/65, succeeding Tony
Kay who, along with Swan, was banned from football and imprisoned for his
part in a bribes scandal.
Come 1965/66 Labone remained in imperious form but now was headed by Jack
Charlton in the pecking order of England centre-halves. However, during the
run-up to the 1966 World Cup Finals, the Everton captain stunned the
football establishment by asking not to be considered for the tournament, so
that he was free to go ahead with his planned summer wedding to a former
Miss Liverpool, Pat Lynam. He later explained that he hadn't expected to be
in contention for a World Cup place: "I had fixed the date, made all the
arrangements, issued all the invitations. What could I do?" Happily
for Labone, soon his controversial announcement was overshadowed by
Everton's breathtaking victory in that season's FA Cup final, fighting back
from two goals down to defeat Sheffield Wednesday and, as he brandished the
coveted bauble aloft in the Wembley sunshine, all seemed well with his
world.
But another shock declaration was in the offing. In September 1967,
notionally in his prime at 27 and leading one of the best teams in the land,
he revealed that he was no longer enjoying his football, having lost both
form and confidence, and planned imminent retirement. It seemed that the
modest Merseysider, a strong-willed but sensitive individual, preferred a
future in the family central-heating business. However, having bared
his soul, he felt his mind clear and his anxiety lift. Now he produced
arguably the finest football of his life; he replaced the ageing Charlton as
England's first-choice No 5 and he was happy to reverse his decision to
depart prematurely.
In 1969/70 Labone was majestic as an exhilaratingly entertaining Everton
side, featuring the beautifully balanced midfield trio of Alan Ball, Colin
Harvey and Howard Kendall, romped away with the League crown, and that
summer he recovered from injury in time to perform smoothly for his country
in the World Cup Finals in Mexico. A successful defence of the Jules
Rimet Trophy appeared possible when England seized a two-goal advantage over
West Germany in the quarter-final in Leon, only for Franz Beckenbauer and
company to complete a devastating comeback to prevail 3-2. That proved to be
Labone's final international appearance and, now in his thirties and
increasingly prone to injuries, there was little left of his club career,
either, and he laid aside his boots in 1972.
Subsequently he enjoyed a successful sojourn in insurance and served for
many years on the Littlewoods "spot the ball" panel. Meanwhile his love
affair with Everton never abated. In recent years he worked for the club as
a match-day host, a convivial role to which this courteous, patient, gently
amusing man was ideally suited. - Ivan Ponting - The Independent
Obituary
____________________
CG
|
|