The skies were grey, suitably enough for the funeral of an Everton legend as thousands gathered outside Goodison Park and inside Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral on Thursday to bid an emotional, powerful farewell to Howard Kendall. Greatness is bestowed too easily in football yet Kendall was spoilt for choice in that regard. As Joe Royle said in the first of five eulogies, his former team-mate could lay claim as player, manager and man.
There was applause as the funeral procession lapped Goodison and halted in front of the statue of William Ralph Dixie Dean, where family members, overwhelmed by the outpouring of affection for Kendall, who died aged 69, laid a wreath. The cortege was also applauded into Sir Giles Gilbert Scott’s magnificent cathedral. When the doors opened and the noise filtered in from outside, the massed congregation followed suit until Kendall’s coffin reached the altar and a wreath bearing an Everton crest was placed underneath.
“Anyone who saw Howard play knows he was a great player,” Royle said. “Managing our club three times and winning seven trophies, he was a true Everton legend. But, most importantly of all, he was a lovely man. He was truly a man of the people.” The tears from former players such as Kevin Sheedy but also supporters of all ages reinforced Royle’s point. Each had an anecdote or 10 to tell about Kendall and the success he helped Everton achieve as part of their famed 1970 title-winning team or as architect of the club’s mid-80s revival. And, as always with Kendall, there was laughter, too.
Peter Reid gave the second eulogy, entitled “Howard the manager”, and opened with a confession. He, Graeme Sharp, Andy Gray and Adrian Heath had met at the Hilton hotel before the service and toasted the manager who moulded them into winners of the FA Cup, League championship and European Cup Winners’ Cup with two bottles of Laurent Perrier Rosé. “It’s pink, just like Everton’s first kit,” Reid said. “That’s the only reason we did it.”
Reid explained how Kendall sanctioned his £60,000 transfer from Bolton Wanderers in 1982, despite a failed medical and helped the midfielder regain the weight lost chasing after Diego Maradona for England at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. “He called me into his office and gave me a can of Guinness,” said Goodison’s former midfield general. “He reckoned it would build my strength back up. I ended up taking three crates of Guinness from his office. Needless to say, I got my strength back.”
Kendall’s managerial prowess was not overlooked amid tales of revelry, however. His advanced technical work in pre-season, psychological ploys, intuition and an absolute belief in the young talent at Everton in 1983, when fans were throwing cushions down from the stands and distributing leaflets calling for his sacking, gave insight into one of English football’s most successful managers. “My abiding memory of walking down the steps at Wembley after winning the FA Cup in 1984 was the gaffer’s face,” Reid added. “His smile was worth all the hurt, all of the heartache.”
Duncan Ferguson had to compose himself while giving a reading and Bill Kenwright’s voice cracked with emotion as the Everton chairman paid a final tribute, making also a passing reference to his own health problems in recent months. Kenwright told of calling Kendall to inform him Andy Gray was the board’s unanimous choice to replace Royle as manager in 1997.
He then had to call Kendall the following day when Gray had rejected the offer after Sky made their former commentator an offer he couldn’t refuse. The only problem was Kendall had taken his disappointment to Magaluf. After leaving messages at the hotel and several bars, Kenwright got a call back. “So proud, so proud,” said Kendall when asked to manage Everton for the third time. It didn’t work out and, in truth, it didn’t really matter.
Kendall had made Evertonians proud when the city of Liverpool was on its knees in the mid-80s. He earlier played in a midfield, the “Holy Trinity” of Kendall-Harvey-Ball, that will forever be part of Everton’s folklore. Only one remains and the look of devastation on Colin Harvey’s face as he followed the coffin out of the cathedral spoke of a profound loss to Everton, to English football.
