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 caps
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
England
Football Online
