The view every Saturday that we have of a more perfect world, a world that has got a pattern and is finite. And that’s Alex – the Golden Vision.
The words of Danny Blachflower gave the Midlothian-born Alex Young an everlasting moniker. Throughout his career, Young was adored by Evertonians, neutrals and even the odd Liverpool supporter. His career was full of highs and lows.
Alex Young started his career at Newtongrange Star before moving to Hearts at the age of 18. The starlet proved successful at the Edinburgh by helping them win the Scottish First Division title in 1958 and 1960 and the Scottish Cup in 1956. His style of play and goalscoring record of 103 goals in 194 games caught the attention of Everton and made an offer of £35,000 for the 23-year-old in October 1960. Young eventually joined the Toffees for £40,000 with Hearts teammate George Thomson. Following his transfer, Everton made Young feel at home (literally) by buying a house in Aintree for him and his wife.
At the start of his Everton career, Young had a niggling knee injury, and the injury was made worse after he played a friendly for the Army before Christmas. Injuries prevented him from making a significant impact at the club as he made 14 appearances in his debut season, although he scored a commendable 7 goals. At the start of the 1961/62 season, blisters made life difficult for Alex Young.
Whenever the ground is firm, or anything other than holding, I find that the soles of my feet blister easily and that is what happened last Wednesday [in a match against West Brom]. My feet had been very sore after the opening match against Aston Villa the previous Saturday, but within half an hour last Wednesday, my feet started to cripple me and I could hardly put them to the ground without pain. Blisters formed on both feet and I could hardly run long before the game ended.
Blisters didn’t stop him from playing as he missed only two league games that season. In the 1962/63 season, he was ever-present when Everton won the First Division title by 6 points. In that season, Alex Young formed a formidable partnership with Roy Vernon as they scored 46 goals between them in the league (22 for Young, 24 for Vernon).
He became a fan favourite at the club. Many Evertonians aspired to be like him, with at least one asking for advice from him to help improve his game.
My father was a budding young footballer himself in 1961. So he wrote to Everton’s new signing. The man who’d transferred from Hearts. The man whose arrival had prompted a surge in the Everton gate. And what’s more, dad got a reply to his letter.
“How do I get better?” asked dad. “How do I improve my ball skills? My balance. My crossing. My control.”
“Just keep practising,” wrote the Golden Vision in his generous reply. “Practise with a tennis ball in the yard. Practise and practise and practise.”
Neil Roberts – Blues & Beatles
Even though he was commonly seen as a nice guy, he also had an ounce of roughness.
[John Hollins] was the victim of a terrible tackle from Everton’s Alex Young, a marvellously talented forward who had come to England from Hearts. Alex was known as “The Golden Vision” and had a great reputation for scoring. I can remember looking across as John went down and lay on the turf.
I had a go at Alex: “Why did you do that What was the point of that? He is just as kid and you did that to him.”
He looked at me and replied: “I know he is new in the game because if he hadn’t been, I would have gone in harder.”
Terry Venables in his autobiography
The 1963/64 season was a difficult season for Young. His injury problems returned, and he started to become deaf – a condition he told no-one about until he mentioned it in a recent interview.
I never told to anybody this before… I actually started to become deaf when I was about 25 or 26. I never mentioned it but if you speak to any pro, they will tell you that one of the main things on the pitch is communication and shouting at each other. If your marker is coming in, your own player will shout: “Man on!” or “Watch your back!”, but loads of times I didn’t hear them.
Due to the deafness that was happening to me now and again, I got caught in possession, whereas before, that never really happened.
Alex Young – Blues & Beatles (Neil Roberts)
His relationship with manager Harry Catterick became very strained. In March 1964, Catterick signed Fred Pickering from Blackburn and was in scintillating form, scoring 9 goals in 9 games (including a hat-trick on his debut), whereas Young was left to rot in the reserves, playing only twice in Everton’s last 9 games of the season. Young had enough and handed in a transfer request the following month, which Everton accepted, putting a £40,000 price tag on the forward.
Source: Everton Collection
It was reported that Alec Young had requested to be placed on the transfer list, and this was agreed to unanimously. It was agreed to ask for a fee in the region of £40,000. It was also reported that he had been fined £25.0.0 for failing to report for treatment as instructed.
Another month later, Brentford made a £25,000 bid for Young, which Everton promptly rejected. The following July, Young requested to be removed from the transfer list, which, again, Everton accepted. He was linked with a move to Stoke – the Potters enquired their interest to Everton but the club said they will refuse to accept anything less than £45,000. His relationship with Catterick didn’t get any better though.
In 1966, Harry Catterick caused a stir by refusing to play Alex Young in the victorious FA Cup final against Sheffield Wednesday. Alex Young subsequently lifted the trophy on the pitch, however he preferred to have taken part with his teammates.
Harry Catterick didn’t pick him for the 1968 Cup Final against West Bromwich and Jimmy Husband took his place. We both travelled down but we didn’t get to find out the team until we were actually there in the hotel room. He was supposed to be sub but at the last minute, he put Sandy Brown in instead, and Alex was absolutely devastated.
Nancy Young – Real Footballers’ Wives (Becky Tallentire)
The following year, Catterick caused even more of a stir by dropping Young for 16-year-old Joe Royle. Everton fans were evidently furious.
However, it shouldn’t have been much of a surprise that Catterick jumped to the opportunity of playing a promising young footballer AT the expense of Young, as Nancy Young revealed Catterick hated her husband even before Catterick became Everton manager.
Catterick didn’t like Alex and I don’t know what that was all about; he’s so placid and there are not many who wouldn’t be able to get along with him. Johnny Carey signed him and before Catterick even arrived at Goodison, he’d passed on the message via Les Edwards the journalist that he didn’t like Alex or the way he played.
It seems very strange that he would pass judgment before he’d even met him, but that’s the way it was and he really seemed to go out of his way to make his life a misery. Alex would get the vibes from him and he said they were not right, and that was it. It was probably a struggle for him most of the time but it was the crowd that kept him there, I think. The fans adored him and he loved them back.
Nancy Young – Real Footballers’ Wives (Becky Tallentire)
Alex Young later voiced his disapproval of Harry Catterick in a Q&A:
What was he like to play for? Hellish. Before Harry Catterick even arrived at Everton, the top sports writer for the Liverpool Echo at that time, Leslie Edwards, warned me to beware. He said Harry Catterick was after my blood because he didn’t like the way that I played, and that was before I’d ever met the man.
It never changed all the time I was there. It was a constant battle all the time I played for him. He couldn’t encourage me to play because if he said anything, I didn’t believe him. He had some good sides, but I don’t think he liked to go a great deal for flair players.
Alex Young – Talking Blue (Becky Tallentire)
Alex Young left Everton in 1968 for a brief spell in Northern Ireland for Glentoran and played for Stockport County soon after before retiring in 1969 because of a knee injury. Despite leaving the club mainly due to Harry Catterick, Young still loved Everton and the fans. And the feeling was mutual.
Whenever we go back to Liverpool people always recognise Alex. Hardly anybody in Scotland does or if they do, they don’t let on. His status among Evertonians never fails to surprise me. It’s been an awful long time now, but people still adore him. It’s just wonderful and I still love seeing his face light up.
Nancy Young – Real Footballers’ Wives (Becky Tallentire)
He made 273 appearances for the club, scoring 87 goals.
In 2001, a testimonial for Young was arranged. Everton played Espanyol and won 1-0, thanks to a goal from Joe-Max Moore. The crowd gave him a rousing reception and he was overwhelmed with the support.
It was an unbelievable welcome and something I’ll never forget. It was sensational and there’s very, very few places like Merseyside for a reception like that.
When I played, I always felt the goose pimples on the back of my neck when I heard Z-Cars, and I felt it again tonight. Goodison tonight just looked so beautiful and perfect to play on.
Alex Young loved the club until he drew his last breath on February 27th, 2017. Following his death, football fans paid their respects to a man who became an idol for themselves, their parents and their grandparents.
Alex Young is the reason I started to love Everton. I was 7 (1961). I went with my dad to Goodison and was hypnotized by the atmosphere and the wall of noise. My dad was a [Preston] man and was a little miffed when I started putting photos of Everton players on my bedroom wall. So Alex, because of you, my children are also Toffees. Well , most of them – the youngest “escaped” but is a closet blue. RIP Great man. Those of us lucky to have seen you in the flesh will never forget you. Perhaps we can name part of the ground in your honour when we move house.
jaktonat via The Guardian comments section
Like many others, Alex Young is not someone I remember personally but part of my connection with my dad, Everton and football in general.
My dad can, and does, talk at great length about Everton sides from his youth, but it’s only when talking about the Golden Vision that his enthusiasm runs away with him.
RIP and thoughts to his family – any man who can inspire such passion and devotion was clearly a special individual.
diotavelli via The Guardian comments section
Too often the words “legend” and “great” are used to describe players these days when actually they are generally just quite good, and some times not even that good! Alex Young, The Golden Vision, was a true great of this great football club and should forever be known as one of the very best players to grace the shirt, quite rightly should always be known as part of a very elite group of players regarded as Everton legends!
bcblue1878 via GrandOldTeam forum
The word “legend” was invented for this fella. My love for Everton was laid on foundations of stories of him and Bally from my dad.
Rest In Peace Alex.
Gentleman, Evertonian, Legend.
tommye via GrandOldTeam forum
As a lifelong Liverpool fan who grew up in the 60’s, Alex Young was a class act all the way, and it’s too bad we didn’t sign him. Condolences to his family and to Evertonians everywhere. RIP Alex Young.
aldabrit1 via The Guardian comments section
He will always be remembered not just as an Everton legend, but also a player everyone looked up to.