HOWARD KENDALL has paid an emotional tribute to his old Goodison team-mate Gordon West.
The former goalkeeper passed away peacefully in hospital last night, aged 69, after a battle with cancer. His partner Linda and his sons Stephen and Mark were at his bedside.
Kendall said: “It’s so very, very sad. He was a great goalkeeper and a lovely man and it’s another one we’ve lost from that great team we all played in.
“A few of the lads, Joe Royle, Derek Temple and one or two others had planned to meet him for lunch, until we heard just how ill he was. Now we’ll never have that time together.”
Kendall, the most successful manager in Everton’s history, was also a member of the celebrated 1970 Championship winning side with West and he added: “He was an immense character in the dressing room and was best friends with Brian Labone. It’s so sad that we’ve lost them both now.
“They say you have to be mad to be a goalkeeper and watching the way Westy used to throw himself around at players’ feet I could understand why.
“But he was a fantastic goalkeeper.
“People will talk about the handbag incident at Anfield, no doubt, but I don’t remember seeing that. I remembered the way he could kid referees into awarding free-kicks in his favour in penalty areas. He would tell the referee to keep an eye on a particular striker than go flying into him and win the free-kick himself!
“He’d have us in stitches and that was the same after he retired.
“He had so many great stories, but the one that sticks with me was when he was asked who was the best goalkeeper, himself or Neville Southall?
“Quick as flash he grabbed the microphone and answered: “I was definitely the best in the 1960s, but Big Nev was better than me in the 1980s.
“He brought the house down!
“It’s desperately sad news.”
