Complacency cost Everton dear in 1974 recalls Roger Kenyon

Complacency cost Everton dear in 1974 recalls Roger KenyonROGER KENYON was the Everton skipper who would have lifted the League Championship trophy in 1975 had Everton seen through their early season promise.In addition to Carlisle's double whammy, the Blus also lost 2-1 at relegated Luton with four games of the campaign to go.Then after hopes briefly flickered again with a 1-0 win at Newcastle, the Blues led Sheffield United 2-0 at Goodison Park, lost 3-2 and title hopes were extinguished for good - for another decade in fact.Kenyon has a rueful reflection of that Carlisle clash in December 1974.'I think it was probably a little bit of complacency more than anything else,' he explained.'We were two-nil up, Carlisle were struggling at the wrong end of the division and we switched off mentally.'We probably thought we were going to win five or six, but they were a good footballing team and kept going.'They had that cricketer playing for them, (Chris Balderstone) and they caught us cold.'Those two games against Carlisle cost us the league.'A tale Kenyon recalled underlined Everton's dominance in the early part of that 1974/75 title race.'I remember being away on England duty, when Don Revie called a huge squad get together,' recalled Kenyon.'I was sat with Alan Ball, Malcolm MacDonald and Alan Hudson.'All three of them said 'You've won it easily' and whilst secretly I agreed with them I didn't want to sound too big-headed so I just said 'Oh I don't know, there's a bit to do yet.''Unfortunately I was right.'

Source: Liverpool_Echo