Premier League
clubs playing pre-season friendlies in the South West and testimonials don’t
happen as frequently as they used to these days, but a quarter of a century
ago, one of the top-flight big boys featured in a testimonial for one of
Westcountry football’s finest servants.
Since making
his debut for Torquay United during the 1990-91 season, Chris Curran helped the
Gulls to win promotion through the Play-offs from the ‘old’ Fourth Division
against Blackpool at Wembley in 1991.
He was then
signed for Plymouth Argyle in the 1995-96 campaign when Neil Warnock, who
managed him during his brief spell at Plainmoor in 1992-93 – when he led United
to a ‘great escape’, and featured for the Pilgrims in their Third Division
Play-off final win over Darlington in 1996.
A year
later, Curran became one of the select band of players to appear for all three
of Devon’s professional sides when he signed for Exeter City for £20,000 in the
summer of 1997.
In
recognition of his service to football in the South West, Everton, who were
playing in a three-match tour of the Westcountry, agreed to face the Grecians
with a full-strength side.
On the day,
the Toffees ran out as 4-1 winners with Swedish winger Niclas Alexandersson
opening the scoring before Ghanian midfielder Alex Nyarko netted a brace before
teenage starlet Francis Jeffers added a fourth. Defender Mark Burrows managed a
late consolation for the Grecians.
Everton’s
first goal came in the 16th minute when Alexandersson latched
onto a cross from Jeffers, who looked every inch the ‘fox in the box’ that
Arsene Wenger described him as when he signed him for Arsenal a year later and
volleyed the ball into the net.
Everton's second goal was a speculative
18-yard effort from Nyarko which Grecians keeper Arjan Van Heusden got a hand
to but couldn't prevent from hitting the back of the net.
Everton's third and Nyarko's second came
with a left foot from eight yards out just before half time.
In the second half, the heat began to
take its toll, but American striker Joe-Max Moore forced a save from Van
Heusden on 56 minutes. Just under ten minutes later, the Toffees
increased their lead to four when Mark Pembridge received the ball on the
halfway line, ran 35 yards unchallenged, and crossed to Jeffers in the box, who
nodded home to score the goal which his endeavours deserved.
The biggest cheer of the day from both
sets of supporters was when Paul Gascoigne came on as substitute for Mark
Hughes after 67 minutes.
In the 90th minute,
Burrows pulled one back for City after the Everton defence failed
to clear a corner.
