Farewell, John Hurst

Everyone at Everton Football Club is deeply saddened by the passing of John Hurst at the age of 76.

John handed away peacefully at home today following a lengthy illness.

‘Gentleman Jack’ Hurst was an FA Youth Cup winner, a league title winner, phase of Joe Royle’s backroom workforce in the Nineties and persisted to be a champion of the Club he cherished for the duration of his life.

Only sixteen players in Everton’s 145-year history made extra appearances than him – but it used to be the manner in which the composed defender performed in those 404 appearances which made him stand out.

“John Hurst should be guaranteed no longer to flip a drama into a crisis,” wrote Ivan Ponting in Everton Player by way of Player. “The tall, leggy, centre-back possessed one of the coolest heads in football, and when stress set up on the Everton goal, he would be observed at the centre of the storm, defusing the hazard effectively and unfussily earlier than looking for a chance to set up the Blues’ next attack.

“Yet ‘Gentleman Jack’, the quietest man inside the Goodison dressing room, did his job so unobtrusively that few public plaudits got here his way. Inside the game, however, there was once no lack of focus amongst his peers. He was respected as an impeccable professional who supplied type and consistency in equal and sufficient measure.

“When he lower back to Everton for a spell as youth educate in the course of the Nineteen Nineties the new generation of Blues could now not have wished for a greater impeccable role model.”

John Hurst in action for Everton towards West Ham United in 1969

Michael Ball, Danny Cadamarteri and Richard Dunne had been part of the early life team introduced thru via Hurst.

Ex-Blues striker Cadamarteri said: “John didn’t simply coach the youngsters, he instilled values and requirements into the group. He knew what it was once to be an Everton player and behave like an Everton player. And with those very excessive requirements he delivered expectations as well.

“You knew what was required and he was once high-quality at getting his messages across. He used to be definitely truthful with us, which is necessary for a young player. He didn’t dish out reward frequently so if you bought some, you knew you’d executed well!

“You should say he used to be ‘old school’ but I would name him ‘real school’ because he’d been there and carried out it. I continually enjoyed his teaching sessions and, of course, he was once a gorgeous guy, too.”

Hurst had been a youth big name himself.

In 1965 he was once an FA Youth Cup winner, confidently crashing in the penalty kick which defeated Arsenal and brought the trophy to Goodison for the first time.

Swiftly elevated into Harry Catterick’s senior team, he holds a special area in Everton records as the first participant ever to be introduced as a alternative in a League healthy for the Club, changing Fred Pickering in August 1965.

He used to be even denied a stunning introduction in that suit at Stoke City by using an over-officious referee.

“Hurst headed into goal brilliantly,” ran a present day report “only to discover the rating disallowed by way of the blast of the referee’s whistle a cut up 2nd earlier than the rating could have grow to be legal.”

John himself recalled: “There were no tactical substitutions in those days. You solely went on if any person got injured and I came on for Fred Pickering.

“It was once almost a dream debut. We had a nook right at the stop and just as I was about to head the ball into the net, the referee blew his whistle for full-time. I couldn’t trust it!”

The defender, the front row, far left, with Harry Catterick’s title-winning Blues squad in July 1970

John’s dedication and loyalty to the Club used to be absolute.

His cherished spouse of fifty five years, Rosemary, once said: “John was once a dedicated player: he’d have died for Everton. He was once rather loyal and usually getting injured one way or another however it would have to be surely serious for him to stop playing. I bear in mind he had a split eye and his head cut open one time. He went off and had stitches and got here back on sporting a skullcap. He used to be a perfect glutton for punishment.”

Hurst used to be even recognized with hepatitis on the eve of the 1968 FA Cup semi-final, but bounced lower back to play in the ultimate at Wembley.

He used to be ever present for the next two seasons, together with the league title-winning season of 1969/70 when he clearly topped the Club’s main scorers’ charts after the opening two video games – a reality he continuously teased his extraordinary friend Joe Royle with.

Royle said: “John is an Everton legend. A vastly under-rated player, he had a bit of everything. Other gamers got more headlines but, trust me, Hursty used to be an essential phase of that 69/70 Championship-winning team. He was an ever-present that season, which tells you all you want to know. On top of being a exceptional footballer, Hursty used to be a extraordinary guy. A lovely, stunning man and a pricey pal of mine. I will leave out him.”

Hurst challenges for the ball towards Leeds United in August 1970

The curtain came down on Hurst’s Everton playing profession in 1976, when he signed for Oldham Athletic. In complete he spent eleven seasons at Goodison Park, playing 404 times and scoring 34 goals.

He again to Goodison as a early life coach when Royle was appointed manager in 1994 – and endured to work notwithstanding having a heart ignore operation quickly after the 1995 FA Cup final.

He left the Club for a 2d time in 1997 but used to be in no way forgotten with the aid of the Everton family.

In 2019 he used to be with the Dixie Dean Memorial Award by the Everton Heritage Society.

The Dixie Dean Trophy was once commissioned with the aid of the Liverpool Echo in 1980 to commemorate the achievements and legacy of the man whose name it incorporates – and significantly, on its front, it bears the legend “For Sportsmen in The Great Tradition”.

Hurst was once a hugely fantastic winner.

He leaves wife Rosemary and daughters Samantha and Alexandra.

RIP, Hursty.