Supporters of Everton gathered at the Denbigh Castle pub in central Liverpool on Friday evening to celebrate former club captain Mike Lyons following the publication of a new biography detailing his life and career.
The 74-year-old former defender could not attend the event because he lives with dementia in a care home in Perth, Australia. His story has been documented in "The Man Who Bled Blue: The Triumphs and Tragedy of Mike Lyons," written by journalist and author Simon Hart and published by Mount Vernon Publishing.
Lyons' daughter, Francesca, who lives near Liverpool and calls her father daily in Perth, spoke to around 100 people at the gathering. She told the audience her father knew about the event and the biography, though his brain has frayed terribly. She said he would have been humbled by the attention, would likely have laughed it off, and remains upbeat and humble, adding that he would not have had his life any other way.
The gathering took place as Everton supporters reflect on a statistic showing the club as the only one among the Football League's 92 not to have won a trophy, title, promotion, or suffered relegation since the turn of the century. Everton, who last won a major trophy 31 years ago when they lifted the 1995 FA Cup, face David Moyes' former club Preston on Wednesday night in the League Cup.
The League Cup remains the only major domestic trophy Everton have never won in their history. Moyes, who has a deep understanding of Lyons' contribution to Everton, previously visited him in Australia alongside long-time assistant Billy McKinlay during a pre-season tour. Lyons continues to follow Everton matches from Perth and would see the club attempt to reach the final next March, 50 years after his own famous League Cup run.
A Career of Unwavering Loyalty
Lyons made his senior debut for Everton in March 1971, when the club were reigning English champions and just four days away from competing in a European Cup quarter-final. Over a 12-year spell on Merseyside, he made 473 appearances and scored 59 goals before moving to Sheffield Wednesday in 1982.
Despite spending 11 years as a player at Goodison Park, Lyons did not win a single major honour, while cross-city rivals Liverpool won 15 trophies during the same period. He departed two years before Everton entered a successful era that yielded two league titles and an FA Cup. His manager Gordon Lee famously praised his dedication, stating that Lyons would have died for Everton and declaring he wanted eleven Mike Lyonses in his team.
Hart's biography captures Lyons' professional work ethic alongside lighter moments from his career. Lyons drove a club-issue Lada with his name emblazoned down the side and avoided Liverpool hair salons frequented by team-mates for curly perms. Instead, team-mate Roger Kenyon's wife Jackie permed his hair in the Lyons kitchen with Lyons' wife Tricia. The two women became engrossed in conversation, leaving the perm solution in too long and causing a hair catastrophe.
The 1977 League Cup Final Marathon
The closest Lyons came to winning silverware with Everton was during the 1977 League Cup final against Aston Villa, captained by Chris Nicholl. Although the initial Wembley final ended in a draw, Everton proceeded with a planned open-bus tour through Liverpool that attracted vast crowds.
The first replay at Hillsborough in Sheffield produced a thrilling 1-1 draw rescued by a late goal from Bob Latchford. Lyons later described the overwhelming noise from Everton supporters that night as a moment he would always treasure. The tie progressed to a second replay at Old Trafford, where Villa secured victory late in the match.
In that final replay, Lyons scored an equaliser in front of the Stretford End, celebrating with great animation. Late in the match, he was pushed forward as a utility centre-forward to chase a winning goal, a tactical move still referred to by fans as "Doing a Mike Lyons." The adjustment left a gap at the back that Villa exploited to score a late winner, leaving Lyons weeping in his car on the journey home.
Campaigning for Head Injury Support
The book documents the physical toll of Lyons' career, including an image of him leaving the pitch with a gashed face after losing the 1980 FA Cup semi-final to West Ham. His dementia is attributed to repeated heading of the ball, prompting his daughter Francesca to advocate for football authorities to provide better support for former players experiencing cognitive decline. Nicholl, who captained Villa in the 1977 final, also suffered from dementia caused by heading footballs before passing away in 2024.
Former team-mates including Martin Dobson and Bob Latchford gathered at the Liverpool pub to share memories of Lyons, reflecting on how barren periods produce enduring club heroes. As Everton prepare for their mid-week fixture at Preston, supporters hope the current squad can honor Lyons' legacy by pursuing the domestic trophy that escaped his grasp 50 years ago.
