Everton manager Sean Dyche is under pressure to keep the Toffees in the Premier League as they sit 17th in the table with just one game left. They are only two points ahead of Leeds and Leicester in the drop zone, and face Bournemouth this weekend at Goodison Park in their final game of the season. However, Dyche can take inspiration from 30 years ago when Everton were in a similar position. In 1994, the Toffees were staring down the barrel of relegation after a disastrous campaign that saw legendary manager Howard Kendall leave midway through the season. Everton had once been a grand club and one of the richest in the land, but had fallen into a state of despair.
Ten years prior, Everton had competed with Liverpool for the First Division title, but by the final game of the 1993/94 campaign, they sat in the bottom three. They faced Southampton, Sheffield United, and Ipswich, while they led Oldham by a point and Swindon were already down. Facing Wimbledon on the last match was not ideal as their chairman, Sam Hammam, had brewed up a hatred of Everton after being scorned in the past. Hammam felt he had been snubbed once by Everton and wanted to see their demise. He even offered his players a trip to Las Vegas if they sent Everton down.
It was no surprise to see Wimbledon take an early 2-0 lead at Goodison Park, and just 20 minutes in, Everton’s 43-year stint in the top tier looked like it was up. However, they managed to get one back from the penalty spot, but Southampton were winning and Sheffield United were up against Chelsea, meaning doom and gloom rained down on Merseyside. Fans spotted Barry Horne running onto some loose Dons possession and performing a keepy-up with the knee before unleashing a vicious dipping volley that sailed into the top corner. Graham Stuart completed the comeback 10 minutes from full-time, but Everton’s fate was still not secure, and they needed results from elsewhere.
Confusion helped Everton out when Chelsea equalised against Sheffield United, which would have been enough to keep them up. The Blades must have had the wrong information, though, as their perilous push for a winner saw the Blues snatch one instead on the counter-attack. Everton survived, Sheffield United were downed, and Wimbledon never went to Vegas. Dyche will be hoping for a similar conclusion this season, albeit with a little less drama.