Everton Football Club celebrated one of its most successful seasons in history on May 6, 1985, by clinching their eighth League Championship with a 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers at Goodison Park. However, the joy was tinged with disappointment for Derek Mountfield, who scored the opening goal in the decisive match. The Blues, led by manager Howard Kendall, dominated the league, finishing 13 points ahead of runners-up Liverpool, marking the largest winning margin for an English domestic champion at the time. Despite their success, Mountfield expressed frustration over the delay in receiving the league trophy.
Derek Mountfield said: “If you’d have said when we were bottom of the table after losing our first two games with a minus four goal difference that we’d win the league by 13 points, clinching it with five games to spare, we’d have laughed at you. But those things happened.”
He continued: “I remember the QPR game was Bank Holiday Monday. There were over 50,000 in Goodison Park. I managed to get in front of Sharpy and score the opening goal before he got the second. I remember the volley, it wouldn’t have been my goal nowadays, it would be an own goal by the keeper. It hit the crossbar then the back of his head and in the net. But I’m claiming it, it’s in the books.”
Mountfield added: “That’s my big disappointment that season. We didn’t get it until the Wednesday against West Ham. It should have been there that afternoon on the Monday. We were miles ahead. Bring it up and do it properly, but they didn’t. I think that let us down that day. We needed to celebrate with 50,000 in the ground, not 32,000 on the Wednesday night. Those 50,000 should have seen it. The Football League in their infinite wisdom, didn’t do it.”
The 1984-85 season remains a landmark in Everton’s history, not only for their league triumph but also for winning the European Cup-Winners’ Cup. The team was denied a domestic double by Manchester United’s Norman Whiteside, who scored in extra time during the FA Cup final. Despite the lack of a trophy presentation on the day of their league victory, the Everton squad, featuring notable players such as Neville Southall, Andy Gray, and Kevin Ratcliffe, celebrated a season of unparalleled success.
Everton is now preparing to bid farewell to Goodison Park, their iconic home, as they move to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. The Liverpool Echo has released a special souvenir edition to commemorate this historic transition, capturing the essence of Goodison Park and its legendary figures who have left an indelible mark on the club’s history.
