Royle wants the bragging rights at work
JOE ROYLE will never forget the date – Saturday March 21, 1970.
He will always remember standing as a teenager with arms aloft staring into the Kop after scoring in a 2-0 win against Liverpool.
Now, almost 49 years on, Royle is relishing Merseyside’s fiercest rivals doing battle once more.
The former Everton boss is now working at Wigan Athletic, where manager Paul Cook is Royle’s target for wind-ups as he grew up supporting the red half of the city during Big Joe’s heyday at Goodison.
Royle is a club director under his son Darren
(right) the new executive chairman at the DW Stadium after the takeover by Hong Kong group IEC.
Oh, and throw old Evertonian and Latics coach Peter
Reid into the mix and you can see that if you don’t get the bragging rights, then it will be an uncomfortable return to work at the training ground tomorrow.
Royle said: “I was actually unbeaten against Liverpool in derby games as a manager.
“But I remember that game in 1970 with Ron Yeats saying I hadn’t given him too many problems and he was probably right.
“I was still 18 at the time – and I scored in front of the Kop then stood there with my arms wide open. I’ve never seen so many unhappy faces. I remember my wife Janet saying, ‘We had better stay in tonight!’”
And this week the banter has been at fever pitch at Wigan with those in both corners in full voice ahead of this afternoon’s showdown.
Royle added: “I’m a shrinking violet compared to Cookie.
“I will probably watch the game on the television but I know he will be ready to crow on Monday should the wrong result happen. “And, believe me, Reidy and I will give it to him if it goes the other way.” The Toffees have seen six permanent managers come and go since Royle left in 1997. The early signs under Marco Silva, though, are good according to Royle.
He said: “Everton have had a very pleasing start to the season.
“I think the performance at Chelsea was the best I’d seen from an Everton side against a top-six side since David Moyes.
“They were terrific and look capable of getting into the top six.”
On his current day-to-day role with Championship Wigan, Royle added: “I am here to give assistance if required.
“Darren is technically my boss. It’s Darren Royle first and Joe Royle second.”