'Put the fear of God into me' - Everton defender recalls 'brutal' game that left him 'frightened'

Everton legend Derek Mountfield admits the deafening roar of the crowd during the European Cup-Winners’ Cup semi-final second leg “frightened” him so he wonders how it impacted on Bayern Munich’s players.

Everton’s 3-1 comeback win on April 24, 1985, to reach their only European final to date is widely regarded as being the greatest night in Goodison Park’s long and illustrious history. Speaking in stirring second episode of Goodison Park: My Home, a series on the Royal Blue podcast channel, which begins the countdown to the club’s historic stadium move, Mountfield explained how it was clear before kick-off it was a special occasion.

He told the ECHO: “Nowadays it would have probably have finished seven-a-side. There were some brutal tackles in it, seriously nasty tackles and elbows flying around but you’re coming to Goodison Park, it’s the semi-final of a European trophy, you’re not going to get an easy night – full stop.

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“I remember we always stayed in town at the old St George’s Hotel which is now the Holiday Inn. In those days, midweek matches were usually a half past seven kick-off so we were always told to be down at reception for 10 past six, be on the coach for quarter past and at Goodison for half past six.

“Howard (Kendall) wanted us there an hour beforehand. We get a phone call, we’ve got to go early. Why? There’s thousands outside the ground we’ve been told.

“We left a good half an hour early. I remember turning left into Gwladys Street and you couldn’t see the road, it was just a swarm of people.

“The bus was trying to get down and I know