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THIRTY years ago today the most successful manager of the 1960s passed away at the stadium he did so much to illuminate.

Some managers may have won more trophies in the sixties (although not many) and most enjoyed more column inches in the newspapers.

But no manager collected more top division points in the 1960s than Harry Catterick .

The legendary Everton boss created two separate league title winning sides – each playing free flowing, 'scientific' football – and the first FA Cup to grace the Goodison trophy cabinet for 33 years.

He was succeeded by Billy Bingham in 1973, a year after suffering a heart attack while driving home from a scouting mission, but continued to follow the Blues fortunes closely.

And on March 9, 1985 he was in the Goodison Park Directors' Box watching a dramatic FA Cup quarter-final against Ipswich Town.

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Everton trailed until five minutes from time when Derek Mountfield scrambled a riotously received equaliser.

In the mayhem Catterick suffered another heart attack, collapsed and despite attempts to resuscitate him passed away.

In Monday's Echo a Liverpool legend revealed the enormous debt he owed to a man known as The Catt.

Treble winning Reds boss Joe Fagan said: “I shall be forever grateful to Harry for all he taught me about the coaching side of the game.

“I learned more about that from him than from any other person and he gave me an invaluable insight into what is a very tricky business.

“He gave me my first job as a coach with Rochdale and later on he recommended me to Liverpool.”

Catterick's first title winning captain, Roy Vernon, added his own tribute.

“Everton came before everything else with him. At times he seemed to do certain things that the players – and sometimes the supporters – didn't like. But in his heart it was always the best for the club.

“He made it plain that if you were not interested in making Everton the very best, then you might as well get your boots and move on.”

Brian Labone, skipper of the much loved 1970 title-winning side, said: “I don't think he was quite as ruthless as the image was painted.

“We had a good relationship for over 10 years. He was a strict disciplinarian but that wouldn't do some of today's players any harm.

“He produced effective teams that had flair.”

Sir John Moores, the man who brought Catterick to Goodison from Sheffield Wednesday after famously disposing of the services of his predecessor, Johnny Carey, in the back of a London taxi, underlined Catterick's legacy: “He was the man who gave us what we wanted at Goodison – a successful team playing the attractive soccer our fans demand,” he declared.

“Our present manager Howard Kendall must have learned a lot under Harry, as did Colin Harvey. In many ways his influence is still here.”

The following Wednesday the Everton players wore black armbands at Portman Road for the Cup replay – and fittingly the Toffees triumphed 1-0 to reach their second successive FA Cup semi-final.

In 2010 Nick Hilton produced a three part series highlighting the achievements of The Catt.

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