SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED?

FINALLY after much dithering, suspense and polite financial wrangling, David Moyes has signed his new contract.

I won't trot out truisms about how far Everton have come since the intense ex-Celtic defender first set that cold-eyed glare on Bellefield.
Suffice to say, we've been transformed and (at the start of the season at least) stood at the gateway to a new era of heightened ambition.
Even when Moyes halts the current slide and gets us firing again - because it is when not if - we will still be in the same position of competing for fifth.
The next step is all down to a change of ownership, and the ground move and the myriad thorny issues attached to each.
David Moyes must have hope that these issues will come good because he wants Everton to compete at the very top.
If they aren't, he will move on, but in the short-term at least we have some good news, along with a gutsy mini-derby win, to savour.
Just in case any of the small band of 'Moyes-outers' need reminding how pathetic they are, consider what would happen if the Scot hadn't had too many glasses of red wine and got all emotional after Bobby Robson's speech.
Who would we be able to replace him with? You only have to look at the summer transfer nightmare to see that, despite consecutive European finishes, we're only as attractive as our bank balance.
Which is about as attractive as a 3am fatty in Flares.
Dave Jones? John Collins? Alan Irvine? The potential list of candidates is hardy mouth-watering. Make no mistake Moyes departure would have set us back five years.
As the old fella who phoned in to Radio Merseyside last night on my way home from work said (and he had been going the game so long he saw us relegated in the 50s): "David Moyes is the best thing that has happened to Everton in a long, long time. If they'd let him go I'd have been done with the whole thing."

Finally, very sad news about two other great Evertonians who have passed away recently.
First, Rory Colquhoun, who died of cancer in Whiston hospital on the 11th. He is remembered fondly by countless blues and reds.
One of his good mates told me about a time Rory stood up during a stuffy Everton 84/85 reunion dinner in town, wearing a blue wig with a over-sized microphone and led everyone in an irresistible chorus of the 'We love Everton..and we love are..' song - going through the whole squad until everyone was roaring.
It was a hilarious and special moment by all accounts and summed up a lovely fella and massive blue who will be missed.
Likewise, the Echo has already reported the news about Brian Callaghan's death from a heart-attack in Belgium before the Liege game.
Cally, a train driver who was originally from Great Homer Street and lived in Altcar, lived with his missus Belinda, and nine-year-old daughter Phoebe.
Impressively he managed a kids' football team when only 15 or 16 himself. Cally was another top, top bluenose and his funeral is at noon on Thurs at St Anthony's church on Scotty.
He was 48.
RIP.

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit