Billy Bingham

Manager: 1973-1977
Another former Everton star, Billy Bingham had left the club after the 1963 Championship triumph, electing to move into management with an employment history including Southport and the Greek National side.

When he returned to Goodison 10 years after leaving as a player he Inherited a team disillusioned by sliding fortunes and overshadowed by an increasingly victorious Liverpool squad under the leadership of Bill Shankly. But likeable and charismatic, Bingham set about the challenge of replacing Harry Catterick with vigour.

The club finished seventh in his first season but Bingham was well aware that more was expected of a side that had been champions just three years earlier.

With the period between 1973 and 1975, seeing the debuts of new acquisitions Bob Latchford, Jim Pearson and Martin Dobson - plus the departure of crowd favourites Colin Harvey and Joe Royle - Bingham's side seemed to experience a return to form.

For long periods, fan optimism was rekindled as it looked like Everton might once again experience the success of Catterick's reign. Indeed during Easter 1975 bookmakers stopped taking bets on Everton winning the title, but only one win in the last five games left the Blues in fourth position.

Andy King arrived at Goodison towards the end of the following campaign, but it could not lift Everton higher than an 11th placed finish.

The 1976-77 began reasonably well, but a run of eight league games without a win, despite the signing of Duncan McKenzie and Bruce Rioch, resulted in Bingham being sacked in January 1977.