Roy Vernon
Encyclopedia
Thomas Royston "Roy" Vernon (14 April 1937 - 4 December 1993) was a Welsh
international footballer
who played for Blackburn Rovers
, Everton
and Stoke City
.
in Flintshire
, Wales
. He made his debut for Blackburn Rovers
at the age of 18. He signed for Everton
for £27,000 in 1960 (an Everton player Eddie Thomas was the 'make-weight' in the deal and moved in the opposite direction.) Vernon made his debut for Everton in February 1960.
He was the top scorer with 24 goals and captain when Everton won the championship
in the 1962-63 season. His striking partner who scored 22 goals in that championship year was 'the golden vision' Alex Young
.
Vernon was a lean player with an aquiline nose, a powerful left foot shot, great skill and a coolness when taking his chances. Brian Labone
said of him: "Taffy Vernon was about 10 stone. Wet through he looked about as athletic as Pinocchio." Apart from his success in open play, Roy Vernon was probably the finest and most successful penalty-taker ever to play for Everton. He made 199 appearances for Everton scoring 110 goals.
He left Everton in 1965 to join Stoke City
for £40,000 before playing in South Africa
.
Vernon won 32 caps for Wales
scoring 8 goals and represented his country in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden
.
Vernon was a heavy smoker, often smoking in the tunnel before the game and immediately after, and was reputed to bet on the horses in his spare time. He died in 1993 from cancer
.
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
international footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who played for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
, Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
.
Career
Vernon was born in FfynnongroywFlintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
in Flintshire
Flintshire
Flintshire is a county in north-east Wales. It borders Denbighshire, Wrexham and the English county of Cheshire. It is named after the historic county of Flintshire, which had notably different borders...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He made his debut for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
at the age of 18. He signed for Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
for £27,000 in 1960 (an Everton player Eddie Thomas was the 'make-weight' in the deal and moved in the opposite direction.) Vernon made his debut for Everton in February 1960.
He was the top scorer with 24 goals and captain when Everton won the championship
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....
in the 1962-63 season. His striking partner who scored 22 goals in that championship year was 'the golden vision' Alex Young
Alex Young (footballer)
Alex Young is a former Scottish footballer. He was a prolific goal-scorer in Everton's 1962-63 championship season.-Biography:...
.
Vernon was a lean player with an aquiline nose, a powerful left foot shot, great skill and a coolness when taking his chances. Brian Labone
Brian Labone
Brian Leslie Labone was an English footballer who played for and captained Everton. A one-club man, Labone's professional career lasted from 1958 to 1971, during which he won the Football League championship twice and the FA Cup once...
said of him: "Taffy Vernon was about 10 stone. Wet through he looked about as athletic as Pinocchio." Apart from his success in open play, Roy Vernon was probably the finest and most successful penalty-taker ever to play for Everton. He made 199 appearances for Everton scoring 110 goals.
He left Everton in 1965 to join Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...
for £40,000 before playing in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
Vernon won 32 caps for Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
scoring 8 goals and represented his country in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Vernon was a heavy smoker, often smoking in the tunnel before the game and immediately after, and was reputed to bet on the horses in his spare time. He died in 1993 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.