Star Exhibits
10. The letter relating to the signing of Alex Young and George Thompson from Hearts.
Known as The Golden Vision, Alex Young was and still is a favourite of David France and countless other Evertonians.
One of the most exceptional centre-forwards of all time, Young came to Everton in 1961 from the Heart of Midlothian, netting 89 goals during his 275 outings and helping Everton to win the 1962/63 title and 1966 FA Cup.
The letter for his £44,000 signing is included in the Collection and also gives details of the signing of George Thompson from the same club.
Scotland has always been a fertile territory for recruitment. In the formative seasons, Everton provided incentives to respected Scottish players such as Dan Doyle and Andrew Hanna for their assistance in signing up stars from Dumbarton, the reigning Scottish champions and other kilted acres.
Letters in the Collection show that all of the Scottish vendors wanted cash, and no part exchange or hire purchase were involved. This is true of the Alex Young transfer, with the letter confirming that Everton was indeed the Mersey Millionaires of that era. There were no terms or staggered payments involved in the deal – the Blues paid the money up front…and it was worth every penny!
Alex Young is one of 10 Evertonians to have won Championship honours in both Scotland and England.
