Howard Kendall, a legendary coach at Everton… and at Athletic

Howard's Way is a documentary that tells the story of the extraordinary Everton team that dazzled England and Europe in the 1980s. Managed by Howard Kendall, the Toffees won the league titles in 1985 and 1987, the FA Cup in 1984, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1985 and the Charity Shield in 1984, 1985 and 1986.

It was track record that made him one of the most respected coaches in the world at the time. At the end of the 1987 campaign he left England to take over at Athletic Club. Kendall coached the Lions for two and a half seasons and, beyond his achievements on the pitch, he left behind a fabulous human legacy in Bilbao.

In the discussion that followed the screening, former players Joseba Agirre, Peio Uralde, Andoni Lakabeg and Fernando Quintanilla “Txirri”, together with local journalist Patxi Alonso as moderator, shared numerous anecdotes related to the endearing Kendall. They all had one thing in common: highlighting Howard's human side.

Patxi Alonso described Howard as "a players' manager" and pointed out that "Athletic is so well known in Liverpool today, thanks to Howard Kendall. And that is also part of his legacy".

For Peio Uralde, Kendall "was a normal guy, in the best sense of the word" and Joseba Aguirre emphasised "approachability", saying: "He was a man who spent a lot of time with those who weren't playing. He wanted them to feel good and feel important to the team."

Both Lakabeg and Txirri agreed on the English manager's friendliness, and Txirri said that Kendall always looked out for him when the centre-back – who also played as a centre-forward in some matches – suffered a serious injury.

During his first season, Athletic finished fourth and qualified UEFA Cup, which helped facilitate a regeneration of the squad. Under Howard's guidance, Josu Urrutia, Ander Garitano, Andoni Ayarza, Iñigo Lizarralde, Rafa Alkorta, Xabi Eskurza and Andoni Lakabeg made their first-team debuts. 

As Patxi Alonso emphasised: "The greatest thing about Kendall was the way he left. His emotional farewell press conference will remain forever etched in our memories: 'For me... Athletic... is the best club in the world'."

Before the screening, the director of Howard's Way, Rob Sloman, spoke briefly to the audience: "Howard is massively well regarded in England. His greatest skill was man-management. People really loved him. That's his legacy.

"As I'm an Everton fan, I know that other supporters of that generation feel that team didn't get the credit they deserved for how good they were. That's because they didn't get to play in the European Cup due to the ban at the time.

"At Everton, Howard is, and probably always will be, the greatest manager in our history."


Bilbao Basket captain Tryggvi Hlinason to attend screening of ‘The Home Game

During Thursday's first Thinking Football session, we'll screen “Kickoff”. A story of resilience, love and social transformation.

The main event of the day is the Icelandic film “The Home Game”, which has won awards at numerous international festivals.

Surne Bilbao Basket's new captain, Tryggvi Hlinason, will take part in the post-screening chat along with the film's directors.