Everton FC On This Day

Neil Roberts

Description

From great triumphs to great escapes Everton FC On This Day recounts, in diary form, major events and magic moments in the club's history. A club which was a founder member of both the Football League and the Premier League; a club which has spent more seasons in England's top flight than any other; and a club which has been Champions nine times alongside the glories of five FA Cup wins and European successes, to boot. With entries for every day of the year to document the history of a global name in football, it records everything from the birth of Everton FC and the club's very early days as Victorian pioneers, to the emergence of Wayne Rooney as the latest stellar name to graduate from the Everton youth ranks in the early 21st Century. It tells the story of Dixie Dean, with his 60 league goals in a single season and his 37 Everton hat-tricks. Featuring the likes of Tommy Lawton, Joe Mercer, the 'Golden Vision' Alex Young and the 1960s 'Holy Trinity' of Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall and Alan Ball. It includes Everton's famous number nines: not only Dean, Lawton and Young but also Hickson, Royle and Latchford; Sharp, Gray and Ferguson. It recounts the highs of League Championship-winning teams and the historic comeback from 2-0 down to win the 1966 FA Cup Final. It reveals a club which broke British transfer records, which set standards for progress on and off the pitch and which became renowned worldwide for the football produced at the 'School Of Science'. Everton On This Day covers the ups and downs of a famous football club, and will tell readers why, as the Evertonians sing: "It's a grand old team to play for, it's a grand old team to support".

Sujets

• History of sport
• Lancashire
• Lancastre

Informations

• Publié par: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781909178243
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

EVERTON FC
On This Day
History, Facts & Figures from Every Day of the Year
All statistics, facts and figures are correct as of 31st July 2012
Neil Roberts
Neil Roberts has asserted his rights in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
Published By: Pitch Publishing (Brighton) Ltd A2 Yeoman Gate Yeoman Way Durrington BN13 3QZ
Email: [e-mail] Web: www.pitchpublishing.co.uk
First published 2012
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the Publisher.
ISBN 978-1-909178-24-3
Ebook Conversion by www.ebookpartnership.com
For my father, for showing me the way.
CONTENTS
FOREWORD BY GRAHAM STUART
INTRODUCTION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
FOREWORD BY GRAHAM STUART
The late, great Alan Ball once said: “Once Everton touches you, nothing will be the same.” It’s a simple statement, but one that non-Evertonians might struggle to grasp. Certainly there was a time when I wouldn’t have understood that sentiment.
When Howard Kendall made me an Everton player, I had no idea how much of an impact the club would go on to have in my life. Sure, I knew it was one of the giants of English football. And I knew that the man who signed me was himself an Everton legend. But what I didn’t understand was the mark that Everton leaves on you.
I’d played for Chelsea before Everton and I went on to play for three other clubs after I left. But the four years I had in a Royal Blue shirt seemed to define my career. There were ups and downs, good times and bad. I saw managers come and go and great players come in and out. I can’ t even say I was part of a great Everton team.
But Everton left its mark on me because of my experiences at Goodison Park. So much so that despite being a Londoner, Everton came to be “my club”. When I retired from the game, I settled back on Merseyside. And when I look back on my career, my days at Everton stand out the most.
That’s because together, we made history. We didn’t win the league but we did win the FA Cup. And one day in May 1994, I was lucky enough to be a part of one of the great Everton stories. Remember, this is a club that had only ever been out of the top flight twice in its history. And here we were, 2-0 down at home to Wimbledon on the final day of the season, and staring at relegation. But by the final whistle, we’d won 3-2 to preserve our status in the Premiership.
Throughout the story of Everton Football Club, you can read about league championships, cup wins and European glory. But “that” Wimbledon game goes down as one of the most famous matches in Everton’s history. And I got the winning goal. Thinking back on it, it still makes me shudder. We all knew the enormity of what that match meant to the club and to the fans. It was, quite simply, an unforgettable day.
In those four-and-a-half seasons at Everton, I played with some of the club’s greats. Players like Neville Southall, Dave Watson and Duncan Ferguson. And I played under two of the club’s legendary figures in Howard Kendall and Joe Royle.
I have Howard to thank for introducing me to the greatest club in English football. And I have Joe to thank for leading us on that magical day at Wembley in 1995, when we beat Manchester United to win the FA Cup. When Matt Jackson crossed the ball into the penalty area, I had the chance of instant glory. But I was inches away from getting the goal. Instead, the ball came crashing back off the crossbar, only for Paul Rideout’s header to make him the match-winner instead. No matter. It was a glorious day for Everton; a glorious day for all of us – the players and the fans. And again, I’d played my part in it.
It was just another of those incredible occasions which tell the story of Everton’s history. As they say: “It’s a grand old team to play for and it's a grand old team to support.” So enjoy this book and make the most of the history – because Everton have many more chapters to be written in the future.
Graham Stuart Everton 1993-97
INTRODUCTION
Way back through the sands of time, in 1878, Everton Football Club was born. Ten years later they became founder members of the Football League. And ever since, they have made history for their achievements on and off the pitch. As a committed supporter, I know all about the footballing folklore laid down on Everton’s pitches. And writing this book has only underlined how some of football’s greatest myths and legends have prospered at Everton. Everton On This Day is the story of a magnificent football club.
Whether you read this book from cover to cover or just dip in and out, I believe the key events which tell the Everton story are here. The big names will leap out at you from within these pages. So will the key dates. And there are a lot of them. Remember, this club has spent more seasons in England’s top flight than any other. And here are tales of nine title-winning teams, quite apart from the five FA Cup wins and our glories in Europe.
From Victorian times to the David Moyes era, I have endeavoured to record the major landmarks and recall the Royal Blue heroes. This is the story of Dixie Dean, Tommy Lawton and Joe Mercer. It’s the story of the “Golden Vision” Alex Young and of the 1960s “Holy Trinity” of Colin Harvey, Howard Kendall and Alan Ball. In Everton On This Day, you will read about Everton’s famous number nines – not only Dean, Lawton and Young but also Hickson, Royle and Latchford, Sharp, Gray and Ferguson.
It’s my hope that the spirit of the “School of Science” is conjured from the pages of this book. I’ve recorded the highs of trophy-winning teams and the lows of our two relegations – and two infamous final-day survivals. Also here are the stories of Everton’s double internationals at football and cricket, the Toffees’ goalscoring phenomenon who became a concert violinist and the visiting team who wanted the kick-off brought forward so they could catch a return train.
Researching Everton’s history has been a pure joy. Writing it has been a thrilling undertaking. If you’re about to read it, I hope it brings you the same pleasure – and you get the same sense of awe.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum Neil Roberts
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Everton Football Club is such a magnificent institution that it has perhaps the richest archive of any football club anywhere in the world. The Everton Collection, formed from Dr David France’s vast private collection of more than 10,000 items, was an invaluable source of material for this book. It is possibly the world’s biggest private collection of football memorabilia. And as such, it documents every major event from the birth of Everton as St Domingo’s in 1878 right up to the present day.
Having such an incredible resource at my fingertips (it is both online and housed in the Liverpool Record Office) was simply invaluable. Thanks to all those who keep it, maintain it and cherish it.
Double and triple-checking historical facts requires reference to any number of sources so it is only right that I also credit The Toffees: A Day-to-Day Life by Graham Betts as well as Everton: The Official Centenary History by John Roberts (no relation) and Everton: The Official Complete Record by Steve Johnson.
Steve’s website evertonresults.com was also extremely useful and Steve himself was very kind in giving me a few pointers to various other sources. They included the Everton matchday programme as well as websites such as evertonfc.com, bluekipper, toffeeweb and dixiessixty – all of which allowed me to gather background information and helped verify other key events in the club’s history. My thanks to all of the above.
Thanks also to Paul and Jane at Pitch Publishing for their sterling work behind the scenes in helping to bring this book to print. As always, my wife Lizzie was an incredible support while I locked myself away for hours on end, indulging my Everton passion. And finally thank you to my sons George and Liam and my father Colin. They will always help me to keep the Everton faith.
MONDAY 1st JANUARY 1979
Peter Reid breaks his leg against Everton, three years before joining the club which would turn him into a legend. While a Bolton player, Reid suffers the injury in a clash with Everton keeper George Wood in a snow-abandoned match at Burnden Park.
TUESDAY 1st JANUARY 1991
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to see Everton win away. The Christmas songs traditionally dry up for Everton in the New Year. But Graeme Sharp and a Jason Cundy own goal give Everton a 2-1 victory at Chelsea, their first away win on New Year’s Day since beating Sheffield United in 1897.
WEDNESDAY 1st JANUARY 1992
Having broken a 94-year duck exactly 12 months before, Everton repeat their New Year’s Day heroics with a 2-1 win over Southampton at The Dell. The goals come from Mark Ward and Peter Beardsley.
MONDAY 2nd JANUARY 1984
Everton make a winning start to what would turn out to be a glorious year. Andy King and Gary Stevens are the goalscorers as Everton win 2-0 at Birmingham City before a St Andrew’s crowd of just 10,004. Everton remain unbeaten for a further 12 matches in all competitions and go on to lift the FA Cup in May.
SATURDAY 3rd JANUARY 1891
Everton confirm their first league title with a 4-2 win over Notts County at home – which happened to be Anfield. Two goals from Edgar Chadwick and one each fo