Everton F.C.
| Everton's crest | |||
| Full name | Everton Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Toffees, The Blues, The People's Club | ||
| Founded | 1878 as St. Domingo F.C. | ||
| Ground | Goodison Park Liverpool England | ||
| Capacity | 40,569 | ||
| Chairman |  Bill Kenwright | ||
| Manager |  David Moyes | ||
| League | Premier League | ||
| 2006–07 | Premier League, 6th | ||
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| |||
Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League and have contested more seasons in the top flight of English football than any other. They are one of the top five most successful English clubs in terms of major honours, having won the League Championship nine times, the FA Cup five times and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once. The club's most recent major trophy was the 1995 FA Cup. Currently managed by David Moyes, the first team have made significant progress, with two European qualifications (compared to only one in the previous eleven years) and three top 10 finishes during his six-year tenure.
Everton have a notable rivalry with Liverpool F.C., who were formed after a dispute over the rent at Anfield, Everton's old ground, in 1892; since then Everton have been based at Goodison Park as a result of the split. The club have a large fanbase and regularly attract large crowds, averaging over 36,000 (90% of capacity) during the 2005–06 season.[1]
History
Everton Football Club, as one of the most successful clubs in English football, have a long and detailed history. If conventions of awarding 12 points for a win were true throughout the history of the football league, then Everton are second only to Liverpool F.C.. The club's roots lie in an English Methodist congregation called New Connexion founded by Liam Jones in 1865, who decided to build a new chapel in the Liverpool area in 1868. The following year, the church bought some land on Breckfield Road North, between St. Domingo Vale and St. Domingo Grove. This was located near the district of Everton, which had become part of the City of Liverpool in 1835. Since then Everton have had a successful history winning the Cup Winners' Cup, the league title 9 times and the FA Cup 5 times.
1878 the club was founded
St. Domingo Methodist Church's new chapel was opened in 1871 and six years later, Rev B.S. Chambers was appointed Minister. He was responsible for starting a cricket team for the youngsters in the parish. Because cricket can only be played in the summer, they had to find something to play during the other seasons as well. So a football club called St. Domingo F.C. was formed in 1878.
Many people outside the parish were interested in joining the football club so it was decided that the name should be changed. In November 1879 at a meeting in the Queen's Head Hotel, the team name was changed to Everton Football Club, after the surrounding area.[2] Barker and Dobson, a local sweet manufacturer introduced "Everton Mints" to honour the club. The district is also the location of the team's crest image, an old bridewell known as Prince Rupert's Tower.
Founder members of the Football League, they lost two FA Cup finals, 1-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Fallowfield Stadium on March 26, 1893 and 3-2 against Aston Villa at Crystal Palace on April 10, 1897 before winning at their third attempt on April 20, 1906 again against Newcastle United at Crystal Palace. Their second successive final on April 20, 1907, however, finished in a 2-1 defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.
Interwar years: Dean and co.
Quite simply, "Dixie" Dean was one of the greatest scoring machines that the English game has seen. After averaging a goal a game for Tranmere Rovers, prolific striker Dean was lured across the River Mersey to play for Everton. In his first season for the Toffees, the 1925-26 season, Dean netted 32 league goals in 38 games (getting his first two on his debut), scored 21 in 27 the next year, and made history in 1927-28: in a seasonal performance that is unlikely to ever be bettered, Dean hit 60 league goals in 39 matches, setting a record that has stood ever since and almost single-handedly giving Everton the league title.
In a turn of events that seems unbelievable today, Everton were relegated into the second division two years later. Predictably, Dean was on top form in the secondary league, hitting 39 goals in 37 games and lifting the Toffees to promotion at the first time of asking. The following season, Dean hit 45 goals and Everton regained the league title. In 1933, they won the FA Cup, Dean becoming Everton's first ever number 9 in the 3-0 final win against Manchester City. The number 9 would become synonymous with commanding and high-scoring strikers at domestic and international level football, something Dean embodied.
The nickname "Dixie" has ambiguous origins, but it is thought that it was given to Dean because his curly hairstyle was similar to that sported by many people of African ethnicity, popularly nicknamed "dixies" at the time. Dean is said to have disliked but reluctantly accepted the tag. He played his last match for Everton on 11 December 1937 and died at a Merseyside derby at Goodison in 1980, leaving behind a legacy of 383 goals in 433 matches overall.
In the 1938-39 season Everton with Joe Mercer, the classy T.G. Jones and Tommy Lawton won the Football League Championship again. Lawton scored 34 goals in this season at the age of 19. Sadly the outbreak of World War II interrupted the careers of this team for six years which otherwise might have dominated for several years.
The 1940s/50s: The barren years
Although the nineties have been regarded as a poor decade, this era was worse. The great pre-war team were quickly split up in 1946. Tommy Lawton was restless and joined Chelsea, Joe Mercer disagreed with the manager Theo Kelly and was sold to Arsenal, and they tried to sell T.G. Jones to A.S. Roma. Soon only Ted Sagar was left.
Under the management of the uninspired and under-financed Cliff Britton, Everton were relegated after the 1950-51 season for only the second time in their history to the Second Division. This time it took three seasons before Everton were promoted in 1954 as the runners-up. The final match of the season decided promotion when the Everton beat Oldham away 4-0.
The era nevertheless had some notable players such as Dave Hickson and Bobby Collins. Memorable matches included ending Manchester United's long unbeaten run at Old Trafford with a 5-2 win in 1956.
Harry Catterick's Era (1961-1974)
The 1960s is regarded by many fans as the golden era of Everton Football Club. After the barren period of the 1950s, Harry Catterick took charge of the Everton in 1961. The team were soon to be dubbed the "School of Science" after their methodical approach in the tradition of the Everton team in the 1920s who were first given this name. Their football was inventive and flowing similar to Tottenham's "Push and Run" style. In Catterick's first full season as manager Everton conceded fewer goals than any other team and finished fourth.
The following season, the Toffees lost just six of their 42 matches and took the title, with the striking partnership of Roy Vernon and Alex Young scoring 46 goals between them (the last time two Everton players have scored more than 20 goals each in one season). Other notable players included Billy Bingham, Jimmy Gabriel, Derek Temple, Bobby Collins and Brian Labone.
In 1966, the same year the English international team won the World Cup, Everton took home the FA Cup after overturning a two-goal deficit against Sheffield Wednesday in the final to win 3-2. Everton went on to reach the 1968 final, but were unable to overcome West Bromwich Albion at Wembley.
A year later in the 1969/70 season, Everton won the Championship again thanks in part to the scoring sensation of one Joe Royle, who would later manage the club to FA Cup success in 1995. The success of the team could be seen from the number of points won (one short of the record) and nine clear of Leeds United. The team won the league in style, playing what was virtually a form of Total Football orchestrated by the "Holy Trinity" midfield of Howard Kendall, Alan Ball and Colin Harvey. With Labone at centre-half and club captain and Royle up front, this is regarded by many fans as the club's finest side ever.
Harry Catterick's team of 1969/70 seemed destined for greatness but declined quickly. The team finished 14th, 15th, 17th and 7th in the following seasons. The stress of an under-performing team was said to be a factor in Harry Catterick's poor health and eventual resignation in 1974.
Mid/late 70s - Billy Bingham and Gordon Lee (1974-1981)
Everton were on course to win the Championship in the 1974/75 season under Billy Bingham (some bookmakers had even stopped taking bets at Easter) but some surprising losses to lowly opposition ended the challenge and they finished 4th. After two relatively poor seasons (11th and 9th), Bingham left in 1977. During the interregnum, Everton reached the League Cup final in 1977 losing late in extra time of the second replay. Bob Latchford scored 30 league goals in the 1977-78 season.
Under Gordon Lee Everton finished third in 1977/78 and fourth in 1978/79 after again looking serious title contenders for much of these seasons, but expectations were high given the success of Liverpool and so Lee departed in 1981 - by which time Everton had suffered another setback and narrowly avoided relegation to the Second Division.
80s - Kendall's glory years (1981-1993)
Everton emerged as strong contenders in the 1980s as one of Europe's top footballing sides thanks to the efforts of manager Howard Kendall and his impressive, though cheap, playing squad which included the likes of Neville Southall, Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven, Kevin Sheedy, Andy Gray and Peter Reid. Gary Lineker also graced Goodison for a season and hit 40 goals in all before moving on to Barcelona in 1986.
Domestically, Everton won the FA Cup in 1984 and league title in 1985 and another league title in 1987. They were also league title/FA Cup runners-up to neighbouring Liverpool in 1986 and were again on the losing side to Liverpool in the 1984 League Cup final and the 1989 FA Cup final.
Significantly, European success at last reached Goodison in 1985 in the shape of the European Cup Winners' Cup. After going through two-legged rounds against University College Dublin, Inter Bratislava and Fortuna Sittard, Everton defeated German giants Bayern Munich 3-1 in the semi-finals despite trailing at half time (in a match voted the greatest in Goodison Park history) and recorded the same scoreline against Austrian club Rapid Vienna in the final.
1985 was the year in which Everton almost recorded the "treble". They managed to capture the league title and the Cup Winners' Cup but were defeated by Manchester United in the FA Cup Final thanks to Norman Whiteside's extra-time goal. Nevertheless, it was arguably the club's most successful season since its creation and has not been equalled by future Everton teams since.
Fans contend that the 1980s Everton team could have gone on to win even more European silverware after their 1985 Cup Winners' Cup success were it not for the banning of all English clubs from continental competitions by UEFA after the Heysel Stadium disaster (involving, in dark irony, Liverpool fans). Indeed, a large proportion of the title winning side was broken up following the ban. By the time the ban was lifted, Everton were no longer the team they were in 1985.
Kendall left in 1987 to hand over the reins to assistant Colin Harvey. They finished fourth in 1988 and were F.A Cup runners-up a year later.
90s Harvey, Walker, Royle and Kendall's return (1993-1997)
Harvey was eventually sacked on 1 November 1990 with Everton third from bottom in the league. During his time in charge, Harvey made Tony Cottee the first £2million player to be transferred between British clubs when he signed the 23-year-old striker from West Ham at the start of the 1988-89 season.
By the time of the Premier League's creation in 1992, Everton were no longer one of England's top footballing sides but as a club were considered one of the "big five" and were instrumental in the formation of the breakway league. Although Howard Kendall had returned as manager in November 1990, league performance was underwhelming and the first Premiership season brought an unremarkable 13th place finish which put them below much less established teams such as Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City, and Wimbledon.
Kendall quit as manager halfway through 1993-94 and was replaced by Norwich City's Mike Walker who had done an impressive job with the Canaries and made several expensive new signings in a bid to drag Everton clear of the relegation battle they now found themselves in. They went into the final game of the season needing to beat Wimbledon in order to stay up, and all hope seemed lost when they went 2-0 down in the first half. But Everton pulled off a remarkable comeback to win 3-2 and stay up.
A dreadful start to the 1994-95 season saw Walker sacked after less than a year in charge, and Everton legend Joe Royle was appointed in his place - faced with the task of achieving Premiership survival for a side who had failed to win any of their first 12 league games. His first game in charge was a memorable 2-0 victory over Liverpool. Royle dragged Everton clear of relegation and also led the club to the FA Cup for the fifth time in history, defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the final. The cup triumph was also Everton's passport to the Cup Winners Cup - their first European campaign in the post-Heysel era. Progress under Joe Royle continued in 1995-96 as they climbed to sixth place in the Premiership and were only pipped to a UEFA Cup place on the final day of the season by Arsenal. Injury problems and the sale of star Ukrainian winger Andrei Kanchelskis meant that after a promising start 1996-97 was a tough season for the blues as they slid to a 15th place finish. Royle quit in March and club captain Dave Watson was given the manager's job on a temporary basis and completed the task of Premiership survival.
Howard Kendall was appointed Everton manager for the third time during the summer of 1997, but his final reign at the helm was his least successful. With little financial backing Kendall's main concern was fighting off relegation. Everton went into the final day of the season in the Premiership's relegation places. In the end, to the immense relief of the capacity Goodison Park crowd, a 1-1 draw with Coventry City meant they finished 17th and avoided relegation because they had a greater goal difference than Bolton Wanderers. Kendall resigned soon afterwards, with the heady heights of his first spell in charge a very distant memory.
Recent years - Smith and Moyes (Since 1998)
Successful former Rangers manager Walter Smith took over from Kendall in the summer of 1998 and big things were expected along with some high profile signings but his first season brought an unremarkable 14th place finish. His chances of success were hampered by continuing financial constraints which had also contributed to the club's decline in previous years. 1999-2000 brought an unimpressive 13th place finish and Smith came under increased pressure after Everton finished 16th the following season.
The Everton board finally ran out of patience with Smith and he was sacked in March 2002 with Everton in real danger of relegation. The Smith years have come to be regarded by Everton fans as a uniformly bleak period in the clubs history, with particular disdain being reserved for the negative style of play of the team during this period. The board turned to promising young Preston manager David Moyes with the task of moving Everton forward after years of underachievement. Moyes seemed to have made a positive impact on Everton during his first full season in charge, as they finished seventh in the Premiership and just missed out on a UEFA Cup place, in a season which was dominated by the emergence of brilliant young striker Wayne Rooney. In October 2002, he entered football folklore by scoring a sensational last-minute winner against league champions Arsenal, consigning them to their first league defeat for almost a year. He also became the youngest ever player to play for England, in February 2003 and seven months later became the youngest England goalscorer. The former record was beaten by Theo Walcott in 2006.
Everton suffered a major setback in 2003-04, finishing 17th and accumulating the lowest points total in the club's history. It was feared that the club's half-century stay in the top level of English football could be over when Rooney handed in a transfer request and was sold to Manchester United in August 2004 for a fee of £23million providing Wayne Rooney remained a Manchester United player until 30 June 2007 and could have potentially risen to £30million due to bonus payments for league positions, trophies, international caps and 25% excess sell on fees. [3].
However, Everton's now-diminutive squad pulled together in the 2004-05 season, thanks greatly to the 4-5-1 tactic of Moyes and the sensational form of Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen. Despite Gravesen's sale to Real Madrid midway through the season, Everton managed to finish fourth in the table, their highest position for nearly twenty years, and achieve Champions League qualification, ahead of rivals Liverpool. In this amazing season, Everton also recorded their first victory of the new millennium over Liverpool and their first win over Manchester United since the 1995 FA Cup final.
Everton started the 2005-06 season badly, with their Champions League campaign ending in the qualifying stages. They were defeated by Villarreal, after a controversial decision by Italian referee Pierluigi Collina to disallow a seemingly legitimate Everton goal late in the second leg when the score was 3-2. This disheartening defeat had a knock-on effect and the team's form slumped with a humiliating UEFA Cup exit at the hands of Dinamo Bucharest along the way. Poor decisions in the transfer market by Moyes, most notably the signing of Per Krøldrup with many predicting he 'couldn't cut it' in the Barclays Premiership and the failure to find a strike partner for James Beattie also took their toll on a season that began with much promise.
After flailing in the relegation zone up to October 2005, Everton stopped Chelsea's nine match winning run with a 1-1 draw to spark a short revival that saw the team finally start to get regular results to put much needed points on the board. However, this was followed by another dismal run including several 4-0 defeats to sides in the bottom half of the table and a one sided derby match. A 1-0 win at Sunderland on New Year's Eve started a run of five straight Premiership wins and six matches unbeaten including victory against Arsenal- the club's best run of results since the Premiership began which hauled the team away from the relegation zone, and made a top half finish or even Europe a real possibility. This was not to be as the team remained as inconsistent as ever and a disappointing draw on the last day meant an 11th place finish instead of moving into the top half. Inconsistency and a shortage of goals let Everton down in 2005-06.
Everton began the 2006-07 season very strongly. A 2-0 away win at Tottenham, their first league win at White Hart Lane in twenty years, followed by a 3-0 drubbing of Merseyside rivals Liverpool brought great expectations from fans. New signing from Crystal Palace Andrew Johnson took centre stage scoring six goals in his opening seven games. Aside from some lapses in the first half of the season (including a run of 6 defeats in 9 league and cup games), Everton's season proved steady, and after only 2 defeats in their final 11 league games were able to end the season in 6th place, thereby qualifying for the following seasons UEFA Cup competition.
During the summer of 2007, the club announced an exciting new adventure with the addition of a professional basketball team, called the Everton Tigers, to the Community programme[4]. An amalgam with the local Toxteth Tigers community team, the professional team were entered into the top-tier professional British Basketball League as one of three expansion franchises for the 2007-08 season, and the first participant from the city of Liverpool. The club agreed a deal with Greenbank Sports Academy to act as the clubs' home venue for their inaugural season.
Back on the footballing side, the 2007/2008 season started with Everton acquiring 3 new players - Phil Jagielka from relegated Sheffield United, Leighton Baines from Wigan Athletic and Steven Pienaar acquired from Borussia Dortmund on loan. By the 4th game of the season they had bolstered their ranks further with the addition of Yakubu Aiyegbeni in a club record signing from Middlesbrough F.C. for 11.25 million pounds while Thomas Gravesen was recruited on loan from Celtic F.C. just before the transfer deadline.
Everton started the season promisingly, occupying 5th position in the league by early October, while qualifying for the group stages of the UEFA Cup. Joleon Lescott was a key performer, netting several crucial goals. Liverpool won a controversial Merseyside derby at Goodison Park 2-1. The match ended in acrimony as the outcome seemed to hinge entirely on several questionable decisions from referee Mark Clattenburg.
By the end of November Everton had gone on a run of 6 wins in their last 7 games, and had been boosted by the return of Tim Cahill who contributed 6 goals in his first 6 games on his return from injury, and a further 6 from new signing Yakubu.
Club honours
English football champions 1890-91, 1914-15, 1927-28, 1931-32, 1938-39, 1962-63, 1969-70, 1984-85, 1986-87.
Runners-Up 1889-90, 1894-95, 1901-02, 1904-05, 1908-09, 1911-12, 1985-86.
Football League Second Division Champions 1930-31.
Runners-Up 1953-54.
FA Cup Winners 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995.
Runners-Up 1893, 1897, 1907, 1968, 1985, 1986, 1989.
Charity Shield Winners 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1995, Shared 1986.
League Cup Runners-Up 1976-77, 1983-84.
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winners 1984-85.
FA Youth Cup Winners 1965, 1984, 1998.
Colours
During the first decades of their history, Everton had several different kit colours. The team originally played in blue and white stripes but as new players arriving at the club wore their old team's shirts during matches, confusion soon ensued. It was decided that the shirts would be dyed black, both to save on expenses and to instil a more professional look. The result, however, appeared morbid so a scarlet sash was added.[5]
When the club moved to Goodison Park in 1892, they first played in salmon shirts with blue shorts before switching to ruby shirts with blue trim and dark blue shorts. The famous royal blue jerseys with white shorts were first used in the 1901–02 season.[5] Occasionally Everton have played in lighter shades of blue (such as 1930–31 and 1997–98) but these have proved unpopular with fans. Everton's traditional away shirt was amber with either amber or royal blue shorts and various editions appeared throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. Recently however black, white, grey and yellow away shirts have been used.[6]
The kit today remains royal blue shirts, white shorts and white socks although when playing teams away who also wear white shorts Everton typically wear all blue. For the 2007–08 season, the away kit is a white shirt with black shorts and socks.[7]
Crest
At the end of the 1937–38 season, Everton secretary Theo Kelly, who later became the club's first post-war manager, wanted to design a club necktie. It was agreed that the colour be blue and Kelly was given the task of designing a crest to be featured on the necktie. Kelly worked on deciding it for four months, until deciding on a reproduction of the "Beacon" which stands in the heart of the Everton district.[8]
"The Beacon" or "Tower" has been inextricably linked with the Everton area since its construction in 1787. It was originally used as a bridewell to incarcerate criminals, and it still stands today on Everton Brow in Netherfield Road. The beacon was accompanied by two laurel wreaths on either side and, according to the College of Arms in London, Kelly chose to include the laurels as they were the sign of winners in thoses days. The crest was accompanied by the club motto, "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum", meaning "Nothing but the best is good enough". The ties were first worn by Kelly and the Everton chairman, Mr. E. Green, on the first day of the 1938–39 season.[8]
The club rarely incorporated a badge of any description on its shirts. An interwoven "EFC" design was adopted between 1922 and 1930 before the club reverted to plain royal blue shirts, until 1973 when bold "EFC" lettering was added. The crest designed by Kelly was first used on the team's shirts in 1980 and has remained there ever since, undergoing gradual change to become the version used today. Some old crests are illustrated on the right; the top is the original shirt crest, the second is the first shirt crest with beacon and laurels and the third is the first shirt crest to use the club motto.[8]
Nickname
Everton's most widely recognised nickname is "The Toffees" or "The Toffeemen", which came about after Everton had moved to Goodison. There are several explanations for how this name came to be adopted, the most well known being that there was a business near the ground called Mother Noblett's Toffee Shop which advertised and sold sweets, including the Everton Mint, on match days. This also led to the Toffee Lady tradition in which a girl walks around the perimeter of the pitch before the start of a game tossing free Everton Mints into the crowd. Another possible reason is that there was a house called Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House near the Queen's Head hotel in which early club meetings took place.[9] The word "toffee" was also slang referring to Irishmen, of which there was a large population in the city at the turn of the century and who tended to support Everton rather than city rivals Liverpool.[10]
Everton have had many other nicknames over the years. When the black kit was worn Everton were nicknamed "The Black Watch", after the famous army brigade.[11] Since going blue in 1901, Everton have been given the simple nickname "The Blues". Everton's attractive style of play led to Steve Bloomer calling the team "scientific" in 1928, which is thought to have inspired the nickname "The School of Science".[12] When David Moyes arrived as manager he proclaimed Everton as "The People's Club", which has been adopted as a semi-official club nickname.[13]
Stadium
Everton originally played in the southeast corner of Stanley Park, which is the site for the new Liverpool F.C. stadium, with the first official match taking place in 1879. In 1882, a man named J. Cruitt donated land at Priory Road which became the club's home before they moved to Anfield, which was Everton's home until 1892.[14] At this time, a rent dispute led to Everton leaving the ground and to the formation of a new, rival team. The new club, Liverpool, set up at Anfield and Everton moved to Goodison Park, which has been their home ground to this day. Ever since those events, a fierce rivalry has existed between Everton and Liverpool, albeit one that is generally perceived as more respectful than many other derbies in English football. This was illustrated by a chain of red and blue scarves that were linked between the gates of both grounds across Stanley Park as a tribute to the Liverpool fans killed in the Hillsborough disaster.[15]
Goodison Park has staged more top-flight football games than any other ground in the United Kingdom and was the only English club ground to host a semi-final at the 1966 FIFA World Cup. It was also the first English ground to have undersoil heating, the first to have two tiers on all sides and the first to have a three-tier stand. Goodison is the only stadium in the world that features a church in its grounds — St Luke the Evangelist — at the corner of the Main Stand and the Gwladys Street End.[16]
On matchdays players walk out to the theme tune to Z-Cars, called 'Johnny Todd', a traditional Liverpool children's song collected in 1890 by Frank Kidson which tells the story of a sailor betrayed by his lover while away at sea.[17]
Everton's reserves play at Halton Stadium in Widnes.[18]
New stadium
There have been indications that Everton will move to a New Goodison. In 2000, a proposal was submitted to build a 55,000 seat stadium as part of the King's Dock regeneration. , This was unsuccessful as Everton failed to generate the £30 million needed for a half stake in the stadium project, and it was dropped in 2003.[19]
Late in 2004, driven by Liverpool Council and the Northwest Development Corporation, the club was in talks with Liverpool regarding sharing that club's proposed new stadium at Stanley Park. Negotiations broke down over ownership of the new facility – Liverpool wanted to retain sole ownership of Stanley Park while Everton sought an even share.[20] On January 11, 2005, Liverpool announced that groundsharing was not a possibility, and they continue to plan for their own stadium.[21]
On 16 June 2006, it was announced that Everton had entered into talks with Knowsley Council and Tesco over the possibility of building a new 55,000 seat stadium in Kirkby.[22] The club took the unusual move of giving it's supporters a say in the club's future by holding a ballot on whether or not to move to Kirkby. This ballot ended up in a yes vote (59.27% in favour) so negotiations will continue.[23]
Supporters
Everton have a large fanbase due to a long history punctuated by highly successful periods and have the seventh highest average attendance in England.[24] Everton also have many supporters' clubs worldwide,[25] in places such as North America,[26] Singapore,[27] and Thailand.[28] Everton also have a large supporter base in Australia, with midfield player Tim Cahill being Australian. The official supporters club is Evertonia,[29] and there are also several fanzines including When Skies are Grey and Speke from the Harbour, which are sold around Goodison Park on match days.
Everton supporters sing several songs on matchdays but the most common is "It's a grand old team"; it is adopted from the version sung by Celtic supporters, making changes like "we don't care what the red side say" — a reference to red-wearing-rivals Liverpool. Also popular is singing the club name "Everton" to the tune of "Here we go". They are generally very welcoming to former players returning to Goodison while playing for new clubs. Notable exceptions include Wayne Rooney, who has become extremely unpopular with fans after he left Everton for Manchester United, having previously been pictured wearing a t-shirt declaring: "Once a Blue always a Blue"[30] and is now roundly booed whenever he returns.[31] Rooney claims Moyes forced him out of the club in his new book however David Moyes has taken legal action denying the claims made.[32]
Everton's biggest rivalry is with fellow Merseyside team Liverpool, against whom they contest the Merseyside derby. This stems from Liverpool's formation after a dispute with Everton officials and the owners of Anfield (the ground Everton were using at the time). Religious differences have been cited as a division, with Everton usually placed on the Catholic side;[33] however, both teams were founded with Methodist involvement, somewhat undermining the notion of a Catholic–Protestant split.[33] The Merseyside derby is usually a sell out fixture and tends to be a scrappy affair; it has had more red cards than any other fixture in Premiership history.[34]
On January 14, 2007, Sylvester Stallone was at Goodison Park to promote Rocky Balboa, and to watch Everton take on Reading in an English Premier League game. The match ended as a 1–1 draw. Stallone paraded on the field at half time adorned in a home team scarf and received a warm reception from the 40,000 fans. Stallone has claimed to be a keen football fan since filming Escape to Victory in the 1980s and now claims to be an official Everton fan.[35]
Players
Current Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Academy
Everton F.C. have a training ground at Finch Farm which provides facilities for both the first team and the Academy. A number of players have successfully graduated from the Academy to the first team, including Wayne Rooney and Francis Jeffers.[37][38]
Notable former players
Everton Giants
The following players are considered "Giants" for their great contributions to Everton. A panel appointed by the club established the inaugural list in 2000 and a new inductee is announced every season.[39]
| Inducted | Name | Nationality | Position | Everton career | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Colin Harvey | |
MF | 1963–1974 | 384 | 24 |
| 2006 | Peter Reid | |
MF | 1982–1989 | 234 | 13 |
| 2005 | Graeme Sharp | |
FW | 1979–1991 | 447 | 159 |
| 2004 | Joe Royle | |
FW | 1966–1974 | 275 | 119 |
| 2003 | Kevin Ratcliffe |  |
CB | 1980–1991 | 461 | 2 |
| 2002 | Ray Wilson | |
LB | 1964–1968 | 151 | 0 |
| 2001 | Alan Ball | |
MF | 1966–1971 | 251 | 79 |
| 2000 | Howard Kendall[40] | |
MF | 1966–1981 | 274 | 30 |
| 2000 | Dave Watson | |
CB | 1986–1999 | 522 | 38 |
| 2000 | Neville Southall | |
GK | 1981–1997 | 751 | 0 |
| 2000 | Bob Latchford | |
FW | 1973–1980 | 286 | 138 |
| 2000 | Alex Young | |
FW | 1960–1967 | 272 | 89 |
| 2000 | Dave Hickson | |
FW | 1951–1959 | 243 | 111 |
| 2000 | T. G. Jones | |
CB | 1936–1949 | 178 | 5 |
| 2000 | Ted Sagar | |
GK | 1929–1952 | 500 | 0 |
| 2000 | Dixie Dean | |
FW | 1924–1937 | 433 | 383 |
| 2000 | Sam Chedgzoy | |
MF | 1910–1925 | 300 | 36 |
| 2000 | Jack Sharp | |
MF | 1899–1909 | 342 | 80 |
Greatest ever team
| Greatest ever Everton team |
At the start of the 2003–04 season, as part of the club's official celebration of their 125th anniversary, supporters cast votes to determine the greatest ever Everton team.[41]
- Neville Southall (1981–97)
- Gary Stevens (1982–89)
- Brian Labone (1958–71)
- Kevin Ratcliffe (1980–91)
- Ray Wilson (1964–69)
- Trevor Steven (1983–90)
- Alan Ball (1966–71)
- Peter Reid (1982–89)
Kevin Sheedy (1982–92)- Dixie Dean (1925–37)
- Graeme Sharp (1980–91)
English Football Hall of Fame members
A number of Everton players have been inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame:[42]
- 2002 - William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean, Paul Gascoigne
- 2003 - Alan Ball, Tommy Lawton, Gary Lineker
- 2005 - Howard Kendall
- 2007 - Peter Beardsley, Mark Hughes
Notable managers
The following managers have all won at least one significant trophy with Everton:
| Manager | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Dick Molyneux | 1889–1901 |
| William C. Cuff | 1901–1918 |
| Thomas H. McIntosh | 1919–1935 |
| Theo Kelly | 1936–1948 |
| Harry Catterick | 1961–1973 |
| Howard Kendall | 1981–1987 1990–1993 1997–1998 |
| Joe Royle | 1994–1997 |
Honours
- (Old) First Division titles: 9[43]
- 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87
- FA Cups: 5
- 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995
- Charity Shields: 9
- 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1986 (shared), 1987, 1995
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1
- 1985
- (Old) Second Division title: 1
- 1930–31
- FA Youth Cups: 3
- 1965, 1984, 1998
- Liverpool Senior Cups: 45
- 1884, 1886, 1887, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1904, 1906, 1908, 1910 (shared), 1911, 1912 (shared), 1914, 1919, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1926, 1928, 1934 (shared), 1936 (shared), 1938, 1940, 1945, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1957, 1958 (shared), 1959, 1960, 1961, 1982 (shared), 1983, 1996, 2003, 2005, 2007.
European record
| Season | Achievement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup / UEFA Champions League | |||
| 1963–64 | First Round | eliminated by Internazionale 0-0 at Goodison ,0-1 in Milan | |
| 1970–71 | Quarter-finals | eliminated by Panathinaikos FC 1-1 at Goodison ,0-0 in Athens | |
| 2005–06 | Third Qualifying Round | eliminated by Villarreal CF 1-2 at Goodison ,1-2 in Villareal | |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup / UEFA Cup | |||
| 1962–63 | First Round | eliminated by Dunfermline Athletic 1-0 at Goodison, 2-0 in Dunfermline | |
| 1964–65 | Third Round | eliminated by Manchester United 1-1 in Manchester, 1-2 at Goodison | |
| 1965–66 | Second Round | eliminated by Ujpest Dozsa 0-3 in Budapest, 2-1 at Goodison | |
| 1975–76 | First Round | eliminated by AC Milan 0-0 at Goodison, 0-1 in Milan | |
| 1978–79 | Second Round | eliminated by Dukla Prague 2-1 at Goodison, 0-1 in Prague | |
| 1979–80 | First Round | eliminated by Feyenoord 0-1 in Rotterdam, 0-1 at Goodison | |
| 2005–06 | First Round | eliminated by Dinamo Bucharest 1-5 in Bucharest, 1-0 at Goodison | |
| Cup Winners' Cup | |||
| 1966–67 | Second Round | eliminated by Real Zaragoza 0-2 in Zaragoza, 1-0 at Goodison | |
| 1984–85 | Winner | won against SK Rapid Wien 3-1 in Rotterdam | |
| 1995–96 | Second Round | eliminated by Feyenoord 0-0 at Goodison, 0-1 in Rotterdam | |
| Cup of the Alps | |||
| 1994 | Runners-up | known as the Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti, lost to S.S. Lazio on points | |
Records and statistics
Neville Southall holds the record for the most Everton appearances, having played 751 first-team matches between 1981 and 1997. The late centre half and former captain Brian Labone comes second, having played 534 times. The longest serving player is Goalkeeper Ted Sagar who played for 23 years between 1929 and 1953, both sides of the war, making a total of 495 appearances. The club's top goalscorer, with 383 goals in all competitions, is Dixie Dean; the second-highest goalscorer is Graeme Sharp with 159. Dean still holds the English national record of most goals in a season, with 60.[44]
The record attendance for an Everton home match is 78,299 against Liverpool on 18 September 1948. Goodison Park, like all football grounds since the recommendations of the Taylor Report were implemented, is now an all-seater and only holds just over 40,000, meaning it is unlikely that this attendance record will ever be broken at Goodison.[44]
Club relationships
Everton have a link with Republic of Ireland football academy Ballyoulster United based in Celbridge,[45] Canada's Ontario Soccer Association,[46] and the Thailand Football Association where they have a competition called the Chang-Everton cup which local schoolboys compete for.[47]
Everton Tigers
The club also own and operate a professional basketball team, by the name of Everton Tigers, who compete in the elite British Basketball League. The team was launched in the summer of 2007 as part of the clubs' Community programme, and play their home games at the Greenbank Sports Academy.[48]
References
- Corbett, James (2004). Everton: School of Science. Pan. ISBN 0-330-42006-2.
- Tallentire, Becky (2004). The Little Book of Everton. Carlton Books Ltd. ISBN 1-84442-652-1.
- Ball, D. & Buckland, G. (2001). Everton - The Ultimate Book of Stats & Facts. The Bluecoat Press. ISBN 1-872568-79-3.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Footnotes
- ^ "ToffeeWeb - Seasonal Comparisons, 2005–06". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "I: The Early Days (1878-88)". Everton History. Retrieved August 22.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ [1] Rooney deal explained on BBC Sport
- ^ BBC Sport (2007). "Everton Tigers to join BBL ranks". BBC. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ a b "Everton history - II: Before World War I (1888-1915)". Toffeeweb. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ "Everton shirt colours". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "New 07/08 replica kits". Everton F.C. online shop. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ a b c "History of Everton crest from official site". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Reasons behind the "toffees" nickname". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "h2g2 on Everton". BBC.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Early Everton history - "The Black Watch"". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "The School of Science". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton Players/Managers quotes". Bluekipper.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "I: THE EARLY DAYS (1878-88)". toffeeweb.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Merseyside Derby". footballderbies.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton firsts". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Johnny Todd". feniks.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton Reserves fixtures". Halton Borough Council. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ "Kings Dock proposal collapse". BBC.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton and Liverpool say no to ground share". icliverpool.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Merseysiders rule out groundshare". BBC Sport. 11 January, 2005. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Everton in talks on stadium move". BBC.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Ballot Result". Official Site.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Top 30 English Football Clubs by League Attendances". footballeconomy.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "List of Everton Supporters Clubs". Bluekipper.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton Supporters Club (North America)". North American Everton Supporters' Club Website.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton Supporters Club (Singapore)". Singapore Everton Supporters' Club Website.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton Official Site (In Thai)". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Evertonia - Official Everton Supporters Club". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Wayne Rooney profile including reference to "Once a Blue Always a Blue"". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Rooney booed on his return". taipeittimes.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Moyes sues Rooney over comments in book". BBC Sport.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Why the Everton/Liverpool rivalry isn't religious". Toffeeweb.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Two more red cards in the derby". The Daily Telegraph.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Everton 1-1 Reading". Nathan Mercer. 2007-01-14. Retrieved 2007-01-14.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Current Squad". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Rooney's road to stardom". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ "Academy - past players". Everton F.C. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ "Everton Giants". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Kendall is on the list mainly as recognition of his achievements as a manager, rather than as a player.
- ^ "Greatest Ever Everton team". evertonfc.com.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|accessmonthday=ignored (help); Unknown parameter|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ "Hall of Fame - National Football Museum". Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ Up until 1992, the top division of English football was the Football League First Division; since then, it has been the Premier League.
- ^ a b "Everton F.C. records". Soccerbase. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ "'Everton in Ireland' launched". Everton F.C. 24 January, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Ontario Soccer Association". Everton F.C. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ "Everton's Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Everton F.C. Retrieved 2007-11-16.
- ^ BBC Sport (2007). "Everton Tigers to join BBL ranks". BBC. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
External links
- Official site
- Everton Former Players' Foundation
- Everton FC - Premierleague.com
- Everton F.C. on BBC Sport: Club news – Recent results and fixtures
- List of Everton links including unofficial websites
| The club | |
|---|---|
| Home stadium |
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| Training ground |
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| Miscellaneous | |
| Rivalries | |
| Affiliated academies |
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| Affiliates |
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