Articles – Everton Heritage Society

TERRY COCHRANE – an interview- Steve Zocek

August 4, 2020August 4, 2020 by Steve Zocek Comment Closed

Terry in his Gillingham days Terry Cochrane started his football career in Northern Ireland with Derry City then Linfield. His displays for The Blues started to attract attention from football clubs in England, one in particular Everton catching the eye of fellow Billy Bingham. He was invited over to Everton for a week’s trial. Terry kindly told me of his experience at Everton. When I was at Linfield, I was asked to go to Merseyside to have a trial with Everton under Billy Bingham. I was put up in digs near Bellefield where I would walk into training every morning. I played in the Central league for Everton at Goodison against Sheffield United. That night, I played alongside Joe Royle. Later in my career, I would often bump into him at games. I don’t know how I did but he (Billy) didn’t keep me on. He must have alerted Ron Yeats who was manager at Tranmere Rovers who came to see...

Walter Brown, the Kirkcudbrightshire Blue – Tony Onslow

July 29, 2020July 29, 2020 by Tony Onslow Comment Closed

Most of the Scotsman who played for Everton during their inaugural Football League season made their way to Liverpool having been recommended by agents who acted for the Anfield club North of the Border. Walter Brown, however, appears to have arrived in the Mersey Seaport with no knowledge whatsoever of the association game. He was born, 11th of June 1870, in the remote Kirkcudbrightshire community of Colvend and was one of several children born to Thomas, a Tinsmith, and his partner Agnus. The 1881 census finds the family still living in Kirkcudbrightshire before Agnus, on becoming a Widow, moved – along with her 3 sons – to live with her married daughter Jane at 6 Parkinson Road in Walton on the Hill. She did not however, remain at this address for very long and soon took up residence at 9 Imrie Street off Breeze Hill. The association game did not reach the South West of Scotland till 1892 so Wally Brown must...

Stevenson of Kilmarnock – Tony Onslow

July 14, 2020July 24, 2020 by Tony Onslow Comment Closed

The Final Journey of an Everton Blue Signed during the pre-Football league era, Robert Stevenson - eventually - returned to live in his native Scotland but spent the last days of his life in Liverpool. He was born, January 1861, at 34 Ardeer Square in the Ayrshire coastal town of Stevenson and was the 7th child of George, a Coal Miner, and his Wife Margaret. The 1881 census finds the family now living, in Kilmarnock, at 52 Low Glencairn Street, and Robert is employed as a Grocery Assistant. It is around this time that he began serving an apprenticeship as an Engine Fitter and play football for Kilmarnock Athletic One of several teams in the Ayrshire Railway town, they had originally been formed as Kilmarnock Cricket and Football Club but obtained their own identity in 1879. They did, however, continue to play their home matches on the cricket ground at Holm Quarry. John Goodall – the future England International - was then...

Son of My father (Part Three) -Jeremy Charles by Steve Zocek

June 13, 2020June 13, 2020 by Steve Zocek Comment Closed

This is part three of Son of my Father. John Charles and brother Mel in 1955 - the men who founded a football dynastyCopyright REX FEATURES Mel Charles was a famous Welsh international who played his club football mostly at Swansea Town, as the club was then called. Mel had a son called Jeremy, who, like his father, went on to play for the same club and country. As a youngster, Jeremy was invited to Bellefield where he spent a week on trial. This Is Jeremy’s version of events. I was playing for the local schoolboys in Swansea, and in those days, Everton’s scouting network extended to South Wales. The scout must have been following me around, as one day he asked my dad if I would be interested in going up to Liverpool for trials with Everton. I was 14 or 15 years of age and was invited up during the school summer holidays, accompanied by another lad from Swansea called Jonathan Clark, who...

The Andrew Watson Story by Tony Onslow

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020 by Tony Onslow Comment Closed

Now accepted as the world’s first black football player, Guyana-born Andrew Watson was to have a career that would bind him tightly to both Glasgow and Liverpool. He would also make a guest appearance in the colours of Everton. His father, Peter Miller Watson, was born on 16 June 1805, in the Orkney Islands and was the fourth son of James Watson who acted as factor for a Scottish nobleman. His mother was Scottish, neé Christina Robertson, whose family were sugar plantation owners in the colony of British Guyana. When Peter was just 3 years old his father died and his mother was married for a second time to Orkney-born Dr Thomas Traill who had a practice in Liverpool. She moved to the Mersey seaport with her sons and gave birth to another six children. Peter later trained to be a lawyer in London before joining his elder brothers in British Guyana where he administered legal affairs at the family sugar plantation....

Everton of Bridgetown Barbados – Richard Gillham

July 22, 2020July 22, 2020 by Richie Gillham Comment Closed

Whilst researching the famous name of Everton around the world, I discovered that there was a very successful team in Barbados which lasted into the latter part of the 20th century. The Barbados Football Association (BFA) was founded in 1910 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010. Originally named the Barbados Amateur Football Association, that name was changed in 1925. The Everton FC of Barbados was founded/established in 1935 in Greater Bridgetown, the club was relatively successful locally and regionally in both league and cup. Success first came to the club in the form of the BFA Cup in 1948, the first of no less than five FA Cups in their history, matching Everton FC in the UK. The first taste of a league championship came in the first of two-great double-winning sides in 1960. They went on to successfully repeat the double in 1962. It was another 24 years before winning the cup again by beating Pinelands in 1986. A year later in...

EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB AND LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY

July 14, 2020July 14, 2020 by Richie Gillham Comment Closed

LAUNCH RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIPS EXPLORING SOCIAL HISTORY OF CLUB AND CHARITY · Two Master’s research scholarships available: MRes in the History of Everton, The People’s Club and MRes in the History of Everton in the Community, Sport at the Service of Humanity · Findings will be published in a new book about the Club · Applications now open – deadline Friday 4 September 2020 Everton Football Club and Liverpool Hope University are offering two researchers the opportunity to shine a light on previously unexplored chapters in the social history of Everton and its award-winning charity Everton in the Community – and to have their findings published in a new book.          Two year-long Master’s Research Scholarships (MRes) are available – MRes in the History of Everton, The People’s Club and MRes in the History of Everton in the Community, Sport at the Service of Humanity. Each scholarship will cover the course fees of £5,200, plus reasonable research expenses, and will begin in September 2020.  Candidates for each of the highly competitive scholarships are encouraged to submit proposals that embrace the social impact of Everton and its...