Four Members of EFCHS in conversation about the World Cup of 1966 at Goodison (Lyndon Lloyd (hosting) / Rob Sawyer / Paul McParlan / Mike Royden As the leading club ground in the country at the time, Goodison Park was selected to stage five matches at the 1966 World Cup and was originally intended to be the stage for England's semi-final against Portugal. If you’ve ever wondered what it must have been like to attend those games at the Grand Old Lady and witness greats like Pele, Eusebio, Garrincha and an unexpected star of the tournament in the form of…

Thursday 26 May 2022 was the day of Jimmy Harris’s final farewell. In the mid-afternoon, the cortège transported the 88-year-old former Toffees striker past the stadium he had graced. A number of supporters had come out to applaud as the hearse drove slowly along Goodison Road. I chatted to an 81-year-old supporter from West Derby, who recalled watching Jimmy in his 1950s heyday. He told me of Jimmy’s quicksilver movement around the pitch and his rasping shot. He fondly recalled a smartly struck Harris goal against the Busby Babes. Another supporter had come all the way from Doncaster to stand…

By Rob Sawyer In April 2022, EFCHS members Rob Sawyer and Sarah from Mint Collective, caught up with 93-year-old Tom Walker in a café near his home in Upton. This venerable Toffee, accompanied by his son, Graham, discussed all things Evertonia, dating back to the 1930s. Below is an edited version of Tom’s vivid recollections, which originally appeared in The Black Watch fanzine (sold outside St Luke’s on selected matchdays by Tom, the editor) My dad used to go to Goodison with my Uncle Colin, they were staunch Evertonians. Dad taught me to be an Evertonian. He’d seen all the…

Adrian Heath arrived at Everton in January 1982 for a club record fee of £700,000. As a striker/attacking midfielder from the Potteries, he was signed by manager Howard Kendall who knew Adrian well from their days at the Victoria Ground, Stoke. ‘Inchy’ as he became known, made his Blues debut at home to Southampton in a 1-1 draw. Finding it difficult to settle at first, he eventually came into his own, playing a very big part in Everton’s success. Many Evertonians class his interception from Kevin Brock at the Manor Ground, Oxford, in a January 1984 knife edge cup…

The creator of the iconic image of Goodison Park: Archibald Leitch AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE CHILVERS by Richie Gillham Richie Gillham: Thanks for joining us, George. I think many of us have seen and admired your colourisations of old black and white football pictures. So, from the beginning, how did it start? George Chilvers: I was born and grew up in Liverpool in the 50s and 60s, and as a little lad I loved reading about football. I used to get football annuals at Christmas, and very rarely if I had saved up enough I'd buy a magazine, like Charles…

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. Press release 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…

Number 31 Goodison Road is an address with 134 years of rich history – 128 of them indelibly linked to the football club across the road. When The Winslow Hotel called first orders in 1886 there was a field opposite called Mere Green. In 1892 it became the new home of Everton FC. Over the decades countless Toffees supporters and no few players (in the days when many lived, literally, around the corner form Goodison Park) have passed through the doors. On Saturday 14th March this year, the Everton FC Heritage Society teamed up with the current licensee, Dave Bond,…

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 name Reynold Culpepper comes to mind as a founder but no evidence has been found as of yet on his involvement , the club was relatively successful…
Some of this season’s EFC Heritage Society articles are produced in partnership with the Everton Collection, the unrivalled archive of over 10,000 historical football treasures. In 2007 in order to ensure the archive remained intact for future generations, an initiative was formed with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to purchase David France’s memorabilia. Everton FC also gifted its own memorabilia to form The Everton Collection Charitable Trust. The Collection is located at Liverpool Record Office at Liverpool Central Library where it is preserved and conserved in purpose-built archive accommodation meeting the highest standards for long-term preservation and under the…