1878-1889

When the draw for the Second Round of the 1881-82* Lancashire FA knockout gave Everton an away tie at Turton, the Everton club secretary, John W Clarke, quickly consulted his Bradshaw’s Railway Guide before making his way down to the local offices of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Company on Tithebarn Street in Liverpool. Once there, he made the travel arrangements for himself and his players to compete in this important cup tie. So it was that, on Saturday, 10 December 1881*, the intrepid members of Everton Football Club boarded the express train which, after making one stop at Wigan,…

The graveyard photo shows the last resting place of Joseph Davies, who played for Everton during the season that they became founder members of the Football League. He was born on 27 June 1869, at St Martins in North West Shropshire and baptised at Preesgwyn Methodist Chapel.  His parents, also born in St Martins, were Harriet and Stephen Davies, the latter a blacksmith at the local coal mine. The 1881 census shows the family as living in Chirk Bank Row in Weston Rhyn, where Joseph, along with his two brothers were still at school. On leaving education behind, he began…

Thomas Halliwell Costley was born in Liverpool but began his football career in Blackburn, before moving back to his birthplace in order to play for Everton. He was the younger brother of Jimmy Costley who scored the winning goal for Blackburn Olympic in the 1883 FA Cup final. Although Jimmy was never to sign for Everton he did represent his home town club in several attractive friendly fixtures where he deputised for his brother on the left wing. Tommy, the fifth child of the family, was born on 5 March 1865 at Rathbone Street on the south side of Liverpool…