Players

Bobby Irvine – The Prince of Dribblers
11
Sep
By Rob Sawyer
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1920-1929, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Bobby Irvine – The Prince of Dribblers

Bobby Irvine, the Everton forward whose threepenny-bit dribbles used to have the million-pound note look. (Ranger – Liverpool Echo, 1954) Rob Sawyer Bobby posing in a Belfast studio in the early 1920s Hard as it is to imagine, forty years before George Best was thrilling football supporters up and down the land, Northern Ireland possessed a forward of similar talents - who played for Everton, rather than Manchester United.   Born on 29 April 1900, and raised on Low Road in Lisburn, Robert W. Irvine (always known as Bobby) made his name as a skilful and versatile forward, with a…
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John Turner – from a Ram to Japan
02
Sep
By Steve Zocek
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1970-1979, Articles, Latest, Players, Steve Zocek

John Turner – from a Ram to Japan

Steve Zocek  The name of John Turner would not be particularly familiar to most Evertonians, whatever their age. It would be a stiff challenge in a pub quiz to guess his connection to Everton in relation to the pre-season tour of Japan under manager Howard Kendall in 1981. A Geordie by birth, he never hid the fact that he was a fanatical Sunderland supporter who would go along with his father to watch his heroes –notably Charlie Hurley, Len Ashurst, Martin Harvey, Brian Clough and Ernie Taylor – at the famous old Roker Park in the early 1960s. A former…
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Tommy White – A Player of Many Parts
15
Aug
By Rob Sawyer
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1920-1929, 1930-1939, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Tommy White – A Player of Many Parts

by Rob Sawyer I have played in almost every forward and half-back position for Everton. That versatility helped me more than once to get a first team place. On the other hand, for a time I was regarded as nothing but a sub for other players. When they were ready for the first team again, I was out. That’s how it has been all through my football career. Shocks and pleasant surprises always round the corner. I never knew which I would meet. Tom White (June 1937) Born at Goulden Street, in Weaste, Salford, on 29 July 1908, Tom Angus…
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Gordon Watson, One of Us ….
21
Jul
By David France
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1930-1939, 1940-1949, Latest, Players

Gordon Watson, One of Us ….

Dr David France OBE (Founder of Everton FC Heritage Society and Life President) Everton F.C. League Champions 1939 (Gordon Watson back row, third from right. Photo - The Everton Collection) Something of a raconteur, Gwladys Street Hall of Famer Gordon Watson loved to share tales of his life at Goodison and he once spoke passionately about his team-mates from the side he regarded as ‘The Forgotten Champions of 1939’ ‘Gordon Watson? Never heard of him.’ Well, the Geordie (from the same neck of the woods as Howard Kendall) played alongside Dixie Dean in Everton’s Central League-winning side in 1938, helped…
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John Cuff – from Goodison Park to The Monte Carlo Rally
16
May
By Rob Sawyer
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1930-1939, 1940-1949, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

John Cuff – from Goodison Park to The Monte Carlo Rally

Rob Sawyer John Cuff in Everton colours in 1936 I was, for many years, puzzled by a photo in The Everton Story, a book by Derek Hodgson,  showing a youthful player in the 1930s. It was captioned as being 'Will Cuff' - yet Cuff, the vulnerable Everton Chairman and former club Secretary, was well into his 60s, at this point. So, who was the mislabeled player featured in the book? With help from Everton historian, and custodian of the Blues Chronicles website, Billy Smith, he was identified as John Cuff - the shared surname explaining the confusion on the part…
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Everton Custodians Who Went From Shot-stopper to Goalscorer
13
May
By Richie Gillham
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2020-2029, Articles, Latest, Players, Richard Gillham

Everton Custodians Who Went From Shot-stopper to Goalscorer

During April 2023, Rob Sawyer tweeted a long running series of posts on the Everton FC Heritage Society Twitter account covering the great goalkeepers who have donned the Everton custodian shirt from founding of the club through to c.2000. So, after delving into the football libraries of the world wide web, I have found that many of the Toffees’ great keepers have also found luck at the other end of the pitch, scoring against their fellow keepers either in blue or out of the blue. In January 2012, I was at Goodison Park to witness Tim Howard become the latest…
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James T Gibb – the first Irishman to score for Everton?
13
May
By Tony Onslow
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1878-1889, Articles, Latest, Players, Tony Onslow

James T Gibb – the first Irishman to score for Everton?

Official Football League records, started September 1888, appear to indicate that Wexford born Jack Kirwen was the first Irishman to score a goal for Everton. However, on closer examination, this feat had in fact been achieved some twenty years earlier when they had first crossed the sea to play a game on the Emerald Isle. The player to do so was an Irish International from Belfast. James Turnbull Gibb was born on 15 August 1861 to Alexander and Mary nee Turnbull. He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institute where he distinguished himself on the Rugby field. On completing…
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Getting it Wright – (Son of My Father Part 18)
20
Apr
By Steve Zocek
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1970-1979, 1980-1989, 2010-2019, Articles, Latest, Players, Steve Zocek

Getting it Wright – (Son of My Father Part 18)

Billy and Anthony Wright As well as being the son of Billy Wright, Anthony is also the great-nephew of Everton's World Cup full back Tommy Wright, and the cousin of Everton Ladies league winner Emma Wright-Cates. Quite an Everton family! Billy Wright Billy Wright (Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images) Ray Minshull was in charge of the youth set up when young Billy came to the attention of the club. It was touch and go at one stage, because Liverpool were keen to take the youngster on too. There was a scout that represented Liverpool that actually…
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Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper
06
Apr
By Rob Sawyer
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1910-1919, 1920-1929, Articles, Everton Collection, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer, WW1

Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper

By Rob Sawyer The 1914/15 season was played under the cloud of the First World War, with many criticising the football authorities for letting it run to its conclusion. An ostentatious celebration of the title win by Everton would not have been welcomed by the press or the nation at large. This muted response is something of a disservice to the likes of Bobby Parker, Harry Makepeace, Sam Chedgzoy, Jimmy Galt and Tom Fern. The latter was a custodian who amassed over two hundred outings for the Toffees - it would have been many more, were it not for the…
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