Everton

Architect of His Own Success: Samuel Bolton Ashworth
07
Oct
By Jamie Yates
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Jamie Yates, Members Work, Players, ,

Architect of His Own Success: Samuel Bolton Ashworth

Samuel Bolton Ashworth was an amateur left-half of the early 1900s. Born 11 March 1877 in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, the son of a Mr. Thomas Ashworth who served as manager of Glebe Colliery, and Betsy Bolton; he was one of 10 children and played youth football with a succession of local sides in the Staffordshire leagues, before joining Football League founder members Stoke City for the 1901/02 season. In two seasons at Stoke, Sam Ashworth made 39 league and cup appearances, filling each of the half-back roles, but never scoring a goal – he never troubled the scorers once in his…
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The ECWC Final of 1985 in Rotterdam and the thoughts of Michael Konsel of Rapid Vienna
08
Jul
By Steve Zocek
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1980-1989, Articles, History, Interview, Members Work, Steve Zocek, ,

The ECWC Final of 1985 in Rotterdam and the thoughts of Michael Konsel of Rapid Vienna

Everton’s only success in Europe came on 15 May 1985 at the De Kuip Stadium in Rotterdam. Everton’s passage to the final could have faltered at the first hurdle with a two-legged affair with the Irish part-timers University College Dublin providing the opposition. Graeme Sharp, Everton’s saviour that night with the winning goal, once said that it was the trickiest tie of all the rounds to the final, stating that Everton could so easily have been knocked out, with the woodwork saving Everton. Had the ball gone in UCD would have had a priceless away goal. With Inter Bratislava, Fortuna…
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Clarence Berry, Everton’s Rugby Playing Goalkeeper
08
Jul
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow, , ,

Clarence Berry, Everton’s Rugby Playing Goalkeeper

Clarence Herbert Berry was the first man to sign for Everton having previously played Rugby League football at senior level. He was born on 4 October 1886, and was the fourth child of Frank and Alice who ran a grocery business on Buick Street in Warrington. Berry had begun to serve an apprenticeship as a pattern maker when he began his football career playing under association rules for a local amateur team with the name of Warrington Albion. He then switched codes and signed for Warrington Rugby League club at their Wilderspool home. Clarence Berry made his debut on 25…
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21
Feb
By Tony Onslow
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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow, , ,

Robert Stevenson and William George

Coming from dissimilar parts of the United Kingdom and completely different backgrounds, the paths of these aforementioned individuals crossed while they were playing football in Liverpool. Robert Stevenson was one of several young Scotsmen tempted to try his luck by an agent who covered the area around the Ayrshire coalfield. He was born on 24 May 1861 at 34 Ardeer Square in the coastal town of Stevenson where, along with his siblings, he spent his childhood. His father, George, was a coalminer while his mother, Margaret, had the maiden name of Strain. The 1881 census indicated that the family had…
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John McPherson and the Kilmarnock Connection
19
Feb
By Tony Onslow
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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow, , , ,

John McPherson and the Kilmarnock Connection

The area around Glencairn Square in the Scottish town of Kilmarnock is nowadays mostly given over to a modern retail park which bears the same name. In the 1880s, however, it was surrounded by rows of tenement-style housing that sheltered this working-class community – many of whom were employed at nearby G & SWR Locomotive Works – from the elements. Living in Glencairn Square at that time was Alexander Dick and he would, unwittingly, form a close connection between this community and Everton Football Club. Always known as Sandy, he began playing 'fitba' in Kilmarnock before joining the Merseyside club…
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14
Feb
By Tony Onslow
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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow, , , , , ,

Bethell Robinson – a Man of Many Clubs

Bethell Robinson was undoubtedly a man of many clubs. When the inaugural Football League season ended 30 March 1889, the Everton full-back Nick Ross returned to his former club Preston North End while his partner, Sandy Dick, returned to the family home in Kilmarnock. The club, however, had arranged fixtures that would take them in to the month of May so they invited several players to make a guest appearance. One of this group was the much-travelled Bethell Robinson. Named after his father, he was born in April 1861 in the fishing port of Fleetwood, and was the first child…
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John Dewar
28
Jan
By Tony Onslow
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1878-1889, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow,

John Dewar

Thanks to the British Newspaper Archive website, the mystery of John Dewar, who made a single appearance for Everton, can be revealed. He was born in September 1867, in the Renfrewshire village of Strathbungo (today part of the City of Glasgow), and was the second child of Andrew, a Stonemason, and his wife Janet. The family had relocated to the Kinning Park area of Glasgow where John became an apprentice to his father and played junior football with Well Park, with whom he won the Glasgow Junior Cup. Around 1882 he progressed to senior football with Thistle FC (once a…
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25
Jan
By Tony Onslow
1890-1899, History, Tony Onslow, , , ,

Henry F Briggs, An Everton Goalkeeper

Signed as cover for the controversial 'Happy Jack' Hillman, Frank Briggs joined Everton from Darwen in January 1906, having first played football in the Nottinghamshire coalfield area. He had been born at dwelling number 84 on the Alfreton Turnpike at Eastwood in 1872 and was the third of child of John, a domestic servant, and his wife, Lucy. Henry Briggs is missing from the 1891 census, but contemporary newspaper reports placed him keeping goal for a Midland League side who were the forerunners of Mansfield Town. His skills quickly caught the attention of struggling Football League Division One outfit Darwen,…
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Blue plaque unveiled at Dixie Dean’s primary school in Birkenhead
14
Dec
By David Prentice
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1910-1919, 2010-2019, David Prentice, Events, History, John Rowlands, Members Work,

Blue plaque unveiled at Dixie Dean’s primary school in Birkenhead

Legendary goalscorer's daughter and another Everton striking legend perform unveiling ceremony Everton legend Graeme Sharp, left, together with Barbara Dean, right, daughter of the club's goal-scoring legend Dixie Dean,pictured below the EFC Heritage Society plaque at Portland School in Laird Street, where the football hero first went to school in Birkenhead. Photo by James Maloney The EFC Heritage Society commissioned plaque at Co-Op Portland Academy in Laird Street, where Everton legend Dixie Dean first went to school.  A blue plaque commemorating the site of the school where Everton and England legend Dixie Dean first studied has been unveiled. Dixie's daughter…
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Dixie Dean’s most cherished medal is coming home to Goodison Park
20
Apr
By David Prentice
1920-1929, David Prentice, Events, History, Members Work, Players,

Dixie Dean’s most cherished medal is coming home to Goodison Park

Dixie Dean's most cherished medal comes home to Goodison Park The 1927/28 League Championship medal presented to Dixie Dean will be back at Goodison Park on eve of anniversary   One of the most cherished medals in Everton’s history is coming home. The League Championship medal presented to Dixie Dean after his record-breaking 60-goal season in 1927-28 will be back at Goodison Park - on the eve of the 90th anniversary of the legendary And fans are being invited to see it at a special celebration event. Saturday May 5, when Everton entertain Southampton, will be the 90th anniversary of…
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