Tony Onslow – Page 8 – Everton FC Heritage Society

16

Aug

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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

A Tale of Two Secretaries

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,…

William H Parry, a former Captain of Everton Football Club

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, 1890-1899, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

William H Parry, a former Captain of Everton Football Club

The clean-shaven young man, seated on the right of the middle row, is an eighteen-year-old player who had recently established himself in the first eleven of an Everton Football Club at the time of the photograph. As he gazes towards the camera and watches for the 'birdie', he is unaware that, in the course of the forthcoming football season, he will score the goal that will earn his club the right to lift their first piece of silverware. His football career, however, is destined to be cut short by injury. William Henry Parry was born in 1864 in the north…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, 1890-1899, 1900-1909, History, Managers, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

The Life and Times of Frank Brettell

The name of Everton forward Francis Edward Brettell first appeared on the Liverpool census in 1871 when he was reported as living at No 5 house, Court 13, on Boundary Street. His Father, William Brettell, listed his occupation as that of a nut and bolt maker, and gave his birthplace as West Bromwich in Staffordshire. His wife Harriet, the mother of Frank, was born in Devonshire. Nine year old Frank, born at Smethwick in Staffordshire, was the eldest of her three children. The premature death of Harriet, in 1881, saw Frank, along with rest of the family, move in with…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1890-1899, Articles, Directors, History, Members Work, Tony Onslow

The Men Who Bankrolled Everton

The original History of the Everton Football Club, by Thomas Keates, published in 1928, tells us that James Clement Baxter, who was reported to have loaned them £1,000 [worth around £135,000 today] was the man credited with financing their move away from Anfield and over to Goodison Park. This alas, according the Liverpool newspapers, does not appear to be the case. The good Doctor did indeed make a generous donation to aid their departure but he was not alone in doing so. Several other people, some prominent local businessmen amongst them, were also credited with giving the club their support.These…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, 1890-1899, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

A Christmas Tale from Liverpool

The retail stores of Liverpool had filled their windows with Christmas gifts to remind their potential customers that the festive season of 1888 was near, when a twenty years old Scotsman arrived at Tithebarn Railway Station to be greeted by the representatives of Everton Football Club. The weary traveller was John William Angus and he had been spotted while playing football in Glasgow, by a talent scout who dispatched him down to Liverpool, where he was to spend a trial period at Anfield. The Scot would have then been taken by the club conveyance, to meet the lady with whom…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1890-1899, Articles, History, Members Work, Tony Onslow

“Our Tam” McInnes, an Everton First

[NB. This article first appeared in the run-up to the Merseyside derby April 2016] When the football clubs of Everton and Liverpool run out to meet each other in the forthcoming Merseyside derby, it will be for the 194th time in the League. No other city in England can claim to have staged more local derby games at the top level of English football than Liverpool. The game will take place on the former home of Everton at Anfield before a capacity and fiercely partisan crowd. The atmosphere will be electric. Yet, when these two deadly rivals first…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

The Life of a Former Everton Captain

Nicholas John Ross, the Victorian version of the present-day soccer superstar, was a man who captained both Preston North End and Everton. He was the most feared defender of his generation and was described by the leading Victorian sports journalist, J A H Catton, as being "the most brilliant back of his day, if not of all time. The best I ever saw." Nick Ross, born in Edinburgh on 6 December 1862, was the second child of stonemason Thomas Ross and his wife Anne who was a shopkeeper. The 1871 census revealed that the Ross family were living at…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

Joseph Davies, the Welsh International from Shropshire

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…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

History, Members Work, Tony Onslow

On Tour in London with Everton

[This article was written for the 21 May 2017 Premiership fixture against Arsenal at Goodison Park] This week's clash with Arsenal, the 195th in total, will in no way resemble the occasion when the two sides first met 125 years ago (1892), in what is today The Royal Borough of Greenwich. It was the first time that the Anfield club had visited the capital, and their understrength party, which consisted of fifteen players, left Liverpool without their leading goal scorer Fred Geary, who was suddenly recalled to Nottingham because of a family bereavement. Club captain Andrew Hannah, along with Alec…

16

Aug

By Tony Onslow

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1878-1889, Articles, History, Members Work, Tony Onslow

With Everton at Great Lever

There has long been some confusion concerning the outcome of the first competitive game played by Everton, that was won eventually by their opponents Great Lever. Early local historians state that Everton drew the tie 1-1 and then were decisively beaten in the replay by eight goals to one on Stanley Park. However, the record books of the Lancashire FA, held in Leyland, prove that Great Lever did indeed venture into next round of the competition, but the replay, which was rather acrimonious, took place in their home town of Bolton. The parishioners of St Bartholomew’s church had formed a…