1900-1909

Everton FC’s 1909 pre-season tour of South America, Edwardian style
21
Oct
By David Prentice
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1900-1909, Articles, David Prentice, History, Members Work, ,

Everton FC’s 1909 pre-season tour of South America, Edwardian style

The amazing story of Everton's pioneering 1909 tour of South America In the summer months of 1909 a 13-strong Everton FC playing staff led by two directors and a trainer, together with travelling companions Tottenham Hotspur, travelled 14,000 miles and spent more than six weeks at sea, visiting Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina – “to introduce and develop first class football.” Their story is a fascinating one – and thanks to the diligence of director E. Bainbridge and an exhaustive tour diary he produced for the Echo, the story of the ground-breaking tour can be retold a century later. So settle…
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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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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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08
Mar
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

Winterhalder and Dawson, Everton Wingers

Arthur Winterhalder Signed to cover the abrupt exit of the Wilson brothers, Arthur Winterhalder, a promising outside left, joined Everton from West Ham United. He was descended from a family of clockmakers who had emigrated from Germany to settle in the Marylebone area of London. His father Richard did not choose to follow this profession but decided instead to enlist in the 3rd Dragoon Guards and was stationed at Colchester when he married local girl, Martha Gibbons. Around 1878 Richard left the army to work as a carter at Stratford in London. In 1883 he took up a position as…
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Sam Strettle
05
Feb
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow, WW1, , , , , ,

Sam Strettle

Born at the family-owned foundry on 2 February 1886, Sammy Strettle was the sixth child of Thomas who, along with his father-in-law, manufactured iron files at 125 Knutsford Road in Warrington. His mother's name was Elizabeth. By 1901, with the foundry now closed, the Strettle family had decamped to nearby Fothergill Street where Sammy had found employment in a wire works. Census records revealed that his father later became a works manager and, at the time of the 1911 survey, had moved the family home to Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool. In the meantime, Sam Strettle had obtained employment…
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05
Feb
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, Tony Onslow,

Only Once a Blue (Part 9): John Hannan

Conveniently situated on the North East coast of Scotland, the seaport of Dundee earned for itself the title of 'Juteopolis' because of the large quantities of the vegetable fibre imported to the town which were then spun into rope and canvas. The Tayside town also imported a large amount of flax from the Baltic countries, which was used to make linen. This form of industry provided employment for a budding young footballer with the name of John Hannan, born 28 April 1884, at 53 Hospital Wynd. He was the 2nd child of Daniel, a jute mill overseer, and Jane. The…
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William Wildman
02
Jan
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, History, Members Work, Tony Onslow

William Wildman

Full back William Wildman was invited to join Everton in 1903, having been spotted playing with local amateur team, Queens Road Mission. No fee was involved, but the Goodison Park club made a donation to the mission of £6 7s 6d. [Today worth around £800]. Their new recruit had been born 5 March 1880, and was the seventh child of Allison, a shipwright, and his wife, Elizabeth. At that time the family lived in Exley Street, but in the 1901 census, they were recorded as living in Richmond Grove, where William had found employment as a commercial clerk. Kept out…
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20
Oct
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

John Donaldson, a Blue from Garnock Valley

The second player to come to Everton from the King's Park club in Stirling, John Donaldson arrived in Liverpool at the commencement of the 1904/05 football season, along with fellow Scotsmen William Black and John Hannan. The move, however, would also to impact upon the rest of his family. John Donaldson was born on 25 July 1885 at Beith in Ayrshire and was the third child born to Thomas – a cabinetmaker – and his wife, Margaret. The 1891 census revealed that the family had by then relocated to Falkirk, which was the birthplace of Thomas, and living at a…
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28
Sep
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

William Black, a Blue from the Hebrides

  Born within the sight and sound of burning sparks and roaring bellows, William Black was the first football player to arrive at Goodison Park who had been born in the mist-covered islands of the Inner Hebrides, where his father, Duncan, had chosen to make a home for himself and his wife, Catherine. The couple had first met – and married – at Blackburn Street in the Plantation area of Govan (now part of Glasgow) where their first child, Duncan junior, was born. Shortly after this event, Duncan accepted the position of Village Blacksmith at Torosay on the Island of…
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24
Jul
By Tony Onslow
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1900-1909, Articles, History, Members Work, Tony Onslow, WW1

John Crelley, an FA Cup Winner with Everton

When Everton reached the FA Cup Final in 1906 their opponents, Newcastle United, had previously done a 'league double' over them and were favourites to lift the trophy. The Merseyside club had reached this stage of the competition twice before and had been beaten on both occasions. This time, however, it was to be 'third time lucky' as the trophy found its way to Goodison Park. Playing for Everton that day at left-back was a man who, in many ways, epitomised the type of individual who shaped the development of Victorian Liverpool. His name was John Crelley and he was…
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