Articles – Page 2 – Everton FC Heritage Society

31

Oct

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1930-1939, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Khyber – The Ben Williams Story

Rob Sawyer Ben Williams, Everton 1935 Everton FC can proudly boast a long and impressive list of footballers who have pulled on the famous red shirt of Wales. This cohort spans the eras, from the days of its joint-first professional, George Farmer in the 1880s and Charlie Parry in the first league title-winning side of 1890/91 to Neville Southall in the 1980s and Gary Speed a decade later. George Farmer (1880s) Unsurprisingly, due to the geographical proximity, many of the Merseyside club’s Welshman have hailed from the north of the nation - like Leigh Roose, Tom Griffiths, Tommy G. Jones,…

Frank (Carlo) Carlton – From a Colt to a Saint

28

Oct

By Richie Gillham

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1950-1959, 1960-1969, Articles, Richard Gillham

Frank (Carlo) Carlton – From a Colt to a Saint

Richie Gillham A young Frank Carlton (courtesy of Joan Griffin, Ancestry.co.uk) Frank Carlton was born in Blackbrook, St Helens, in 1936, into a community where sport was at the heart of everyday life. Like many boys of his generation, his first taste of competition came on the school playing fields. At school, he quickly earned a reputation as a fleet-footed winger in the soccer team. He helped guide Blackbrook to the Windle Pilkington Shield final, one of the key competitions in local schoolboy football. When he moved on to Parr Central School, his athletic abilities flourished. In athletics he excelled…

23

Oct

By Rob Sawyer

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1910-1919, 1920-1929, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Joe Clennell – Twice a Champion

Rob Sawyer Joe Clennell (1915) Although Bobby Parker’s goalscoring exploits may have grabbed the headlines as the Toffees advanced on the Football League title in 1915 - a triumph largely overshadowed by the spectre of the First World War - he was but one member of a strong royal blue attacking line. Sam Chedgzoy, on the right wing, was near the start of a long and illustrious career for Everton and England, which extended into the Dixie Dean era. Frank Jefferis, at inside-right, had garnered England honours having moved to Merseyside from Southampton. George Harrison was a great provider of…

Ted Forshaw – From Everton Youth Prodigy to Cup Hero via the Oval Ball

30

Sep

By Richie Gillham

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1950-1959, Articles, Latest, Players, Richard Gillham

Ted Forshaw – From Everton Youth Prodigy to Cup Hero via the Oval Ball

Richie Gillham Ted Forshaw may not be a name known to Everton fans, but his story is one of remarkable versatility, resilience, and dedication across multiple disciplines. From the football pitches of Everton to the rugby fields of St Helens, and later to the athletics tracks of Merseyside, Forshaw’s journey is a testament to the enduring spirit of a true sportsman. Born on 26 October 1931, Forshaw began his football journey with Everton FC, signing on 25 March 1957, after scouts had spotted him playing for Sutton Manor Colliery FC. He had also been a keen rugby league player before…

21

Sep

By Ken Rogers

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1900-1909, Articles, Goodison, Ken Rogers, Latest

Goodison Pigeon Post

By Ken Rogers Historian Simon Inglis, in his book ‘Football Grounds of Britain,’ observes that clubs often achieve prominence by luck rather than design, while the very being of some has been determined by ground developments. He was specifically referring to Everton and their historic 1892 Goodison Park home, stating that the Mersey Blues can rightly claim to have built England’s first major football ground with many firsts along the way. Wolves opened Molineux three years earlier, but it was relatively basic, as was Newcastle’s St James’ Park. The only British grounds as advanced as Goodison were Rangers’ Ibrox (1887)…

Ava’s Dream Comes True – The First Everton Women’s Game at Goodison Park

19

Sep

By Lewis Royden

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2020-2029, Articles, Everton Women, Goodison, Latest, Lewis Royden

Ava’s Dream Comes True – The First Everton Women’s Game at Goodison Park

by Lewis Royden It was Jordan Pickford pulling silly faces that first attracted a tiny little Ava to the Toffees, along with family ties of course, while watching the iconic goalkeeper save penalties on telly with her Evertonian grandfather, Gareth. “He plays for our team!” she learned through fits of giggles at the keepers striker-distracting antics… and with that, she would immerse herself as a proud and passionate Blue, even before her understanding of the game had begun to develop, much to the amazement of parents Jess and Tom. Family trips to Liverpool's museums often included discoveries of Toffee memorabilia,…

19

Sep

By Rob Sawyer

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1990-1999, 2020-2029, Articles, Everton Women, Latest, Rob Sawyer

Everton Women – Hall of Fame

The first five inductees into the Everton Women Hall of Fame. Left to right; Louise Thomas, Billy Jackson, Joy McQuiggan, Cathy Gore and Mo Marley, (photo: Everton FC) Everton FC Heritage Society - and specifically, the 'women’s football research group' comprising; Alison Jones, Sarah Deboe, Bradley Cates and Rob Sawyer, played a key role in the introduction of the Hall of Fame, provided in depth history of Everton Ladies and Everton Women, and were part of the election process. Everton FC Heritage Society are immensely pleased to see the inauguration take place and proud of the hard work put in…

The Toffees Return Home to Anfield – For One night Only

18

Sep

By Rob Sawyer

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1900-1909, Articles, Goodison, Latest, Rob Sawyer

The Toffees Return Home to Anfield – For One night Only

Rob Sawyer Everton FC left Anfield in 1892, never to return. Right? Well, not quite. The schism in the Everton committee that led the Toffees to up sticks to Goodison Park on the site of Mere Green Field, leaving John Houlding to form a new club, Liverpool FC, to play at the vacated ground is well documented. However, by the time Houlding passed away in 1902, much of the antagonism had abated, and Everton players were among the pall bearers at his funeral. Further evidence of the thawing of relations between the once bitter rivals came in the summer of…

16

Sep

By Jamie Yates

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1878-1889, Jamie Yates, Latest, Players

The George Fleming Story

Jamie Yates The build-up to Everton’s departure from Goodison Park, their home of 133 years in the summer of 2025, triggered a range of emotions and set the members of the Everton Football Club Heritage Society (EFCHS) off on various quests to delve deeper into the history of the old stadium, to commemorate records set there, celebrate watershed moments and hopefully unearth a few hidden historical gems along the way. Recent seasons have been turbulent, even by Everton standards, and I have taken huge solace in burying myself in the stories of some of the key moments and early heroes…

02

Jul

By Rob Sawyer

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1910-1919, Articles, Latest, Rest in Peace, Rob Sawyer, WW1

The Life and Times of Bobby Parker

‘Parker was a grand leader, strong, virile, earnest - as unruffled as his massive locks.’ Will Cuff - Former Everton Chairman and Secretary by Rob Sawyer Robert Norris Parker entered the world on 27 March 1891. His father, John was a mercantile clerk was married to Janet (née Ramsay), who hailed from Ireland. At the time of his birth, they were living at 73 Denmark Street in Possilpark, to the northeast of central Glasgow. This suburb saw huge population growth in the final decades of the 19th Century, linked to expansion of the Saracen foundry, the area’s major employer. At…