Articles

02
Jun
By Steve Zocek
0 Comments
1980-1989, Articles, History, Interview, Steve Zocek

Son of My Father (Part I): John Armfield

Jimmy Armfield playing for Blackpool during the 1967-68 season. Photograph: Colorsport/Rex/Shutterstock Anything Everton related always fascinates me. My next two article is about a famous footballers whose sonat spells/trials at Everton. This first one is of John Armfield the son of Blackpool legend Jimmy; Jimmy Armfield with sons Duncan and John at Bloomfield Road John tells his story how he teamed up with Everton. I got involved with Everton season 1987/88 because of John King who at the time was manager of Runcorn FC, a mad Evertonian and friendly with some of the coaching staff at Everton, in particular Mick…
Read More
James Morris, a Shropshire Lad
02
Jun
By Tony Onslow
0 Comments
1878-1889, History, Members Work, Players, Tony Onslow

James Morris, a Shropshire Lad

The Welsh Marches village of Trefonen in Shropshire was the birthplace of James Morris in April 1863, the third child of Anne and her Welsh husband, Robert. James made a most unusual appearance for Everton during their first season as members of the Football League.   According to the 1881 census, the family were living in Oswestry, and James was working along with his father as a brickmaker. He began his football career with an Oswestry club who were founder members of the Shropshire FA in 1879. They shared a ground with the local cricket club at Victoria Road and lifted the Welsh & Border Counties FA Cup in…
Read More
Tommy Eglington – The Flying Winger of the Fifties
19
May
By Rob Sawyer
1 Comment
1940-1949, Articles, Members Work, Rob Sawyer

Tommy Eglington – The Flying Winger of the Fifties

Tommy Eglington, the Irish international left-winger, gave unstinting service to the Blues’ cause during some of the club’s darkest days. He is forever associated with his teammate and great friend, Peter Farrell, who crossed the Irish Sea with him in 1946.  Tommy was born in Donnycarney, a Northside suburb of Dublin on 15th January 1923. He was one of seven siblings born to Christopher (a butcher by trade) and Margaret. As was the norm, Gaelic Football was played in school, so Tommy would only get to indulge his passion for the ‘British game’ in the fields near his home after…
Read More
Fred Barber: A Cut Above
15
May
By Steve Zocek
0 Comments
1980-1989, Articles, History, Interview, Steve Zocek

Fred Barber: A Cut Above

Fred Barber was signed by Everton as back up cover for Neville Southall in April 1986 for £50,000 from Darlington. During a brief stay, he was never required to play a first team game and was sold to Walsall, with Howard Kendall doubling his money.  Fred tells me how the move to Everton happened and quite a story it is. It was a Wednesday night, 26 March 1986, and I was watching the highlights on TV, of Republic of Ireland vs Wales from Lansdowne Road, Dublin. Neville Southall the Everton and Wales ‘keeper had torn his ankle ligaments,which would keep him side-lined for a period of time.  Everton of course had Bobby Mimms as their number two, but needed another…
Read More
John Turnbull Gibb – the first Irishman to score for Everton?
13
May
By Tony Onslow
2 Comments
1878-1889, Articles, Latest, Players, Tony Onslow

John Turnbull Gibb – the first Irishman to score for Everton?

Official Football League records, started September 1888, appear to indicate that Wexford born Jack Kirwan was the first Irishman to score a league goal for Everton in 1898. However, on closer examination, this feat had in fact been achieved some eleven years earlier - all be it in a friendly - when the Toffees had first crossed the sea to play a game on the Emerald Isle. The player to do so was an Irish International from Belfast - John T. Gibb. Official records state the first Irishman to score a league for Everton was Jack Kirwan in a 5-5…
Read More
Tommy Wheeldon: the Third New Boy
09
May
By Steve Zocek
0 Comments
1970-1979, Articles, History, Interview, Members Work, Steve Zocek, ,

Tommy Wheeldon: the Third New Boy

On Tuesday 7th December 1976,Everton manager Billy Bingham made a triple swoop by signing Duncan McKenzie from Anderlecht, Bruce Rioch from Derby County and Tommy Wheeldon.  Tommy who? You know, Tommy Wheeldon from St Helens Town?  Never heard of him? You have now. Liverpool schoolboys in cologne I was intrigued to find the truth about Tommy, an Evertonian from birth, who was expected to reach better things in football. Tommy takes up this wonderful story.  I played for England Under 18’s and attracted interest from both Everton and West Ham United and a few more clubs. John Lyall the manager of West Ham made contact with me, and I also received a letter from Ron Greenwood the former…
Read More
Le Coq Sportif: Spectacular in Action – Sensational in Style
08
May
By Rob Sawyer
1 Comment
1980-1989, Articles, History, Members Work, Rob Sawyer

Le Coq Sportif: Spectacular in Action – Sensational in Style

Everton have never worn an Adidas team kit...or have they? When that great 1980s side containing Steven, Southall, Sharp and Sheedy was swatting away all-comers, it did so sporting the rooster emblem of Le Coq Sportif. Not appreciated by many is that the Gallic marque, which burned brightly but briefly on these shores, was a branch of the German sporting behemoth.  Le Coq can trace its ancestry back to the Champagne region, where, in 1882, Émile Camuset started manufacturing sports journeys in his workshop. The iconic triangular symbol, containing the crowing cockerel, was adopted in early 1950s with company rising…
Read More
“60 at 90” – A Night to Remember William Ralph “Dixie” Dean
08
May
By Rob Sawyer
0 Comments
2010-2019, Articles, Events, Rob Sawyer

“60 at 90” – A Night to Remember William Ralph “Dixie” Dean

 Evertonians can be accused of harking back to an illustrious past rather than thinking forward to securing a glorious future. There may be some merit in that argument but, on the other hand, the standards set in the past should be used to inspire us going forward, in the spirit of the club’s motto. The bar has never been set higher than in the glorious 1927-28 title-winning season, when William Ralph “Dixie” Dean (just plain “Bill” to his friends) achieved the mind-bending feat of scoring 60 league goals (in all he scored 63 league and cup goals in 41 club…
Read More
Benjamin Howard Baker: Goalkeeper, Olympian, Corinthian
08
May
By Rob Sawyer
0 Comments
1920-1929, Articles, History, Members Work, Players, Rob Sawyer

Benjamin Howard Baker: Goalkeeper, Olympian, Corinthian

Jordan Pickford is only the fourth Everton goalkeeper to represent England at senior level. Immediately before him came two Everton greats in Gordon West and Ted Sagar. Blazing a trail for them all was the remarkable Benjamin Howard Baker. If Brian Labone was “The Last of the Great Corinthians”, then Baker was one of Everton’s first. Firstly, a note on the naming convention as various iterations have been used. Benjamin’s birth name was Benjamin Howard Baker (with Howard being a middle christian name). He was often known by friends and family as Howard, however. His sons, who also had Howard…
Read More
Goodison Park – The New Home of Everton (1892)
08
May
By Rob Sawyer
0 Comments
1890-1899, Articles, Billy Smith, Goodison, History, Latest, Members Work, Rob Sawyer

Goodison Park – The New Home of Everton (1892)

Billy Smith has been a royal blue bloodhound for many years, sniffing out historic articles about our beloved club in microfilm archives across the region. These nuggets are posted on his excellent Blue Correspondent website (bluecorrespondent.co.uk). Working chronologically, he has reached the 1962/63 season but Billy continues locate and transcribe previously hidden gems from earlier eras. One vein of high-quality content mined by Billy is Athletic News (The Athletic News and Cyclists' Journal, to give it its full title). This Manchester-based weekly newspaper, which ran from 1875 to 1931 was a keen proponent of Association Football in its early decades. Mere Green…
Read More