Articles

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

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,…
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Everton Women – Hall of Fame

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…
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The Toffees Return Home to Anfield – For One night Only

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…
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The George Fleming Story

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…
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The Life and Times of Bobby Parker

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…
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The Bobby Parker Grave Restoration Appeal

The Bobby Parker Grave Restoration Appeal

Rob Sawyer To mark his contribution to Everton, football and his country, EFCHS has undertaken a project to restore the grave of league title winner Bobby Parker. Were it not for the First World War, there is every likelihood that the name Bobby Parker would be uttered in the same breath as Dixie Dean, Tommy Lawton, Fred Geary and Bob Latchford when putting forward the club’s finest goalscorers. Alas, that terrible conflict, injuries he sustained in it and subsequent illness meant that he would fail to rescale the heights of 1914/15, when his 35 goals propelled the Toffees to the…
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Alec Farrall Remembered

Alec Farrall Remembered

[The banner photograph is the 1953/54 Everton squad. Alec Farrall is pictured on the front row seated, second from the left.] Rob Sawyer The death was announced today, at eighty-nine, of one of Everton's oldest former players, Alec Farrall. Born 3 March 1936, Alec was one of many local lads to emerge through the Blues’ youth system under Cliff Britton. A member of a sporty West Kirby family, by his teens he was representing Cheshire Schoolboys (England Schoolboys caps followed) and was on the radar of scouts from many big clubs, including Wolves, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. The former…
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Dixie Dean Memorial Trophy – with award winner Derek Temple

Dixie Dean Memorial Trophy – with award winner Derek Temple

The 34th Dixie Dean Memorial Award, 12 May 2025 Mike Royden reports, David Moyes presents the 34th Dixie Dean Memorial Award to Derek Temple (photo: Tony McArdle EFC) https://youtu.be/gVGwVuSywcg?si=TFnDTOu-hK7f00k0 Click to play the short newsreel of the event (filmed and edited by Lewis Royden) David Moyes speaking at the end of the evening to Ken Rogers and Everton FC Heritage Society, reflecting on Derek Temple's life and career On 12 May 2025, Everton FC Heritage Society hosted the final public evening event at Goodison Park in the Alex Young Suite. Members, guests, and fans, were there to honour club legend…
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Son of My Father (Part 20): Gerry and Jack Humphreys

Son of My Father (Part 20): Gerry and Jack Humphreys

Gerry Humphreys was born in Llandudno in January 1946. He started his education at a primary school called Ysgol Ffordd Dyffryn on West Shore, Llandudno. When Gerry was only 8, his father spent almost twelve months in a sanitarium near Caernarfon, before succumbing to tuberculosis at the age of 34 yrs. An early indicator of Gerry being a natural footballer was when he was selected for the school football team at the age of 9 when most of the team were two years older. The older boys naturally had a stronger physique, but Gerry was never fazed as he just believed…
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