Everton Collection – Everton FC Heritage Society

The Legacy of ‘Dr Everton’ – Dr David France OBE and Everton FC

10

Jun

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David Prentice, Everton Collection, Film and Media, Latest, Lewis Royden, Mike Royden

The Legacy of ‘Dr Everton’ – Dr David France OBE and Everton FC

We present here a series of nine programmes; two films, an Everton Heritage Show guest appearance, and a six-part feature on Everton in the Sixties. All are filmed with the founder of Everton FC Heritage Society, Dr David France OBE, or 'Dr Everton' as he is known to many Blues' fans. The films cover much of Dr France's life as an Everton fan, from his boyhood growing up in tough circumstances in Widnes, to his move to the United States and his successful time in the oil industry. All the while he remained a passionate Blue, and travelled two million…

Earning His Wings: Flight Lieutenant (and Outside-Right) George Dalgliesh

04

Jun

By Jamie Yates

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1940-1949, Articles, Everton Collection, Jamie Yates, Latest, Players, WW2

Earning His Wings: Flight Lieutenant (and Outside-Right) George Dalgliesh

Jamie Yates Author’s Note: Spelling of the surname Dalgliesh varies across publications and official records, appearing as Dalgliesh or Dalgleish interchangeably. For clarification I have quoted sources verbatim throughout this article. George’s family employ the ‘Dalgliesh’ spelling. Finding the right George Dalgliesh was no easy task and took a couple of false starts. There was a George Dalglish born in Liverpool in 1922. It wasn’t him. Next came George Robert White Dalgleish, born in Edinburgh in 1924, a Civil Engineer and son of a prominent Church of Scotland minister. Close, but no cigar. And then there he was. We were…

The Everton Heritage Show – Dr David France OBE

01

May

By Lewis Royden

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Everton Collection, Film and Media, Latest, Lewis Royden

The Everton Heritage Show – Dr David France OBE

Presented by Lewis Royden Programme 14: 2 May 2026 Guest interview - Dr David France OBE https://youtu.be/h31UL7Ha6gs?si=AVdl0DEYDMjbgNZx As well as travelling over two million miles to follow Everton from his home in North America, Widnes born Dr David France OBE is an author, football historian, and philanthropist. He has pioneered the introduction of a series of successful Everton initiatives; he is possibly best known for The Everton Collection, now in trust in Liverpool Record Office; he was the driving force behind the Former Players Foundation (the first of its kind in the football world); and he founded the Gwlady's Street…

Mapping the Lock Up and the History of the Everton Crest

19

Mar

By Mike Royden

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Articles, Bramley-Moore, Everton Collection, Goodison, Latest, Mike Royden

Mapping the Lock Up and the History of the Everton Crest

Mike Royden Entering into the Park End Captain's Table at Goodison Park minutes after the annual Remembrance memorial, attendees were keen to gather a hot drink and sit down for a moment's respite after escaping from the bitterly cold weather. Paul Walsh While chatting to fellow Heritage Society members, we were approached by Paul Walsh, a life-long Blue, volunteer with the 1878s, and a fan of the work carried out by the Society. He had in his hand a map he had recently acquired, and very kindly wished to donate it to the Society so that something could be made…

03

Mar

By Mike Royden

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1878-1889, Articles, Everton Collection, Goodison, History, Latest, Members Work, Mike Royden

In Search of Priory Road 1883-84

In Search of Priory Road Commencing to write this article on the day that government approval was granted for the Bramley-Moore Stadium, social media was awash with good wishes to all those concerned in successfully seeing the project through. There were the inevitable online exchanges, with a great many from the envious dark side, who could see they were now visibly condemned to spend yet another generation in their Big Stand with little chance of expansion, a move, or even a laughable ground-share. Meanwhile, many commented online that this would be Everton’s third stadium build in the city. (pic: Liverpool…

The Opening of Goodison Park! – A Picnic, a Firework Display, a Friendly, the First League Game

25

Jan

By Mike Royden

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1890-1899, Articles, Everton Collection, Goodison, History, Latest, Mike Royden

The Opening of Goodison Park! – A Picnic, a Firework Display, a Friendly, the First League Game

Mike Royden The year 1892 was iconic in the history of Everton Football Club, famous for the dispute with John Houlding, which cumulated in the potentially club-ending gamble of moving to a new, undeveloped site, in time for the opening of the forthcoming 1892-93 season on 3 September. It was a tall order of course, but once the decision had been made, the directors and club officials went into overdrive to ensure their dream move would become a reality in the very short time available to them. Work began in May 1892, contractors were engaged, and the pitch area –…

26

Sep

By Lewis Royden

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Everton Collection, Film and Media, Latest, Lewis Royden

My Everton FC Initiatives

The second in a series of three films featuring the legacy of ‘Dr Everton.’ Presented by Chris Beesley / Filmed and edited by Lewis Royden Perhaps best known for The Everton Collection, David is the founder and driving force behind numerous initiatives related to Everton Football Club, such as Gwladys Street’s Hall of Fame since 1996, Everton Former Players’ Foundation since 1999, and Everton FC Heritage Society since 2008, to name just a few. These initiatives and many more are discussed here in fascinating detail, in a corner of that famous Goodison Road watering hole, the Winslow Hotel. https://youtu.be/AxGFGiPsfKI 'My…

Desert Island Memorabilia: David France and The Everton Collection

04

May

By Mike Royden

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David Prentice, Everton Collection, Film and Media, Goodison, History, Interview, Latest, Lewis Royden, Mike Royden

Desert Island Memorabilia: David France and The Everton Collection

The first in a series of three films featuring the legacy of 'Dr Everton.' In a pastiche of the famous radio programme broadcast since 1942, where guests pick eight pieces of music, a book, and a luxury item to take to a desert island; Dr David France OBE has selected ten items of Evertonia, mostly from The Everton Collection, plus a book, and just one piece of music, to take to his island amid a sea of blue. The David France Collection was put together over several decades, and it is a unique collection of artefacts, letters, medals and other…

08

Sep

By Mike Royden

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Brendan Connolly, Everton Collection, Everton Women, Film and Media, History, Latest, Members Work, Sarah Deboe

The Everton Heritage Society Podcast

on the official Everton Football Club website Two of our Heritage Society members, Brendan Connolly and Sarah Deboe, have joined Darren Griffiths of Everton FC for a half hour podcast that explains in much more detail precisely what the society does. They speak about the importance of preserving the unique history of the club, how important it is to have a matchday presence so close to the stadium, and the terrific task of restoring and rededicating the graves of some of the earliest Everton legends. It’s a fascinating listen - click the image above or click here to visit the…

Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper

06

Apr

By Rob Sawyer

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1910-1919, 1920-1929, Articles, Everton Collection, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer, WW1

Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper

By Rob Sawyer The 1914/15 season was played under the cloud of the First World War, with many criticising the football authorities for letting it run to its conclusion. An ostentatious celebration of the title win by Everton would not have been welcomed by the press or the nation at large. This muted response is something of a disservice to the likes of Bobby Parker, Harry Makepeace, Sam Chedgzoy, Jimmy Galt and Tom Fern. The latter was a custodian who amassed over two hundred outings for the Toffees - it would have been many more, were it not for the…