History

Blue Echo Interviews Steve Melledew

      Steve Melledew appears on many Everton team photographs with the league championship trophy in 1970. Unfortunately, Steve never made a first team appearance, but never regretted the opportunity of a dream move to Everton from fourth division Rochdale. I caught up with Steve to talk of his move, and what it was like sharing the company of so many household names.   When I was at Rochdale (pictured Below 2nd row first on left) , we were on a roll, which eventually lead to promotion. In the early stages of the season we were struggling. In fact,…
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FA Cup Games at Goodison park ( without the Blues)

  The victorious Notts County team pose with the FA Cup. Photo: PA FA Cup Finals On 31st March 1894 Two years after construction, Goodison Park was chosen by the Football Association to host to hold an FA Cup Final, Notts County beat Bolton Wanderers, watched by crowd of 37,000. County running out 4 goals to 1 winner The Magpies were a Second Division club at this point, but Logan did not let this deter him, scoring 21 goals in 21 games and guiding the club to their first FA Cup Final. To get there, Notts eliminated three clubs from…
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Charles Munroe Lindsay, an Everton Goalkeeper

Charles Munroe Lindsay, an Everton Goalkeeper

In the year of 1871 the FA rules were reformed and it was decided that only one designated player was allowed to handle the ball in order to prevent it from entering the framework of the goal. This player was, from this point onwards, to be known as the designated goalkeeper. It was a hazardous position to play in because the rules  did not as yet prevent the man chosen from being “brought to ground” – with or without the ball – or surrounded and barged by opposing forwards. These rules were still in force when, in 1883, Everton found…
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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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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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Everton in the League Cup at Goodison Park

The League Cup was introduced to the top four divisions in the 1960/61 season. For the first seven years the final was played over two legs (home and away), before being moved to Wembley in 1967. The competition has had many sponsors starting in the 1981/82 season when it was known as the Milk Cup until 1985/86. It then had a change of sponsorship as Littlewoods took over, then Rumbelows and many more. Everton’s first involvement saw them play their first and only game in the first round, drawn at home to Accrington Stanley. Evertonians didn’t appear to take the…
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Only Once a Blue -Part 2: Egerton Stewart-Brown

Only Once a Blue -Part 2: Egerton Stewart-Brown

Only Once a Blue. Part 2: Egerton Stewart-Brown When Everton Football Club signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United, he became their first player to be officially registered with a double-barrelled surname since Benjamin Howard-Baker in 1920. There is, however, another man who played for Everton before official records began who also had a hyphenated surname. He actually made a guest appearance during Everton's days at Anfield. Egerton Stewart-Brown, far left, with Liverpool Ramblers. On the far-right is J Bruce Ismay, the future Chairman of the White Star Shipping Line Egerton Stewart-Brown was born 31 January 1862, in the township of…
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Only Once a Blue (Part 1): Robert Jamieson

Only Once a Blue (Part 1) Robert Jamieson Hailing from the famous football nursery in The Vale of Leven, Robert Jamieson was to learn the rudiments of the association game surrounded by what were, at the time, some of the finest players in the kingdom. He was born on 7 September 1867 at 199 High Street, Dumbarton, the child of Robert, a journeyman fitter, and his wife Elizabeth. The head of the household was away on the day of the 1871 census, but Elizabeth was recorded, along with her four children, as living at 6 Clyde Street in Dumbarton. On…
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Any Chance of a Trial Mr Kelly?

Any Chance of a Trial Mr Kelly?

  Charlie Lewis had a dream How many of us have dreamt of turning up at Goodison with our boots, blagging our way inside, finding the manager’s office, knocking on the door and asking if there is any chance of a trial, being told ‘Sure son, no problem, come right this way’, playing a blinder, outshining all the other trialists who had been invited to play, walking off feeling you had blown it, only for the manager, not only to take you on, but to put you straight into the first team next Saturday alongside the England centre-forward? And then…
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Goodison Under Attack!

Goodison Under Attack!

  Merseyside was badly hit by enemy air raids during the Second World War, which peaked during the May Blitz of 1941.  However, the bombing had begun the previous summer, with attacks increasing during September 1940.    On the night of 18/19 September, several bombs landed in the Everton and Walton area, including Gwladys Street, causing serious injury to nearby residents while also damaging the Gwladys Street Stand. In Bullens Road, a bomb dropped in the school yard opposite, badly damaging the exterior wall of the stand, while also perforating the roof. A third bomb hit the outside of the practice…
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