Latest – Everton FC Heritage Society

Hey Blues – Paul McCartney at Goodison Park in 1968

18

Apr

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1960-1969, Latest, Rob Sawyer

Hey Blues – Paul McCartney at Goodison Park in 1968

Rob Sawyer Hey Jude / Revolution Monday 26 August 1968 saw the release of arguably The Beatle’s greatest single (and, yes, there are several strong candidates for that accolade*). Originally inspired by John Lennon’s son, Julian, Hey Jude, Paul McCartney’ seven-minute opus, featuring a four-minute chorus-cum-outro, would sit atop of British pop charts for two weeks. It would be knocked off its perch by another McCartney composition, Those Were The Days, sung by Mary Hopkin. [* Sorry Rob, that has to be Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane. ;-) ed. ] Remarkably, a day after Beatles fans first rushed to grab copies of…

Torry Gillick – Revered at Goodison Park and Ibrox

15

Apr

By Rob Sawyer

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1930-1939, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Torry Gillick – Revered at Goodison Park and Ibrox

Rob Sawyer Scotland’s recent match at Hill Dickinson stadium was the third time the Scottish national team had played at an Everton venue (previously v England in 1895 and 1911). This set my mind thinking about which Scottish Toffees I'd love to have seen gracing Goodison Park or the Blues’ new stadium. Foremost in my thoughts are John Bell, the charismatic forward of the 1890s, Sandy Young, our 1906 FA Cup Final goalscorer, Alex Young, our Golden Vision, ace number nine Graeme Sharp, and Torry Gillick, a hero of Everton’s 1938/39 title-winning team. The latter is the focus of this article…

15

Apr

By Rob Sawyer

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1970-1979, Latest, Obituary, Players, Rest in Peace, Rob Sawyer

Henry Newton (1944-2026) – an Obituary

Rob Sawyer Harry Catterick smashed Everton’s transfer fee record in October 1970 to secure the services of Nottingham Forest midfielder Henry Newton, whose death at the age of 82 was announced on 14 April 2026. Sadly, things didn’t work out as hoped, for the club and player in the early 1970s, for a variety of reasons. Happily for Henry, he enjoyed a satisfying and silverware-laden period post-Everton, in his native East Midlands with Derby County. Born 18 February 1944, Henry joined his local club Nottingham Forest at fifteen, having gained England Schoolboy honours. Four months shy of his 20th birthday,…

Red Cards, Late Arrivals and Goalie Wars – A History of Everton’s Emergency Goalkeepers

06

Apr

By Paul Owens

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Latest, Paul Owens, Players

Red Cards, Late Arrivals and Goalie Wars – A History of Everton’s Emergency Goalkeepers

Paul Owens During every school holiday bar the Christmas break, I run one-v-one football competitions close to my home in East Yorkshire. As the name suggests, the hugely popular ‘Hull and East Riding Goalie Wars’ tournaments are aimed primarily at budding keepers and are a fabulous way of bringing members of the region’s goalkeepers’ union together, which is something I am extremely proud of. Notwithstanding, the competitions are open to anyone who buys into our slogan: ‘Save theirs; Score yours; Have fun!’ A number of past winners have actually been outfielders, who decided to pull on the gloves to see…

Lifting the Lid on Reporting on the Blues for over Five Decades

04

Apr

By Rob Sawyer

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David Prentice, Events, Film and Media, Ken Rogers, Latest, Lewis Royden

Lifting the Lid on Reporting on the Blues for over Five Decades

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ken Rogers (Chairman EFCHS, former Liverpool Echo Sports Editor`) David Prentice (Former Liverpool Echo Sports Editor, Head of Communications, Everton FC) Ken Rogers and David Prentice - Lifting the Lid on Reporting on the Blues for over Five Decades Rob Sawyer The fourth in the spring 2026 series of Everton FC Heritage Society social/talk evenings played to a packed house at the Denbigh Castle function room. Aside from many regular attendees, We were delighted to welcome Everton CEO Angus Kinnear, plus Lord Grantchester (grandson of Sir John Moores and a former Toffees board member), who was also in the company of Andrew Lancel…

Alec Troup – Small in Stature, Mighty in Impact

27

Mar

By Rob Sawyer

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1920-1929, 1930-1939, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Alec Troup – Small in Stature, Mighty in Impact

Rob Sawyer Dixie Dean’s goalscoring exploits gained legendary status, long before he hung up his boots in 1939. His instincts and ability to plunder goals were unsurpassed, but he was always quick to recognise the contribution to his remarkable goal haul of his Everton wingmen. Without their ‘assists’, to coin the modern parlance, his figures would still have been impressive, but somewhat less so. Bobby Irvine, Sam Chedgzoy, Ted Critchley, Jimmy Stein, Albert Geldard, Jack Coulter and Torry Gillick were all top class outside rights and lefts, but it is fair to say that Dean’s highest praise was reserved for…

Blues Celebrate a Night That Made History

26

Mar

By Rob Sawyer

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1980-1989, Articles, Events, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Blues Celebrate a Night That Made History

Rob Sawyer Forty-one years ago, on 24 April 1985, Goodison Park was rocked to its foundations on one of the greatest nights the beloved stadium has played host to. Cheered on by 49,476 vociferous fans, who, according to Howard Kendall, had the ability to suck the ball into the Gwladys Street net, Everton came from a goal down to defeat Bayern Munich, 3-1, and proceed to the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup. On 25 March of this year, Everton players, backroom staff, supporters and people from the media gathered at Hill Dickinson Stadium for a nostalgic evening to…

This Prince of Goalkeepers – Lance Corporal Leigh Richmond Roose MM

23

Mar

By Mike Royden

1900-1909, 1910-1919, Film and Media, Latest, Lewis Royden, Mike Royden, Rest in Peace, WW1

This Prince of Goalkeepers – Lance Corporal Leigh Richmond Roose MM

A great deal of research has been carried out by a number of members since the founding of the society, into players on Everton FC books who fell in both wars. This research has also been extended to include the Everton clubs of Chile and New Zealand. In addition, there has also been an ongoing project to research those who had served, but had survived, and in many cases were deeply affected by the conflict, who were never the same again, being affected both physically and mentally. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Fallen of Everton FC on Film Our series of films about the…

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…

The Great Goalpost Desecrating Craze of the 1960s

17

Mar

By Jamie Yates

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1960-1969, Articles, Goodison, Jamie Yates, Latest

The Great Goalpost Desecrating Craze of the 1960s

Jamie Yates For anyone who grew up with the 1988 BBC Official History narrated by John Motson as part of their Evertonian education, one of the most exhilarating montages is made up of footage from the 1962/63 season, early on in Harry Catterick’s glorious reign as manager. One particularly notable sequence is the footage from Saturday 22 September 1962, the Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park. Rival captains Ron Yeats and Roy Vernon lead the teams out from the tunnel for the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, Saturday 8 February 1964 (NB this is the season after the derby featured here. Thanks…