Members Work

Articles and writing from Heritage Society members and contributors

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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Jimmy Carberry – The Youths of Yesterday

Jimmy Carberry – The Youths of Yesterday

Steve Zocek Jimmy Carberry signed youth forms for Everton in the 1980s, spending seven years at the club, appearing in the FA Youth Cup and Everton reserve sides, before his transfer to Wigan in the summer of 1989. Before joining Everton, Jimmy was playing football locally for his school and making name grabbing headlines as he made his debut for Liverpool U14s boys in the Snowdon Cup. The opposition, Kirkby, led 1-0 at the break. Liverpool U14s equalised in the second period as Carberry put his team in front, before the floodgates opened, ending up with a rousing 5-1 win.  The next month…
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Desert Island Memorabilia: David France and The Everton Collection

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…
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Dixie Dean Memorial Trophy – with award winner Derek Temple

Dixie Dean Memorial Trophy – with award winner Derek Temple

Everton FC Heritage Society Event – 12 May 2025 Tickets available only online at Eventbrite – Click here for direct link Join us for a special event, and likely to be the final public evening event at Goodison Park, hosted in the Alex Young Suite, Main Stand, Goodison Park, where we will be presenting the Memorial Trophy instituted in honour of the legendary Dixie Dean. This year, we are delighted to have club legend, Everton Giant - and our esteemed award winner - Derek Temple, as our guest of honour. Paying tribute to Derek, and sharing their personal Goodison memories, will include former players…
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Everton v Newcastle United – 8 April 1955

Everton v Newcastle United – 8 April 1955

by Mike Royden . https://youtu.be/rssPxIh3jCM The cine-film (enlarged view below) In this age of multimedia, with every archive film clip seemingly now available online, it is rare that an undiscovered gem becomes available. Yet, that is what has come into the hands of Everton FC Heritage Society. In the form of a 16mm cine-reel, it is the filmed record of the First Division match between Everton and Newcastle United, played at Goodison Park on 8 April 1955. It is also especially valuable because it documents at length (one hour of footage survives) a match from the 1950s - a rarity…
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Derek Temple – an interview with an Everton Giant

Derek Temple – an interview with an Everton Giant

With Rob Sawyer https://youtu.be/Wi01ixepwoE (Click to play) Derek Temple is, quite simply, an Everton treasure. His association with the club as ground staff member, player and supporter, spans seven decades. Scoring the winning goal in the  thrilling 1966 FA Cup Final has sometimes overshadowed the Dovecote-born man’s other achievements. Joining the Blues as a prolific teenage centre-forward in 1954, he debuted for the first team in March 1957 before having his career paused for two years due to National Service, some of it in Kenya. On his return, he had to reacclimatise to English football. Blessed with pace and excellent…
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‘Tosh’ – The Tommy Johnson Story

‘Tosh’ – The Tommy Johnson Story

Rob Sawyer Tommy Johnson's most memorable goalscoring feat may have come as a Manchester City player at Goodison Park but he would go on to help Everton back into the top flight in 1931 and lift both the title and FA Cup in successive years. .................................. In September 1928, Tommy Johnson achieved one of the finest scoring feats accomplished at Goodison Park. Sadly for Toffees supporters, his spectacular five-goal haul was achieved two years before he swapped the sky blue of Manchester City for the royal blue of Everton. Once he did make the move to Goodison, ‘Tosh’ - an…
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Alan Grenyer – An Everton and North Shields Stalwart

Alan Grenyer – An Everton and North Shields Stalwart

Rob Sawyer Alan Grenyer 1919-20 For understandable reasons, Everton’s 1914/15 season team had less coverage and kudos than the other six to achieve the impressive feat of winning the Football League Championship. The season was played with the backdrop of the First World War, which had got underway in July 1914. Perhaps believing that the conflict would be over by Christmas, the regular Football League and FA Cup competitions went ahead. This was in the face of dissent from much of the population at large, who felt that young and fit men should be joining the armed forces, rather than…
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Joe Mercer and the Football Battalion

Joe Mercer and the Football Battalion

by Mike Royden Some years ago, I was working on an extensive project to research and document the history of Ellesmere Port during the First World War, which covered life on the home front, those that served in the forces, and those who sadly did not return. I created a website to share the research and stories, which also covered the recording of the biographies of the servicemen listed on the town's war memorials. One name sprang out while scouring the newspapers of the time - that of Joe Mercer. It was an interview he gave to a local journalist,…
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From Barry to the Blues – The Keith Webber Story

From Barry to the Blues – The Keith Webber Story

Rob Sawyer A young Keith Webber before joining Everton Born in Cardiff on 5 January 1943, Keith Webber grew up idolising his footballing countrymen Trevor Ford and John Charles. A gifted scholar with a talent for numbers, his parents hoped that he would attend university and, perhaps, go into accountancy. However, Keith’s passion for sport was matched by his all-round ability. The Glamorganshire schoolboy long-jump record holder and the Cardiff Schools 220-yard sprint champion also played rugby at wing three-quarter for his school. He would also turn out (under an assumed name) as an amateur footballer for Barry Town, alongside…
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