Members Work

Articles and writing from Heritage Society members and contributors

Forgotten Champions 1986/87: Everton’s Last Title

Forgotten Champions 1986/87: Everton’s Last Title

Paul McParlan – in Conversation with Rob Sawyer The Forgotten Champions is an enthralling account of how Everton overcame a devastating catalogue of injuries and the sale of their star striker to reclaim the league title from Liverpool in 1987. Manager Howard Kendall used all his tactical acumen to produce a side that was far greater than the sum of its parts, to bring the title back to Goodison.  Paul McParlan, of Everton FC Heritage Society, is a member of the Football Writers' Association and a senior writer for These Football Times. His articles have appeared on The Athletic website…
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Memories of Goodison Park

Memories of Goodison Park

A Film by Everton FC Heritage Society This is the latest of our Society-made films, which in this episode features a nostalgic look at the history of our great stadium. Our presenters, Ken Rogers and Rob Sawyer - who you will have met before in the 'Everton Village and the Birth of Everton Football Club' film - take us on a memorable journey, through the step-by-step development of Goodison Park from its foundation in 1892, through to the impending ground move on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey. View the full film by clicking here: https://youtu.be/xLeg70CN928 View the full…
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The Opening of Goodison Park! – A Picnic, a Firework Display, a Friendly, the First League Game

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 –…
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‘Everton Village and the Birth of Everton Football Club’  

‘Everton Village and the Birth of Everton Football Club’  

Presented by Rob Sawyer in conversation with Ken Rogers. An EFCHS original film Everton FC Heritage Society have made a new film about the role and effect of Everton Village in the history of Everton Football Club, featuring the Queen's Head pub, the two toffee shops, and, of course, the lock-up which adorns our club crest. Only the lock-up still remains in situ, but the sites are all within just a few yards of each other. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sw1kHgjMH_w&ab_channel=EvertonFCHeritageSociety Well-known Everton FC author and member of EFCHS, Rob Sawyer, met up with former Sports Editor of the Liverpool Echo, Ken Rogers (Chairman…
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Everton – The Baseball Years

Everton – The Baseball Years

Richie Gillham and Rob Sawyer Baseball may be a minority sport in the UK, but 80 years ago Merseyside was a hotbed of this popular American pastime. Had it not been for the outbreak of War in 1939, perhaps it would have gained a proper foothold in our sporting life. Folklore has it that William Ralph ‘Dixie’ Dean was once introduced to the legendary Babe Ruth (of Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees fame) at a football match. Dean recalled to journalist John Roberts his encounter with Babe. The American introduced himself in typical style by booming: "You’re that…
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George and Annie Jane Goodison

George and Annie Jane Goodison

Towards the Foundation of a Stadium, and how Classical Egypt came to Waterloo Mike Royden The name ‘Goodison Park’ has always had a touch of class about it, but it so easily could have been called ‘Mere Green’ or possibly ‘Walton Stiles’:  Mere Green being the land leased (and later purchased) for the new Everton FC stadium, and Walton Stiles being the ancient footpath that once ran from the Walton Church area, approximately along what is now Goodison Road, down Spellow Lane and on to County Road.   But where did the name originate, and how did it become the name…
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The Women’s Derby Match: Rob Sawyer and Sarah Deboe on Radio Merseyside

The Women’s Derby Match: Rob Sawyer and Sarah Deboe on Radio Merseyside

Rob Sawyer and Sarah Deboe on Radio Merseyside On Friday 15 November 2024, EFCHS members Rob and Sarah appeared on Radio Merseyside to chat with Kev Duala regarding Goodison Park’s links to women’s football, as the women's derby match was fast approaching. Click image for BBC Sounds iPlayer (item is at 1 hr 20min) More articles on our Everton Women Heritage Page In addition to the EFCHS webpage above, our society member Bradley Cates (a.k.a. EFCStatto) also has a dedicated webpage . I
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The Story of Bellefield

The Story of Bellefield

From its Early Nineteenth Century Origin to a Seventy Year Association with Everton FC Mike Royden When Everton finally left Bellefield for the last time on 9 October 2007, it brought to an end an eight-decade association with the training complex which commenced in the 1930s. Previously, the senior side had utilised a variety of grounds, including Stanley Park and Walton Stiles, but from the turn of the century, training was centred on the Goodison pitch and the adjacent training ground behind the Park End stand. But how did the club come to use Bellefield and what was the estate…
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Who was the Peruvian Dixie Dean?

Who was the Peruvian Dixie Dean?

Richie Gillham Left to right: Geldard, Dunn, Villanueva, Johnson, Stein (courtesy of the John Rowlands Albert Geldard Collection) Alejandro Villanueva: The Peruvian Legend who Dazzled at Home and Abroad Alejandro Villanueva was one of the most iconic figures in Peruvian football during the heyday of the 1930s. Born on 4 June 1908, in Lima, Villanueva became a symbol of Peruvian football’s golden era during the 1920s and 1930s. Alejandro had many nicknames, including 'Manguera' - a nod to his ability and agility on the pitch with his extraordinary control of a football, and his many outrageous moves. Liverpool Echo, 26…
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The Toffees in Tenerife in 1934

The Toffees in Tenerife in 1934

Rob Sawyer Post-season Everton tours beyond these shores were becoming firmly established in the early 1930s. Previously, there had been trips to Austria-Hungary (1905), South America (1909), Barcelona (1924), and Switzerland (1928). The spring of 1932 had seen the newly-crowned Football League champions play six matches in Germany; a year later, as FA Cup holders, the Toffees toured Denmark. Tours in that era earned clubs some funds but, in contrast to what we witness today, there not untold riches on offer, or thoughts of raising global brand awareness. The Everton squad 1933-34 season Early in 1934, key figures on Tenerife…
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