Members Work

Articles and writing from Heritage Society members and contributors

Tammy Burgess in conversation with Rob Sawyer

Tammy Burgess in conversation with Rob Sawyer

Tammy Byrne (now Burgess) was one of the emerging talents in the Everton Ladies squad which won, to date, the club’s only league title. Not a follower of a particular club, or football in general, as a child, the course of her life was changed by an encounter at Moss Farm in the mid-1990s. Here, Tammy describes the transformative impact on her of football and her Everton clubmates. I had older brothers and played football in my area, Croxteth, with the likes of Francis Jeffers. I hadn’t played football in a team, so I didn’t actually know how good I…
Read More
Everton FC Heritage Society on Radio Merseyside

Everton FC Heritage Society on Radio Merseyside

On 14 September 2023, EFCHS members Rob Sawyer and Lewis Royden were interviewed by Paul 'Salty' Salt on BBC Radio Merseyside about the Society's activities, and our new venture into making films on the history of Everton Football Club (beginning with our recent documentaries on Thomas Keates and Everton Village). The full interview is available here: ⁩ (left to right): Rob Sawyer, Lewis Royden, Paul Salt (left to right): Paul Salt, Lewis Royden, Rob Sawyer (left to right): Paul Salt, Lewis Royden, Mike Royden ⁩ .
Read More
Bobby Irvine – The Prince of Dribblers

Bobby Irvine – The Prince of Dribblers

Bobby Irvine, the Everton forward whose threepenny-bit dribbles used to have the million-pound note look. (Ranger – Liverpool Echo, 1954) Rob Sawyer Bobby posing in a Belfast studio in the early 1920s Hard as it is to imagine, forty years before George Best was thrilling football supporters up and down the land, Northern Ireland possessed a forward of similar talents - who played for Everton, rather than Manchester United.   Born on 29 April 1900, and raised on Low Road in Lisburn, Robert W. Irvine (always known as Bobby) made his name as a skilful and versatile forward, with a…
Read More
Thomas Keates – Director and First Historian of Everton Football Club – An EFCHS original film

Thomas Keates – Director and First Historian of Everton Football Club – An EFCHS original film

Everton FC Heritage Society have made a new film about the life of Thomas Keates, an early director of Everton FC, and author of the first history of the club, published in 1929. Written and presented by EFCHS member Jamie Yates, he was inspired to delve further into Keates' past after discovering his damaged headstone in Anfield Cemetery while working on another project. We hope this will be the first of many more heritage films about Everton Football Club, as several more are already in the planning stage. Films are easily accessible via our YouTube Channel link on the main…
Read More
The Everton Heritage Society Podcast

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…
Read More
Thomas Keates – Celebration of his Life, and Grave Rededication – news report

Thomas Keates – Celebration of his Life, and Grave Rededication – news report

Following on from our film* about the life of former Everton FC director, and first historian of the club, Thomas Keates, a celebration of his life and rededication of his grave took place at Anfield Cemetery on Saturday 9 September 2023. [* This film can be found at the end of this report] It was attended by several Heritage Society members, while Dave Prentice and Ian Snodin represented Everton Football Club. We were most pleased to welcome three direct descendants of Thomas Keates, which gave the day extra meaning knowing his blood relatives were able to be present and witness…
Read More
John Turner – from a Ram to Japan

John Turner – from a Ram to Japan

Steve Zocek  The name of John Turner would not be particularly familiar to most Evertonians, whatever their age. It would be a stiff challenge in a pub quiz to guess his connection to Everton in relation to the pre-season tour of Japan under manager Howard Kendall in 1981. A Geordie by birth, he never hid the fact that he was a fanatical Sunderland supporter who would go along with his father to watch his heroes –notably Charlie Hurley, Len Ashurst, Martin Harvey, Brian Clough and Ernie Taylor – at the famous old Roker Park in the early 1960s. A former…
Read More
The Story of The Bullens

The Story of The Bullens

Rob Sawyer Perhaps the key motif for Goodison Park is the Archibald Leitch-designed cross-braced panels - as seen at the front of the Bullens Road stand balcony. The oldest stand and the only extant one to bear witness to Dixie’s glorious 60th League goal in 1928. Now giving faithful service into its 97th year, it will be robbed of reaching its century by the impending move to Bramley Moore Dock. The new stadium will pay a respectful nod to its predecessor with the Leitch lattice pattern incorporated into brickwork. After moving to Goodison Park, Everton had a Bullens Road stand…
Read More
Tommy White – A Player of Many Parts

Tommy White – A Player of Many Parts

by Rob Sawyer I have played in almost every forward and half-back position for Everton. That versatility helped me more than once to get a first team place. On the other hand, for a time I was regarded as nothing but a sub for other players. When they were ready for the first team again, I was out. That’s how it has been all through my football career. Shocks and pleasant surprises always round the corner. I never knew which I would meet. Tom White (June 1937) Born at Goulden Street, in Weaste, Salford, on 29 July 1908, Tom Angus…
Read More
Everton v Keflavik – European Cup, Sept 1970

Everton v Keflavik – European Cup, Sept 1970

In the week commencing 14 September 1970, Edward Heath was in residence in 10 Downing Street, Tears of a Clown by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles was top of the charts, back and white television sets were still in higher demand than the newly introduced colour sets, and one hundred pounds back then would now (in 2023) have the purchasing power of around £1,900. Meanwhile, the newspapers rocked the music scene with reports of the shocking death of the brilliant young guitarist Jimi Hendrix, as a result of a barbiturate overdose on 18 September 1970. The 'Twenty-Seven Club' had claimed…
Read More