Players

Gordon Watson, One of Us ….
21
Jul
By David France
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1930-1939, 1940-1949, Latest, Players

Gordon Watson, One of Us ….

Dr David France OBE (Founder of Everton FC Heritage Society and Life President) Everton F.C. League Champions 1939 (Gordon Watson back row, third from right. Photo - The Everton Collection) Something of a raconteur, Gwladys Street Hall of Famer Gordon Watson loved to share tales of his life at Goodison and he once spoke passionately about his team-mates from the side he regarded as ‘The Forgotten Champions of 1939’ ‘Gordon Watson? Never heard of him.’ Well, the Geordie (from the same neck of the woods as Howard Kendall) played alongside Dixie Dean in Everton’s Central League-winning side in 1938, helped…
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John Cuff – from Goodison Park to The Monte Carlo Rally
16
May
By Rob Sawyer
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1930-1939, 1940-1949, Articles, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

John Cuff – from Goodison Park to The Monte Carlo Rally

Rob Sawyer John Cuff in Everton colours in 1936 I was, for many years, puzzled by a photo in The Everton Story, a book by Derek Hodgson,  showing a youthful player in the 1930s. It was captioned as being 'Will Cuff' - yet Cuff, the vulnerable Everton Chairman and former club Secretary, was well into his 60s, at this point. So, who was the mislabeled player featured in the book? With help from Everton historian, and custodian of the Blues Chronicles website, Billy Smith, he was identified as John Cuff - the shared surname explaining the confusion on the part…
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Everton Custodians Who Went From Shot-stopper to Goalscorer
13
May
By Richie Gillham
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2020-2029, Articles, Latest, Players, Richard Gillham

Everton Custodians Who Went From Shot-stopper to Goalscorer

During April 2023, Rob Sawyer tweeted a long running series of posts on the Everton FC Heritage Society Twitter account covering the great goalkeepers who have donned the Everton custodian shirt from founding of the club through to c.2000. So, after delving into the football libraries of the world wide web, I have found that many of the Toffees’ great keepers have also found luck at the other end of the pitch, scoring against their fellow keepers either in blue or out of the blue. In January 2012, I was at Goodison Park to witness Tim Howard become the latest…
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Getting it Wright – (Son of My Father Part 18)
20
Apr
By Steve Zocek
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1970-1979, 1980-1989, 2010-2019, Articles, Latest, Players, Steve Zocek

Getting it Wright – (Son of My Father Part 18)

Billy and Anthony Wright As well as being the son of Billy Wright, Anthony is also the great-nephew of Everton's World Cup full back Tommy Wright, and the cousin of Everton Ladies league winner Emma Wright-Cates. Quite an Everton family! Billy Wright Billy Wright (Photo by Bob Thomas Sports Photography via Getty Images) Ray Minshull was in charge of the youth set up when young Billy came to the attention of the club. It was touch and go at one stage, because Liverpool were keen to take the youngster on too. There was a scout that represented Liverpool that actually…
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Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper
06
Apr
By Rob Sawyer
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1910-1919, 1920-1929, Articles, Everton Collection, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer, WW1

Tom Fern – Everton’s Evergreen Goalkeeper

By Rob Sawyer The 1914/15 season was played under the cloud of the First World War, with many criticising the football authorities for letting it run to its conclusion. An ostentatious celebration of the title win by Everton would not have been welcomed by the press or the nation at large. This muted response is something of a disservice to the likes of Bobby Parker, Harry Makepeace, Sam Chedgzoy, Jimmy Galt and Tom Fern. The latter was a custodian who amassed over two hundred outings for the Toffees - it would have been many more, were it not for the…
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Son of My Father (Part 17) – David and Jackie Grant
31
Mar
By Steve Zocek
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1940-1949, 1950-1959, 1960-1969, Latest, Players, Steve Zocek

Son of My Father (Part 17) – David and Jackie Grant

by Steve Zocek David Grant (born 1947) David Grant played football for Liverpool Schoolboys, representing the juniors, before going up to the next level. During that period, Dave also represented Lancashire Schoolboys, with the proudest moment of all, being selected for England Schoolboys against Ireland at the Filbert Street ground, the home of Leicester City.  Whilst representing county and country, scouts from football clubs searched for a new talent.  And low and behold, there was a tug of war between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Everton, both hoping to persuade this talented youngster to sign forms. But to the chagrin of the…
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T.G. Jones and Bangor’s Enduring Spirit of ’62
27
Feb
By Rob Sawyer
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1960-1969, Articles, Players, Rob Sawyer

T.G. Jones and Bangor’s Enduring Spirit of ’62

Rob Sawyer A youthful T.G. Jones Thomas George Jones – T.G. for short, and Tommy to his friends and admirers - is acclaimed as the classiest centre-half to have set foot on Goodison’s turf. Imperious in the air, cool as a cucumber with the ball at his feet in his own penalty box and capable of delivering a rocket shot, no less than the great Dixie Dean declared Jones to be the greatest all-round player he had ever seen. Seasoned observers dubbed him the Prince of Centre-Halves. Part of the hallowed Toffees title-winning team of 1938/39, he was robbed of…
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Sam Chedgzoy – A Star on Both Sides of The Atlantic
17
Feb
By Rob Sawyer
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1910-1919, 1920-1929, Latest, Players, Rob Sawyer

Sam Chedgzoy – A Star on Both Sides of The Atlantic

Chedgzoy is a brilliant raider, a clean player and a companiable man. Athletic News - 1921 Rob Sawyer In 1924, Samuel Chedgzoy wrote himself into the annals of football history for his role in forcing a hasty change to the rules of the sport. This stunt (more of which later) was but a small part of the remarkable, and sometimes intriguing, life of one of Everton and England’s finest outside rights – and, alongside Joe Mercer and Stan Cullis, one of Ellesmere Port’s greatest sons. The surname has a slightly exotic feel – Eastern European maybe? The truth is more…
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Lance Johnston – A Knight of the Round Table at Inside-Left?
19
Jan
By Jamie Yates
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1910-1919, Articles, Jamie Yates, Latest, Players

Lance Johnston – A Knight of the Round Table at Inside-Left?

Jamie Yates Scouring old newspaper reports, statutory records, census returns and history books, while working through and cross-checking the relevant dates and stories of the men who played for Everton in years gone by, turns up all sorts of interesting events, tangents and curiosities. The full names of a number of those who turned out in the early colours and patterns of Everton jersey on the various strips of grass that the club called home, and several who ran out in blue in the first half century or so at Goodison Park, really stand out; Benjamin Howard-Baker Samuel Bolton Ashworth…
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