Books

The Glovesmen of Goodison: A History of Everton’s Goalkeepers by Paul Owens

Explore the careers of every goalkeeper who has stood between the sticks for Merseyside giants Everton FC, and get exclusive insight from the keepers themselves.

Meticulously researched, this compelling book is brimming with fascinating stories of the club’s leading last lines of defence, including:

With chapters covering every period in the club’s rich goalkeeping past, this book is a must-read for Evertonians and goalkeeping aficionados everywhere.

Broken Dreams by Rob Sawyer

In the late summer of 1939, Everton Football Club had the world at their feet. After a 1938/39 season that saw them claim the League Championship title, they seemed poised to become an enduring dynasty in English football. But the invasion of Poland by Germany, just eight days into the 1939/40 season, suspended the dreams and ambitions of a team that looked set to dominate the decade.

Rob Sawyer’s excellent book takes you on a thrilling journey through the most tumultuous era in the club’s history. Packed with intricate details, player profiles, and behind-the-scenes anecdotes, this book pays homage to the men who could have been legends in an era that could have been iconic.

The Forgotten Champions by Paul McParlan

The Forgotten Champions vividly recounts Everton’s remarkable 1986/87 title win, a feat that tested Howard Kendall’s managerial skills to the limit. Lifelong Everton fan and experienced football writer Paul McParlan draws on personal recollections, extensive research and interviews with key team members – Alan Harper, Paul Power and captain Kevin Ratcliffe – to recreate that dramatic season.

Against all odds, an injury-ravaged Everton side deprived of so many key players for large chunks of the campaign were crowned league champions for the ninth time. It was a magnificent achievement. To date, it is the club’s last title. With his unrivalled knowledge of 1986/87, Paul brings that incredible season to life in all its glory in this fascinating, page-turning account.

Kendall’s Glory Years by Steve Zocek

Former Everton players and backroom staff give you the inside track on Howard Kendall’s illustrious first spell in charge of the Toffees and how he became the most successful manager in the club’s long history. Charting the homecoming of one of Everton’s greatest midfielders, to manage the club and bring back the glory years of a side desperate for silverware.

Evertonians who remember that special era will be fascinated to go behind the scenes, while younger supporters will enjoy reading about the period when their team dominated, not just the domestic game but European football as well, and the heights they could have reached had it not been for Heysel.

This is Everton FC at their brilliant best.

A Grand Old Team To Report: 45 Years Of Following Everton Football Club by David Prentice

David Prentice was the Sport Editor of the Liverpool Echo, the city’s famous newspaper. His fascinating book charts almost half a century of Everton Football Club’s history – from a unique insider. It is a fan-fare and a news report. A travelogue and a social comment – and a poignant reflection of how football and journalism have changed forever.

Whether it’s covering pre-season tours or getting behind dressing room doors, few people know Everton Football Club like David Prentice. As a trusted journalist for the Liverpool Echo since the 1980s, he had daily visits to the training ground, interviewed players, enjoyed unrivalled access to the manager’s office and found out what was really happening on the blue half of Merseyside.

A Grand Old Team To Report is a unique collection of Everton memories that tell the stories behind the stories.

The End: From Glory to a Whole New Ball Game: Everton 1985-1994 by Gavin Buckland

In May 1994, Everton Football Club found themselves on the brink of disaster – an outcome no one could have imagined just a few years earlier. More than three decades after John Moores set out to make Everton the dominant force in English football, the club faced the grim prospect of relegation in the final match of the 1993/94 season against Wimbledon. Once known as the ‘Mersey Millionaires,’ Everton had fallen to ‘Mersey Mediocrities.’ This downfall was unthinkable just nine years earlier, when Howard Kendall had led the club to the League Championship and European supremacy.

Gavin Buckland’s final book on the Moores era at Everton, is the authoritative and vivid telling of footballing aristocracy falling on hard times. Offering rich detail and insight, The End is a must-read for any football fan or historian of the modern game.

The Fallen of Everton by Mike Royden / Peter Jones

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.

A booklet was produced to include a roll of honour for all three clubs, with brief biographies of the players. Copies are no longer available, but a digital PDF can be downloaded here.

Anfield Cemetery Booklet by Jamie Yates

A booklet has been produced by Jamie Yates of the Society, with support from Tony Onslow and Rob Sawyer, detailing the known staff and players of Everton Football Club who have been laid to rest in Anfield Cemetery.
A digital PDF is available for free downloaded here.

Latest version: Booklet updated August 2023