Everton F.C.

Everton F.C. is an English football club from the city of Liverpool and was founded in 1878. The club's nickname is the Toffees and their home ground, known as Goodison Park, has a capacity of 40,260. It holds the record for the most amount of seasons in the top league of English football, some 101.

History

Origins

The club's roots lie in an English Methodist congregation called New Connexion, which decided to build a new chapel in the Liverpool area in 1868. The following year, the church bought some land on Breckfield Road North, between St. Domingo Vale and St. Domingo Grove. This was located near the district of Everton, which had become part of the City of Liverpool in 1835.

St. Domingo Methodist Church's new chapel was opened in 1871 and six years later, Rev B.S. Chambers was appointed Minister. He was responsible for starting a cricket team for the youngsters in the parish. Because cricket can only be played in the summer, they had to find something to play during the other seasons as well. So a football club called St. Domingo F.C. was formed in 1878. A lot of people outside the parish were interested in joining the football club so it was decided that the name should be changed. In November 1879 at a meeting in the Queen's Head Hotel, the team name was changed to Everton Football Club, after the surrounding district.

Ground

Everton originally played in the southeast corner of Stanley Park with the first official match taking place in 1879. In 1882, a man named J. Cruitt donated land at Priory Road which became the club's home for a couple of years before moving onto Anfield in 1884 which was Everton's home until 1892 when a rent dispute led to Everton leaving the ground and to the formation of a new, rival team. The new club, which was named Liverpool F.C., set up at Anfield and Everton moved onto Goodison Park where they remain to this day. Ever since those events a fierce rivalry has existed between Everton and Liverpool, albeit one that is generally perceived as being more respectful than many other "derbies" in English football.

Goodison Park has staged more top flight football games than any other ground in the country and became the only English club ground to host a World Cup Semi-Final in 1966. It was also the first English ground to have undersoil heating, two tiers on all sides and a three tier stand. Goodison is the only ground in the world that features a church in its grounds- St Luke the Evangelist at the corner of the Main Stand and the Gwladys Street End.

Crest

At the end of the 1937/38 season, club secretary Theo Kelly, who later became The Toffees first post-war manager, wanted to design a club necktie. It was agreed that the colour should be blue, but Kelly was given the task of designing a crest to be featured on the tie.

Kelly put thought into the matter for four months until deciding on a reproduction of the ‘Beacon’ which stands in the heart of the Everton district. ‘The Beacon’ or ‘Tower’ has been inextricably linked with the Everton area since it’s construction in 1787. It was originally used as a bridewell to incarcerate criminals, and it still stands today on Everton Brow in Netherfield Road. The beacon was accompanied by two laurel wreaths on either side and, according to the College of Heraldry and Arms in London, Mr. Kelly chose to include the laurels as they were the signs of winners in classical times. The crest was accompanied by the club motto, "Nil Satis, Nisi Optimum", which means "Only the best is good enough". The ties were first worn by Kelly and the Everton chairman, Mr. E. Green on the first day of the 1938/39 season.

Interestingly however, the club rarely incorporated a badge of any description on its shirts. An interwoven ‘EFC’ design was adopted between 1922–1930 before reverting back to plain royal blue shirts until 1973 when bold ‘EFC’ lettering was used. The crest designed by Kelly was first used on the teams shirts in 1980 and has remained ever since, undergoing gradual change to become the version used today.

Colours & Nicknames

During the first decades Everton had several different colours and nicknames. The team originally played in blue and white stripes but these were soon turned into a mess when new players wore their old team's shirts during matches. Soon it was decided that the shirts would be dyed black to both save on expenses and look more professional. During this time, Everton were nicknamed "The Black Watch", after the famous army brigade.

When the club moved to Goodison Park, they played in salmon stripes with blue shorts before switching again to ruby shirts with blue trim and dark blue shorts. The famous royal blue jerseys with white shorts were first used in 1901–02 which is obviously the origin of the familiar nickname "The Blues". The scientific style of play employed by the team at one period lead to the name "The School of Science".

The most widely recognised nickname which continues to be used even now came about after Everton had moved to Goodison, when they became known as "The Toffees" or "The Toffeemen". There are several possible explanations for how this name came to be adopted, the most well known is that in those days, there was a business near the ground called Mother Noblett's Toffee Shop which advertised and sold sweets, including the Everton Mint, on match days. This also led to the Toffee Lady tradition in which a girl will walk around the perimeter of the pitch before the start of a game tossing free Everton Mints into the crowd. Another possible reason is that there was a house called Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House near the Queen's Head hotel in which early club meetings took place. And finally, the word "toffee" was also slang referring to Irishmen, of which there was a large population in the city at the turn of the century.

Recent Events

The 1990s were a difficult time for the Toffeemen, with financial difficulties and several end of season near-escapes from relegation. However, since the appointment in March 2002 of a new manager, David Moyes, they improved greatly and finished the 2002–2003 season in seventh place, narrowly missing qualification for the UEFA Cup. However in the 2003–2004 season they finished 4th from bottom, the lowest league position to avoid relegation, with the lowest season points total in the club's history.

Another key factor in Everton's recent revival was the emergence of a rising young star, Wayne Rooney. In one of his first games for the club, in October 2002, he entered football folklore by scoring a sensational last-minute winner against the then League champions Arsenal, consigning them to their first league defeat for almost a year. He has also figured prominently in recent England international matches, after having become the youngest ever player to play for England, in a friendly against Australia, in February 2003. Rooney went on to establish himself as a true superstar at Euro 2004. Rooney requested a transfer on August 27 giving the reason that he wanted to play European football on a regular basis, which wasn't happening at Everton; on August 31, 2004, he moved to Manchester United in a deal that may eventually be worth between £20 million and £27 million (the final amount will depend on both United and Rooney's success).

Everton started the 2004–2005 season in surprisingly good form, having been tipped by many in the media to be relegated this year. After an opening game 4–1 loss to champions Arsenal, they embarked on a remarkable run (including a win over Liverpool, their first since 1998, thanks to a free kick by Lee Carsley) which eventually led them to a fourth-place finish and a spot in next season's Champions League, something which has evaded the club since the 1980s.

Late in 2004, the club was in talks with Liverpool regarding sharing that club's proposed new stadium at Stanley Park. Among the more contentious terms in the negotiations was ownership of the new facility – Liverpool wanted to retain ownership of Stanley Park while Everton wanted an even share. Historically it has appeared that Everton would be more willing to groundshare than Liverpool, although both sets of fans are fiercely opposed to the idea. On January 11, 2005, the clubs announced that they were abandoning the groundshare plan.

The Dixie Years

After averaging a goal a game for Tranmere Rovers, prolific striker William Ralph Dean, was lured across the River Mersey to play for Everton. In his first season for the Toffees, the 1925–26 season, "Dixie" Dean netted 32 league goals in 38 games, scored 21 in 27 the next year, and made history in 1927–28: in a seasonal performance that is unlikely to ever be bettered, Dean hit 60 league goals in 39 matches, setting a record that has stood ever since and almost single-handedly gifting Everton the league title.

In a turn of events that seems unbelievable today, Everton were relegated into the second divison two years later. Predictably, Deane was on top form in the secondary league, hitting 39 goals in 37 games and lifting the Toffees to promotion at the first time of asking.

The following season, Dixie hit 45 and Everton regained the league title. In 1933, they won the FA Cup, Deane becoming Everton's first ever number 9 in the 3–0 final win against Manchester City.

The nickname "Dixie" has ambigious origins, but it is thought that it was given to Deane because his curly hairstyle was similar to that sported by many people of African ethnicity, popularly nicknamed "dixies" at the time. Deane is said to have disliked but reluctantly accepted the tag.

Deane played his last match for Everton on December 11 1937, leaving behind a legacy of 383 goals in 433 matches overall.

The 1960s: The "School of Science"

After the barren period of the 1950s, Harry Catterick took charge of the Everton in 1961. The team were soon to be dubbed the "School of Science" after their methodic approach to the game, and in Catterick's first full season as manager Everton conceded less golas than any other team and finished fourth.

The following season, the Toffees lost just six of their 42 matches and took the title, with the striking partnership of Roy Vernon and Alex Young scoring 46 goals between them (the last time two Everton players have scored more than 20 goals each in one season).

In 1966, the same year the English international team won the World Cup, Everton took home the FA Cup after overturning a two-goal deficit against Sheffield Wednesday in the final to win 3–2. Everton went on to reach the 1968 final, but were unable to overcome West Bromwich Albion at Wembley.

A year later, Everton took the league title again thanks in part to the scoring sensation of one Joe Royle, who would later manage the club to FA Cup success in 1995.

The 1980s: A Golden Era

Everton were strong contenders in the 1980s with neighbours Liverpool as one of Europe's top footballing sides thanks to the efforts of manager Howard Kendall and his impressive playing squad which included the likes of Neville Southall, Gary Stevens, Trevor Steven, Andy Gray and Peter Reid. Gary Lineker also graced Goodison for a season and hit 40 goals in all before moving on to Barcelona in 1987.

Domestically, Everton yielded the F.A Cup in 1984 and league title in 1985 and another league title in 1987. They were also league title/F.A Cup runners-up to neighbouring Liverpool in 1986 and were again on the losing side to Liverpool in the 1989 F.A Cup final.

Significantly, European success at last reached Goodison in 1985 in the shape of the European Cup Winners Cup. Everton defeated German giants Bayern Munich 3–1 in the semi-finals (in a match voted the greatest in Goodison Park history) and recorded the same scoreline against Austrian club Rapid Vienna in the final.

1985 was the year in which Everton almost recorded the "treble". They managed to capture the league title and the Cup Winners Cup but were defeated by Manchester United in the FA Cup Final thanks to Norman Whiteside's extra-time goal. Nevertheless, it was arguably the club's most successful season since it's creation and has not been equalled by future Everton teams since.

Kendall left in 1987 to hand over the reins to assistant Colin Harvey.

The 1990s: Few Highs and Many Lows

The 1990s was perhaps the least eventful decade of the 20th century in the history of Everton football club. It began on a low note in November 1990 when Colin Harvey, who had never proved himself as a top manager, made way for the returning Howard Kendall – but the return of the great manager made little difference to the club's playing fortunes. He quit again in 1993–94, when Everton narrowly escaped relegation from the Premier League, and his successor Mike Walker lasted less than a year. By now, the great squad of the 1980's had been effectively eroded – only Neville Southall remained. Instead, Everton's squad was made up of ungainly players like Ian Snodin, Brett Angell and Matt Jackson. For a while it looked like new manager Joe Royle, appointed in October 1994, was in the process of re-establishing Everton as a footballing force – especially when they beat Manchester United in the 1995 F.A Cup final. But Everton's sub-standard league form returned in 1997 and he left to make way for Howard Kendall, whose third and final spell as manager ended after just one season in which Everton avoided relegation only on goal difference.

Into the New Millennium: Moving Forward?

Walter Smith, who had won seven successive Scottish titles with Glasgow Rangers – including two doubles and a treble – , was named as Everton's new manager in the summer of 1998. But he was dismissed in March 2002 after four traumatic seasons as manager which had seen a side full of ungainly players fail to finish any higher than 13th place in the Premiership.

Since then, promising new manager David Moyes has started to move the club forward. They surprised all the observers in 2002–03 by finishing seventh in the Premiership and just missing out on a UEFA Cup place, in a season which was dominated by the emergency of brilliant 17-year-old striker Wayne Rooney.

Everton suffered a setback in 2003–04, missing relegation by just one place (although this time their safety was confirmed in the penultimate game of the season), and it was feared that the club's half-century stay in the Premiership could be over when Rooney was sold to Manchester United in August 2004 for a fee which could eventually rise to £27million.

However, Everton's now-diminutive squad pulled together in the 2004–05 season, thanks greatly to the five-in-the-midfield tactic of Moyes and the galvanising presence of Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen. Despite Graveson's sale to Real Madrid halfway through the season, Everton managed to finish fourth in the table and achieve Champions League qualification ahead of Liverpool and Bolton Wanderers.

Major Honours

• League Champions: (9) 1890–91, 1914–15, 1927–28, 1931–32, 1938–39, 1962–63, 1969–70, 1984–85, 1986–87
• FA Cup: (5) 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984, 1995
• Charity Shield: (9) 1928, 1932, 1963, 1970, 1984, 1985, 1986 (shared), 1987, 1995
• European Cup Winners' Cup: (1) 1985

Records

• Record League Victory: 15–0 v Chelsea, Division 1, 12 February 1919
• Record Cup Victory: 7–0 v Manchester United, FA Cup, 5th Round, 19 January 1890

• Record League Defeat: 4–10 v Tottenham Hotspur, Division 1, 11 October 1958

• Most League Goals: 349 Dixie Dean, Division 1, 1925–1937
• Most Goals in a Season: 60 Dixie Dean, Division 1, 1927–28
• Most Capped Player: Neville Southall, 86 Wales
• Most League Appearances: Neville Southall, 494 1981–1995

Performance In The Top Division

Everton is the only club to have played 100 seasons in the English football league's top division and was one of the 12 founding members of the league in 1888, and have spent only four seasons outside the highest division since then, the last being the 1953-54 campaign. Only Arsenal has had a longer unbroken run in the top flight. During the club's remarkable top flight run, the finishing positions have been as follows:

• 1st: 9 times
• 2nd: 7 times
• 3rd: 7 times
• 4th: 8 times
• 5th: 4 times
• 6th: 4 times
• 7th: 8 times
• 8th: 4 times
• 9th: 2 times
• 10th: 2 times
• 11th: 9 times
• 12th: 2 times
• 13th: 2 times
• 14th: 5 times
• 15th: 9 times
• 16th: 5 times
• 17th: 6 times
• 18th: 3 times
• 19th: 1 time
• 20th: 2 times
• 21st: -
• 22nd: 2 times

Squad list

As of February 10 2005

Notable Players

• Alan Ball
• Graeme Sharp
• Kevin Campbell
• Dixie Dean
• Thomas Gravesen
• Colin Harvey
• Alex Young
• Howard Kendall
• Brian Labone
• Gary Lineker
• Mick Lyons
• Kevin Ratcliffe
• Peter Reid
• Wayne Rooney
• Joe Royle
• Ted Sagar
• Neville Southall
• Bob Latchford
• Trevor Steven
• Dave Hickson
• Andrei Kanchelskis
• Dave Watson
• Andy Gray
• Ray Wilson
• Alex Young
• Nigel Martyn

External links

Official site

• http://www.evertonfc.com

Fanzine

• When Skies are Grey

Other External Links

• Everton MAD – Up to the minutes Everton News
• Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
• Evertonians – A different view on all things Blue...
• ICLiverpool
• MKBlues Fans
• EFC Online
• Soccernet: Everton
• Blue Kipper
• Toffee Web
• FootyMania.com=> Everton FC Latest News
• Everton's 80s Heroes
• ToffeeBlog
• EvertonBlog
• 4thegame.com's Everton page