The Illustrated Everton Story

Everton...

Chapter One

The Nikica Jelavić Impression 2011-13

Jelavić

On January 31, 2012, the Blue skies appeared and goals rained from above, a key factor that was missing from the previous half of a deprived Premier League campaign. Everton sparked into form winning six Premier League fixtures, drawing six and losing just two, a bundle of results forced by a talented and rugged team spearheaded by the new man, a powerful, proficient striker with a lethal finish, a Croatian who went by the name of Nikica Jelavić.

The 6’2" blonde haired goal scorer added a different dimension to a stale team that was struggling to find the net on too many occasions, and significant results followed in the destructive path of Nikica Jelavić.

Jelavić proved impressive as he scored his first goal for Everton against Spurs on March 10, 2012 after his £5 million transfer form struggling Rangers where he topped their goal scoring chart before his move south of the boarder.

As a result of his two goals at Old Trafford, Jelavić scored in five successive away games matching the feat of the charismatic Duncan McKenzie (1977-78). Jelavić also stamped on another Everton ear mark, scoring two against Fulham, which earned his place as becoming the quickest player for Everton to reach 10 goals since Tom Browell in 1912. As he topped the Everton scoring list of 2012, he became the first Croatian to earn Player of the Month for April. What a proven goal scorer makes a difference.

JELAVIC - ANOTHER GOAL

On Loan did the Trick

Everton had previously blew away Manchester City at the end of January 2012 with a magnificent pin point strike from newborn Darren Gibson who found the net from some way out, scoring the only goal of the game before momentous displays and results came about.

The Blue machine did not stop there after wiping Manchester City away, the Toffees thumped Andre Villas-Boas’ Chelsea out of the park with a 2-0 win and another clean sheet. The homecoming Stephen Pienaar smashed in a 5th minute goal for the Blues as the instrumental midfielder, loaned back, skipped past his marker to fire into the roof of a much guarded net. In the second half, on Loan Denis Stracqualursi sealed the win courtesy of an assist from another on Loan man, Landon Donovan.

Marching On

That man Jelavić smashed in his first for Everton and the only goal of the game against a super Tottenham Hotspur team as the month March evolved, and so did Everton who began to score goals for fun. Tim Howard kept his seventh clean sheet out of an impressive nine in the League.

Four

Not since the compelling team of 1964 had Everton scored four goals in three consecutive League matches until the Toffees clouted Sunderland 4-0 headed by an outstanding Pienaar display, topped with a terrific goal from the South African. The impressive Leon Osman added his name to the score sheet and so did Magaye Gueye and the everlasting Victor Anichebe. Sandwiched between the steamrolling over Sunderland and the thrashing of Fulham weeks later (Jelavić (2), Marouane Fellaini, Tim Cahill) came the thrilling 4-4 result at Old Trafford.

FELLAINI SCORES AT OLD TRAFFORD

Not many had witnessed a Premier League match mixed with adventurous attacking play and a comeback few had set eyes on at fortress Old Trafford. That man Jelavić boosted Everton ahead before the Toffees looked doomed as the Red Devils put three past a gob smacked Everton to make it 3-1. Afro haired Fellaini had other ideas as the midfielder struck to make it two for battling Everton, however, the comeback was noticed by United and they responded with venom as their fourth goal made it 4-2. Many Blues recognised a superb display, and the Everton heart beat faster as Jelavić popped in a third before Pienaar finished a tremendous team worked passage to slot home a fourth to make it 4-4, and Everton scored four goals yet again.

Unleashed

As the finish line appeared, Everton stuttered home in a battle with Liverpool to finish seventh in the Premier League, and not since 2005 had the skirmish came so close that Everton held the heads high. Again, in recent history the first half of the season seemed to choke the Blues before a Christmas period was over and the Toffees were unleashed to finish in the top ten of the Premier League.

2012, Wembley

On April 14, 2012, Everton played out another FA Cup semi-final; Everton’s 41st in their illustrious history, bettered only by Manchester United and Arsenal. The blues brushed past Tamworth 2-0 in the third round, stepping over Fulham 2-1 in the fourth round before cleanly beating Blackpool 2-0 in the next. It took two attempts to overcome Sunderland in the quarter-final as a 1-1 draw at Goodison was enough to batter the Black Cats 2-0 in the televised replay. The result set up a Wembley semi-final match up against rivals Liverpool who bettered Stoke City in their quarter-finals.

The atmosphere was hot, as Everton faced Liverpool at Wembley in the FA Cup for the first time since 1989 when Stuart McCall scored two for the Blues in a 3-2 loss. Anticipation ran through all as the game was kicked off when the first half leant in Everton’s favour. Jelavić pounced on a lose ball after 24 minutes to slot home the first goal of the game before the drama commenced. Everton and the ever reliable defensive giant Sylvain Distin pressed the self destruct button mid way through the second half in a match Everton looked dominant.

The semi-final was lost when Distin attempted to fool the closing Red Luis Suarez with a shimmy and a back pass, but the pass was weightless and Suarez pounced to equalise and the game changed dominant from Blue to Red. Everton were undone further in the closing minutes as Andy Carroll headed in the winner and all in Blue were gutted as on form Toffees seemed destined to march out at Wembley days later to set up another match up against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.

DISTIN CAN’T BELIVE IT!

CAPTAIN NEVILLE - GUTTED BUT PROUD

The year 2012 was not to be for Everton who came so close in the FA Cup and pushed for a top ten League finish, and all at Everton sense there is more to come in this Grand Old Club with an incredible history.

Chapter Two

When HE Created Everton... 1878 - 1891

St. Domingo

Nothing but the best is good enough - Nil Satis Nisi Optimum - The club’s motto written on the crest of Everton Football Club. The Latin phrase that appropriately promotes the drive behind the history of Everton FC.

On September 12, 1870, the first brick was laid, in July1871, the first service took place, a new chapel, St. Domingo Methodist Church was opened, and Rev. BS Chambers was appointed minister. A Sundays Boys school was supervised by The Reverend and organist George Mahon, allowing the boys to play cricket in the newly opened Stanley Park. The boys played in the parish in the long summer days, occasionally football at night. However, in the short cold days of winter, the youngsters had nothing to do, so a football team was formed to follow the trend that grasped the North West. The standard was poor until an organised Football Club began; St. Domingo F.C was formed in 1878.

THE EVERTON TOWER

1879, Everton

Beginning with a 6-0 victory over St Peters on December 20, 1879, the St. Domingo team, now called Everton was looking for more fixtures and teams to play. In a cold November, at the hotel, the Queens Hotel, the name Everton, was christened in 1879 after club members decided to adopt the name of the District. The team turned out in a blue and white striped jersey looking smart representing their new name.

A new name, a new strip, what else did the new look team need? Surely a changing facility would be on the list next as the players often got changed in a near by pub and then carried the goal posts from Park Lodge in Mill Lane to each home game played in the south-east corner of Stanley Park.

Secretary Mr JW Clarke was instrumental in the early days of Everton FC. It was he who assisted with administration, and was influential in finding more teams to play as well as more testing opposition. However, in the 1880-81 season; a 13-1 defeat by Bolton proved that Clarke was perhaps doing too well in his job!

Nicknames and all that

TOFFEE LADY

Mr Clarke went onto convince other players from rival club’s to sign, players who could bring along ideas for training and match day tactics they had previously followed during their time before playing for Everton. The Everton boys greeted such new tactics, and they would train hard, sometimes at night, soon adopting an early nickname, ‘The Moonlight Dribblers’. Newly signed Jack McGill was elected captain and although the 13-1 defeat by Bolton was not his best of starts, Everton went onto to win 15 of their 22 fixtures.

New signings in those days wore their jerseys from their previous teams during the match. The confusion led to Everton opting for a kit of the same colour. To save as little money as they had, Everton dyed the kit to the unfamiliar colours of black shirts with a scarlet slash. The nickname for the club became the ‘Black Watch’ named after the Highland Regiment.

After several facelifts over the next few seasons, a new colour, in 1901, that has lasted over 100 years was adopted. The Everton team proudly donned the Royal Blue colour that is famously associated with Everton.

Other than a new colour, the ‘Blues’ famously claimed one of the most renowned nicknames in the game, the ‘Toffees’ or ‘The Toffeemen’. There are several explanations for the club’s current nickname, the two most popular, the first originating from a local sweet shop called Mother Noblett’s Toffee Shop which advertised and sold sweets, including the Everton Mint, on match days. The other, Molly Bushel’s ‘Toffey’ Shop also a shop that sold sweets and toffees. The tradition of the ‘Toffee Girl’ who threw toffees in the crowd on behalf of the local sweet shop continues to parade the perimeter of the pitch before today’s home games.

Mr John Houlding v Mr George Mahon

The early 1880’s season continued, and success attracted crowds in access of 2000 and Everton needed new grounds to play on. A meeting at a hotel owned by a man named John Houlding resulted in Everton moving to land off Priory Road where dressing rooms facilities were readied for the players.

Evertonians were gathering in force, and the club were winning games. The owner of Priory Road grew tired of such a massive following trampling on his land, and this meant the club were evicted from the land to move to a new ground.

The first class of Everton to bring home silverware was of 1884 with victory in the Liverpool Cup. A 1-0 victory over Earlestown secured the first trophy to arrive at Anfield, the new home of Everton; eight years before Liverpool were born. The Cup was won several times in the early years; it was not long before more silverware came Everton’s way.

MR. HOULDING

MR. MAHON

Mr Houlding, the newly elected president, became the club’s representative tenant at Anfield, owned by a Mr Joseph Orell. Mr Houlding went onto to become Everton’s landlord after buying the land from Orell for a sum of £5,845. The rent charged by Houlding in 1885 to Everton was just £100. By 1890, it soared to an unacceptable £250 partly resulting from Everton’s second and third Liverpool Cup winner’s medals, and a rise to a runner’s up placing in the recently formed Football League in 1888.

Incidentally Everton’s first ever League match was on September 8, 1888, with home team Everton winning 2-1 against Accrington Stanley courtesy of both goals by George Fleming who was Everton’s first League goal scorer. The match kicked off late, and the visitors kicked off facing the sun. Everton took the lead through George Farmer’s cross to the advancing Fleming who headed in on the hour. Farmer was the first competitive goal scorer for the Toffees in his time at Everton. Near the end of the 90 minutes, Fleming notched the second to make it 2-0 to Everton, where fans prematurely cheered the win before Accrington pulled one back. Accrington went onto head against the bar in the dying minutes before the final whistle was blown.

September 15, 1891 was the date when a Mr George Mahon, who later became Everton president in 1892, led the opposition to reject such spiraling rent fixed and the new conditions lay down by Houlding. Everton set about finding a new home. George Mahon, a respected city accountant and church elder, pushed through the move from Anfield to new land on the north side of Stanley Park, known as the Mere Green Field.

In the mean time, Houlding wished to carry on with an ‘Everton’ of his own at Anfield, suggesting the name ‘The Everton Football Club and Athletic Ground Company Limited’. The newly formed League Association went onto reject Houlding’s suggestion, The Council in accordance with its past decisions, will not accept any membership of any club bearing a similar name to one already affiliated with this Association in the name of the Everton Club.

Whilst the off-field debate continued, on the field the Everton team were performing exceptionally. In the 1889-90 season, the Blues scored in every League match, going a long way to finish 2nd, a feat completed by few teams since.

1891, Champions!

CHAMPIONS

The following season, after winning 14 of their 22 games, Everton won the Championship for their first time in 1890-91 with a 2 point advantage over Preston North End. The season included big score wins, including a 7-0 victory over Derby County, 7-3 win over Burnley and three 5-0 successes underlining a creative team, one with a strong defence. A superb partnership of Edgar Chadwick and Alfred Milward notched 22 goals between them with Fred Geary the leading scorer with 20. It was also the season that Everton had players who would represent their Country. Johnny Holt in March 1890 became the first Everton player to win an England cap when he was picked to play against Wales.

THE STRIKE FORCE - MILWARD AND CHADWICK

Alfred Weatherell Milward (1888-1897) 244 Appearances 97 Goals

Alfred Milward established himself as a regular for the Blues in 1888, the club’s first season in the newly formed League. Milward formed a great partnership with Edgar Chadwick, operating down the left side, and scored many vital goals including a hat-tick in Everton’s 11-2 victory against Derby County. The forward had a successful period at Everton, progressing to win two FA Cup winner’s medals and a League Championship medal that contributed to his call up for the England squad.

Edgar Wallace Chadwick (1888-1899) 300 Appearances 109 Goals

Goal scorer supreme Edgar Chadwick joined the Blues in 1888 playing in the first game of the newly formed League and appearing in every game of that season. Chadwick and Milward, the great partnership of the 1890’s scored over 200 goals between them, Chadwick notching three hat-tricks for the Blues. Like his partner in crime, Alfred Milward, the forward’s England call up added to a League winner’s medal, and two FA Cup runner’s up medals. Chadwick, drawing the opposition before making the turn to leave them behind, made the ‘hook’ turn famous.

Fred Geary (1889-1895) 99 Appearances 86