COLUMNIST JOE JENNINGS
Never EVER lose faith...
Comments (5) : I live, breath and sleep Everton. When we lose you can undoubtedly write off the next couple of days as the sheer magnitude of grief you get off your school ?mates? is simply unbearable.
Are we really any different to other Premier League fans? I genuinely cannot pin-point what it is but I do feel we are. Is it because the vast amount of supporters vividly remember when we were the best in the business and others remain oblivious? Possibly.
Being an Evertonian is my religion, my passion, an addiction.
Since the "Deal of the Century" Kirkby stadia issue reared it?s unattractive head I have, without doubt, felt different about the way I feel about the club, it's a different vibe. For me a move outside the city boundaries would finish off a lot of Evertonians and the sheer emotion they have for the club would simply diminish.
We may have lost the local derby and the Champions League riches that came with it, but I genuinely believe we have won the greatest prize of all, for we were born Evertonians. I can admittedly accept Liverpool were the better side yesterday and deserved the three points, we simply weren?t good enough.
Throughout my life, Everton have provided me with many great memories, whether based on success or not. For me it is a colossal experience, a life-long process to be a blue. There is joy, there is frustration. At the end of the day, only we know what it means to be an Evertonian.I have not once regretted that I was born to be a Blue, regardless of how many trophies our neighbours have won.
The despairing thing is that the more Everton Football Club hurt you, cut you open, the more you become immune to the pain. I crave and desire for this club too succeed and yesterday was nothing short of a dagger to our aspirations.
Some fans simply may not comprehend that I want my club, our club, to be back up there, standing proud, I refuse to settle for anything less, we must have ambition. I don?t remember the days when Everton sat proudly at the top of the league table, however, I know my history.
The Blues have and will always mean the world to me, words don?t do it justice. They are my life.
I'm driven through highs and lows, by the Club that sometimes makes me feel on top of the world, and, at other times, that life's not short enough.
Remember what Everton legend Brian Labone said, One Evertonian is worth 20 Liverpudlians. I am proud to say I am part of the Everton family, we are a special breed of people. Evertonians never lose face, never ever lose faith. Without it, would we be Evertonians?
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In those days, I had to follow them thro newspapers.
The one thing I have learned is that Football, like virtually everything else in life, tends to move in circles. Certainly, Liverpool have had a long time at the top but do appear to me to be slipping from their lofty perch.
In my formative years, Manchester City were the dominant side in Manchester. Manchester United were a Division 2 side. How things do change.
Oddly, the biggest threat to all in the old First Division were Arsenal. Today, a very different type of side, they are still back at the top end.
Everton have throughout my life been a yoyo side. Occasionally at the top but much more often in the top half. At the moment, I do believe we are on a distinct ’up’. Whether we get right to the very top in the immediate future (say 5 - 10 years) who knows, its just great following them.
As Joe so rightly says, their in your blood. Life would be so different if they weren’t.
My first match was the 10-4 drubbing by Spurs and I followed Everton ever since. I have had considerably more lows than highs but when things were high they were very high indeed.
Nice piece Joe.
I no longer live locally or within easy travelling distance of Goodison - I now live in Branston near Lincoln.I try to get over to Goodison as often as I can, but with the increasing cost of tickets it is hard to manage to get to as many games as I would like.
My wife Lissa - has been converted into an Evertonian, her first match being the Arsenal game in ’02 when Rooney scored "that goal"- she is just as enthusiastic as me. She is a teacher and all the children in her class know that she is an Evertonian !!!
The times that I miss my Dad the most - he died of cancer on the day of the Anfield derby in 2002 - is when I go to Goodison. We used to have a season ticket together for several seasons - then when I went to teacher training college in ’75 I started going in the Street End.
I wish I could remember my first match - I think we won 1-0- it amuses my family and friends that I can’t remember this - as I can often come up with lots of facts and things about Everton. e.g. Yesterday - 1st April - my mind went back to 1st April 1970 - the day we clinched the title by beating West Brom 2-0 at Goodison - a great second goal by Colin Harvey if I recall correctly.
Another example - 3rd April - I think back to 3rd April 1976 and the derby match at Anfield, on a Saturday morning due to the Grand National - and Fairclough did us with a goal in the last 5 mins.And It was no consolation that I backed the winner in the National !!!
You have started something here Joe!! I’ll have to go and get on with some work.Going to the match vs Derby so looking forward to it like a kid looking forward to birthday/Christmas!!! Best wishes to all Evertonians and hello to anyone who sits near Bullens Road Upper tier H 142 ( my Dad’s old season ticket).
As you say Joe - KEEP THE FAITH.
ps - best ever Cup Final banner and I mean best ever : 1995 Cup Final- " Man Utd may be an institution But Everton is a religion" - even as a Christian I thought that was brilliant!!!
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1 Posted 01/04/2008 at 11:35:28
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From my experience the trick to getting top of the lot is to have damn good footballers who gel together,a manager who doesn’t fall in love with a great team and replaces players at the right time.
Being old enough to remember great times is neither here nor there for it is the now that matters but it does give you a benchmark to make a judgement.
So hold the faith Joe because my gut feeling is Moysies on the right lines.
Patience in results driven football is a rare commodity yet I think we need a little of it at present and may well reap some rewards sooner rather than later.
UP THE BLUES