Nice message, Teddy. And we need fans like you too! Much appreciated.

Which has been the best Everton team you?ve seen during your years, Teddy?

We?ve been crap for the most of my life!

Welcome to the 20th century, Teddy ? certainly different from when we used to have to wait for the Echo to tell us any news when we were kids back in the 50s & 60s. If ToffeeWeb can pass my e-mail address on to you, I?d like to swap stories of when I were a lad in Crosby and getting crushed in the Gwladys Street end.

I live here in Houston, Texas, now, but still get to see more of the matches than I did when I lived in Aberdeen. Whenever the blues come over here pre-season, we arrange our holiday around them.... the friendlies are usually crap, but just seeing them in the flesh means everything.

Here?s wishing a blue, blue Christmas to all Evertonians wherever they may be. Look forwards to hearing from you.

Met Lineker the other day in London and chatted about the game v Man U on Boxing Day 1985 when we beat them 3 - 1 after If I recall we were 1 - 0 down. Him and Sharp got the goals. A great day

Dan P. Without mixing eras and keeping the players in teams as they were, my vote MUST go to the sixties, also known as the Golden Vision years, with the eighties team a close second.

Let's not forget players of individual class and quality who also performed in, shall we say, slightly poorer sides. One such goliath for us in the quality section was one Mighty Midget.... Bobby Collins, and let us not forget one of the best players i personally had the privilege to see was Tony Kay.

My first game as a very young lad was us v Liverpool (record gate I think)... all distant memories now but as someone once said, That's Life! Let's not forget that once upon a time you went to the match and said to your mate, how much are we going to win by? Goodison was a fortress then.

If you take the modern game and look at it in a different way than us codgers, then I suppose we are not THAT bad really, but I would like to see us win something soon.

My best overall memory of going to any Everton game has to be the 66 cup final (did not come home for 3 days, was right by the Legend Eddie Kavanagh, I think his brother Jimmy was a blue as well. Anyway, I could go on and on, good luck to you all.

ps: And you, Gerry.

Teddy. As another codger (well, early 60s anyway) I agree with you about the teams of the sixties (not forgettting 1970) and the eighties, though I?d put them in reverse order with the ?80s team(s) just coming out on top. That?s certainly where my best memory comes from... the trip to Rotterdam for the Cup Winners Cup Final in ?85. And I suppose all those trips to Wembley throughout the ?80s have helped dim the memories of the 66 final for me... though my brother (definitely a codger) never lets me forget that all I wanted to do after the game was get home to watch it again on Match of the Day... he didn?t want to go home for the next three days either!

Living down in London for the past 35 years makes me more of an exiled Evertonian nowadays but I couldn?t agree more with you about ToffeeWeb. Keep up the good work.

(ps: You?re spot on about Tony Kay too; what a sad, stupid loss to the game that was.)

For me it was definitely the sixties: favourite players, Tommy Wright and Ray Wilson ? very little got around them and if it did, there was Labby and Westy waiting.

My other hero was Colin Harvey ? at Christmas, my mum had sewn on a number 10 to my round collar blue shirt.... went out to the local park with my mates in the pouring rain and tried to copy everything he did ? that bendy legs run he had, the tackle from behind.... unfortunately, MY skinny left leg was crap for shooting!

Once called at Billy Bingham?s house in Crosby as a kid ? he was so nice and gave me a sweet along with his autograph. Saw Tony Kay in the front room of his lodging in Ince Avenue and stared through the window in awe. Try that nowadays you?d be called a stalker or a pervert! Missed the ECWC final - was in the Falklands. Mrs sent the video, which took 17 days to get to me on the ship ? you should have seen my reaction when I opened it to find out it was recorded in Betamax format, which we never had onboard. It still haunts me to this day.

So, fellow Evertonians, if you think you get angry and frustrated watching them today, believe me ? that was the ultimate anger and frustration!!!!!!!

In fact, you may find that Betamax video still floating about around Latitude 52 degrees South, Longitude 60 degrees West!

Love it, Teddy.

I?m 46 and my dad took me as soon as he could to watch The Blues. I can?t get out of my head his love for Dave Hickson. He loved that man and always called him ?Our Davey?. My Uncle John (also now gone), always said my name was for Hickson.

He loved Andy Gray. But no-one could ever be better than ?Our Davey? in his eyes. His memories of Everton are legend to me. His conversation had to invlove Everton, otherwise there was nothing to talk about.

Thanks Teddy and Happy Xmas to you and your family.

I too believe that the sixties team were the best I have seen. They had players that could change a game at the drop of a hat. Teddy mentioned Bobby Collins but I believe there were others capable.

I also had the privilege of seeing Tony Kay play and he was awesome. I think the last time I saw him play was at Tottenham when we virtually won the League title and he was immense that day as well.

God bless you too Teddy.

Merry Christmas all from downunder. My favourite era was the team of the eighties. I used to annoy the hell out of my wife by sneaking out to the lounge room to listen to matches on the radio and come back to bed after we?d hammered another unfortunate opponent! Then, if I was really lucky, local tele would show a highlights package. Sharpe, Gray, Steven, Big Nev what would they be worth now? Good on you Ted for embracing technology and coyb.

It?s an absolute delight to come across a post like this. Teddy, my granddad?s great claim to fame was climbing over the church to get into the record gate match in ?48. Good, redemption-fixated Catholic that he was, the story always ended with him sending the club the money for the ticket!

My father?s favorite team was the 69-70 edition, yet he often told me that he thought the 62-63 Champions were better. He too, spoke very highly of Tony Kay.

Season?s greetings to Lyndon, Michael et al for your work in making this wonderful forum available to the faithful around the world. And likewise to all the good citizens who bleed Royal Blue. And Merry Christmas to Tony Marsh!

COYB!! Please don?t lay a fucking egg at the Riverside.

Shit, Gerry, if only I?d have known! I have a friend (errr, he?s a Spurs fan... more of an acquaintance, really) who has had a beta machine, and dozens of tapes, for about 25 years. Spoke to him the other day for the first time in years; the sod Facebooked me just to say that he thought Spurs would finish ahead of us this season. It?s ok though, for I instantly tore him a new one and set him straight. Within minutes he was on his figurative knees and singing the praises of Moyes.

Anyway, he still has the damn beta, and he claims to still tape matches on it!

Good call Teddy. My mrs thinks I?m having a fling through the Internet but it?s my addiction to this website that gets the juices flowing.

I can?t help but check in everyday for a gander at the comments. I forget what life was like before Toffeeweb!

Have a great Christmas mate.

Do not want to spoil anything, but fuck me, gents 1 you are reducing me to tears, love you all!!!

That?s the thing about Evertonians, Teddy. If two Villa fans meet on a bus somewhere in, say, the States, they might exchange an "are you from Birmingham?" or two. If two RS fans meet on that same bus they wouldn?t be able to converse because one would be Norwegian and the other Japanese. But if two Toffees meet it?s quite likely that one, or both, would soon be in tears through a history of shared experience. I know this to be true because it has happened to me.

Gerry Quinn from Houston, here?s wishing you a blue Christmas from Harlingen. My first memories of the Blues are mid-70s. Bob Latchford, Duncan McKenzie, Dave Thomas (loved him to bits), Andy King et al.

I have to say that I was spoilt by our team in the 80s. First game I saw at GP was MUFC and a guy named Rob Wakenshaw scored in a 1-1 draw. I saw us beat the now "cool" teams on many occasions - MUFC 5-0, AFC 6-2, LFC 1-0 but alas never saw us beat CFC.

My dad and I also spent the night in the cells after a 5-0 evening away win at the then mighty SWFC. The car wouldn?t start after the game and we went to the local Police Station to ask for help. Dad was a Copper ? thankfully ? and we had a choice between sleeping in the car or in the cells. No brainer. Alas we forgot to ask for directions to the nearest British Leyland dealer and ended up walking about five miles into town before walking six miles back ? the dealership was almost outside Hillsborough!

What memories...

To all that run TW and those that contribute a Happy Christmas ? or am I allowed to say that in this politically correct era?

Merry Christmas Teddy Draper. You have hit the nail on the head. I love this site and it?s democratic assortment of views. If there is one thing I like to talk about it is Everton and I must say that this site got me through a very dark summer of frustration recently. So I join you in thanking Michael, Lyndon et al for their valuable efforts in making this (by far) the number one Everton site on the web!

Yeah fully agree the website is fantastic. I am serving away with the armed forces and have access to the internet on a daily basis, the first thing I do after having breakfast is to go and have a look on ToffeeWeb, love reading all the submissions to the mailbag. Fantastic work from the team Merry Xmas to you all.

Had to comment on Teddy Draper's short but poignant article and the responses it generated.

I'm sitting here on Christmas afternoon, the wife fussing round the kitchen, waiting for the turkey to cook before friends arrive later and most of you guys are tucked up in bed, waiting for the big man to arrive down your chimney. You can keep your Sky 4, Champions League and the FA. This is what it is all about and WE are Everton ? not Arteta, or Cahill, or Neville. It's US who are the heartbeat of the Club and no matter how far away we are we all have that in common.

It sort of puts everything else into perspective for me. No matter how well or badly we do at the Riverside tomorrow (my sympathies to those of you who spend part of your well earned Christmas holidays travelling to such a soul-less destination).

Thanks for reminding us all of that, Teddy. Happy Christmas to you all from Melbourne, Australia.

Teddy Draper, you and my dearly departed dad would have loved each other.

You Sir are what makes Everton special. I am 50 now, been going since 1967. Saw the 66 final on the telly. Watched in awe of the Ball, Kendall & Harvey era.

Was at 84, 85 & 86 finals

Was injured from playing for 12 months in 1985 so saw Reid, Bracewell, Sheedy & Steven era regularly.

My Dad always raved about T.G. Jones. He went weak at the knees talking about The Golden Vision but his favourite player was Roy Vernon. He was 8 when watching Dixie mind!

God Bless you. On Sunday I am going to the game with two of my favourite uncles (69 & 72) a cousin, my son (18) my youngest daughter (16). My son’s girlfriend, my daughters boyfriend (who has never seen a live game before) my bother (44) and a good mate from glasgow who chose Everton over either Rangers or Celtic.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours.

David

What I like about Ted’s post is the perfect punctuation. I’m sure he certainly does not go in for text speak and his good English is something second nature to the older set.
Of course it is they who kept Carol Vorderman in high heels and hand bags these past years.
What I would agree with is that this website is brilliantly sculpture. It gives a personal touch, a community perhaps, that other fan sites, be it football or otherwise do not achieve.

My fav team was the sixities Ted but 70-80s not that far behind.Collins was top class as was Tony Kay.Kay would of been in the world cup winning side instead of Nobby Stiles but unfortunatly we lost agreat player.
When i see some of the rubbish we have had in the team and think back to what we were brought up on one can just keep cheering and hope one day we will get it back.Merry christmas to all you Blues.

Just to add to the positive air (well befitting of Christmas!), thanks for a cracking post and responses.

I’m 28 and have missed out on the really good times, as I really only got going in the nineties. Therefore it’s great to hear from the generations that saw truly great teams turn out in the Royal Blue. Having had season tickets for the last 4 seasons, we recently joined the international Blue exiles in the USA, so all this (and ToffeeWeb as whole) is a comforting and welcome link to home. It wouldn’t be Everton without the moaning and disagreement posts, but more importantly there’s the sense of community and shared heritage recreated here that makes the club one of a kind.

Thanks and "Happy Holidays" (Yank phrasing) to one and all!

Just having my daily fix of this site. Two points, Firstly may i thank the people at ToffeeWeb Towers for the site, we all argue and put our points forward in our different ways.

Secondly, I thought I would point out that both Man U and Chelsea have directed reasoning for referees making decisions against them at Goodison that have been as a result of the influence of the crowd. Well done to all. Keep up the good work. PS Cani also add a special mention to Ken, COYB