If you know your history... indeed!
Comments (18)
Isn't it great to see Everton playing such a prestigous friendly against those luminaries of football... Malaga next month? Let's get this clear: Everton... yes EVERTON — playing Malaga... Is that the best that the club could get? With most top teams in the Premier League (even Spurs are playing in a pre-season tournament!) hosting top European opposition, why are Everton playing against also-rans?
Jamie Carroll,
Co Louth, Ireland Posted 15/07/2009 at 20:34:16
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Michael Kenrick
Oh for God's sake... it's a totally meaningless pre-season friendly. Haven't you got anything important to worry about? And what's it got to do with History? We always play a wide range of different teams pre-season. This time it's the depths of Rochdale to the rather high-profile MLS All-Stars game that will have an American TV audience in the millions.
Pre-season is all about your own squad...not about who you are playing against. We’ve got a full slate of matches, a Moyes team-building trip to North America and a high profile game against the MLS All-Stars. I’m excited about the River Plate match as well. I can’t even remember who the Goodison pre-season match last year was against (I’m sure they were a higher "profile" than Malaga)... but I do remember the piss poor start to the league that eventually cost us a shot at a CL place...
Well, CEO Robert Elstone mentioned (as on the shareholder’s forum write up on the OS) that Everton Chile were rejected as a pre-season friendly for not being of appropriate quality... so maybe Malaga are shit hot? (Or perhaps just more likely to be better preparation for the Europa League as they are a European team?)
And by that logic, Mike, the MLS All-Stars would be prep for what exactly? A pre-season friendly against a club bearing our name in their centenary year could have attracted significant support certainly more than Malaga would have and cemented relations with them, a piss poor snub.
Previous friendlies against no-marks US and Mexican teams surely not even on a par with the kudos that playing CD Everton would have gained, merchandising tie ins, marketing opportunities missed? Even to have arranged the game for a neutral venue in USA or Mexico whilst they were already there...
I agree Gavin, playing Everton of Chile would have been a very special occassion and think it is a missed opportunity for both Everton of England and Everton of Chile. Moreover, I think it would have been very fitting for Everton of Chile to be paid the deserved complement of us rolling the blue carpet out for them as a mark of celebration and respect (fitting with the proud heritage of EFC in the age of rampant excessive commercialism).
It doesn’t matter really as it’s just pre-season. However, I think the point that Jamie made about Everton CD being dismissed due to not being good enough is a fair point.
Weren’t we at one point going to play a team in Ghana? I’m not over familiar with either the Ghanian or Chilean leagues but I wouldn’t have thought their worlds apart.
I think the comments by Robert Elstone were naive and would be pretty offensive to our counterparts over in Chile.
I agree Gavin, I think we’ve missed a trick by not playing CD - it does feel like a cruel snub. However, we do not know what was being suggested. Could we have played them while we were in the States - would their team had visa issues? Who would have ended up funding the game etc. So while it still does seem unfair to a CD, I would sugest that there might be more to it than us just turning our noses up at their ability.
For God’s sake... some people will moan about anything!!
Have people really gotten that bored with sticking the boot into Osman, Hibbert, Kenwright and Moyes that you now have to have a go at the stature of our meaningless pre-season friendly. FFS roll on August.
Gavin, you have hit on one of the most annoying aspects (for me) of being an Everton fan — the club seem totally incapable of recognising marketing opportunities of any description.
Beyond the mercenary implications however is also the fact that Everton FC spend an enormous amount of time dwelling upon the successes of its past — and yet seem unwilling to even give a nod to a team which has been inspired by that history... pathetic, small-minded idiots the lot of them.
Hey! Stop trashing Malaga. I live nearby now and get to see them fairly often.
They finished 8th in La Liga, were flirting with a Champion’s League position for much of the year and play some very attractive footaball.
Okay, they have lost a lot of players recently, but don’t be so dismissive.
I cannot understand the comments made about missed marketing opportunities. Who exactly would we be aiming this at? Our own loyal fanbase or the miniscule one in Chile? The cost of hosting this game and the underlying logistics costs would have far outweighed any revenue brought in on the day. I agree it would be a nice touch to play CD Everton, but purely on a nostalgic basis more than a business one.
The fixture vs Malaga makes more sense even if it is a friendly. As stated above, Malaga have had a decent season in one of Europe’s strongest leagues and should provide tough opposition to our boys next month. With the Europa cup looming on the horizon, it is far more beneficial for us to be pitting our wits against similar European opposition than doffing our caps to a sister club in South America.
Get away with you Chris, you and your bloodly logic has no place in football........ Phah
Hehe, sorry Tony, it just seemed people were missing the point and I felt I had to intervene...
And another thing............
Have you seen the size of the lifts in Everton 2 - just absurd.
Those lifts feel like a whole new signing, Gareth! And I have it on good authority the whole Malaga-squad had season tickets in the lower Gwladys in their youth. I think the board has done a brilliant job here. I applaud them.
In fairness it is hardly a glamour tie but the bigger the European club the bigger the fee they charge for playing you.
Given our finances, we need to avoid big charges for friendlies.
What I find annoying is people who keep coming on every post saying things like "you’ll moan about anything!". Its pre-season and not much is going on so obviously posts are gonna be about more minor issues.
Whilst I agree it would have been a nice touch playing CD Everton, let’s face facts — many Evertonians don’t know who they are, and the rest haven’t a dickory doo. Let’s imagine the conversation down the road:
Kopite 1: Who the Blue fucking playing in friendlies?
Kopite 2: They’re playing Everton
K1: come again?
K2: They’re playing Everton
K1: So they’re playing themselves?
K2: Yeah, sad bastards...
K1 & K2: Hahahahahahahahahaha!
As pointed out, we have high profile friendlies against the MLS All-Stars and River Plate, as well as a tester for our first Euro tie (which takes place 13 days later). Save the sentiment — it don’t get you anywhere.
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