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Everton Games Played on 27th November

A look back at games played on this date in years gone by

A look back at games played on this date in years gone by.

Two short years ago, Everton travelled to Germany to face Wolfsburg for matchday five of the Europa League. Romelu Lukaku and Kevin Mirallas were both on the scoresheet as the Toffees emerged victorious by two goals to nil, as it happened due to the result in the other group game A 1-1 draw between Krasnodar and Lille meant that Everton were assured of progress to the knock-out stages of the competition, but the victory over Wolfsburg meant they finished top of the group.

A home game against Roberto Di Matteo's West Brom in 2010, had a shock in store for the Everton fans as the Baggies ran out comfortable winners scoring four times through Paul Scharner, Chris Brunt, Somen Tchoyi and an own goal by Sylvain Distin, although some records credit Youssuf Mulumbu with the goal. Mulumbu was shown a second yellow card by Lee Mason, in the dying embers of the game but it had no bearing on the outcome. At two down, Tim Cahill had pulled a goal back to half the deficit but following Mikel Arteta's dismissal in the 58th minute, West Brom struck twice more against ten men Everton as the visitors left Goodison with all of the points.

Joseph Yobo grabbed the only goal of the game when Graeme Souness' Newcastle United visited Goodison in 2005. Yobo rose highest to steer Mikel Arteta's corner into the net and help alleviate the storm-clouds that had gathered over Goodison, following some poor results and performances, particularly in Europe. The game was preceded by one minute's applause in memory of George Best, with both sets of fans paying a fitting tribute to the Manchester United legend.

Everton manager David Moyes in his post match thoughts said "This was a complete contrast to how we played last week. You saw a lot of determined players out there. "We should have conceded a penalty when James McFadden handled Shola Amoebi's shot - no doubt. But I've been there myself because we had one given against us that was a yard outside the area at West Brom. "Our fans saw a proper Everton side out there, not the one that turned up at West Brom. We've won three of our last four league games now, so we are on a decent run. "I always thought I had a squad that was up for a fight, although last week's defeat made me think twice, but they showed they are good lads who will battle for each other

Walter Smith's Everton hosted John Gregory's Aston Villa at Goodison Park in 1999 and the final score was not a great surprise as the teams played out a goalless draw.

BBC sport reported that substitute Benito Carbone missed a glorious late chance for Aston Villa as the Midlands strugglers ground out a point in a dreadful bore draw. The home side had most of the chances against a Villa side which was a good deal more stubborn than in defeat at Coventry last Monday. Francis Jeffers missed a difficult open goal chance, but Carbone's opportunity was far easier.

With two minutes of normal time remaining Richard Dunne passed the ball straight to the Italian, who tried to curl it around Paul Gerrard. The effort struck the woodwork before the ball was cleared - with no other Villa player in the Everton half.

Just 6,934 supporters 'packed' into Selhurst Park in 1993 as Joe Kinnear's Wimbledon hosted Howard Kendall's Everton in the Premier League. Stuart Barlow gave Everton the lead on the half-hour mark, but the Toffees couldn't hold onto their precious lead as Gregory Berry equalised for the hosts early in the second period. Not many of those in the small crowd on that Monday night would realise how iconic the next Premier League meeting would become, when they next faced each other in May 1994. Half as many supporters had crammed into Selhurst Park in the same fixture earlier in the year as David Prentice recalled in January 2015.

Wimbledon, having left their Plough Lane home, were tenants at Selhurst Park and midway through a season which saw them finish one point above the Toffees in mid-table. There was little at stake for either side, fans were recovering from the expense of Christmas and the great Sky-inspired attendance explosion of the late 1990s was still a couple of years away. Everton took a creditable 1,500 away fans to Selhurst Park on a cold Tuesday night and pictures from the night show the away section is clearly well populated.

But the home fans, angered by the move from their spiritual home and the extra seven mile journey, were less enthusiastic. A home game against Sheffield United the following month attracted just 3,979, while the Dons first Saturday home match of that season - in the warmth of an August afternoon, saw just 3,759 turn up. It was an eerie atmosphere for the players to perform in.

Everton won 3-1, with all of their goals scored at the opposite end to their supporters - a vast bank of empty terracing. Ian Snodin didn’t score many goals throughout his career, but after clinically rasping Peter Beardsley’s pass into the bottom corner he had a lot of ground to cover to celebrate with supporters.

“After I scored I remember running off to my right to celebrate with the supporters and I did a full lap of the pitch before I actually got to any fans!” he later recalled.

“Thankfully about 1,500 Evertonians had made the trip south to follow their side. “You can see from the pictures of that night that the away end was quite well populated, but in the home end you could pretty much choose where you wanted to stand! “It was an eerie atmosphere inside the ground and heaven knows how bad it would have felt if so many Blues fans hadn’t made the long trip south.”

Dons boss Joe Kinnear acknowledged afterwards the difficulty in motivating his side to play in such an unnatural atmosphere. “I’m not going to give the lads a hard time, what they need is an arm around them and a kiss and to bring them all back for Coventry on Saturday,” he said.

Everton’s biggest victory on November 27th came in 1897 when they defeated West Brom by six goals to one at Goodison. The Liverpool Mercury reported “The weather on Saturday was not at all favourable for the pursuit of outdoor pastimes, and an attendance of close upon 10,000 on the Goodison Park enclosure must under the adverse conditions be accounted very satisfactory.”…. A breakaway by Albion left was well attended to, but returning again, Flewitt dashed ahead, and keeping the ball at his toe, had no difficulty in scoring, this success coming after about ten minutes play.

Faulty finishing touches and several narrow escapes of Readers's citadel were frequent. But eventually Divers headed through from a smart centre by J.Bell. Williams retired hurt, and was absent for a few minutes, during which time the Evertonians again, put on pressure, Chadwick placing his side ahead with a long shot. No further scoring accrued up to half time when Everton had a lead of 2 goals to 1.

John Bell was in command, and with a swift, low shot, brought about Reader a third downfall. The Evertonians were now playing in most confident style, and it was only on odd occasions that the Albion forwards were seen in the Everton half of the field…. a few minutes later John Bell again made off, and parting to his brother[Laurie] when close in, the latter put on a fourth point. A fine movement resulted in Driver scoring the fifth goal, from a free kick, well placed by Storrier, Laurie Bell put the ball into the net, but the referee disallowed the point for offside, which appeared a very doubtful decision. Another bombardment followed, and the ball was scrimmaged through Everton finally winning by 6 goals to 1.

Other matches played on this day in years gone by include a Zenith Data Cup 3rd round tie which Everton lost to Leicester City at Filbert Street in 1991, Peter Beardsley scored a consolation goal in a 1-2 reverse. Incidentally the attendance for that match was nearly double that which turned up at Selhurst Park for the Wimbledon v Everton encounter.

West Ham beat Howard Kendall's Everton by two goals to nil at Upton Park in 1982, Billy Bonds added to Gary Stevens' own goal. Everton also fell to defeat at Upton Park in 1965 as Brabrook and Sissons (2) scored the goals in a three-nil victory for the Hammers.

In 1976, a rampant West Brom overwhelmed Everton by three goals to nil, with Tony Brown, David Cross and Ray Treacy all scoring in the first period. Perhaps my memory is playing tricks, but is this the game where Everton had to contend with a stray dog running around their penalty area? Another trip to Filbert Street saw Everton and Leicester City play out a goalless draw in 1971.

Everton entertained Bolton Wanderers in 1954 and Leslie Edwards wrote in his report:

Mud, mud, glorious mud –nothing quite like it for cooling the blood If the Hippopotamus song is right, then Barrass, hero of Bolton Wanderers’ defence was the coolest blooded man of the twenty two. He was literally covered in mud by the time he came to the finish of this fast exciting mud-plugging match,.. The most staggering moment of the wars was that in which Barrass was left in the completely knocked-out position while the ball travelled to the other end of the field in a right wing movement.

Linesman Ken Seddon (the former Liverpool full back and son of the one-time Bolton Wanderers centre half-back Jim Seddon) raised his flag and referee Murdoch of Sheffield stopped the game to hear his version of what had happened. Then Mr. Murdoch shook his head and went off to have a word with Hickson.

That goalless game meant that Everton had failed to score in their four matches during November 1954 but they put that right in their next game as they beat Tottenham Hotspur by three goals to one at White Hart Lane.

Lastly on the 27th November 1963, Everton travelled up to Scotland to face Glasgow Rangers at Ibrox, in what was unofficially described as a "British Championship" match. Over 64,000 packed in to Ibrox to witness the Toffees run out winners on the night by three goals to one. Andy Rankin saved a penalty from Brand, whilst Alex Scott, Derek Temple and Alex Young scored for the visitors. John Greig scored a consolation goal for the hosts.

Rankin; Brown, Meagan; Harris, Heslop, Kay; Scott, Stevens, Young, Vernon, Temple

The Echo featured an article about the meetings in 2013:

EVERTON and Rangers have met on many occasions but few more memorable than when the Toffees won the British Championship in December 1963.

The so-called championship was played intermittently throughout the 20th century, a friendly and sometimes not-so-friendly decider between the champions of England and Scotland – reaching a zenith of being taken seriously in the 1930s when Rangers beat Arsenal in a two-legged affair.

The last time it was played was in 1963, when Everton took a 3-1 lead in the away leg at Ibrox with goals from Alex Scott, Derek Temple and Alex Young, and hung on 1-1 to become undisputed champs of Britain in a far more competitive match at Goodison.

Sandy Brown had turned the ball past his own keeper Andy Rankin to register one for Rangers, before Young equalised at the end to give the Blues the unofficial title.

The idea of a British Championship competition was briefly resurrected in the mid-'80s, with the short-lived Dubai Cup.

This time it was the Scots who triumphed when a 2-2 draw led to penalties, and Rangers won 8-7 after Ian Snodin saw his last-ditch effort saved.

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