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I think it's fair to say more than 1 sizable 'consideration' changed hands along the way.

When you say DNA of Liverpudlians, I assume you mean the red contingent.

Surely no fun and games has ever taken place involving the Everton Liverpudlians. :)

It should also be noted that Everton won the last league title before the war suspension and retained it for a number of years.

Like others, I'd been aware Arsenal were promoted on dubious grounds but didn't know the nitti gritti.

Like England playing all their1966 World Cup games in London, when their semi was scheduled for Goodison Park, the powers that be just wouldn't get away with this, today.

Hi Ian J. [8] as a pre-war baby, I was born and reared in the district of Everton, Mill Road hospital and 75 Everton Road to be precise. I have never regarded myself as being Liverpudlian in any form, and following one or two distasteful episodes I'm not about to become one at this time in my life.

Hi Ian H. [10] as Jack [12] says, where there's money you'll find corruption

Hi Bill [13] I echo your sentiment regarding the World Cup fiasco, we were scheduled to host that game from the outset, I suppose that the FA considered that it would be profitable to change venues. I hope to see you at the next get-together whenever that may be.

I understand you being distraught, but in truth an Evertonian born in Everton is no different than a true Evertonian born anywhere in the city. I just use it for boasting purposes.

Ian #8, your point about us retaining the league trophy got me thinking. In fact, if you rank teams by number of years they have been top-flight Champions we are joint first with 20. :-)

James, yep, agreed re top-flight champions, also possibly one of the longest undefeated runs in the First Division, must have been approx 4.5 years… although I guess most teams could claim the same.

In 1914-15, the season Arsenal were relegated, there were in the First Division a number of derby games played. Everton vs Liverpool, Bradford City vs Bradford Park Avenue, Sheffield Wednesday vs Sheffield United, Aston Villa vs West Bromwich Albion, and Manchester City vs Manchester United. I suppose that Blackburn Rovers vs Burnley, as close neighbours, could be included, and Newcastle United vs Sunderland – despite being a fair distance away from each other and in different counties – could be added to the list.

Hi Ian [18],

When we were somewhat younger, we used to annoy the Reds, by saying we held the First Division Trophy longer than any other club. 1913-1920 and 1939-1947.

Hi Bill [19],

I fear that Covid-19 has put an end to my holidays abroad, and it used to aggravate me that, when people learned I was from Liverpool, they immediately assumed I was a Liverpudlian. The sad part is that, unless they were football followers, they didn't even know that there were two clubs in the city.

A friend of mine who is sadly no longer with us, rang me up one Saturday morning from a Pub in London, where he had moved down to in the early 80s. He was in the company of some Arsenal fans who claimed that Arsenal had never been relegated. I was able to tell him that they had suffered the drop in 1913.

I don't expect football fans to know everything about their club, but occasions such as championships and relegations are the basics. I have no doubt that there are some Evertonians who sing, "If you know your history" who fall into that category.

On another note, I don't understand why we do not have European Super Cup finalists 1985 on our honours list. The fact that we could not fulfil the fixture was not of our doing.

You hear of Nottingham Forest making a welcome return to the top flight and people immediately reference the fact that they won the European Cup and are therefore a huge club, and likewise Aston Villa make capital from winning the trophy. It was a time when English clubs dominated, and the next club with a huge chance of being on the winners rostrum, on maybe more than one occasion, would have been our good selves.

After that season, we did not play in Europe for 10 years. Like all Evertonians of a certain age, I think of what we missed out on through no fault of our own every day. Sometimes several times a day. Some days, it never goes out of my head.

Going further back, I blame Adolf Hitler for stopping another one of our great sides from winning more trophies, with an experienced keeper, and a young spine of T G Jones, Joe Mercer and young Tommy Lawton, as you well know.

However, there was a far more important battle to be won then. Cheers, John, take care.

The Football League was abandoned in the early stages of the 1939-40 season. Players suffered the loss of 7 years of their playing careers, and I was of the opinion that there would be examples of players also being affected by the First World war.

I have a book "Football League Players Records 1888 to1939, luckily enough, I managed to open it at a page that confirmed my suspicions it reads, George Richardson, born 12 December 1912, died 1968. Huddersfield Town 1933, Sheffield United 1935-1938, Hull City 1947 I'm certain that there are many others whose careers were shortened by both conflicts.