FAN ARTICLES
Goodison Reunion
By Danny Manning : 10/01/2008 : 
Comments (24) :
Type/paste your article here
After 54 years, I cannot believe I am revisiting Goodison Park on Saturday to see the Toffees play Man City, a treat from my family. Back in the 1953-54 season I went over by boat 14 times (not many flights then) to see the greats: Farrell, Eglington, O'Neill, Donavan, etc., And what lovely happy family fans I met, they made us so welcome and brought us Irish supporters to their Supporters Club for a meal plus dance before we would leave on the return boat that night.
Comments (24) : Great memories? I am as thrilled to be there on Saturday as I was then. At 78 years old, can I rejoin? Although I never really left ? I am as blue today as I was in the fifties. Good luck all the toffees, management and players. I think we are moving back to the glory days again, so keep it up. Thank you.
Reader Comments (24)
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Arthur Jones
2 Posted 11/01/2008 at 15:32:40
2 Posted 11/01/2008 at 15:32:40
I hope you have a fantastic day Danny and our team reward you with a victory . I?d love to think I would still be able to see the Blues 30 years from now when I will be 78 . God bless you and good luck
Peter Killey
3 Posted 11/01/2008 at 15:45:27
3 Posted 11/01/2008 at 15:45:27
Great to hear. You?ll have a great day out and the boys will do you proud. 2-0 home win. peter isle of man/
Ken Buckley
4 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:13:46
4 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:13:46
54 years eh Danny.Have a great day and I hope the team put the icing on the cake for you.
Why not send us a post of your day and how much has changed or not from that last visit,
UP THE BLUES
Why not send us a post of your day and how much has changed or not from that last visit,
UP THE BLUES
Jon Livesey
5 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:21:34
5 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:21:34
I’m sure the hairs on the back of your neck will stand to attention as soon as the boys run out to the Z-Cars theme Danny!
Depending on where you’re sat, you may find the facilities haven’t changed too much!
Enjoy your day and make sure you post after the game to reflect on the changes.
Depending on where you’re sat, you may find the facilities haven’t changed too much!
Enjoy your day and make sure you post after the game to reflect on the changes.
Craig Ashford
6 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:40:39
6 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:40:39
Danny as the saying goes:-
"Once a blue, Always a blue"
Everton is the peoples club, and you’re one of us!
"Once a blue, Always a blue"
Everton is the peoples club, and you’re one of us!
Dave Griffin
7 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:54:54
7 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:54:54
If it?s 54 years since your last visit it will be the first time you will have heard Z-Cars play at Goodison! Have a great day mate.
Chris Masey
8 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:58:48
8 Posted 11/01/2008 at 16:58:48
Can I buy you a Guiness in the spellow at 130pm?
Pavill Benson
9 Posted 11/01/2008 at 17:06:04
9 Posted 11/01/2008 at 17:06:04
What?s your memories from the matches in the 50s Dan? What part of the stadium did you usedto go in?
Steve Lyth
11 Posted 11/01/2008 at 18:14:24
11 Posted 11/01/2008 at 18:14:24
Welcome home Dan
Matt Geraghty
12 Posted 11/01/2008 at 18:27:30
12 Posted 11/01/2008 at 18:27:30
Welcome home Dan, I hope you and the Blues have a great day.
I’ll be thinking about you tomorrow when they play Z cars.
COYB’s
I’ll be thinking about you tomorrow when they play Z cars.
COYB’s
Tom Campbell
13 Posted 11/01/2008 at 19:18:51
13 Posted 11/01/2008 at 19:18:51
Ha ha, I'm another Irish Evertonian, there's not many of us ? they all support Liverpool or United. I love my day going to Goodison, the 7am flight from Dublin... back home in the evening at 12!!! It's great!
Hope I'm still goinr over at your age, I'm only 15, Come on you Blues!
Hope I'm still goinr over at your age, I'm only 15, Come on you Blues!
John Kelly
14 Posted 11/01/2008 at 21:03:48
14 Posted 11/01/2008 at 21:03:48
Welcome back home Danny.
There will be a great welcome for you with many in the Springy that would be delighted to buy you a pint or twelve. Have a great day and dont leave it so long next time.Everton used to have a massive Irish following,lets just hope you start a new trend and get the Irish support back where it should be
There will be a great welcome for you with many in the Springy that would be delighted to buy you a pint or twelve. Have a great day and dont leave it so long next time.Everton used to have a massive Irish following,lets just hope you start a new trend and get the Irish support back where it should be
Philip Bunting
15 Posted 11/01/2008 at 21:23:36
15 Posted 11/01/2008 at 21:23:36
Danny hope you have a good one. Im also an irish Toffee and have been since my dad shown me the light in the mid eighties. (about 7 i think) blue throu and thro ever since.
Got me thinking when reading your post that i too should bring my father back over as we havent been together to a match since Rozenthal scored a last minute goal against us to win 1-nil at Anfield. Think weve recovered enough to plan a trip later in the season lol.
Got me thinking when reading your post that i too should bring my father back over as we havent been together to a match since Rozenthal scored a last minute goal against us to win 1-nil at Anfield. Think weve recovered enough to plan a trip later in the season lol.
Kevin Tonks
16 Posted 11/01/2008 at 22:37:45
16 Posted 11/01/2008 at 22:37:45
I am also another Irish Toffee and I can see our numbers growing or re emerging!!
Will also be looking to get the early flights on a Saturday for the rest of the season matches!!
No other place compares to Goodison!!!!
Will also be looking to get the early flights on a Saturday for the rest of the season matches!!
No other place compares to Goodison!!!!
Glen Strachan
18 Posted 12/01/2008 at 00:13:26
18 Posted 12/01/2008 at 00:13:26
Have a great day Danny Boy !
I?m an old Scottish travelling Blue who will be watching the lads live on TV here in Mexico , tomorrow - but my son will be at Goodison carrying on the family tradition.
I?ll raise a tumbler of Guinness to you after we see of City - safe home to God?s Island !
I?m an old Scottish travelling Blue who will be watching the lads live on TV here in Mexico , tomorrow - but my son will be at Goodison carrying on the family tradition.
I?ll raise a tumbler of Guinness to you after we see of City - safe home to God?s Island !
Paul Conatzer
19 Posted 12/01/2008 at 00:20:37
19 Posted 12/01/2008 at 00:20:37
Wish I could be there. It’s been 26 years since the last time I was at Goodison. 1-0 against Watford. I saw the Blues in Houston a few years ago and that made driving 600 plus miles in one day well worth it...
Have a great time, Danny....
Have a great time, Danny....
Gary Sedgwick
20 Posted 12/01/2008 at 01:59:20
20 Posted 12/01/2008 at 01:59:20
@ Paul Conatzer:
Are you the same PC who writes for the VMS? If you are, we need to get together! I live in Harlingen and one of my buddies from work is alas a LFC lamb.... Only reason I talk to him is because we were both born in Preston - LOL!
I have many proud memories from the ?80s. Me and Dad followed the Blues all around from the ?84 - ?85 season until I left for the US in 1993. Best home game? I have three. 5-0 v MUFC; Ipswich Town in the FA Cup - 2-1 down, minutes to go and then Psycho Pat (I think) equalised - no nails left after that one; finally the 3-2 loss to LFC during the ?84-?85 season - 3-0 down at HT I was gutted. It was me first derby game but the character of my fellow Blues lifted me and we almost made it.
My only game since was a 2-2 draw in ?94 with CCFC. It was not the best of games but it was the best of days. A chance to go back to the days when it was just me and Dad. A few bevvies going, watching the Blues and then a few bevvies and dinner on the trip home to Lancaster. As Mastercard put it ... priceless.
Danny, here?s wishing you a priceless return to GP. I am sure all Blues will make you feel like you never left.
Are you the same PC who writes for the VMS? If you are, we need to get together! I live in Harlingen and one of my buddies from work is alas a LFC lamb.... Only reason I talk to him is because we were both born in Preston - LOL!
I have many proud memories from the ?80s. Me and Dad followed the Blues all around from the ?84 - ?85 season until I left for the US in 1993. Best home game? I have three. 5-0 v MUFC; Ipswich Town in the FA Cup - 2-1 down, minutes to go and then Psycho Pat (I think) equalised - no nails left after that one; finally the 3-2 loss to LFC during the ?84-?85 season - 3-0 down at HT I was gutted. It was me first derby game but the character of my fellow Blues lifted me and we almost made it.
My only game since was a 2-2 draw in ?94 with CCFC. It was not the best of games but it was the best of days. A chance to go back to the days when it was just me and Dad. A few bevvies going, watching the Blues and then a few bevvies and dinner on the trip home to Lancaster. As Mastercard put it ... priceless.
Danny, here?s wishing you a priceless return to GP. I am sure all Blues will make you feel like you never left.
Lindsey McGrath
21 Posted 12/01/2008 at 10:59:49
21 Posted 12/01/2008 at 10:59:49
Once you're chosen you never leave cos your soul remains. See you there Danny!
Vincent Johns
23 Posted 12/01/2008 at 20:34:29
23 Posted 12/01/2008 at 20:34:29
Gary Sedgewick
It was Mountfield (who else?) who slid in and put away VdH?s cross.
Exiled Blue in Poland...
It was Mountfield (who else?) who slid in and put away VdH?s cross.
Exiled Blue in Poland...
Gary Sedgwick
24 Posted 13/01/2008 at 04:22:49
24 Posted 13/01/2008 at 04:22:49
Vincent,
I knew Psycho had a part in it!!!
I knew Psycho had a part in it!!!
John Royle
25 Posted 13/01/2008 at 11:32:15
25 Posted 13/01/2008 at 11:32:15
Good on you Danny for keeping the faith all those years.
The lads did you proud yesterday - you should make the trip more often!!
The lads did you proud yesterday - you should make the trip more often!!
Michael Brien
26 Posted 14/01/2008 at 07:27:49
26 Posted 14/01/2008 at 07:27:49
Danny - I hope you had a really great day and that you can get to Goodison many more times. Your mention of Farrell,Eglington,O’Neil and Donavan a reminder of how strong our links with Ireland used to be. My late father’s favourite player in that era was Dave Hickson - but I remember he used to tell me a lot of stories about Peter Farrell and Tommy Eglington.
A shame to see Irish players such as Doyle and Hunt plying their trade at Reading when in the past Everton would have had a strong influence and perhaps they would have been at Goodison.
I hope that your next Goodison visit is soon and perhaps a meeting with Dave Hickson could be arranged. Cheers Danny.
A shame to see Irish players such as Doyle and Hunt plying their trade at Reading when in the past Everton would have had a strong influence and perhaps they would have been at Goodison.
I hope that your next Goodison visit is soon and perhaps a meeting with Dave Hickson could be arranged. Cheers Danny.
Paul Conatzer
27 Posted 20/02/2008 at 08:37:43
27 Posted 20/02/2008 at 08:37:43
Gary Sedgewick, yes I am the same Paul Conatzer who writes for the VMS... I just noticed your post....my email is pfbcon@yahoo.com...look forward to hearing from you...
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1 Posted 11/01/2008 at 15:25:04