What Makes an Evertonian?
Following an excellent article recently on ToffeeWeb (by Jarrod Prosser), I got wondering on what makes an Evertonian. The article was basically saying you don't need to be from Liverpool to be a blue and that we should respect, or at the very least, understand that other blues may well have a differing outlook on all things Everton. The responses this article got were excellent and really interesting.It was the notion of you are 'born an Evertonian' and the differences of opinion that really started to make me think. I have just read an article from a regular contributor on ToffeeWeb whose views are so different from mine I so often find myself shouting in disagreement at my monitor, as I'm sure he does at contributors who hold similar views to me. Yet here we both are viewing the same website, supporting the same team and for all we know possibly sitting next to each other on match days at Goodison.
When I thought about it I was actually intrigued at the huge differences there are between Evertonians at the moment, here is three of the major ones:
- Moyes ? Done an amazing job with little funds vs We have not moved forward under him
- Kenwright ? Saviour vs Villain
- Kirkby - Will allow the club to compete vs Will destroy the club
The above are a few of the big dividing issues and it is certainly not my intention to debate them now; there are other differences that could also be included. Some may say that all football club supporters have these differences, but do they and do they have to contend with them all at the same time? What I have noticed is there are many Evertonians who have total opposing views on all of the above; if this was a political area it would be equivalent to being a Miner or a Thatcherite!!! But yet here we are, still debating whether Clattenburg was Liverpool's man of the match or whether it was Moyes tactics that actually lost us the match ? intriguing!
So are we different to other Premier League supporters? I honestly don't know what it is but I do feel we are. Is it because a number of supporters remember when we were the best in the land and others don't? I don't know!
Which brings me to my next question: Do you need to be born a Blue to be a proper Evertonian? I probably originally leaned towards the answer being Yes. However, after reading Jarrod's article and the associated heart-felt replies I now think that clearly is not the case (although I'm sure it helps).
When I think about it, despite being born into a fanatical Everton family I never took an interest in football until I was 15 ? first match and I was hooked (although I sometimes wish I never went to that first match!). Whether you are an Aussie who watched Everton for the first time because of Cahill or your dad's a red and you wanted to piss him off, does that make you any lesser of an Evertonian? ? I think not.
So, what does make an Evertonian? For me its the passion, quite simply for me being an Evertonian is my religion. So come on then, let's have your thoughts........ Miners and Thatcherite's a like!
Reader Comments
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(C/O T Marsh)
I think a true Evertonian is one who still supports the club despite all its many faults. They don’t have to like everything they’re doing, in fact they probably don’t. But they would stand by the club no matter what. Through every loss, relegation or even going into administration (god forbid). I know I would.
Different people deal with pain differently. Some like to wallow and enjoy it while others seem to use blind optimism to get them through. Maybe that accounts for the diversity of views on this site.
For me, it would be no fun to follow a team like Manure or Chelski with tons of money. As I say to my Manure mates "follow a REAL team, not a corporation". Victory needs to be earned and when it does come (oops I’m starting to get optimistic here) it will be sweet.
Thank god they did not have red shite sherberts!
Are we the same club? Are we trying to be too similar to other clubs, ie chasing the corporate dollar? Has the image changed?
How do others see us?
I feel that the change with the ground move has changed things
I was not born a blue, my parents had no interest in football whatsoever, I just chose to follow them when howard was in the process of building a great side. As some have stated before me i dont see the club as the end all and be all part of my life. Sure i read comments most days of the weeks on here but (unlike my co workers) try to keep things to a minimum.
Despite these mental defects that supporting Everton has caused and the pain of numerous injustices against us (still can’t watch any clip of the ’86 cup final as that was the worse day of my life) I still support them.
In short, I think we have to take more shit than most and that makes us more passionate than the rest, regardless of where you are from or which manager you like.
I used to go to the odd game in London in th 70’s but started again at the 95 Charity Shield. After that I went with a colleague to Wimbledon in 96 and my 5 year old son begged to come along. At 4-0 down he had worked out that if we scored 5 goals we would win (Yeh Right!), but he was hooked. We now make the journey to Goodison fro Essex a couple of times a year and will be at the Larissa game tomorrow for our first ever European game.
I still can’t say why I’m an Evertonian but ’Once a Blue always a Blue!’
Last year i was on holiday over in Utah and went for an evening mass at a local church. Imagine my horror. - Here tonight -on a nearby sign- liverpool supporters all welcome. With increasing apprehension i arrived and to my relief i found the "supporters" were to do with a local ecclestastical group from Salt lake city which while had the same name, had nothing whatsoever to do with the Red Shite.
As for me and why a blue ? Bob Latchford is the answer..... In the days when football replica kits where just blue shirt, red shirt, white shirt I got a blue shirt for my birthday when I was around 6 years old. More importantly Mum had sewn a white number 9 on the back. I asked Dad what team this was and who was number 9. Big Bob Latchford of Everton came his reply... that was it ! My dad was a Preston North End fan and living in Preston I guess he would’ve wanted me as PNE ( I mean I would be gutted if my 5 year old wnated to support anyone other than us) ...but in the 70’s he completely respected my choice on the basis that I didn;t just want to support a winning team like all the other kids in the street wanting to be Kevin Keegan and wearing their red shirts..But because I wanted to follow big Latch and that under achieving team of the time he was proud that I stuck with them. My dad passed away before I could see Everton ever play Preston...but when they did in the cup a few years ago... I wore both shirts ..one for him and one for me... Blue of top though !
30 something years later here I am ... season ticket for the last 20 and yearning for success. I love the debate the issues give, but remember what I said at the start.. doesn’t matter were you are from or how you came about supporting this great club... WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
We are not special, we have no "divine" right to anything.
Everyone needs something to believe in, be it a god, or footballer, a brand or all of these. I can’t blindly follow and spend all my cash because my head rules my heart (mostly) but I have no problem with people that do.
When Everton lose, I feel like dying, when we lose to Liverpool, i feel even worse, then England lose at football, rugby and motorsport and I’m tying the noose........
Then I realise that I’m just being a neurotic idiot who places too much importance on something that means so little.
When we start winning again, there will be some more positivity. We’ve been unlucky in recent weeks, and I can sense its going to change, so keep the faith boys.
I always smile when I see a fellow Blue, especially if it’s away from the north west, I always want to go up and say hello but I always worry that some poor bloke might think that someone’s nan is looking for a toy boy.....
Yes, it is a family, we argue about this and that, we feel strongly about who DM picks and what he does but deep down it doesnt matter because we’ll still be there next week, feeling the pain and the joy, preferably more joy than pain.
Come on Everton, turn on some magic tomorrow night, we all need a tonic after Saturday.
And here’s a message to the delightful young man who was sat next to me in th GS, bless ’im, he sat there trying hard not to swear until I stood up and said something unrepeatable aimed at the ref. The look of relief on his face was a picture! He also gave me a great big hug when we scored! What a sweetie.
Come on you Blues.
Lue, your response made me laugh and has put a big smile on my face (first since Saturday)!!
we are distinguished by being great ambassadors for the club , we have a great knowledge of other clubs
Saturday was a painful day but we will all wake up tomorrow again ready to back the mighty blues!
My reaction on Saturday like many other times when the forces are against us is usually one of anger followed by sadness.I hope we can win against Larissa and get back on track.I will breathe Blue till i die....come on you Blues!!!
It could be brain washing? I didn’t know about the reds until I saw that they had been promoted from the second division when I saw an article in the Football Echo. (My dad used to call them the scabby heads).
It’s not where your born! Birkenhead in my case 58 years ago. There were a lot of Evertonians in Birkenhead and North Wales in those days. From what I read on this board there still are.
Its not where you live - Melbourne for the last 34 years.
You’ve got to be loyal, you’ve got to have fortitude, you’ve got to be passionate, you’ve got to be one eyed and perhaps a little bit mad.
And last but not least - you have to be an optimist.
We will be great again!
Come on the Bluuuues!
Like all relationships the bond grows with time and history, events. I remember listening on a car radio as my parents shopped aged 14 as we went two nil down to Wimbedon. I screamed down the car park limpar went down like a scak of spuds and as horne and stuart grabbed victory.
I know that as a non local there will always be something that I cant identify with amongst Evertonians. All I know is that it feels natural, I couldnt support any other. ITS OUT OF MY HANDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I absolutley love football as a game, I still play on sat & sundays, I’m one of them saddo’s that watches Championship, Italian, Spanish games (Eurogoals on Eurosport - top show) every world cup game even Ghana v Mexico would keep me off work or at least online!!! My point is my Dad was a red but my Mother is a blue, given the choice when I was 6 (as I was) or given the choice now I’m 27 I would always choose Everton, ALWAYS.
If you wanna know how special you are to be an Evertonian listen to other fans from other clubs either online/radio phone-ins or the boozer. It is glaringly obvious that there is something about being an Evertonian which sets us apart. Our History, our away support, our success, our failures....I dont know but its definitly there, that loyalty to the greatest club in the world never wavers.
Dixie Dean, Goodison, School of science, Brian Labone, the 80’s, Big Dunc, beating the shite, Latchford, Big Nev..........COYB
I’m a Malaysian/Chinese and I call myself an Evertonian like the rest of you. My wife knows that my most favourite sports team is Everton. My 2 little girls 5 & 7 knows that their daddy is watching "Everton" games on Saturday nights in front of the TV. I asked them "how you know that’s Everton?"
"Because Daddy has the same shirt with CHANG in the middle" was their response.
I love Everton. And while all my mates love Liverpool, Chelsea, MUtd, I will always stick by being an Evertonian forever.
I’m an Australian-Greek living in Sydney and didn’t care much for football. It was 1985 and I was a keen rugby league Player. I referred to football as many Australian did at the time as ’wog ball’
A good friend at the time played football and was obsessed with man. united. I can still remember the look on his face when I told him i had no idea what he was talking about. He talked me into watching this great team Man United... I watched the game as a neutral... didnt know anything about English football... I don’t know why... but after whiteside scored that spectacular goal, i felt it there and then ! i was a blue through and through.. and i still cant explain why how.
Just was in awe off that team that day... and realised it after they went down 1-0 lol
how funny !


1 Posted 24/10/2007 at 06:53:36
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One thing I really liked was your ability to embrace all sides of the issues. I think that has been for me the biggest positive of ToffeeWeb ? the huge diversity of Evertonian views out there. It’s brought home that truth to me: I can’t answer your question but I do know that Richard Dodd is just as much an Evertonian as Tony Marsh.
And that’s why people like Andrew Callan really, really piss me off. Yes, he too is an Evertonian... but calling other Blues "Kopites" is for me the ultimate unforgivable crime against all that is Blue. I don’t know why that riles me so much but I just hate it when fellow Blues use this website to call each other "Kopites".
Great post!