Historical Query
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I was wondering if anyone (perhaps even ToffeeWeb's own statistical oracle Steve Flanagan) might have access to records of Everton Reserve Team player appearances from around the 1920s.
I ask because I have recently discovered that a great great uncle of mine, one Archibald "Archie" Stewart was signed by Everton as a goalkeeper in (my uncle Dave believes) around 1928. Apparently there is a photograph of him in his goalkeeping jersey floating about somewhere in Dave's loft, I'll send a copy in if it turns up!
I am fairly certain that Archie never made the Everton first team, but would be thrilled if I could unearth any mention of him maybe appearing in the EFC second string or elsewhere.
Any news on when the Everton Collection will be accessible at Liverpool Records Office? Perhaps the famous Everton Ledgers will include some of the information I'm looking for!!
Jamie Yates,
Glasgow Posted 10/02/2009 at 07:10:13
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From what I know of Archibald ?Archie? Stewart is that he was chosen to go in goal because he was the fat kid. The reserve team nicknamed him ?The Cat?, but as cats were not invented back then they decided to forgo that name and go with ?Archie?.
History does not recount how or why Archibald was given this name. Archie?s high-point of playing in goal came in a reserve team fixture against Liverpool. On being awarded a penalty due to an obvious dive, the game was postponed mid-game so that the ruling could be debated in the Houses of Parliament and was brought to the house by the Right Hon S. Couse MP. Unfortunately no one else bothered to show as there was Empire making to be done in the bar. Plus it was cigar and mustache night so that makes it alright...
Once this news returned to the game some three weeks later, the referee blew his whistle instructing the Liverpool player to take the penalty. Due to life expectancy being somewhat lower in those days, the Liverpool player had died two days previous. The referee so incensed at what he thought really was a dive booked the Liverpool player and allowed Archibald to take a penalty for Everton up the other end of the pitch.
History does not recount how or what happened with this penalty, but Archie as a result never made it to the first team, and across the world all fat kids from that point on would always have to play in goal.
Arf! Thanks for that info regarding Archie "The Fat Cat" Stewart Nick, I’ll add that to the scrapbook...!!
Could you reveal from whence this enlightening info came, or were you actually there at the time? (maybe the skinny kid who wasn’t picked at all because he was hopeless at footy!!)
Jamie, you are so wrong about skinny kids who could not shoot or dribble or tackle. Every team had one and his position was outside left.
Point taken Dick, but there’s been a fair few fat kids who didn’t end up in goal too - one W.Rooney to name but one.
Don’t forget Fat Latch up front either
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1 Posted 10/02/2009 at 17:35:47
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History does not recount how or why Archibald was given this name. Archie?s high-point of playing in goal came in a reserve team fixture against Liverpool. On being awarded a penalty due to an obvious dive, the game was postponed mid-game so that the ruling could be debated in the Houses of Parliament and was brought to the house by the Right Hon S. Couse MP. Unfortunately no one else bothered to show as there was Empire making to be done in the bar. Plus it was cigar and mustache night so that makes it alright...
Once this news returned to the game some three weeks later, the referee blew his whistle instructing the Liverpool player to take the penalty. Due to life expectancy being somewhat lower in those days, the Liverpool player had died two days previous. The referee so incensed at what he thought really was a dive booked the Liverpool player and allowed Archibald to take a penalty for Everton up the other end of the pitch.
History does not recount how or what happened with this penalty, but Archie as a result never made it to the first team, and across the world all fat kids from that point on would always have to play in goal.