The Mail Bag
The Lucky Charm
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At the beginning of this season, my son Alex (who will be 7 in June) decided ? all of his own accord and with no pressure from me ? to really get interested in Everton. Largely thanks to a combination of Wikipedia, You Tube, and my collection of EFC videos, he now has an obsessive and encyclopaedic knowledge of ALL things Everton ? including the ability to quote whole sections of commentary from 80s games ("He got behind Lawrenson there did Sharp", "Reid's cross GRAY !", "It's settled now !" etc.) and a passing knowledge of pretty much any player that has ever played for Everton!
The semi-final on Sunday was only Alex's 4th ever Everton match (having "made his debut" last Christmas at the Sunderland game) but his record up until then was exemplary ? 3 games, 3 wins, 10 goals for, 1 goal against ? a proper "lucky charm", however, he's pragmatic and grounded enough to be realistic, and we were going on Sunday to enjoy our day ? he knew full well that a victory was unlikely.
So, we set off from our Midlands home with the car fully decked out and headed down the M1 with Alex excitedly waving at all the other Everton cars and coaches (we saw ? literally ? ONE car with Man Utd banners) to my friend's house in North London where we were leaving the car, then got the Tube into Wembley Park. The look on his face when we saw the stadium hove into view from the train was a sight to behold :)
Arriving around 2pm, up Wembley Way (now Olympic Way) we headed, taking photographs galore. Alex got a combination of amazed stares and huge smiles when he shouted "Look dad ? that man's got Dixie Dean number 9 on his shirt! He played here at Wembley in 1933 when we won the FA Cup ? he was the first number 9 because they didn't wear numbers before that" ? but we're growing more and more used to "Rain Man" moments like that!!
We met up with my brother ? both of us nearly in tears as we hugged, both of us remembering the Everton moments we had shared in the past ? and yet more photographs were taken. Rumours of Rooney and Ronaldo not having even travelled were circulating but mainly dismissed as fanciful.
At 3:30pm, into the ground we went, with so many Blues patting Alex on the head "We're gonna win today eh son?" up the escalators up to our seats, in the gods, on level 5, both of us mightily impressed with the size of the stadium as well as the number of Blues already in their seats and the noise coming out of them! It was a proper carnival atmosphere ? one of the best I've ever experienced as an Evertonian.
All the lads around us were ruffling Alex's hair and smiling as we told them all about his "lucky charm" status and his previous match experiences, and he amazed them by throwing facts and figures at them that a 6-year-old has no right to know!
United's team selection was met with incredulity from all around the ground, and Z-Cars blaring out was greeted with a huge roar as the Everton party really started, with the United end still showing huge empty patches ? "just another semi-final" seemed to be the feeling from both their fans and their manager.
The match itself passed by in a blur ? but the one thing to note is that the Everton crowd were STUPENDOUS, it was an incredible atmosphere throughout. I thought the referee was awful for both of us in different patches, but BOY he really doesn't like us! (especially Cahill and Fellaini). I thought they should have had their penalty, but I also though we should have, and maybe would have, if not for Pienaar's unnecessarily theatrical fall which I think went against us.
Chances for both sides and excellent defensive displays left it scoreless as we went into extra time and then penalties, and my nerves were frayed. The lad in front of us turned to Alex and said "Well, you STILL haven't seen us lose ? it's 0-0 ? penalties don't count".
He was clearly a seasoned Evertonian and trying to prepare Alex for the grim fact that we just don't win penalty shootouts, and as Cahill blazed it over, I doubt there was a Blue in the ground who didn't think "Well that's that then". My nerves somehow settled as my heart sank, and I sat down, only for Alex ? our lucky golden charm (and named after another golden Evertonian) ? to say to me "I couldn't really see that very well dad !!".
We switched seats and I stood him on my seat, and put my arms around him as Berbatov strode forward. YES! Just a clenched fist and a short exclamation from us both, as the rest of the crowd around us lifted and Berbatov's disgracefully arrogant penalty was saved ? we're back in it! Baines strides up and BAM ? again, just a short "Yessssssss" and a clenched fist from the 2 of us ? still somehow feeling incredibly calm...
Even after Ferdinand's has been saved, and Neville, Vidic, Vaughan and Anderson have all scored theirs ? each of ours greeted again with the same relatively restrained "Yessss" from Alex and I, as the celebrations around us got increasingly wilder. Up steps Jagielka, the calmest person in the stadium, and BANG!
Everything erupts around us ! It's mayhem as I grab Alex and hug him as tight as I've ever done in his life "WE'RE IN THE FINAL DAD!!! WE'RE IN THE FINAL!!" he screams into my ear as I feel tears pricking my eyes for the first time as we both dance joyously ? the other lads around us grabbing him and kissing him ? the lucky charm who has STILL never seen us lose (and I'm convinced Cahill would have scored his pen if Alex had had a clear view!). Z-Cars blares out and the noise gets even louder, strangers hugging and kissing, dancing around as it really sinks in! We've only gone and bloody done it!!
After singing and dancing for a good while, we get out of the stadium (seeing a few friends on the way out and making a few new ones!) ? perma-grins still plastered on our faces (and they are still there now, 2 days later!). We meet up with my brother and more tearful and joyous hugs are exchanged, as we all make our way slowly back to the Tube, singing and dancing all the way, and photographs galore being taken. We went our separate ways at the Tube station and Alex and I headed back to the car, both exhausted after a thoroughly incredible day, where the following conversation ensued...
Me: "Now... we just have to try to get ourselves 2 tickets to the Final for our lucky charm! We'll really need you there if we're going to beat Chelsea!"
Alex: "We can beat Chelsea ? remember we beat them in 1998, 3-1? Gary Speed, Duncan Ferguson and an own goal?"
I didn't bother to point out that he didn't "remember" it at all ? he wouldn't be even born for another 4 years after that game - I just smiled at my beautiful, wonderful Evertonian son.
Born - not manufactured :)
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Paul McMonnies, Posted 23/04/2009 at 10:38:57
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It appears your son is already a legend!
I genuinely hope that you and Alex get your Wembley tickets again...........I was fortunate enough to be able to go to Wembley once with the blues (should I say, ambers!) in ’68 - a match we should have won having stuffed them 6-2 at the Hawthorns a few months earlier!
40,000+ tickets will be allocated to people who are not supporters of either club and it will be from these that tickets will find their way to e-bay and into the hands of ticket touts.
Meanwhile, even if Paul and Alex are lucky enough to get their tickets, how many thousands more committed supporters of both clubs will be disappointed for the sake of the FA never being able to learn their lessons.
After such a lovely post it is difficult to express my anger appropriately at, once again the betrayal of so many ordinary fans, the people who keep this game alive week after week come hail, rain or shine. It will never change because the FA is a club of idiots who have no understanding of what football means to the people I was proud to mingle with both inside and outside of Wembley last Sunday.
Buffoons!! (although I could think of a stronger word!)
I know it was only the semi’s, but those memories will stay forever. Our name is firmly etched on the F.A. Cup this year, can’t wait for the 30th of May.
I took my son Mike on Sunday as well.
His record is seen 16 matches and seen us win 16 times.
If you look at the replay of the penalty shoot out he’s the one that ducked down just before Anderson took his penalty.
He just did’nt want to watch the Manc penalties.
He had a great day out as he was with his mate Luke and both of them were featured loads of times on the tele.
They really enjoyed the atmosphere as they’d never experienced anything like it before.
I was 10 the first time my Dad took me to Wembley and so the tradition continues.
So its off to Wembley for an F.A.Cup Final (allocation and finances permitting) COYB
All the best to young Alex there!
All the nights you wake up when they’re little. All the tired days. All the selfless work.
Well worth it on days like that.
You’re a good father it seems Paul. Puff your chest out - you deserve it.
Please get the boy to the final. :)
I went to the game. But my 5 year old is just developing an interest in football via MatchAttax cards.
We live in Hong Kong so of course all his school mates are Chelsea, Man U (one lad supports both!!), Liverpool etc.
This FA Cup run has been perfect for him. Allowing him to answer all 5 year old Liverpool fans (and now Utd fans) with - "We knocked you out. You are out."
He now wears his (Keijan) Everton shirt. Whereas before he was thinking of supporting another team (Liverpool - aiyaah).
However he is a full blue now and also thinks he is converting a couple of Chelsea "fans" to the true blue cause.
It is at times like this that I realise what the true "Football Family" is. It is Everton and every true Blue Evertonian. This is giving me great comfort and strength at what is a very shitty phase of my life at the moment. My beloved wife has decided she no longer wants to be married to me and has left me devestated to say the least. Coupled to this, we both run a business together and she wants out of that too and wants to sell up to finance the split, leaving my employment prospects severley dented. Please don’t think this is a "Dear Marge" cry for help posting! I know many other people are going through equally bad, even worse, times than me. What I am hoping to get over is the fact that I take great comfort in knowing that I am part of a truly unique band of brothers and sisters. True fans, not fair weather, and no strangers to heartbreak and shit luck! But still we support the club, and ultimately eachother, and for that I am grateful.
We live in Sydney and my kids and I were dressed up in our home shirts, with 17 shirts lining the walls, with the shirts Everton wore in the last 3 cup finals (86, 89 and 95) hanging above the TV for luck. As a typical Evertonian I always feel like it will go wrong at some point but for some reason I was absolutely convinced we were going to win - even when Timmy missed the penalty - the kids thought I was someone else. The scenes with my kids at 4am in the morning were as important to me as yours with Alex - if not quite as romantic.
I have just bought 4 x tickets through a licensed tour operator here in Australia to make sure that we all get the life experience that all born Evertonians should have (wife’s not really talking to me). I never got to go as a kid in Liverpool before my parents dragged me away. Hopefully my kids will meet Alex there and share a winning smile and a Dixie story.
I also have a child who this year decided to follow Everton. She is 9 and her step-dad has tried to make her support Charlton but she has had none of that and wants to follow the team her dad supports. We watched the game on tele together and I swear I?ve never seen her so happy and excited about winning and being in the final. I think she was jumping around more than me.
She went to school on Monday a very happy and proud girl and was going to make sure everybody knew what happened and was also going to tease the Chelsea fans at her school by saying that we?re going to beat them in the final.
I?d love to take her but as a London based Evertonian I have no hope of getting tickets to the final. I will however make the day as special as I can for her and me and we will be sitting there together with our blue shirts on watching with pride.
Good luck and enjoy the day, both of you.
At the time, we lived in a village called Little Sutton. I was seven and my Dad took me to see the Blues at Goodison Park.
I would be lying to say the day was engraven on my memory, cos it isn’t. There were a few more days like that one.
We crossed the Mersey on the ferry and travelled to the ground in an old ’bone shaker’ tram. Those were the days, I loved those trams.
We had a good lad playing centre forward in those day, one Dixie Dean. The match was against Aston Villa and we won 4 - 2. Dixie, bless him, duly obliged with two of the four.
When the Directors decided a couple of years later that Dixie, was growing too old for the job and bought Tommy Lawton to replace him, I was nearly inconsolable. Mind you, Tommy was as good a replacement as could have been found at that time but.......he wasn’t another Dixie.
Yes childhood memories are, in some ways, maybe the best. One has no earlier memories to clash with those of the great day, one’s first Goodison visit.
Thanks again Paul. Your little son has taken me back 78 years.
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1 Posted 23/04/2009 at 17:00:40
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