ToffeeWeb - Season 2009-10

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Books about Everton

As we approach the season's end I was just wondering what people's favourite books about Everton are? Keep me going during the summer after Argentina win the World Cup!!!
Rob Murphy, Cork, Ireland Posted 26/04/2010 at 22:00:41

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Russell Buckley
1 Posted 26/04/2010 at 23:43:11

Everton Miscellany - Found this one by chance for under $10 in Brisbane Australia.

Not something you can relax and kick back with for long but a book that's full of randomly assorted Everton facts and stories. Not a bad reference. The pages with every kit ever worn was interesting to see.

Andy Crooks
2 Posted 26/04/2010 at 23:58:32

A long time ago my dad brought me to England to see my first Everton game. At the station I spent my pocket money on a book called "Ball of Fire" by Alan Ball. It became like a bible to me. Has anyone else ever heard of it?

Phil Bellis
3 Posted 27/04/2010 at 00:36:03

Still got it, Andy; there was a later one chronicling his post-Everton career, "All About A. Ball" I think it's called (where do they get them from?)

A book I'd recommend to all Evertonians interested in our early days and the role the club played in football history is "Football on Merseyside" by Percy M Young (you can ignore the non-EFC bits!)

I've still got an LP (younger readers: ask yer grandad) entitled "The Road to Wembley" from 1966 — now where did I put it? ... and the Dansette?

Matt Traynor
4 Posted 27/04/2010 at 01:23:49

I was talking about this a while back with some supporters of other clubs, and it seems for some reason we as a club have a lot of books, and fans who like to write. (Look at this website for one example!)

One of my favourites was "Talking Blue" by Becky Tallentire. Pre-ToffeeWeb, there was ToffeeNet, and a few of us used to meet up before games.

Becky arranged interviews with former players / managers, and the fans got to ask the questions via Toffeenet.

Remarkably in-depth questions and Becky captured it quite well.

Think there was a funny moment when she meant to email someone, but copied to the whole ToffeeNet list, with a disparaging comment about someone stateside. Michael? Recollections?

Gareth Humphreys
5 Posted 27/04/2010 at 07:06:02

My Father and Other Working Class Football - Gary Imlach.
An absolute cracker.

Michael Brien
6 Posted 27/04/2010 at 07:17:57

Rob – I would also recommend the books mentioned above, the only one I haven't yet got is the Gary Imlach one and I hope to get that one in the future.

There's also- " Everton: Player by Player" by Ivan Ponting; I have a copy of this which dates from the late 1990s, but I see from Amazon that it has just been updated.

If you like something about the very early history of Everton, then there's "Everton FC: The Men From The Hill Country" by Tony Onslow. It's a short history of Everton in the Victorian Era.

There's also an excellant DVD called "The Big Match" Everton — which basically show highlights of about 12 Everton matches from 1969 - 1981 that were shown on ITV. It's great if you remember the likes of Alan Ball, Joe Royle and Bob Latchford and Duncan McKenzie.

Try also websites like "Blue Kipper" that has excellant coverage of Everton's history. I think they have some pages devoted to Team Photographs, dating from the 1880s right up to the present era.

Tony McNulty
7 Posted 27/04/2010 at 08:09:09

Phil Bellis – I remember that “Road to Wembley” LP as well. My Dad took me to the 1966 final and as I recall someone was handing out adverts for the record outside the ground. I recall that it took months for the LP to turn up by post. Someone called Athole Still was commentating, or am I making this up? God knows where the LP is now.

The other highlight of that year was seeing Eusebio’s performance against Korea at Goodison.

Karl Masters
8 Posted 27/04/2010 at 08:29:40

J R Tolkien - The Hibbert...

On a more serious note, Mark Ward's autobiography was an excellent read. A bit more to it than your usual footballer tales. Heartwarming in places to be fair.

Craig Taylor
9 Posted 27/04/2010 at 08:47:26

I would definately recommend Mark Ward's autobiography; also, I have just finished Joe Royle's and this was quite good too.

Phil Bellis
10 Posted 27/04/2010 at 09:27:54

Tony,
still remember ...
"This is Athole Still at Burnden Park, Bolton"
"Ha-ha -ha! he's lost his jacket!!!"

For me, that LP was only equalled by Sgt Peppers the following year
Happy days

Derek Turnbull
11 Posted 27/04/2010 at 09:43:23

George Orr's Everton in the 60s and Everton in the 70s

I'm due to re read them actually. Great books

Dick Fearon
12 Posted 27/04/2010 at 09:36:13

'Dixie Dean - The Life Story Of A Goal Scoring Legend'

A very old pal who worshipped the great centre forward had his copy personally dedidcated by the man himself. After much pleading and promises to wash my hands each time before reading it I was allowed to borrow it. To comply with his dying wish the book was buried with my mate. I have tried to find another copy of it but it seems to be out of print.

Another very interesting read is 'Everton - The First 50 Years'... that also could be out of print. Ah well.

John Hughes
13 Posted 27/04/2010 at 10:05:32

I'd recommend "Three sides of the Mersey" by Rogan Taylor and I think Andrew Ward. It's basically an oral history of Everton, Liverpool and Tranmere Rovers; lots of quotes from ex-players, managers, fans etc and is ideal to dip in and out of.

Chris Wright
14 Posted 27/04/2010 at 11:01:21

Slightly off topic but a website that is quite an interersting view for geeks like me is this one:

http://www.historicalkits.co.uk/ ... listing all kits ever worn by any club whose played in the English or Scottish leagues. Obviously the Everton ones are the most interesting but the Hall of Shame is worth a view as well.

Ellen West
15 Posted 27/04/2010 at 11:16:45

Playing Extra Time by Alan Ball - Fantastic

Dave Smith
16 Posted 27/04/2010 at 12:27:45

If your looking for a light-hearted, funny read then try;

'What's our Name? Everton!' By Mark O'Brien.

It follows the disasterous 03-04 season, and sums up quite well what it's like to be an Evertonian

Tony Waring
17 Posted 27/04/2010 at 12:37:00

Just "googled" the Dixie Dean book and found it for £14.50 on EBay. The page immediately informed me that it had been sold but re-listed. Price £70 and apparently it's gone !

Tony Waring
18 Posted 27/04/2010 at 12:41:25

Dick (at 14) What was the name of the author of Dixie's biography? Was it Nick Walsh?

Tony McNulty
19 Posted 27/04/2010 at 12:37:52

Dick, you’ll be mortified to hear that I picked up a copy of the Dixie Dean book last year for 30p in the Oxfam shop in Pinner. I also got a book by Neville Southall from there describing a season in the early 2000s. It was not exactly a taxing read. Somewhere in the book he cited Andre Kanchelskis complaining about the “volleyball” we had started to play.

Phil, you perhaps ought have explained for younger readers that, “he’s lost his jacket” is not some form of late 1960s sexual innuendo.

Michael Brien
20 Posted 27/04/2010 at 13:01:55

Tony Waring - Yes, Nick Walsh is the author of the Dixie Dean biography, first published in 1976. There is a later book on Dixie Dean but, in my opinion, Nick Walsh's book is better.

Derek Turnbull
21 Posted 27/04/2010 at 13:11:55

The 50-year book done in 1928 is in the Library by us. It was not as good as I hoped as some chapters look as though they were written by just looking at the list of results from those seasons.

The book does talk about a pamphlet style book released in 1888 called the 10-year history. Now that does seem a good read.

Ella Thornton
22 Posted 27/04/2010 at 14:27:08

I've got a book called "Everton: the official centenary history" by John Roberts which I got in - of course - 1978. Long out of print I would imagine, but interesting and full of statistics of league positions etc.

Derek Turnbull
23 Posted 27/04/2010 at 16:01:28

It is a good book that, Ella. Very well researched too.

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