The Mail Bag

Superstitions

Comments (17)

I was intending to leave this until later in the summer but, as silly season has blossomed already, I brought my plans forward.

I thought it would be interesting to find out what silly little superstitions we Evertonians have, whether on match day or just in general.

For me, if I don't fold my shirts with the badge facing outwards and on the top then Everton will lose... oh yes, the badge must be visible when they are on the washing line too.

So what do you do to ensure the mighty blues success, and what did you do differently in the glory years of the 80s?
Steve Pugh, Norfolk     Posted 10/06/2010 at 08:25:43

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Tom Rowe
1   Posted 10/06/2010 at 15:56:52

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Wierdo. I believe you suffer from OCD. Have a look at this tho. New Kit short sleeved. Looks good

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/518/newevertonkitreprise.jpg
Si Harwood
2   Posted 10/06/2010 at 16:42:39

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I MUST play FIFA on the PS2 (wife will not let me get a PS3) I have to have the exact team that is playing — as weird as it sounds, if I do this, then the outcome (not always the score) is generally the same as the actual match! Also I have to have my shirt on before any Everton game otherwise we will lose (in my head that is). I did have a few more as a kid but at 33 these are bad enough!!
Tony J Williams
3   Posted 10/06/2010 at 16:47:38

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I sacrifice seven virgins; however it is getting increasingly harder to find virgins in Walton nowadays.
Michael Kenrick
4   Posted 10/06/2010 at 17:11:37

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Tony (#4)... What a waste!
Stephen Kenny
5   Posted 10/06/2010 at 17:13:25

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Tony,

Try the Glebe, I'm pretty sure no one would knob the barmaids in there!!
Dave Smith
6   Posted 10/06/2010 at 18:53:40

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I tried to sacrifice seven virgins before a game once. Didn't go well. I'm now banned from every monastery in Britain.

Getting back to the subject. I have to wear an Everton shirt (unless in work, then anything Everton will do), and I can't listen to the game on the radio. Because they usually loose if I do!!!

I went through a stage once when I couldn't watch, listen or follow the game in any way. I could only bring myself to periodically check the scores! Thankfully I'm past that now.
Conor Feeney
7   Posted 10/06/2010 at 20:11:09

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@ Dave Smyth, No 6.

Surely you mean a convent, not a monastery? That is where you went wrong.
James Flynn
8   Posted 10/06/2010 at 20:26:20

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I de-flower virgins to keep them from that wasteful Tony J.

Saturday against England, I'll sit in one place without moving unless something bad happens. Then I'll change the channel, move around to another spot, put the game back on, sit still again.

Something good happens for the US (which I anticipate, by the way), jump up and down yelling for a bit, sit back down again same spot.
Dave Smith
9   Posted 10/06/2010 at 20:29:57

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"Surely you mean a convent, not a monastery?"

Aww damn. There's a waste of a restraining order...
Gavin Ramejkis
10   Posted 10/06/2010 at 21:33:54

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Traffic lights at the end of the M58, driving to the game — if we get to them on red, we think we are going to win (everyone in car); if we get to them on green, our opponents will score first. Odd but we've been saying it for years now.
Terry Hayes
11   Posted 10/06/2010 at 23:22:50

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During the early days of Howard Kendall's first spell in charge, we played some real garbage football and were getting hammered regularly off shite teams.

I decided that I was a jinx and that if I carried on going to the match that season we would go down... what happens next? I stopped going, Inchy scored the winner at Oxford, we started playing brilliantly... we even won the Cup and the rest is history.

I was at Wembley though and have witnessed us win many times since. Sorry, lads, I just can't stay away.

David Moore
12   Posted 11/06/2010 at 01:35:56

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Gavin, can you now just stop at the lights and wait till they go red so we win. Who cares about the other traffic, it is for a good cause. Now at 18, I still have many superstitions for each thing I do, but only sport-related.

Playing hockey: I have to wear my black and green Bonds undies with my good pair of jeans and my club shirt to the game. Then, in the warm-up, I am always 2nd last out of the changing rooms, but first out on the field. And I do my wam-up without shin pads and only put them on at last minute.

Sydney Swans: Has to be same socks, jocks and jeans with jersey for each game, home or away. This has to be worn for at least 2 hours prior. At home, I get a pie a 1/4 time and never wear a jumper, only the singlet. If away I am on the couch in the one position and do not move until it's over.

For Everton, a new shirt always brings a loss the first time I wear it, so I wear it when expected to lose. Watching it has to be on my chair in my room, under my blanket (it is 2 am when the games start) and streaming iraqgoals, always in my same boxer shorts.

You may call me cazy but, sport brings this out of me, nothing else does.
Matt Traynor
13   Posted 11/06/2010 at 02:38:07

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Years ago when walking to the game, I HAD to walk up Dumbarton Street (Dumbarton being where we signed Graeme Sharp from). We didn't always win, but if I didn't we would almost certainly not win (and we had a pretty solid home record back then).
Jason Lam
14   Posted 11/06/2010 at 03:01:57

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That's a big Chang logo on the new kit there.

Missing white collar.
Colin Potter
15   Posted 11/06/2010 at 08:39:35

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Tony J; You'd be lucky to find a virgin in Liverpool, never mind Walton.
Derek Thomas
16   Posted 11/06/2010 at 09:54:28

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First off, whats a virgin??

Never buy anything new, coz you always lose, and never for a big game, eg new scarf shirt etc for cup final.

Never make plans (based on winning) for after the win (I think that is call Hubris and is a good thing in general to avoid).

Never, ever, bet on Everton in any way whatsoever (more tempting of fate).

Don't upset the wife, a good rule any time, but mine (cruel, cruel woman) has only to threaten to think about maybe putting the curse on, such is the power of the distaff side. I try to not let on there is a game I am interested in coz she will peak on the teletext, just out of interest, to be involved in my interests etc (like I care) and quantum theory tells us that to view an object, be it score or electron, is to fix it's position, where before it could be W, L or D.
Eugene Ruane
17   Posted 11/06/2010 at 16:49:54

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Walking up Priory Rd last year, I decided, for no reason, to turn left at the top (towards the Blue House or whatever it is now) instead of just crossing over and cutting through towards the Bullens like we always do

My mate Les says..

"What are you going?"

I said "Just thought we'd go this way"

His response still makes me smile

"Yeah but...this is our lucky way'

Fucking lucky!!!!

HA HA HA HA!!

(even funnier - I DID understand what he meant)

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