ToffeeWeb - Season 2010-11

The Mail Bag

Numerology and the FA Cup

In a season in which the FA Cup is our only hope of glory, I report this with a heavy heart.

While lying in bed reading my Everton Miscellany (a sad life really), I noted an extraordinary relationship between the years in which the Blues won the cup.

Our first victory came in 1906. Adding together the individual digits, 1, 9, 0 and 6 makes 16.

We next won it in 1933. Hullo, what?s this? 1, 9, 3 and 3 makes 16 again!

Then the amazing 1966 victory over Sheffield Wednesday. 1 + 9 + 6 + 6 = 22.

Then the 1984 win, with the digits 1, 9, 8 and 4 again adding up to 22!!

Amazing or what?

So then comes 1995 and Manure. 1 and 9 and 9 and 5 add up to 24.

So of course I started to calculate when next the digits will add up to 24. With sinking heart I realised that I will never see Phil Neville lift the cup. In fact, I will never see an Everton captain lift it again. For the next year whose digits make 24 is 2499.

Perhaps I should take up time travel.
Philip Kolvin, London Posted 09/10/2010 at 17:58:05

back Return to the Mail Bag

Comments

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer

Mike Jones
1 Posted 10/10/2010 at 00:31:09

Phil, wake the Wife up and ask her if she can do something to send you to sleep; if you're under 30, ask her to do it twice. Now if you're under 16, ignore the above ? it means nothing and is just a joke about wifes nagging to send you to sleep so carry on reading the book.

If you are a man 'living on your own' and over 16 I have no advice except a tight white tee-shirt and blue jeans with slip-on black shoes or white 'trainers' might 'give the wrong impression... unless that's the 'impression' you want to give!

Steven Pendleton
2 Posted 10/10/2010 at 01:44:25

Been up all night crunching the numbers Philip?

Mate, here's my prediction. We'll be drawn to play Shrewsbury Town at Goodison and play with a 4-5-1 formation. We win 1 nil with Hibbert scoring the winner.

Gotta say, it's not easy typing this post with this bloody straight-jacket on!!!

Mate, the rate we're going, I would take 2499.

James Flynn
3 Posted 10/10/2010 at 04:14:53

"Our only hope of glory"? Phil - We're going to up top the end of season.

Eugene Ruane
4 Posted 10/10/2010 at 04:07:16

Maybe it's time.

Maybe the Department of Health needs to step in.

I'm not talking about anything intrusive, maybe just a small white patch on the bottom of every shirt sold that houses the words: 'Everton seriously harms you and others around you'.

And I thought I had it bad, looking at the league table for an hour every Sunday morning and doing my mental routine of: "If they lose to them and we beat them by three or more, then we win the next four and they all lose at least two..."

My mother was right ? there really IS someone worse off.

In it's own way, Philip's line: "Our first victory came in 1906. Adding together the individual digits, 1, 9, 0 and 6 makes 16" ? is the best summing up of being an Evertonian during 'the Sky years' I've ever read.

God help him... God help ALL of us!

Norman Merrill
5 Posted 10/10/2010 at 07:46:02

Philip, Thanks for that, but I will have to take your word for it, as I am just getting over a big demolition job on alcohol.

Roy Rennison
6 Posted 10/10/2010 at 08:51:59

Anyone know what odds I can get on it?

Kevin Hudson
7 Posted 10/10/2010 at 11:29:52

Charming article, Philip ? raised a chuckle that!

Maybe I'll follow your lead by studying the quatrains of Nostradamus to see if there's any hope for us..!

Mike Galley
8 Posted 10/10/2010 at 11:47:06

Phil, ignore it mate, it really means nothing. After all weren't we going to win the league this year? Something to do with 24 years? Also, I had a sizeable bet on the Blues winning the cup in 1999, that didn't play out either!!

Charles King
9 Posted 10/10/2010 at 13:42:55

Philip, if it's any solace on long car journeys, I switch the radio off and score diving headers at the Street End. I also compose Everton songs.

I am in my fifties, I am an Evertonian (fortunately I drive like a tortoise).

David Price
10 Posted 10/10/2010 at 18:32:48

Phil, just had a word with the Dark Master, you know, the Lord Of Darkness, yes the same one who got the rule change for the 2005 Champions League so the non-qualifiers could take part. He's agreed to accept the year 2011, is in fact 20+1+1 = 22 and we can now take the FA Cup.

Not read the small print on the contract yet, something about American owners, spend a fortune, go bust etc, but hey, it's a trophy!!

Dennis Stevens
11 Posted 10/10/2010 at 19:01:45

Mike, it's still mathematically possible for the 24-year rule to be fulfilled. Although I think the Moyes strategy of sneeking up on the whole League from behind is a curious, & perhaps risky, strategy.

John Clarke
12 Posted 11/10/2010 at 00:58:05

How about 2012? 2x12 = 24.

What am I doing?

Lee Kidd
13 Posted 11/10/2010 at 01:47:57

Back to school time John, and ask your teacher the difference between addition and multiplication :)

Kevin Jones
14 Posted 11/10/2010 at 13:38:32

I've just worked out, if you take the numbers in 2011, divide it by 5 cup wins, add 9 league wins, take away 1 Cup winners cup win, then add 1878, now take away the first number you thought of. OK so far, now put this number into you computer, alter the text to dingbats and hey presto.... fuckall.

Which is exactly what we'll win this year.

Tom Rowe
15 Posted 11/10/2010 at 20:24:54

2013 - 20+1+3 ? There you have it.

Dane Townsend
16 Posted 12/10/2010 at 11:15:20

17 + 10 - 2 - 0 - 1 - 0 = 24!!!!!! Freaky or what?

Has anyone seen that film 22 with Jim Carey? We should get him to walk out before the game lifting a scarf Sylvester Stallone style to help the cause....

Robbie Brown
17 Posted 12/10/2010 at 13:11:16

We've won 15 major honours (not counting Charity Shields or old Div 2 wins) ? 9 League titles, 5 FA Cups & 1 ECWC ? in our 132 year history which works out on average at a trophy just under every 9 years. Our last trophy was 15 years ago and DM has been here 8½ years.

If you add all the above numbers together.. you need to seek professional help.

Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment to the MailBag, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and MailBag submissions across the site.