That's the thing Ognjen,
Nothing, but nothing will alter one fact.

Born a Blue
Live a Blue
Die a Blue.

Badges, shirt colours, players, managers and owners have all changed in the past and will all change again with the probable exception of the shirt colours. The one constant through all of it is that this is still Everton Football Club and always will be. Ask a Cardiff fan

I don't understand what "Born a Blue" could actually mean. Does anybody really believe that this is anything more than passion in overdrive or, from the club's point of view, a marketing gimmick?

Well Shane I am a fourth generation Evertonian to my knowledge (not sure about my Great Great Grandad) and my fate was destined before I was born especially as I am the 1st son and grandson so I suppose that is as close to being born a blue that you could get.

Pretty close Andrew, or as close as you can get. But you could have been an awkward fucker and supported the Reds. Or maybe even not given a shit about football. Just saying.

It would take something very drastic for me to stop supporting my beloved club.

It would have to take something like the: Wimbledon and MK Dons thing to stop me being a supporter altogether

The badge I am annoyed about, but it doesn't make me question my love for the club.
I would be even more annoyed if they changed the colour of the kit, like they have at Cardiff. I would be out protesting and would refuse to buy any club merchandise. I would still love the club though.

I would sign a million petitions and hum it to myself anyway if the decision was ever made to stop Z Cars as we run out.

Moving the club to Kirkby, I was against, but I would have still gone and continued to love the blues.

Moving us to Milton Keynes and calling us The MK People's Club, I reckon would be going too far and I would transfer my allegiance to the inevitable FC Everton that would spring up and I'd follow them through the leagues.

Shane,

If you don't understand, you don't understand.

If you had ever met my father you would understand.

Pretty vague and personal Paul which there's little point in getting into.

Only way I can imagine it is if the team ended up being filled with players I couldn't bring myself to cheer for.

Say we recruited Ratboy, John Terry, Stevie Me, Craig Bellamy etc. plus managed by Mark Hughes. With Bill selling out to the Venkys chicken people.

I cannot imagine a scenario in which I could stop supporting EFC - the club I have adored for almost half-a-century now - except one and it is this:

More and more foreign interest/investment pours in to the Prem.

More Americans get involved.

The terns of ownership (franchise) get twisted.

The Everton 'franchise' ('brand') is moved elsewhere,
say Milton Keynes, Ipswich, or Bognor Regis

Now that would be a potential cause for breaking it off for me at any rate.

Don't rule this out as we become more and more Russianized, Americanized, and Sheikified

Don't ask the question if you don't want the answer Shane.
Little point in you doing that

I don't know if this has been posted before, but it's quite interesting.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/chelsea-most-hated-team-premier-4687835

Shane/Paul:

Let's not let yet another thread disintegrate into tit-for-tat,
causing more work for our hard-working editors.

For what it's worth Shane, I simply cannot understand why you have any issues at all with the being born blue statement.

It is not, as you say, somewhat dismissively IMO, 'passion in overdrive'.

It is the simple fact, not hard to imagine, that Paul, like this Paul, has never known anything else, and EFC is indelibly stamped in his identity and his sense of who he is. It is not just part of his life, like me, it is a way-of-life.

Crikey, tears streaming, 'passion in overdrive', get a grip on yerself PF ........

'Passion in overdrive'?

Sure.

117th minute at Highbury '84

cultural

Paul Ferry, I wasn't getting into any tit-for-tat arguing. My previous comment specifically tried to avoid that. The other Paul mentioned his Dad and a bell went off in my head saying that there was potential for this to get personal.

Now to your point. You can't understand my point about being born a blue? This is common sense and I'm sorry if that sounds dismissive. I'm a blue but I know when and how I became one. You may not remember anything else but had circumstances of your childhood been different then you may not have been a blue. Surely you can see that?
Maybe it's the atheist in me but this is up there with religion for me.

Shane,

Nor me.
My point was if you we're born into a house like mine and were privileged to have a father like mine you were a Blue,full stop,my sister is worse than all of us when it comes to Everton.

No disrespect intended,and no innuendo,where were you born?

(964) I'm a blue but I know when and how I became one. You may not remember anything else but had circumstances of your childhood been different then you may not have been a blue. Surely you can see that?

I do, but they are two different points.

I actually really had no choice to make at all.

It was drummed into me from the time I was old enough to
know - a little like Catholicism, though I seem to have dropped
that.

I suspect that that it was Paul has in mind.

Being born into an Everton culture.

I actually don't remember when I became a blue.

I always was one, I think is the best way to put it,
or, as before, I had no choice.

I was born in Dublin. live in Cavan (on the border with NI) and became a blue in 87 when visiting my Aunt who lives in Aintree. She went over in the 70s.

I understand your point about your family. I guess we differ only on our definition of "Born a Blue". There was little doubt you'd end up a blue, but you weren't actually born a blue is how I see it.
I can't compete with that :-)

Paul Ferry, I think my reply covers you too.
I guess it's like my following or our local GAA county except I have the additional county boundary to dictate who I follow plus all the players are from the county and are amateur. Takes it to a new level.

Shane,

Your'e very serious for an Irishman.
With all that "you weren't actually born a Blue" bollocks.
Stop nit picking.

In fairness Paul, in any man's language "born a blue" means born a blue. It doesn't mean becoming a blue shortly after you're born.
I'm not serious at all. Sure all us Irish are mighty craic. Every last one of us.

You sound like one of the very few against the grade, to be honest, Shane.
Still, each to their Eoin.

Well Shane, you were "born a Dub", but are now living in culchie land, do you consider yourself a Dub or a muck savage?.... I'm taking the piss cos I'm an Irishman too..... and I don't really understand the point your trying to make

I´m a blue. Hav`nt been all my life. Norwich was my team as a kid, because I lived in Lowestoft, about 30 miles away and use to take the train to watch home games. But that was 2nd Division. All my mates were United fans, then I saw Everton thump them on MOTD one saturday and I don't know why, but it felt like "coming home". I think thats what it is all about, coming home! Been a blue ever since!

As for what I could tolerate to stay an Everton fan, well a change of Chairman would do for a start!

Evertonians Are Born Not Manufactured. Whatever happens, good or bad, brilliant or rubbish, I am an Evertonian for life, and NOTHING, and I mean nothing, will stop me from supporting the club I love and hold so dearly.

COYB!!!

Thank you for correcting my article and made it more readable! :)

Mick, I was born there and nothing more. Cavan to the core. How the hell can you not understand my point? It's plain English. Fucking Dubs.

I've supported this team through thick and thin and I won't stop supporting them despite a shit board, some terrible managers, in years past, and least of all over a stupid badge!! I am Everton till I die ffs!!

It was my right of passage. My dad and his brothers where Evertonians and I was told I was an Evertonian.

I didn't question it and never felt the need to either, even in the dark days of the mid 70s when we where shite and I took all that grief at school I never ever once questioned it.

My wife is Irish ( from Tullamore ) and I go over very regularly to see the inlaws. The amount of people I have seen in that town over the years ( 20+) change the colour of their shirt is unreal.

One guy started off a gunner then a Manc then Chelsea and now wears a city shirt. I was drinking with him one night and asked him why ?

He said he had a right to follow who he wanted.....

I can't believe how little useful answers I found in comment section. People, concentrate! :)

I was actually born blue as my umbilical chord was wrapped around my neck so, beat that.

Tony Cheek 014 - it felt like "coming home".

That's a great line Tony, and probably speaks to many Evertonians not born and bred in Liverpool, all with different connections and paths to which they found the club.

Personally I do think we are born Evertonians, it just takes some of us longer than others to realise that we are, but we all get there in the end.

After all it's not where you're from, it's where you're at.

I would stop if we merged with the RS or moved to Milton Keynes.

If we took over the RS and made them into a netball team, then might stick with the Toffees

Ognjen, read Colin's @036 — fuckin class...

This thread gives me a wild..ish thought.

Just imagine if we were like players and we could get offers from other club's supporters.

The news of a possible move would no doubt first appear in TW rumours.

"Villa supporters demand Ruane-style support".

Yeah, I could be off to Villa!

A Villa supporter's club spokesman would then have to be all coy when asked about the possibility of my move.

"As far as we know, Eugene Ruane has a life-time contract with Everton and he's their supporter. It would be unfair to say anything right now about any move. We haven't spoken to the supporter and we wouldn't without permission from The Park End"

Then there's be loads of threads and posts on here.

"It'll never happen"

"He was a fucking smart-arse, fuck him off" (Dan Brierley)

"Knew he wasn't a real blue, he wouldn't put COYB! at the end of his posts"

Then eventually the pressure would become too much and I'd be forced to post that the rumours are indeed... true.

"Starting 2013/14 season, I will be giving my support to Aston Villa. It has not been an easy decision to make but it has been made for the right reasons which are, despite what some are saying, purely supporting reasons. Villa have not been through an easy time recently but with my support, I really feel I can add something to the Holt End. I have enjoyed my time supporting Everton, but feel it's time to move on. I wish the players all the very best, they've been great to me...apart from not winning enough games and giving away possession far too easily".

Unfortunately, soon after my post, details would emerge that Villa supporters are giving me a buckshee seat on the halfway line, all my pre/post match beers will be paid for. Plus free curry and chips before the game and free half-time snacks, a free programme AND... a taxi home, again, all paid for.

There'd be fucking sleet and slaughter and I'd have to be smuggled to Birmingham in the bog of a Virgin train.

Basically I'd be the Rooney of Everton supporters.

When Villa played Everton at Goodison I'd be in the lower Bullens kissing the Villa badge and fellers in the Park End would be giving me the slit-throat gesture for 90 mins.

Then a few years later there'd be a thread on TW.

"Ruane - would you have him back?"

No?

Well in that case, fuck you - COYV!!

(sorry but until the season starts again, or we buy someone, there WILL be more of this gibberish)

It's a bit of a tough question to be honest. For me, it's kind of like asking when do you turn your back on a family member that does something wrong? It's probably not something I can define, I simply cannot imagine not adoring Everton. As Dave Lynch has alluded to above, I didn't go through all the ups and downs just to one day decide that "nah, can't be arsed with Everton anymore".

One of my most poignant memories as a blue, was watching the derby where McAllister scored that ridiculous free kick. After the match, I was standing in a bar with three other blues surrounded by reds and we just started singing every Everton song we knew over and over, even ridiculous shit like 'Idan Tal my lord, Idan Tal'.

I remember a Kopite coming over to us, baffled, and saying 'what the fuck are you singing for nobheads, you lost!!' which only made us sing louder. That moment just summed everything up. It's hard to explain, but being an Everton supporter is in some ways more important to me than winning or losing. It really extends much further than even just symbols on a badge. By virtue of the fact that I spent most of my time watching Everton sat halfway down on the right hand side of the Park End says it all!

Anyone who claims to have a limit should take a look at themselves

Eugene 046 - no one was more surprised than me about your move.

Would one of the 'big boys' have tempted you? I said no. As far as I knew you'd never been interviewed by any of them or any other supporters group for that matter. I'm not sure any had even shown formal interest.... and now THIS!?

FUCKING VILLA?!?!?!

For fucks sake! Football supporting's not what it used to be....

(Exits, kicking cat on way out to boozer)

Once you are in, there is no way out. "He who puts his hand to the plough and looks back is not worthy..." Suppose if Everton changed their colour to red, suppose if Rupert's tower were replaced with a phallus, and suppose if the club were purchased by a Mexican drug cartel; I would still support them. There are times when I think that football is a silly game and that people invest too much time in it, but that has nothing to do with Everton. When people ask me if I'm into football, my reply is "no", which is true. I'm no longer interested in football; but I'll always remain "interested" in Everton. Different mechanisms trigger support for a football club. Some clubs are fashionable to support, whereas in regard to an unfashionable club like Everton something much more deep-seated, something primal, something arational, something mystical is at work. You will encounter a similar attitude among certain primitive tribes practising fetishism: you attribute magical qualities to a seemingly mundane object and you will never be able to let go of it. What's Everton to me? Everton's my White Whale. Everton's my Moby Dick. And the bond that exists between Captain Ahab and Moby Dick can never be severed.

Has to be the most pointless question ever.

Until I'm 6" under, is my answer

Shane, your initial comment was 'I don't understand what born a blue is', well obviously there is no genetic code within the gestating fetus that determines football preferences, therefore 'being born a blue' is not a physiological condition, and that surely is not the basis of your inability to understand, the phrase is just a phrase, but it makes complete sense as most of us became blue prior to being old enough to actually objectively make a decision, I was around 8 years old and my ould lad was a United fan (he lived in Manchester through the 60's), he used to take 'a break' from his sunday walk and 'just pop in' to a boozer to watch a match, with me in toe (under the mammy's orders), this was back in 83 or so, I still cannot remember exactly what factors made me blue, but I have been ever since, it was probably around 85 that I reached that point in youth where you begin to be 'you' and logic comes into your decision making processes, but by then I already had the replica kit, a 'knock off' schoolbag (which actually had a near identical crest to the new official one, not kidding, them Chinese are way ahead of us!) and posters of Kevin Sheedy on the wall, so 'being born a blue' is just a phrase, but it's not as well, it's much more, it's your childhood, your adolescence, your manhood, it's a constant part of every week of your life, bar these shitty summer weeks :), it's a huge part of what makes you the person you are....... COYB

Eugene 046, I would probably immediately defect to supporting Birmingham as there would be no more challenge for me here (with exception to Tom Hughes who often manages to make me think about things in a different way).

Or even better, imagine this. There you are in your new surroundings getting used to people singing about shitting on you as opposed to being on the dole.

So for some respite, you log on to 'Villainweb' to tune into your fellow fans. You make a post, and then monitor the replies from the home page, and just after refresh you see a post from 'Dan Brierley' in your thread.......

Actually - take Eugene's defection one step further.....

.....we could all log on tomorrow and find ourselves signed into - and members of - ThrostleWeb - The Indepenent W.B.A. Website (Est. 2013)!

All it would take is for Lyndon and Michael to get out of bed the wrong side one morning and BOOM! Gone.....

Fucking hell Shane when was the last time that you got your end away, the staying up party after Wimbeldon at home ?

Being a Blue isn't a calling it's a state of mind. Buddhists on their quest for Nirvana reach a plateau and become Blues before moving to their ultimate goal. Non of my family were interested in football . I went with some lads from school to see Everton reserves 1953 [that was in the days when the reserves were full of first team players] I've had the sickness ever since.

I think I'd pack in watching footy if I gave up on the blues. Outside of the World Cup, and watching/hoping Liverpool/Man Utd get beat, most games are shite. You get the odd gem, but it's usually non contact garbage with turnover winning the day. In the football world nothing really comes close to watching the blues.

Save the money and go watch the Lions every 4 years.

Dan Brierley - "So for some respite, you log on to 'Villainweb' to tune into your fellow fans. You make a post, and then monitor the replies from the home page, and just after refresh you see a post from 'Dan Brierley' in your thread......."

No doubt saying "I think the proposed move to Kenilworth is our only chance to progress because...."

Nope, I would simply write 'HELLO again Eugene' ;-)

Al Philby 056, that is a legendary post. Take a bow good sir.

You're right Dan, Al's post is a beauty.

Picking up on your point Al, lets say football ceased to exist.....would we remain Evertonians and start to follow something altogether different as a group....like....needlework.....?

It's a thought.

A staying up party has nothing to do with avoiding relegation it's a Euphemism that us middle aged guys use on rarer and rarer occasions.

Mike Green 077,
"lets say football ceased to exist.....would we reamin Evertonians..." interesting way of thinking. First of all, I love football game and then I love Everton as one of ways of football existence. I can't imagine that someone love Everton and not liking football. It's like being in marriage with women and hidding the fact that you are homosexual (or some other sexual orientation).

So....ARE YER CALLIN' MIKE A PUFF LIKE!!?

But...but...but....I dooo like football!!!!! I DOOOOO!!!!! I'm well into it!!!! Honest!!!

Eugene Ruane 083,
why capitals? I didn't write that as an insinuation about Mike's sexuality and I don't want to insult anyone. Maybe I made bad comparison?

Al Philby, well put the whole think defies rational explanation.

Personally I think if you get involved as a kid you're done for - it's classic Jesuit - "give me the boy and I will give you the man ".

The saving grace is you see the parallels with nut-job religious fundamentalists and are a bit more understanding.

At various times in my life I might have supported bombing Anfield .... I know it's dreadful but what can you do?

@086.God love him...

Peter (post 062), I realize the need to cut corners at funerals nowadays but please, spend the extra cash,and have them dig the other five and a half feet. Hope the spades are not needed for many years anyway.

Eugene@ 083.

Men in bra's. classic Reeves and Mortimer. You sayin av got nowt like.....

Laughing my 10 stone testicles off here!

I cannot offer a logical reason why or how I became an Evertonian. In retrospect it was an act of lunacy that I did.

We had just been relegated and most of my mates supported the other lot. Trips to the old lady with my best mate 'Molla' were incredibly exciting as every yard nearer to the holy ground our spirits lifted and hope was restored. There was and even after the passage of 60 plus years there still is something magical about the name and everything it stands for.

These days there are 12,000 miles between me and 'Molla' yet our passion for our club burns as bright as ever.

Had we chosen the path to perdition, our lives would have filled with Premierships and European nights of glory yet neither of us would or could swap what fate has bestowed.

Though we were not fortunate enough to see him in the flesh, tales told and retold of the great Dixie gave us something to cling to.
Over the years there's been other icons to carry the flame, Young, Ball, Duncan, Cahill to name a few.

My answer to Ognjen's query Is there is a connection a kind of contract or lifelong bond that is struck between us and Everton and there is nothing we can do about it.

Mick, #063, I was obviously pointing what was already obvious to you so. Anyway, let's please move on. I just find the literal phrase misleading. I became a blue at 8 too so I guess I'm in the same boat as you.

Peter #069, I don't know what "got your end away" means but I'm damn sure not going to take another phrase literally.

Eugene Ruane is your typical fancy Dan tricky winger. No moral fibre there, I'm afraid. We're well shot of him. Honest journeymen are what we need.

I don't know what it would take but I feel the present board are well capable of sinking to it, especially if it involves doing nothing or if they must do something doing it on the cheap.

Hi Shane, I'm also a blue from Cavan, we are fairly few and far between amongst all the Redshite hoards and Man Utd glory hunters. I too started supporting Everton in the mid to late 80s and I'm still not 100% sure when exactly it was, but I clearly remember watching the '86 cup final aged 8 and saying to my mother that I like that blue team, don't like that red team or that man ((Dalglish). And so it continued. It just felt right, like it was meant to be. I wouldn't have it any other way. Are you from Cavan Town?

I only thing I know about Cavan is that story a few years back where the bloke presumed dead turned up for a GAA reunion. Amazing story in itself but the photo that accompanied the piece was awesome!

On limits, there must be one. I was born an Englishman (and a proud one who was passionate about the national team) but I gave up on the national team long ago. The sort of players that represent 'us', the lack of planning, the gutlessness - all contributed to a group I could no longer support. I just didn't have it in me anymore.

Everton is different. But I'm sure there would be a limit I just don't know how far they could go before I felt nothing for them.

I fucking love you Eugene Ruane #46!

Eugene picture the scene, big fat scouser sat in an office full of kenyans taking morning tea and bread, when all of a sudden the big fat scouser blurts tea all over his desk and roars with laughter until he cries. I may get deported."Free curry and chips" a classic.

Thank you.

Stop hitting Eugene FFS

Hes a true blue

Like Chad (131)

I fucking love Eugene

Leave Highbuhy '84 , Kensington High St St, 78, Enclosure 78 Nov Chelsea Rotterdam Eugene alone

Ernie #122, here's the story http://www.hoganstand.com/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=118791. Very funny.

Errol, I live in Cavan town but am from Killeshandra. What about yourself? We could have our own Cavan reunion here.

Paul (139) - "Leave Highbury '84, Kensington High St St, 78, Enclosure 78 Nov Chelsea Rotterdam Eugene alone"

If I took the Villa 'job', I'd have to do a Lineker with those events, simply convince myself they never happened.

Shane, I am from Kilnaleck, live in Lavey, work in Cavan Town, so not far away. I have some good friends from Killeshandra. Look me up on FB or Twitter, I'm easy to find with a name like mine!

It's plain to me that Eugene Ruane has been tapped up whilst on international duty.

No Andy he has in many posters eyes always been a 'Villain' and some have said he might be a 'Little Devil' as well, maybe the MUFC supporters will invite him to the red cafe for a slap-up meal and a free crate of ale. Anyway who needs entertainment, there are plenty more TW's who can provide funny sketches and off the wall comments with a sprinkling of acerbic comment, I just can't think of their names at the moment, but remember nobody is bigger than TW - I reckon he's only leaving because we don't do Viscounts.

Al #056 everytime things get tough and we think, however briefly, of packing it all in. We see Ahab's arm seemingly beckoning us on to our doom and follow.

Andy (186) - Negotiations have hit a snag.

Basically we are asking for replica home and away shirts but Villa supporters groups (pun intended) won't wear it.

My agent (Robin U. Blynde) said yesterday..

"Look lad, if you employed Mozart, wouldn't you make sure she had all the right paints and paint brushes? Of couse you fuckin' would! Well this is the same. So if you want Ruane in the middle of the Holt End, givin' it loads, cough up the shirts or fuckin' do one".

Villa supporters club Chairman, Ken Hardlee-Reede said "Ooo the fuckin' 'ell ar yeeeOWWW looooyke?"

The only thing that would stop me would be the Wimbledon/MK Dons scenario. The only other thing that would come close would be if they ditched Z Cars. I've only got to hear that and I get goose bumps and tears in my eyes.

I think if we became Chelsea of a couple of years ago, I would be sorely tempted. The word decorum didn't exist at the club. To some degree it still doesn't.

Errol/Shane, Granard man myself, only a mile from the Cavan border. Still a longford man in GAA terms but can be an associate member of the Cavan Everton brigade.

The way the fuckin prices are going up, there won't be many of us left who can afford to be blues!!

Just wait until the franchise system kicks in, our new foreign owners will change the kit to red+white and move the club to a more affluent part of the country (or world).

Remember that clown from the Prem league (Scudamore?) wanted to play some of our games abroad to "spread the message". There's the first rock of the US style franchise/corporate landslide.

Will I still be a blue then?

I know I am a blue ONLY because my dad was a blue. His dad was a red, but we don't talk about him.

Dad was a soldier and coinciding with my younger years the family were nomadic, according to where he got posted. Aged 6 in 1965, playing football in the drive with my dad, brother and a kid from next door, my brother and his pal said "We'll be (Glasgow) Rangers" - we were then living in Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis - and my dad says "We're Everton" (followed by me saying, as if we were discussing Accrington Stanley, "Who are they"?).

Years later when we moved to Harrogate, I flirted with the Leeds United my classmates supported - until Everton dumped them out of the cup - I can still remember my dad laughing at my crying over this, watching the highlights show the day after on ITV. Ironically by the time the semi came round, and we lost to Man City, we were living in Manchester. Going to school there, I then flirted with Citeh, who most of my classmates supported. But very soon I was back to Everton, and stayed a blue ever since. This despite getting several kickings from Man City and Man U fans combined, especially the year Manyoo went down.

My elder brother had briefly got into Manyoo (1968 European Cup and all that), but he returned to the fold. His enthusiasm for Everton later helped take me to Munich and Rotterdam and I followed his lead in investing in many years season tickets for the Gwlady's Street.

Likewise my younger brother (born in Stornoway) flirted with other clubs, mainly because he 'followed' his beloved Joe Royle to Norwich and Man City, but he too returned to Everton, in 1983. Why? Because my old fellah died in the September of that year.

You see, we're all blues now, and have ALL been since 1983, because of my dad. We can't change the fact he's not been around since 1983, and boy were were grateful for the football at least throughout the rest of the 1980s, and beyond as well. Those things, our past, and our great loss, are immutable. And so I'll stay being an Evertonian whatever happens, whatever changes, until the day I die. Then maybe me and the old fellah can talk about old times.

I'll stop now. I'm filling up.

Chris @ 353, My late dad was a blue, my mums a red, 5 children later all Blues, 2 sisters blue as blue, 2 brothers blue as blue, and me blue as well blue... I live in France now, my beautiful wife is a blue and my son and my daughter will be.... Nantes my missus supported.. WTF!

Eugene if you are on the point of leaving I will get on my knees, as I did with Moyes, and deliver a pathos-laden heart-breaking year-welling version of KC's 'Please don't go'.

year welling is y next to t on my keyboard, ah .......

Paul,has Mike Ditka still got his gaff on chestnut st??

Is he the Bears fella Mark?

Really nice post Chris (353)

Yeah Paul, that's the guy, won the big one in '85, bad piss head though... Ahh '85.

I love Everton that when I was young, I cried when Russia were knocked out by Germany in Euro 96... all because Kanchelskis was playing for Russia

Until death ... and beyond!!!

I know Everton and the game of football are shite.

Once you pass 20 yrs old and lifes warning signs about impending "mug situations" kick in the idea of football club support defies any rational thought.

I support the club at 55 and always will it really doesn't matter what happens - turn the kit red, sell everyone, get relegated.

I find it shocking to conclude this part of my life makes me completely irrational and truthfully a nutter but what can you do?

If I thought medical help would help I'd take it but science is shite as well these days.

Ognjen, if you click on "Articles" above and scroll down about 150 articles, you will find one posted on 24 August 2012 by James Corbett, a tribute to his grandfather (my father). It could have been written about many grandfathers, and explains how the bond with our club goes far deeper than crests and colours, important though those things are.

Don't worry about Eugene's capital letters. I doubt you have offended anybody, Eugene has had his head turned and is about to embark on a new project in Birmingham, they speak differently down there.

Good to have your support from Bosnia and Herzegovina.