Today is Remembrance Day and it has got me remembering the time I first became an Evertonian and the person who helped bring that about.

It was the 1961-62 season and I was working in London at the time. I had been a long-standing supporter of Burnley, who at that time were riding high and were due to play Everton twice in as many days over the Christmas period.

Working with me at the then National Provincial Bank’s Registrar’s Department in Bishopsgate was an Evertonian who convinced me to travel up to Liverpool for the Boxing Day match against Burnley.

It turned out that Everton had beaten them at Turf Moor and the return at Goodison was eagerly awaited with a huge crowd expected and tickets were like like gold dust. However, my Scouse friend assured me that his mate Brian Labone could find me a ticket and that I should travel to his house at Mauritania Avenue and then go to the match.

Sure enough, he was as good as his word and with a ticket in my pocket I joined him in the Gwladys Street Stand to see Everton lose 3-4 in front of a crowd of some 77,000. That was my first experience of Goodison Park, of Everton and of the camaraderie and the sight of young kids being passed down over people’s heads to sit on the touch line. How could parents let their kids go into the unknown like that? That was it: without really making any conscious decisions I had become an Evertonian.

Reading Toffeeweb postings has got me thinking again about those days and in particular about that Scouser that I had met early in my career and have since lost contact with.

Being a Season Ticket holder, I am at all home matches and would very much like to meet up with or hear about my ex-pal. Regrettably I do not remember his name – but I do know that he lived in Mauritania Avenue... or was it Lusitania Ave – I can’t remember! He was also in school with his pal Brian Labone and we had seats in the Gwladys Street.

This is a long-shot but, having watched the Blues under Moyes, I became accustomed to long shots! Is there anyone out there that recognises this Evertonian who I would very much like to hear from?

COYB

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Karl Masters
1 Posted 11/11/2013 at 15:29:00
Anyone remember the November 11 game against Chelsea in 1978? The nearest to open warfare on the terraces of the Park End that Goodison ever saw. Flares ( not trousers ha ha ) fighting, knives and police everywhere. Revenge for the Kensington high street tube attack in the August. Segregation came in the following season.

Duncan McKenzie also scored on his return to Goodison for the visitors and received a standing ovation! All ended well though as Everton won 3-2.

I remember also watching Chelsea visit on November 11, eleven years later. They won 1-0 with Steve Clarke now the West Brom manager scoring a scrappy winner.

Colin Glassar
2 Posted 11/11/2013 at 15:38:48
Karl, wasn't that the game when some Chelsea fans tried to get into Gwladys street? I remember standing just behind the goal when there was a commotion to my right and a mini stampede. Apparently, some Chelsea fans had sneaked into the street end and when it kicked off at the Park end it was like a signal for them to start. I recall seeing them getting carried out by the police and St. Johns AB rather bloodied and worse for wear.
Karl Masters
3 Posted 11/11/2013 at 17:43:27
It was a trick they used quite a bit Colin. They bought Wolves scarves and invaded the home terracing at Molineux once I remember. I know some Millwall fans got into the street end for the cup tie in1973 but most away fans were never that stupid. Chelsea certainly had some whoppers in the seventies and eighties, our games against them were always risky as fans.
Karl Masters
4 Posted 11/11/2013 at 17:43:27
Dup
Ian Burns
5 Posted 11/11/2013 at 20:45:02
Brin, thanks for the memory but I think you might have the score wrong (it is also just as likely I have the score wrong, I have had many gins since that Boxing Day).

I think we lost 3-0 and not 3-4. It was so crowded we youngsters were allowed to sit alongside the pitch behind the goal.

I have since met the Burnley left back that day, Alex Elder who is living in Spain these days.

Dick Fearon
6 Posted 11/11/2013 at 20:23:02
OP, Brin, your search for your old mate reminds me of my own. In my case I had three distinct groups of mates and strangely none of the groups overlapped. I had work mates, school and neighbourhood pals and Everton match going chums.On my first trip home after 30 years emigration to Oz I hoped to catch up with all of them.

With family help, I did trace old work and neighbourhood mates, at least those still living. I had no luck with my ex-matchgoing mates. We only ever met for a few bevvies before and after games when we would make plans for away game trips.

Highlights included a trip to Wembley in 1966 with 8 of us packed into a hired Vauxhall station wagon, er' estate car to you poms. George Kelly, a teetotaller, did the driving; myself and his brother Joe were crammed in the back with cases of beer and pies.

On the off chance of meeting the lads I went early to our old watering hole the ' Abbey'. As kick off approached the bar started filling up. Each time the door squeeked open I scanned the latest newcomers. Then it dawned on me that as I was the youngest of the group by a good 20 years my old mates would have now been in their 80s and unlikely to be allowed outside on such a cold blustery day.

I still fondly remember the good times when our club dominated our world.

Paul Ferry
7 Posted 12/11/2013 at 00:39:38
I was at Kensington High St in August '78 and the return 'revenge' game 3 months later that was without any shadow of a doubt the ugliest atmosphere I have ever sensed at The Old Lady.

I was in the Enclosure couldn't believe what I was seeing as 20 yards away some of us in the Chelsea end were diving in and kicking off. Insane. The Enclosure MOB - that is Enclosure Moyes Out Brigade - unleashed waves of objects, peeps ran over the pitch into Chelsea. Insane. Inside the ground. Could hardly happen today, thank God Sheedy.

Back in the day though if like me you went to every away game one day unless very lucky you would get attacked in some way.

Lordy. Days long gone by.

Brin Williams
8 Posted 12/11/2013 at 10:25:05
Just in case I may have misled anyone, my article was about a LONG LOST pal.

Anyone have any ideas of who he may be??

Richard Tarleton
9 Posted 12/11/2013 at 15:57:00
One of my all time great games, we were three or four down at halftime and battered them in the second half. That Burnley team with Adamson and McIlroy as the fulcrum and Ray Pointer and Robson as the strikers, were a great team.
Frank Duffy
10 Posted 12/11/2013 at 20:41:01
I think I was at that game with my dad. Think Fred Pickering hit the bar in the last minute — would have been 4-4. Think if it was that game we had been unbeaten at home for over 40 games. Some record.

What a game!!!

Brian Denton
11 Posted 12/11/2013 at 21:22:39
December 27th 1960, we lost 3-0. I can't understand why people don't make more use of this truly wonderful site:

http://www.evertonresults.com/

Richard Tarleton
12 Posted 13/11/2013 at 06:32:28
Brin, Two possible names for you were Allan Lloyd and Malcolm Donaldson(Macky). They were pals of Brian Labone at Florence Melly and played bowls with him at Walton Hall and The Hermitage when they were older. Ironically Everton told Brian not to play bowls in case he was injured by a bowl hitting his ankle. In those days I remember playing cricket with a group of lads in Walton Hall park and one of the older lads, I was about twelve was the Everton centre half Brian Labone. I was the mate of a younger brother of one of the polder boys who'd all been to Flo Melly. Imagine a premiership footballer nowadays playing cricket in his local park with his mates!
Richard Tarleton
13 Posted 13/11/2013 at 18:11:58
By the way the two lads above lived in Mauritania or Lusitania.
Lenny Kingman
14 Posted 13/11/2013 at 23:16:10
I was a baby in a pram outside the corner house on Sylvania back in late fifties. Labby used to come by on his way to work, and have me focus on what I was to do. Something about one Evertonian being worth tens of thousands of the other lot. So my mum told me anyways.

Similar time frame Brin but cant help you in your search. Good luck with that.

Alan McGuffog
15 Posted 14/11/2013 at 16:00:03
I think the 3-4 reversal was a season or so later.....1964? And it brought to an end our unbeaten home record of over 40 games.
Richard Tarleton
16 Posted 15/11/2013 at 09:44:57
I think you're right, Alan, I seem to remember us losing on the Boxing Day after winning at Turf Moor on the Christmas Day. I think it was the biggest crowd that I ever saw at Goodison and I remember them passing children down to the front.
George McKane
17 Posted 15/11/2013 at 10:08:54
Richard and co - - I was at the game with my mate Brian Brady - - normally went in the Boys Pen, when we had little pocket money, but if we had some extra money we would go in Gwladys Street and stand half way up slightly to the right of the goal looking down.

On this day we spent some of our Christmas money and went in the Street End and I remember being passed down so that we could sit around the edge of the pitch. It felt fantastic to be so close the the players.Never ever forget that day. Remember all the excitement and the really big crowd but we got beat. Pointer really sticks out in my memory.

Ian Burns
18 Posted 15/11/2013 at 12:58:12
George - 130 - I was one of the children passed to the front and sat close to the goal at the Gwladys Street end. Wonderful Boxing Day being so close to the action but a lousy result. I well remember the Irishman Jimmy McCilroy (spelling is probably incorrect) playing that day and as I said previously posed, have since met Alex Elder the Burnley left back. 75,000 was the recorded attendance.
George McKane
19 Posted 15/11/2013 at 14:44:04
Nice story Ian. Remember it being Boxing Day. Went home chuffed because we sat on the pitch (almost) but sad about the result.
I have memories of the guy walking around with the half-time scores on a sort of sandwich type board - I think 2 men carried it around but you had to have a programme - - it showed games A B C D et seq.

It was later I think when they began to put them alongside the wall in front of the paddock.

I love Goodison. I am in The Park End every game with my grand-son Liam. He is 21 now and has had a Season Ticket with me since he was 4/5 years old.My daughter Helen comes with us and for a while she lived in Scotland but came down for the match.

Great to be a Blue.

If you go on You Tube you can see a performance piece I did called Its Great to be An Evertonian. You Tube - Yellow House - Its Great To Be An Evertonian.
My daughter and grandkids are in that.

Best wishes Ian.

Ian Burns
20 Posted 15/11/2013 at 15:17:14
Very good George - must have a drink in the "Dark House" one day but alas I left my beloved Liverpool many years ago and haven't been to GP for a number of years.

Having said that, I follow every twist and turn from a distance and try to get onto TW Live during matches and keep in touch with true opinions on the TW Website.

Good luck George and may you and your family continue to enjoy GP days for many years to come.

George McKane
21 Posted 15/11/2013 at 16:10:36
Great Ian - - go to Facebook - -The Dark House Blues and you can see photos from before and after each home game on there.

Best wishes - - George

Colin Glassar
22 Posted 15/11/2013 at 16:14:21
Brin, have you tried the red cross? They're good tracking down missing persons.
Ken Crowther
23 Posted 16/11/2013 at 10:19:05
I remember that game well. It was the first time I ever took my girlfriend (now my wife) to Goodison Park – she only ever went twice. Burnley were the team to beat at the time, and we'd won away, unexpectedly, (3-1?) on Boxing Day. The usual "I think I'll go to the match" crowd with nothing much else to do after the Christmas festivities, together with the expectation that, having won away, we'd thrash them at home, meant that it was the second biggest crowd I was ever in at the Grand Old Lady.

We (three of us) stood on Goodison Road, at one stage, and for some reason, the girlfriend turned around to look into the stand, there was a surge in the crowd, and it took a minute or two before she was able to turn back to face the pitch. I thought we got beat 3-1; but, on reflection, I'll go along with 3-0.

Ian (#135), you nearly got it right, it was McIlroy (you added an extra "C". Which gin are you drinking today?

Ian Burns
24 Posted 16/11/2013 at 17:46:25
Hi Ken, it was definitely 3-0, you have definitely got the spelling right for McIlroy (what a player) and it was a wonderful occasion, one which has stayed with me and gives me a warm glow.

As does the gin Ken, a day shopping, now to the Bombay Sapphire and feet up! Cheers!

Brin Williams
25 Posted 17/11/2013 at 19:37:09
Well Lads all I can do is thank you one and all, but as I say I do not remember the name!! Typical eh?

And to be honest the two names Richard has put up do not ring any bells either - do you happen to remember where/for whom they worked?

Ian Burns - Jimmy McIlroy was one of the finest players, (ever) I remember seeing him at White Hart Lane in the early sixties. Burnley were four nil down (yes 4-0) at half time and came back to draw the game at 4-4. McIlroy was probably the best of a totally brilliant squad that Harry Potts had put together and I shall never forget him belting down the right wing jumping over sliding tackles after sliding tackles, absolutely brilliant.

It was the same season as Spurs beat Crewe, 14-0 or something like that - I was there as well and of course being Welsh my hero was Cliff Jones.

Great days boys - long may they return.

Oh I was also at Highbury when George Eastham caused such a stir when he took the FA to Court and signed for them.

I could go on and on - Johnny Haynes playing at Fulmam, Kelsey for Arsenal, Mel Charles, Dave Mackay, Jimmy Greaves, etc etc etc but I think you get the picture.

Great days, great players, great teams, great memories - and then I became an Evertonian, and the best of them all to my mind was the Golden Vision - Alex Young.

Ian Burns
26 Posted 18/11/2013 at 12:15:36
Hi Brin, please see on another thread my little post about Alex Young - a real hero!

The Spurs result was 13-2 against Crewe after a 2-2 draw at Crewe's ground, I remember these scores for some inexplicable reason but I know it was close to the time we took a 10-4 drubbing by Spurs with the great Albert Dunlop in goal!

Thanks Brin

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