Everton on Film - The Pathé Years

By Rob Sawyer 21/04/2014

Hard though it is to imagine for anyone under 50, TV servings of football were severely rationed until the mid-60s with the advent of Match of The Day.

Prior to that cinema newsreels would provide the only glimpses of football stars on film. In the forefront of this, from the 1920s until the late 1960s, was British Pathé.

Pathé have kept a tight leash on their footage, conscious of the financial value of their archive, however now they have uploaded hundreds of items onto YouTube - many of them covering Everton.

Despite the hilarious echoes of Harry Enfield’s Mr Grayson and Mr Cholmondley Warner sketches, the footage forms a wonderful celluloid tapestry of our Club’s rich heritage.

My personal highlights include:

A look at the 1931 and 1934 teams
A wonderful 1933 profile of "Dixie" Dean (including boxing!):
The1966 FA-Cup Final and homecoming
1967-68 FA Cup matches: Match 1 | Match 2
A big-screen viewing of the March 1967 Merseyside FA Cup 5th round tie (Ball scored the winner)
Dave Hickson scoring in a defeat at Hillsborough
Rare footage of the wonderful T.G. Jones captaining a Welsh XI in a wartime game

So if you have some down-time at home, or on your work lunch-break, go online via this link and enjoy.

Rob Sawyer
(EFC Heritage Society)

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Reader Comments (5)

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Karl Masters
1 Posted 21/04/2014 at 23:35:49

Really striking how the fans in the 60s were not necessarily well off, but the standards were there. Contrast that to the nonstop stories of violence, drugs, stabbings, crime and murder you read about nowadays. WTF happened?

Steve Barr
3 Posted 22/04/2014 at 16:16:05

Rob,

Thanks for posting this. Absolute gold dust and a must for our younger fans.

As you point out, very little footage back then so fantastic to get a look at some of those great players in action.

Interesting to see how many people turned out to welcome the team back after the 1966 FA Cup win. Must have been millions! I wonder if we could muster a similar turn out when we next bring back silverware to Liverpool?

My perception is that our support has dwindled somewhat in this modern era, which is due to a number of factors, not least the lack of recent success and the incessant media preoccupation in promoting the sky four. Which of course includes our neighbours.!

Paul McGinty
4 Posted 22/04/2014 at 16:50:18

I was in the Boys pen for the Liverpool game...Alan Ball legend. In the Stretford end for the cup semi against Leeds, when Johnny Morrisey got the goal..pitch invasion, digging up the penalty spot and much jollification ensued.
I feel real old looking at the crowd scenes.

Peter Mills
6 Posted 22/04/2014 at 21:31:10

Paul #550, I was in the Bullens Road Stand for the RS game, so have never seen Bally's goal from that angle. I am 58, but now feel about 93!

Peter Mills
7 Posted 22/04/2014 at 21:37:59

Blimey, I can remember Wembley 66 and Filbert Street 68 too. My Dad's got a lot to answer for.

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