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Reader Comments (14)

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Dr David France
1 Posted 15/05/2015 at 20:21:11
Congratulations Peter on your tremendous research and beautifully crafted article.
David Greenwood
2 Posted 15/05/2015 at 20:36:33
DonÂ’t quite know how to put into words how good this article is. Thank you Peter.
Andy McShane
3 Posted 15/05/2015 at 22:34:35
A very impressive and well researched piece of work Peter. I wonder how many of the Everton team that won the Championship survived the war?
Michael Kenrick
4 Posted 15/05/2015 at 22:34:32
IÂ’ve only got part-way through, Peter, but what a brilliant concept. The juxtaposition of EvertonÂ’s stalwart march to the increasingly irrelevant Football League title, set against the sheer horror and inconceivable madness of the Great War in all its military detail is very gripping. And the narrative that links together so many half-remembered names of forlorn and disastrous battles... simply fantastic.

Rob Sawyer
5 Posted 15/05/2015 at 22:45:00
Your best yet Peter - congratulations.
Pete Jones
6 Posted 16/05/2015 at 00:37:18
Thanks for all your comments. IÂ’d also like to thank George Orr, whose book Â’Over The TopÂ’ gives much more detail on what was a thrilling season, to Billy Smith for his match reports from 1914-15 on Bluecorrespondent and to Everton statmeister Steve Johnson. I couldnÂ’t have even approached the subject without them.
Lyndon Lloyd
7 Posted 16/05/2015 at 00:42:05
It is a great piece, Pete, and I offer my apologies for taking as long as I did to format and publish it.

Along with Rob Sawyer, Tony Onslow, Dr France and others who keep us connected to our long history, we Evertonians are indebted to you for your dedicated research.

Peter Mills
8 Posted 16/05/2015 at 09:34:30
Great article Pete. Perhaps a few more people will now appreciate the name of The Mons when they pass it on the way to Goodison.
Pete Jones
9 Posted 16/05/2015 at 10:56:58
Absolutely no need to apologise Lyndon. As my sole aim in life at the moment is to jam up your inbox I should be apologising to you.
Joe Bibb
10 Posted 16/05/2015 at 14:36:19
Hi Peter,

Excellent article. As you say, George OrrÂ’s book Everton Football Club Champions 1914-15 Over The Top. is a good book and is sensibly priced at ٦. It is available on eBay or through Amazon – just type in GeorgeÂ’s name or book title.

I enjoyed reading this article, it has so much detail.

Well done again, Peter.

Pete Jones
11 Posted 17/05/2015 at 01:11:49
Andy, all of the players who made at least one first team appearance in 1914-15 survived the war, although some were wounded, like Bobby Parker, or suffered from ill health as a result, notably James Galt.

The only squad member from 1914-15 who died in the war that I am aware of was the reserve left half James Roy. He died during the battle of Arras, probably on 23 April 1917, attacking the Tunnel Trench sector of the Hindenburg Line between Croiselles and Heninel. His body was never recovered and his name is on the Memorial to the Missing at Faubourg dÂ’Amiens in Arras.

Andy Crooks
12 Posted 17/05/2015 at 22:13:11
IÂ’ve just finished this remarkable piece. The juxtaposition of the football with the clinical description of the war is brilliantly effective. This is one of the best things IÂ’ve ever read on the site. Congratulations, Pete.
Brendan Moriarty
13 Posted 18/05/2015 at 22:45:42
Peter, I have read this fascinating article several times now and I have nothing but great admiration for the research and time you obviously put in to it. Thanks for putting it together.

Incidentally, according to Nick Walsh´s highly recommendable biography, it was during that extraordinary season that a certain Mr Dean of Birkenhead took his young son to Goodison for the first time. Eight year old William was to subsequently fall in love with our great club.
David Ellis
14 Posted 19/05/2015 at 07:36:34
Mr Jones - great article and a must read

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