My father is a true blue Evertonian and on September 9th, 2017 he turns 70. But before I get into the main subject of this story, I first need to give you a brief history about how he, and eventually me and everyone else in my family, became Evertonians.

My grandfather was born in Limerick, Ireland in 1916 and his father (my great-grandfather) suddenly upped and fled overseas in the late 1920s (we think he went to Australia, but no-one really knows) leaving behind his wife and their three children.

My great grandmother found caring for the three kids difficult and had to send one of her daughters to live in Liverpool with her sister. That decision turned out to be a defining moment in the history of my family. My grandfather, whom we affectionately referred to as “Pop” growing up, began visiting his sister in Liverpool when he was a teenager, taking the ferry over from Dublin to Liverpool.

Pop loved sports, especially football, and on his trips he would visit Goodison Park and it was there that he fell in love with Everton. The first match he attended, I am told, was against Portsmouth sometime around 1933 (archives show that Everton played Pompey at Goodison in ‘32, with Dixie Dean scoring in a 1-1 draw). Pop passed his love of Everton Football Club onto his three sons, but it was my father, Larry, who took the baton with the most fervent loyalty. He loves Everton.

He loves talking about Everton. He loves reading about Everton. He loves watching Everton. He is a true blue.

What I think differentiates my father from the average football fan, however, is how he gets his football news: he only reads ToffeeWeb! He does not read any other football website (except occasionally the BBC to check some scores but that's it). In fact, he loves ToffeeWeb so much that, not only does he read all the articles on here, he also reads all the comments that ToffeeWeb readers post. If he comes across any that are particularly poignant or funny he loves to tell me all about it.

The reason for this, I think, is because my father is truly a man of the people. Websites like The Guardian and The Telegraph lack the voice of the true fan, so it is places like this, where he comes to to feel at home. This is a fitting match if ever there was one.

That being said, what I would like to do is post on here to give you the chance to wish my father, Larry, a happy 70th birthday. It would absolutely make his day to hear from you. As my father is not a materialistic man, this is the best way I can show my gratitude to the man who raised me, and my sister and brother, in the right way. So please, post on here and say happy birthday to a true blue.

Finally, I would also like to list all of the matches that my father has been to over the years. And if any of you out there were at any of these games as well, please add a comment:

My favorite game was the March 1970 game v Chelsea 5-2 winners.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Love,

Andy