The reporter from the Athletic News mentions, "a very amateurish substitute". Do you know if this would have been during the game? Were substitutes allowed in the early days?

I'm sure there's a potential for a book, down the line, EFC players, pre 1900.

I fear a similar thing may happen if there is ever a proper Euro league. Half a dozen clubs from England are included and the rest just fade away.

Speaking of which, Tony, I saw a comment you made on another site a few years ago which suggests that our history may actually predate 1878. Something to do with a St Saviour's Church team, I think. Can you please tell us more?

I have followed Everton and Earlestown since the early 50s as I live just 5 minutes fro the ground at Vista Park, sadly no longer with us and I can recall many stories about them. Earlestown must have been a very respected club at that time as Everton chose them to play the first game at Anfield.

Tom Evans (pictured) came to live in Liverpool in 1875 having previously played association football with Chesterfield. He immediately started playing cricket for Everton where he first came in to contact with John Houlding who was on the Vestry Committee at St Saviours church.

After Evans was married, at Clay Cross, he lived off Breckfield Road and worshipped at St Saviours church. John Houlding was his Landlord. Many of the early players with Everton appear in the records books of St Saviours which makes for a good argument that they were an extension of the cricket section who met to play football in the Winter, where Tom Evans would have taught them the rules of the association game.