Jagielka helps dedicated Blue with factory shift

Wednesday, 3 April, 2019 13comments | Jump to most recent

A loyal Everton fan who has spent more than two decades working overtime to pay for Goodison Park Season Tickets for him and his four sons was shocked when Blues Club captain Phil Jagielka turned up at his factory in Flint to give him a well-earned afternoon off and a 2019/20 Season Ticket.

Dave Williams, 52, was halfway through his shift at Kimberly-Clark paper mill when he was approached by Blues defender Jagielka, dressed in a high-vis jacket, safety shoes and protective goggles.

In the latest surprise of the Club's Side By Side Season Ticket campaign, which has seen players past and present lending support to loyal Evertonians, the England international, 36, then chipped in to help Dave out with his duties and even make a round of brews for other workers at the plant.

On finishing his shift, Jagielka then broke the news to Dave that he was being gifted his Goodison Park Season Ticket for next term.

Dave was nominated for the surprise by his four sons, whose Season Tickets have been paid for by their father since they were old enough to attend fixtures.

Now in their 20s, Dave continues to take on extra hours with the company where he has worked since the age of 16 to ensure his sons can still afford to get to games on top of their other commitments.

"From when we were all kids, everything has been Everton and he's given us everything that we've needed," explained Dave's son, Dan, who joined Jagielka to surprise his dad at his workplace.

"We've always had Season Tickets and that's down to him paying for them. When the new kits came out, we always had them - if it was Everton he'd be sorting it out for us.

"Even now, he's the one who drives to the game every week, he doesn't ask for any petrol money off us and he's the first still to jump and do overtime to make sure we've got what we need - for Everton and anything else we need in life."

Dave's surprise comes after six-year-old Max designed a new Everton sleeve for his prosthetic leg alongside striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and 90-year-old Thomas Walker was joined on a VIP coach journey from his home to Goodison by Toffees legends Peter Reid, Graeme Sharp and Ian Snodin.

Everton first-team coach Duncan Ferguson also turned up to help 49-year-old fundraiser Dave Palmer coach his under-7s boys team in Ellesmere Port last week, with Jagielka's surprise completing the series.

Reader Comments (13)

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Mike Gaynes
1 Posted 03/04/2019 at 07:28:22

Pure class, Mr. Jagielka.

This club makes me so proud, so often.

Derek Knox
2 Posted 03/04/2019 at 07:28:49

Nice gesture from the Club to appreciate a grass roots Evertonian, and in some measure acknowledge, his unstinting and unselfish efforts to allow the next generation to carry on supporting our beloved Blues.

Andy Meighan
3 Posted 03/04/2019 at 08:00:16

Fantastic! I wouldn't expect nothing else off Jags, though. Great lad, great player and a brilliant servant.

Mark Andersson
4 Posted 03/04/2019 at 09:28:03

Looking after futer blue fans... smart move by our club...

Kevin Prytherch
5 Posted 03/04/2019 at 09:48:23

It's amazing that, with all the good work the club do, they still get criticised for doing it on numerous threads just because the first team isn't performing.

Anthony Flack
6 Posted 03/04/2019 at 14:05:11

Magical sounds like a top bloke and marvellous father and Blue

I've just sent a note to my dad to say I'll not be paying for next seasons ticket as I expect him to follow the great example ðŸ‘

Lee Courtliff
7 Posted 03/04/2019 at 23:19:35

Good stuff.

Ajay Gopal
8 Posted 04/04/2019 at 10:26:52

Makes me proud to support this club. Well done Everton Football Club! Hopefully, I can visit Goodison Park before EFC moves out to the new stadium. Maybe next year... :-)

Peter Gorman
9 Posted 04/04/2019 at 13:49:42

Typical Jags, only putting in half a shift.

Kase Chow
10 Posted 05/04/2019 at 00:32:34

Nice one Everton & Jags

Neil Lawson
11 Posted 05/04/2019 at 07:32:43

It makes sense in the latter stages of your career to look for new opportunities to bring in a few bob, so maybe Jags had mixed motives !!
If only all professional footballers could display the humility and personal touch that Jags does. He is forever a true blue and a wonderful servant to our club. Long may his ageing legs keep him fit enough to be part of the set up and an example to everyone else. Class is permanent.

Martin Nicholls
12 Posted 05/04/2019 at 11:02:43

Good move by the Club and well done Jags!
I've often thought that another smart move by the Club would be to get each member of the 1st team squad to pay for the season ticket of a random supporter (a sort of "sponsor a fan" gesture) - it might help at least some fans to "reconnect" with the players who, with notable exceptions such as Jags and Seamus, seem so distant these days.

Jack Convery
13 Posted 07/04/2019 at 16:34:42

Well done all concerned - great stuff.

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