52 years with this club

by   |   13/06/2023  8 Comments  [Jump to last]

I became an Everton fan when I moved up to Liverpool from the Fens in 1971 to keep my job on British Rail.

I was very fortunate at my first game, I'm sure it was against Manchester United, to stand in the Bullens Road end.  There, in front of me, was the Holy Trinity: Harvey, Ball and Kendall.

Now, 52 years later, my son and my grandchildren are all season ticket holders in the Gwladys Street stand. This is the first time I have ever had my say on ToffeeWeb and I haven't got much to say. 

It's all very well talking about all the wonderful achievements the board have had in the commercial field but I see it differently: to me, Everton is a massive football club that has the most loyal support I have ever known but, in these last years, the emphasis seems to have been more on the commercial side than on the pitch. 

Article continues below video content


Those 37,000 people who come to just about every home game and those so many thousands that travel the length and breadth of this country to watch their team play a high quality game of football — where are their superstars, their world beaters??? 

The players we have now (with one or two exceptions) just don't have the quality of those '70s stars. They have the heart but it's not enough.

They can say what they want but the golden chance we had when Mr Moshiri bought the club has been lost; for too long, we had lived in the shadow of Liverpool, Man Utd, Arsenal and Tottenham.

When Moshiri came, we had the finance to be equal to those clubs; all we had to do was to get the right people in to use that finance wisely and build a quality team, as Harry Catterick did for these people in those Goodison stands to be proud of all those years ago.

Certainly not having to go home to spend so many days and nights wondering if we are going to get beaten in the next game, worrying that we won't get enough points to stay up; they didn't do that in the '70s and they definitely shouldn't be doing it today.

To some of these people, to a lot of these people, their lives revolve around Everton FC and those Everton players on that pitch.

back Return to Talking Points index  :  Add your Comments »


Reader Comments (8)

Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer ()


Danny O’Neill
1 Posted 14/06/2023 at 21:21:05
It's been 51 years for me Peter.

But then I am 51 years old.

In football terms, I never knew anything other than Everton from as early as I can remember. I wasn't allowed to think of anything else and wouldn't have it any other way.

I am still as fanatical and passionate now as when I was forced, kicking and screaming to wear a pair of jeans that had a patch on the knee (it was the 1970s). It had the logo "I am Scouser", provided by one of my Aunties. When I asked what it meant and was told it was that I was from Liverpool, it freaked me out. I was only about 6. I thought I was from Everton.

I was fortunate enough to live off tales of the 60s teams and then witness the 80s.

Everton is for life, not just Christmas.

I hope your son and grandchildren get to see our 10th league title. Those supporters deserve it after everything they have been put through.

Keep posting Peter. It's great to hear off fellow Evertonians from all walks of life and backgrounds.

Mark Murphy
2 Posted 15/06/2023 at 23:04:20
Peter I’m 64 and a wool from St Helens. A fact I’m reminded of by the scouse pure bloods every time I open me daft gob at away games (I was called a nonce at wolves for calling wolves shite by a lobotomised fat cnut). I was brought up as a manyoo fan by my dad and as most of my schoolmates were also United but after attending several games at Old Trafford watching the then European champions including Georgie Best et al, I then watched Everton draw a night game v Derby county with my under 11s youth team and was smitten. I can’t imagine supporting anyone else. I watched a champions side dismantled and replaced by players like Joe Harper, Jim Telfer, etc and attended every game in the barren seventies before moving to Spain in 82 and missing out on the glory years. Now, I live darn sarf and hang on every word Evertonia and go to as many away matches south of Crewe as I can and love every minute (apart from the Neanderthal “wool” crap”) I can’t believe ANY other team has support like ours and I really really believe our day will come again. I love this club more than I love my wife and she is f@cking awesome! UTFT!
Danny O’Neill
3 Posted 15/06/2023 at 23:13:18
Mark, you shouldn't say that.

It's just a different type of love.

Mark Murphy
4 Posted 15/06/2023 at 23:16:07
I know Danny but thankfully she’s not on this thread!! (She’s Palace so doesn’t get it at all) see you next season blue! Hugs to the hounds!
Dave Abrahams
5 Posted 15/06/2023 at 23:27:39
Mark (2) If my memory serves me right you wrote a post on here a few years ago in which you took the piss out of yourself unmercifully about your time supporting the Blues as a wool and I told you anyone who can laugh at themselves like you did might be a wool but is fuckin’ definitely one of us and I thought what a cracking fella you were and still do although we’ve never met,

Mark it was you wasn’t it who wrote that post? If not ignore this post and I’m just a Scouse Dickhead whose memory has gone on the blink!!

Mark Murphy
7 Posted 16/06/2023 at 00:30:47
That was me, Dave – you're right! The three-star jumper and feathered hair post, right? As you'll find out, mate, we auld cunts have thinner skins and it gets a mite grating when you're told to “Fuck off and support Man yoo” by pissed-up scousers when I comment that we played shite today, but yes, your right, I shouldn't get too involved.

The scouse blues I know, even that Danny bloke with the dogs, are great lads but there's always dickheads (crescent scar over the left ear = cunt) I travelled to Ipswich and Southampton away in the 70s whilst my scouse mates stayed in bed so I've earned my colours despite my accent! UTFT

Danny O’Neill
8 Posted 16/06/2023 at 08:51:22
Those who get the coaches from Liverpool, the West Country Blues, those from Ireland and all over the UK who put the miles in or follow religiously however they can. Many who may have grown up in places like London or the Midlands but have family connections. Those abroad who are either ex-pats or have developed an affiliation with our club.

It doesn't matter.

We are all Evertonians.

We squabble. Agree and disagree. As my brother once said in a bar in Gelsenkirchen after a heated debate, we argue about the one thing we agree on!!

Jerome Shields
9 Posted 17/06/2023 at 05:20:06
I have been a supporter for 55 years. My cousin was an Everton supporter and I followed him.

What has occurred to me lately is how much my attention has become focused on the off-field antics of those that have brought the club to a low ebb. They dominate everything at Everton, the team being second.

Looking at the transfer news, I know most of it is completely false. Everton have sold no-one to buy new players and before that we have to see what they can get on loan.

By now, it seems Kenwright will be staying in the interim period. So bad is the relationship with the club management, I am even thinking that Moshiri may keep him in place to keep the pressure of himself.

I should be thinking of the team going into the next season but so much is dependent on what happens off the pitch. Dyche is going to have a difficult start to the season. Hopefully he is able to grind out a result. That, it seems, is what he is already concentrating on.


Add Your Comments

In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site.

» Log in now

Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site.



How to get rid of these ads and support TW



© ToffeeWeb