Everton Season Diary: July 1997

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EVERTON SEASON DIARY
July 1997

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JULY 1997

31st: Everton are to pursue the transfer of Tony Thomas, valued by Tranmere at around £500,000.
30th: Current injuries are:
- Joe Parkinson – knee
- Andy Hinchcliffe – thigh strain
- Tony Grant – ankle
29th: Everton cruise to a 6-0 win in a pre-season friendly on Guernsey; Tony Thomas plays the first half.
28th: Everton are to give a trial to Tony Thomas, right back at Tranmere. Les Ferdinand finally signs for Spurs, "the only club he considered joining." 300 golfers and locals opposed to Everton's proposed new stadium site on Kirkby Municipal Golf Course formed a human blockade to successfully block a pre-publicised site visit by football chiefs, councillors and local government officials.
27th: Everton lose the Umbro Cup Final to Chelsea after a very impressive performance by a young team. The 3-1 scoreline unfairly flatters Chelsea . Ajax beat Newcastle 3-0 as Shearer badly injured his ankle in the 3rd Place playoff.
26th: Everton make a great start in the 1997 Umbro Cup at Goodison Park, beating a very driven Ajax side by a single well-taken goal from Gary Speed. Also, Chelsea beat Newcastle United on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
July 25th: Sheffield United agree to accept £250,000 compensation, dropping legal action against Everton and Howard Kendall in exchange for a friendly at Bramall Lane on 19 August.
24th: Richard Dunne captains Ireland in a 2-3 defeat by France, in the U-18 Championship in Iceland.
23rd: A tribunal decides that Everton should pay an initial fee of £700,000 to Aston Villa for Gareth Farrelly. Pay-as you-Play could take the final sum toward £1 million. See the Gareth Farrelly FactFile for full details.
22nd: Everton beat Stoke City 2-0 in a testimonial for Ian Cranson at the Victoria Ground.
21st: Ciriaco Sforza decides to join the Bundesliga outfit FC Kaiserslautern (Sforza's old team), despite Everton's higher offer.
21st: Everton lose interest in Hungarian goalkeeper, Szab Safar, although he was not to blame for the three goals conceded during his trial match at Prenton Park.
July 20th: AC Milan have accepted a bid of £2.75M from Everton for midfielder and Swiss captain, Ciriaco Sforza.
19th: Everton lost 0-3 in the second pre-season friendly at Tranmere Rovers. The match started badly with Speed's own goal, followed by a great solo effort from John Aldridge.
18th: Howard Kendall decides not to pursue the signing of Danish defender, Thomas Rytter, after he fails to impress in Dave Watson's Testimonial. The much-touted transfer of Ravanelli ends in acrimony when the club refuses to contemplate the White Feather's outrageous wage demands. Everton Reserves defeat Burscough 6-0 in a friendly at Victoria Park.
17th: Everton unveil their new home strip in a controversial shade of metallic "light Royal Blue", together with new shirt sponsor, One 2 One, but announce that replica kits will not be available until the end of August. Hungarian goalkeeper, Szab Safar from Vasas Budapest, will play in goal against Tranmere, as part of a trial.
16th: Everton beat Glasgow Rangers 3-2 with Danish trialist, Thomas Rytter, playing in Dave Watson's Testimonial. Ravanelli visits Bellefield and discusses personal terms for a possible transfer to Everton.
July 15th: The Israeli FA deny permission for Tal Bannin to play on trial in tomorrow's testimonial, thus effectively ending Everton's interest in the Israeli captain.
14th: Kendall swoops to sign Grimsby Town's promising young winger, John Oster, for £1M, plus appearance incentives. Thomas Rytter arrives at Bellefield on trial from Sevilla. The FA decide to simplify the disciplinary system, with suspensions after 5, 8, and 11 yellow cards – and institute a credit by wiping off a caution for each of 5 complete successive games played without a card.
11th: Sheffield United issue writs against Howard Kendall for breach of contract, and against Everton for failure to provide adequate compensation for Kendall's release from his managerial contract with the Blades.
July 10th: Everton are planning to give a trial to Tal Bannin, Israeli captain and midfielder. A bid of £7.5M has been accepted by Middlesbrough for disaffected striker, Fabrizio Ravanelli.
9th: Everton arrange a trial for Thomas Rytter, the Denmark right back valued at £1.5M by the relegated Spanish club, Sevilla.
8th: After rebuffing Kendall's bid of £5M, Newcastle have priced Les Ferdinand at £6M.
7th: Inter Milan accept Everton's £5M bid for Paul Ince, but the ex-Man Utd midfielder declines talks with Peter Johnson, preferring to join Liverpool on a more complex cash & friendly gate-money / TV rights deal.
July 5th: Commercial Director Cliff Finch addresses the AGM of ESCLA (Everton Supporters Club – London Area). Finch expresses concern over Parkinson's long-term injury situation.
4th: Two Italian teenagers, Mauro Espostio (18) of Pescara and Luigi Riccio (19) of Perugia, join Everton on trial for two months.
3rd: Players return to Bellefield for pre-season training.
2nd: Andy Holden (ex-Oldham player) is taken on as youth team coach, under Colin Harvey.
July 1st: Howard Kendall's first signing is Gareth Farrelly from Aston Villa. Joe Parkinson undergoes a minor operation on his knee to clear up some debris left behind by the more serious knee operation he underwent last December.

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EVERTON SEASON DIARY July 1997

EVERTON SEASON DIARY
July 1997