EvertonBlog.co.uk

Everton v Liverpool disgrace, Rodwell red card rescinded

2011-10-05T00:07:00.003+01:00

We have had our appeal upheld against Rodwell’s red card against the shite.

The FA today overturned the sending off and he will not serve a ban. "Martin Atkinson" [sorry for swearing] sent him off in the 23rd minute for a challenge on a monumental devious gobshite who went down like he'd been shot, under a tackle which appeared neither dangerous nor reckless. So, after having been subjected to yet more daylight robbery, we lodged a claim for wrongful dismissal with the FA.

Rodwell’s three-match suspension, which would have been imposed for an offence of serious foul play, has now been withdrawn.

Can we have a rematch against the cheating gargoyle cunts? Thought not.

Can I have my money back, the Premier League failed in their duty to give me a fair match, which is what I paid heavily for. Thought not.

What about the dirty cheating twat Suarez, does he now get punished for diving? Thought not.

Quite simply the whole thing smacks of a conspiracy involving the protection of revenues derived from the selling of pay-tv subscriptions to Norway.

Farcical derby

2011-10-02T01:12:00.001+01:00

Martin Atkinson referee'd today like a tw@, like a f----ing utter c-nt who's not fit to referee.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpWDXH2gyVI

Blue Union response [re: Kenwright & Hatton]

2011-08-29T22:04:00.006+01:00

Image taken from the Blue Kipper classic thread: "Photo shopping Bill"

Hatton + Kenwright... you really couldn't fucking make it up. Utter high farce.

Read the following, in my opinion, the club didn’t have a leg to stand on with their claims of Blue Union being somehow improper.

http://peoplesgroup.wordpress.com/2011/08/29/a-means-to-an-end/

After a busy week supporting the team at both Goodison and Ewood Park we are finally releasing our full response to the unfounded allegations that we believe were intended to undermine the value of the detailed report on our recent meeting with Bill Kenwright. We will endeavour to explain the background and the events subsequent to the meeting being held.

Following the recent and very successful media awareness campaign, conducted by The People’s Group element of The Blue Union, Derek Hatton replied with a sympathetic response to our concerns surrounding Everton’s true financial situation.
A meeting was organised where we met with Robert Elstone; we were asked to keep this out of the public realm but Derek Hatton has subsequently breeched this confidentiality in his statement on Everton’s website. Following this initial meeting, Derek Hatton brokered a further meeting with Bill Kenwright.
Some members of the Blue Union expressed their concerns over the involvement of Derek Hatton due to his history in the city and his previous unbridled support for Bill Kenwright’s policy on relocation.

It was our opinion that the whole exercise was little more than an attempt to take the heat out of our campaign by offering minor concessions in return for our compliance with the clubs strictly enforced policy of controlling all information and punishing those who speak out against the present regime; examples of which are, Ian Doyle of the Daily Post who was banned for writing this and the Echo staff who were banned in February for reporting a series of articles including this; an article, incidentally, which certainly bears a closer resemblance to the actual financial situation we find ourselves in rather than the image that the club were attempting to project in this communication to their fans.

Our meeting with the chairman was arranged for the 12th August 2011; we were concerned that the club would attach last minute conditions aimed at preventing accurate reporting of meeting. Prior to this meeting the only condition we had agreed to abide by concerned not asking the chairman for the price he was looking for the club.

We agreed to nothing else; in fact we were not asked to comply with any other condition whatsoever and we maintain that we clearly informed Everton that a full report would be compiled of the meeting and that this was understood by all; that this understanding was accepted by them can be seen here:

—–Original Message—–
From: Mark Rowan (Everton)
To: Arthur Jones
CC: Graeme Sharp (Everton)
Sent: Fri, 19 Aug 2011 6:44
Subject: RE: FAO Graeme Sharp
Arthur
At the meeting it was requested that there was to be no note taking but an acceptance that a report of the meeting would be released in their own words.
There was no agreement with regards to an audio recording and verbatim transcript.
Regards
Mark

The above email contradicts claims that the meeting was to remain private. We agree completely that there was an acceptance that the meeting would be reported, but at no point was it stressed to us that this had to be in our own words. The report we delivered was as accurate as possible under the circumstances; we did this in a bid to eliminate any possible accusation that the contents were misrepresentative or a fabrication of the conversation.

As predicted, after we arrived, Bill Kenwright attempted to prevent an accurate report of the meeting being recorded; he said “no notes” yet he repeatedly asked us to write information down during the meeting.

It is ironic that towards the end on the meeting, in a bid to prove how hard he was working on Everton related matters, the chairman produced his diary and then, from his desk drawer, a collection of notebooks containing information taken at meeting relating to Everton’s business activities, Bill Kenwright stated, “you have to write everything down with these people”. We have to say that we agree with that statement entirely.

Fearing that Everton would simply use our meeting with the chairman as a publicity coup, and issue information before we had communicated our findings, we placed a short statement on our website which explained that we’d met with the chairman and that a report would follow.

Over the weekend we were contacted several times by Derek Hatton, he was enquiring as to what we were going to do. We were becoming uncomfortable with the pressure so we invited Derek to a meeting late in the afternoon on Sunday 14th August.
At that meeting we were joined by various members of the Blue Union including people from KEIOC. Derek Hatton began by telling everybody present [ten people] that he could completely reassure everybody that the banks were categorically not pressuring Everton, he said, “he could guarantee this 100%” a KEIOC member took exception to this statement and informed Derek he needed to stop him there; this was less than a minute into the meeting.

We had been told of Derek’s modus operandi at meetings, talking through interruptions and shouting the opponent down, the KEIOC member did exactly the same and held his ground; a quite heated exchange took place where facts and figures and director’s reports were quoted from whilst Derek Hatton maintained his stance that Everton’s bankers simply weren’t applying pressure to the club.

Other members of the Blue Union, including those actually present at the meeting just two days earlier, reminded Derek exactly what Bill Kenwright had said about pleading with the banks not to kill us this season, about having to take a document to the bank to prevent them from stopping the club from trading. Derek eventually relented and claimed that all banks were on the backs of every business.

The above scenario was repeated many times; towards the end of the meeting Derek received a text message which he claimed was from Robert Elstone; the meeting ended shortly afterwards with Derek stating that if the Keith Harris story came out there would be no further assistance from him and that in addition to this we should forego the claim for an interim board as, in his opinion, it was unacceptable, and should perhaps be replaced with a request for the board to establish a group, which would include fans, who had a remit to investigate the sale of the club.

Following a unanimous vote to reveal the full truth, and a remarkable effort by those involved in producing it, our report was published at 22:00 on Wednesday 17th August; some five days after the meeting had taken place.

The following morning various members of the Blue Union were being contacted by people in the media; they explained they were being informed by the club that Everton were ‘considering’ taking legal action. Our advice was that they didn’t have a leg to stand on and that this was simply a diversionary tactic intended to limit the publication of the contents of the report.

Despite this flagrant attempt to divert attention away from the real issues revealed within our report the journalists went ahead and reported the details in many local and national papers. These threats of legal action, for essentially reporting the truth, have sadly had a detrimental effect on the health of one of the members of the Blue Union; as expected, the threat disappeared once publication went ahead.
Later that evening we discovered that the Echo intended to run a statement from Everton. We contacted the Echo’s night desk and requested a right to reply; we were promised a response before their deadline but sadly we received nothing; we have since contacted the editor and we have welcomed his response.

Apart from the club’s statement, printed in the Echo on Friday 19th August, the newspaper did carry several critical articles which continued in the Saturday edition including an excellent piece from former Everton player Barry Horne.
If the club’s stated position is that the information released by the Blue Union “did not properly represent the conversation”, why haven’t they specifically explained what wasn’t representative?

It is somewhat sad that Everton chooses to employ the same old tired tactics. Ultimately this does nothing to enhance the clubs image, their relationship with their fans, nor their reputation with the media.

Bill Kenwright explained to us that Ian Ross had been recently promoted. It’s disappointing to see how Mr Ross communicates with the Everton fan base; here’s an example from a fan who had enquired about the statement released by The People’s Group weeks before the Blue Union even met with Bill Kenwright:

Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 22:01:41 +0100
From: ian.ross@evertonfc.com
To: Joanne
I have nothing to say about these ill-informed children……they inhabit a fantasy world where their every wish is granted by the Gods of Football……fans of West Ham, Birmingham City and Poretsmouth made similar wishes – and look where they are now
Ian

Date: Tue, 2 Aug 2011 22:15:03 +0100
From: ian.ross@evertonfc.com
To: Joanne
Perspective….the four groups united under the twee banner ” Blue Union ” boast no more than 50-60 people…..militants, kids etc……I’m not sure precisely what it is you expect us to do?

All Clubs have detractors….they distort the truth, the facts…they lie…they abuse….they spit at people like me in the street…..I have no time for them….they don’t matter to me……and they don’t matter to 99 per cent of those Evertonians who can read a balance sheet and who can accept that everyone should be careful what it is they wish for…..

It’s our opinion that this type of response is totally unacceptable; the observations are disgraceful and the allegations are without foundation. We believe that Everton, as a professional organisation, should act professionally at all times, whether that is when communicating or in dealing with the media. Perhaps if the club treated their fans with a little respect the fans would be equally respectful of the club and those they employ.

The current crisis at Goodison Park hasn’t been caused by those fans who have questioned the policies being adopted, neither was it caused by the three of us outmanoeuvring the senior officials of a premiership club in order to discover the truth; we’re just three ordinary fans who’d had enough of being treated with contempt.

Have our actions damaged the club? No, why do you think Phil Neville was valued at £250,000 by Tottenham at the beginning of year? The football world has long since known of our plight and finally our fanbase has woken up to the reality of our situation. Neither have our actions damaged the prospect of a sale; the financial situation would have always been uncovered during diligence.

Some fans may feel our actions have been detrimental to others wishing to communicate with the club; it should be understood that any meaningful communication with the clubs hierarchy is nonexistent. Evertonians 4 Change for instance, persisted over many months in attempting to engage the CEO, he refused and pointed out that the fans forum was there to do what they were asking, and let’s not forget that the shareholders have been refused the right to question the board at general meetings and furthermore that the club changed the articles of association in a bid to make the calling of EGM’s more difficult. Are these the actions of a club open to communication? We think not; this is a club intent on preventing effective communication with their fanbase.

For too long the fans and shareholders have been kept in the dark; those working for the club should realise they have a responsibility to keep their fans and shareholders informed; we’re not just customers and Everton isn’t just a business; we contribute over £20m a season to this business and at the very least we expect not to be misled.

We kept to the only prior condition placed on our meeting. Of our own volition we removed all references of private observations, anecdotes, information deemed to be sensitive as indicated by Bill Kenwright, and any conversation about past and current players or other members of staff. In return we have been accused publicly of committing a breach of confidentiality which is totally erroneous.

The strategy to discredit us hasn’t worked, the attempt to turn fans against us has failed; the comprehensive booing of the chairman when he appeared on screen at last Saturdays QPR game bears testimony to the fact the genie is now out of the bottle, the game is up, the PR stunts need to end right here and right now.

Many fans also feel let down by our CEO; he has been at the forefront of the campaign to keep the fans in the dark over the seriousness of our financial situation and he has allowed club officials to castigate the fans who have done nothing more than reveal that the emperor’s new clothes philosophy being employed at Everton has failed and that the board appear unable to develop an effective strategy to address this problem.

To say we’re disappointed would be an understatement; the persistent promotion of the fans forum as an example of how Everton are improving communication with their fanbase is nothing less than embarrassing. If any further proof was needed that the forum is nothing more than a superficial organisation consider this; whilst the club was faced with many serious problems the fans forum was directed to discuss the all important issues of the playing of z cars at half time and the availability of betting kiosks. Promoting and using a hand selected group of fans who are given their agenda, who are forbidden to reveal what they discuss and are essentially anonymous can’t possibly be classed as effective communication.

Here’s another example of the truly appalling standard of communication with the fans. These fans put over £20m into the club every season, yet when we enquire as to why the all important Park End development has seen no progress this is what we get:
Robert Elstone – Delay’s due to complex legal issues.

Ian Ross – Not able to relocate the offices and IT equipment during the season, categorically states it has nothing to do with legal issues.
Bill Kenwright – Delays due to insurance problems.

Graeme Sharp – Delays due to a disagreement between two of the parties concerned.
We are of the opinion that fans should not be treated in this manner. Suggesting that supporters don’t understand the problems faced by the club is based on ignorance; the evidence on display would suggest that the fans, despite strenuous efforts by the clubs communications department to prevent this, have too readily understood the problems all along. Our meeting with Bill Kenwright has at least confirmed the following beyond all doubt:

That there are serious concerns over the ability of the current board to identify and deliver a new owner who can provide the necessary funding and the ability to take the club forward.

That the club is in a far worse financial situation than officials have admitted
That the chairman appears to have had to beg the banks not to “kill us”
That the rest of the board appear to do nothing whatsoever.
That there is a total reliance on selling the club to prevent the inevitable financial meltdown.

Following the publication of this report we would encourage our supporters to contact the club, contact newspaper reporters, radio and television stations and ask them to obtain answers to the following questions:

What has Keith Harris have to say about the allegation that he introduced a bogus buyer to Everton?

Why did Bill Kenwright, knowing that he had earlier secured finance from a BVI registered entity, claim on SSN that he could not and would not put the club into any further debt?

Who exactly is Vibrac Corporation, why does it have the same address as a company that holds a significant portion of the equity in Everton Football Club, who are really behind these organisations?

The chief executive confirmed during a government inquiry that none of the directors had ever invested a single penny into Everton; when will the £5m, Bill Kenwright spoke of, be made available to the club?

During the course of the chairman’s meeting with The Blue Union Amanda Staveley’s name was mentioned, what has been her involvement to date, has she introduced any clients to Everton?

Many fans are now genuinely concerned for the future of Everton under this board. The fans spoke out about Kirkby and were ignored; they spoke out about the possible decline into the financial difficulty we’re now experiencing and were ignored again; now they’re proposing the club needs a complete reappraisal of their approach relating to their treatment of their supporters and the need for a groundbreaking decision to be taken to ensure the future safety and prosperity of the club.
Far too many poor decisions have been taken in the past and because of this many feel that the next should be taken out of the hands of the board completely. Our proposal is simple, it is as follows:

“In order to allow the CEO to concentrate on reducing costs, developing our revenue streams and repairing the relationship with the fanbase, the board must now appoint a fully autonomous group of professional individuals who can effectively develop and implement a strategy that will identify and sell the club to a buyer who can demonstrate an ability and a genuine desire to take the club forward on both a commercial and football level.”

All members of the Blue Union will, as always, continue to support our team and our manager; we want to see positive change brought about that will enable the manager to compete both on and off the field to the highest level possible. Divide and conquer is an age old tactic; all fans should now unite with the common aim of returning our club to its rightful place, amongst the elite of the Premier League.

The Blue Union will be holding a public meeting at 12:00 on September 3rd at the Casa on Hope St when the current dilemma faced by the club and the way forward for The Blue Union will be discussed.

---end---

PS, why has nobody still asked him the question:

How much do you want for Everton Bill?

Great article - No quick fixes, no billionaires please

2011-08-24T23:34:00.006+01:00

From Bluekipper's "Photoshopping Bill" thread

This [see the "click here" link below] plus many [not all] of the comments underneath it, are really good:

click here

Recent results round up

2011-08-24T23:28:00.005+01:00

From Bluekipper's "Photoshopping Bill" thread

Home defeat 0:1 to QPR - atrocious performance and unfathomable choices from Moyes. We started defensive with 1 up front, vs a team favourites for relegation!

To top it all, when I got back to the car [I parked it in a little road near Anfield], some hideous little urchin had put my window through, looking for a sat nav no doubt. There were little footprints inside my car, maybe he was aged between 8 and 12... well shit on the little gutter rat, he found nothing and my window's now fixed - whilst he's still a vile, little mutant.

Tonight saw us defeat Sheffield Utd 3:1 in the Carling Cup. See here for summary.

Liverpool FC epetition, 100,000 sigs re Hillsborough disaster

2011-08-23T09:24:00.007+01:00

I was particularly upset by the Hillsborough tragedy as besides the huge loss of innocent lives, my brother's good friend Gordon Horn was killed there and my friend Andrew Devine was, to this day, left severely brain damaged. Andrew's and his family's difficulties are not very widely known about:

Read more here and here.

One of my brothers, a long time season ticket holder at Everton was due to be with Gordon Horn that day at Hillsborough, but as he couldn't get a ticket, never went. Gordon and Andrew were both there legitimately, they both had tickets. That was the way it was then, it was a simpler time and reds and blues would sometimes attend each other's games with their mates. Watching footy with their mates was not 100% club based.

A petition calling for Hillsborough disaster Cabinet papers to be released has reached 100,000 signatures - enough for a Commons debate to be considered. This should be interesting, I don't imagine the Govt anticipated such big interest in their epetition site. The site has a great potential, at least on the surface, as it appears to be a powerful democratic tool. Unfortunately, I think passing the 100,000 signature mark means the Govt only have to "consider" a matter, I don't think it definitely triggers a formal debate.

The petition doesn't close until 09/08/2012 so that may mean that any resulting debate may be at least a year off, I'm not sure how it works...

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions

Watch this space.

Rhys Jones - 4 years ago today

2011-08-22T17:33:00.006+01:00

Rhys Jones - 4 years ago today

On this day, 22nd August, 4 years ago 2007, 11 year old Rhys Jones was gunned down in the car park of the Fir Tree pub in Croxteth. Rhys wasn't in the wrong place at the wrong time, he simply wasn't in the wrong place at all. He was at perfect liberty to be walking through a car park at that time, he did nothing whatsoever wrong, just walking home from football practice.

http://clubeverton.co.uk/news_archive/rhys-jones-4-years-ago-today-the-whole-of-goodison-lost-a-friend

Impossible to watch this video without shedding a tear:

Recent Bill Kenwright interview with Blue Union about Everton FC

2011-08-18T20:46:00.012+01:00

Pic. is courtesy of Blue Kipper's Photo - shopping Bill thread.

From reading the interview transcript [below], the impression I get is of a person who acting as a narcissist and is going to hold onto power for dear life. He's completely out of his depth... he thinks he's waving but is clearly drowning. To me, it looks like he does not have the competence for the huge, and I mean HUGE position he is so fortunate [beyond belief] to be in.

Oh, and Kenwright has STILL not revealed the asking price for the club.

THE BLUE UNION’S MEETING WITH BILL KENWRIGHT:

click here

Features some incredible statements by Bill:
"I’m telling you every other Football Club wants to be like Everton."
Yeah right, every club wants to have zero spends, to be as skint as a Kirkdale Wino on a Monday morning.
&
"Liverpool, the foremost football club"
&
...look you’ll never get a better salesman than Bill Kenwright for Everton Football Club
...amongst other toe-curlers.

BLUE UNION'S SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS OF BILL KENWRIGHT MEETING:

click here

What's the meaning of professional football these days? Arguably, it's to try and win things for the club and fans. Others think it's simply to survive, how fucking sad and unromantic. How fucked up is it to think that I won't be the only one sitting there this weekend v QPR, almost certain in the knowledge that we will win absolutely fuck-all again this season?

Everton poised to sign Joey Barton "on a free?" [left Newcastle today]

2011-08-01T17:18:00.007+01:00

Everton fan, Joey Barton is released and the summer's worst-kept secret, that he's an Everton target, is about to be put to the test.

In the meantime, after hearing Barton - a decent English player - is available, Liverpool have immediately tabled a £30 million bid.

Prophecy - Rain in my life

2011-07-26T09:21:00.003+01:00

Nothing doing on the transfer front, so time for a little music, soul as deep as you like and then some. Imagine being in the studio in Uptown NYC in 1972 watching this being recorded... even my goosepimples would have had goosepimples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odo0YgJ1x_U

Some recent results:
24 July 2011
Friendly
DC United 1-3 Everton
A good match too!

20 July 2011
Friendly
Everton 0-1 Philadelphia Union
I wonder if Sly Stallone was there? Bill Kenwright famously said that Stallone phones him every week to check results.

15 July 2011
Friendly
Bury 1-4 Everton

Everton transfer news

2011-07-11T20:06:00.004+01:00

...

Absolutely nothing as usual again today. I've spent much more in the club shop this summer, than the club has spent on players.

From the Bluekipper classic thread, "Photoshopping Bill"

Kenwright: Classic photoshop pics of Everton board made by members of Bluekipper forums

2011-07-11T18:05:00.006+01:00

Absolute classic of Kenwright et al this, courtesy of the comic genius of the Bluekipper forum.

Click on play arrow, in the video below, sit back and enjoy...

Note the big black guy who features a lot [@1m23s, 1m52s and 1m55s etc...] He's called Purple Aki and is a legendary tourist attraction, who walks around Liverpool [and surrounding area], stopping people and feeling their muscles, I shit you not... just google "Purple Aki" He chased me once and caught me but let me off with a telling off, my mates and I had been laughing as he walked past us on Church St.

Everton's Premier games live on Sky TV /ESPN this coming football season 11/12

2011-07-11T16:08:00.006+01:00

The pic was posted on the Bluekipper classic: "Photoshopping Bill" thread

Sky have announced live games for the coming season. Everton are on 4 times on Sky/ESPN before the end of November. During the same period [Aug-Nov inclusive] the shite are on 10 times cf Everton's 4. It's a good job our fans are not a shower of gormless armchair twats, or that would have been a problem.

Sky unless stated:

24th September:
Manchester City v Everton

1st October:
Everton v Liverpool the red shite

15th October:
Chelsea v Everton, 5:30pm (ESPN)

5th November:
Newcastle United v Everton

Superb Everton fan reader comment from the Echo website

2011-07-09T17:20:00.008+01:00

Further to my earlier article about Kenwright getting slaughtered after an appalling article in the Liverpool Echo, by Dave Prentice, I spotted two really good posts by a certain "VinnyB"

Read my earlier article here.

So here are VinnyB's posts [from p4 of the comments], sums things up very well.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Post 1

VinnyB
9:53 PM on July 8, 2011

This is a shockingly poor article only made worse by DP's witheringly weak response to legitimate concerns raised here. Where's the money from the following:

Bellefield,
Kit Bag Deal,
Chang,
Sky money for league positions and televison appearances (has to be more than budgeted for by the club, Vaughny and Piennar

Why no money when net transfer spend = £0

That's what you should be asking DP

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Post 2

VinnyB
10:01 PM on July 8, 2011

Catastrophies on the grandest scale include:

Kings Dock
Sport Fortress Fund
Destination Kirkby
Park End Retail Collapse
Dan Gosling

A board that are clearly sitting back and doing nothing to attract inward investment. which is in stark contrast to their non-football business activities.

On the positive we have a brilliant but overly cautious manager who has worked miracles. Quality players, Finch Farm, a fantastic academy.

Nobody is saying it's doom and gloom. It's just tragic that one of the biggest names in football is a laughing stock due it's complete and utter incompetence at board level.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Post 3

VinnyB
11:08 AM on July 9, 2011

Nobody is screaming for revolution here. We have a board that is clearly content to say one thing but do the other.

Most fans appreciate the financial constraints the club are under but absolutely nobody accepts that there is NOTHING in the kitty, when the clubs revenue streams will be the best in it's history. Non-League teams have more money to spend than us.

DP and the Echo have missed the point massively. What is abundantly clear is that this board think Moyesey can work the miracles year on year so there is no incentive to give him a penny to spend.

We are not expecting Messi. Sneider etc, but there has to be some investment. It is a false economy co we are so close to getting right in the mix for CL places which could have been done with one quality addition per year plus a couple of squad players.

Fans hacked off at the press: Kenwright et al slaughtered by fans online

2011-07-09T12:52:00.019+01:00

Dave Prentice the Liverpool Echo Chief Sports Writer dropped an almighty clanger when he published this post: Article 1

Dozens of fans pointed out he had misjudged the fans views and mood.

Obviously shaken, he then tried to further explain and clarify: Article 2

... this drew a similar number of ripostes from thoroughly cheesed-off and erudite Blues fans.

If the local journos are in the arse pocket of Kenwright and the Board, then what hope do we have of ever achieving a hard-hitting, factual campaign involving the press?

For starters, why doesn't Prentice insist upon an answer for the fans to the following question:

"How much do you, Bill Kenwright want for your controlling interest in Everton Football Club?"

If Kenwright wants to email me here, I'll publish the asking price for him, and you know what, I won't even charge a scouting fee... honest I won't. I'll do it for the love of Everton.

The Echo should then publish the actual sum, surely that's not too much to ask of a fat controller [coveting his Precious, Gollum-like], at the control box of a train set that he simply can't afford to maintain?

To borrow from FC Barcelona's strap line [Mas Que Un Club - More Than a Club]... this Everton FC of ours, is "more than a football club." Besides attending at great expense, week in, week out, people have this club deep within their souls, it's an emotion. A walk around any Merseyside graveyard, will show how commonly the crest adorns gravestones. This shows the depth and breadth of the love for the club. Astoundingly poor stewardship is messing with people's lives in a way that few things can. Fans have a right to complain if they feel that an incompetent is harming their club. In turn, the local press have a professional duty, including requirements for honesty and integrity, to support and indeed properly champion, their readership's views and needs.

Everton 1 0 Stoke (c.70mins))(Yakubu)

2010-10-30T16:27:00.000+01:00

Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media

Half time Everton 0 0 Stoke

2010-10-30T15:52:00.001+01:00

Tactically inept would describe both sides in this dour stalemate. Arteta has been bright but hesitant and wasteful with his final balls, he's not been helped by the clueless and immobile teammates around him. Stoke have appeared the physically fitter and stronger side but thankfully, they too, haven't got the foggiest what they're supposed to be out there to do. I've not stood up at all during this game so far, there has been the odd piece of goalmouth action for both sides (ie a tame Yak shot straight at the keeper), but nothing compelling. Saha and Rodwell have been warming up for around 15 mins... Good!
Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media

Artete starts

2010-10-30T14:59:00.000+01:00

Arteta and Heitinga start, Yak up front. Rodwell and Saha on bench.
Sent from my BlackBerry smartphone from Virgin Media

Arteta doubtful as Everton to continue recovery v Stoke

2010-10-30T14:04:00.003+01:00

Arteta a doubt

Everton team news

We are likely to be without long-term absentees Jack Rodwell (ankle), Marouane Fellaini (hamstring), Leon Osman (ankle) and Victor Anichebe (knee) while Mikel Arteta remains a doubt.

Update: Everton 2 0 Liverpool

2010-10-17T14:45:00.001+01:00

Absolute belter from "the best little Spaniard we know"

HT Everton 1:0 Liverpool

2010-10-17T14:21:00.001+01:00

Cracking Cahill goal after total dominance. Being brief 'cause got to go for a half time burst

Everton v Liverpool latest team news

2010-10-17T12:03:00.003+01:00

For us, there's no Fellaini [six weeks, a hamstring injury], Jagielka, Pienaar, Rodwell and Saha are also, all out.

Torres is fit and I don't mean that in a gay way. Kuyt, Agger and Aurelio will all be missing for the shite.

Yak and Coleman should both be in the starting 11.

Derby day

2010-10-17T11:34:00.002+01:00

Derby news... and it's bad

2010-10-15T14:42:00.001+01:00

Fellaini has been ruled out for up to 6 weeks with a hamstring injury, which he picked up while on international duty. He picked it up in Belgium's Euro 2012 qualifier against Austria during midweek.

Sheeeit.

Torres gets a hamstring - he's back the following game... but when it happens to an Everton player, it's 6 weeks.

Chile miners and Liverpool take-over

2010-10-14T14:06:00.002+01:00

Just seen wild scenes of jubilation on the TV, firstly amongst Scousers in London and then by miners and their familes...

Is Maggie Thatcher dead?

Everton v Liverpool info

2010-10-06T20:54:00.018+01:00

Disneyland

The chants from a Norwegian wine bar: evening of Tuesday 5th October
"Yank$ out! Yank liar$! Yankees go home!"

Same Norwegian bar, Wednesday 6th October, decked out in stars and stripes, Millers all around and God Bless America banners hanging from the walls. I know 99.995% of them never go near Anfield, don't even know where exactly the stadium is [for fuck's sake, one poor befuddled twat was recently ambushed as he drove around Goodison chanting the name of "Rooney" at the end of the EFC Man U match, how about that for clueless fuckwit with an identity crisis?] You really couldn't make it up... but I digress... now with the schizophrenia abounding the parochial suburbs of the Norwegian metrópoli, about things American, this turn of events may send a number of the match-going public of Norway [0.005%], fully and finally over the edge.

All I see ahead is more smoke and mirrors, more Yanks with another leveraged finance plan. God Bless America indeed.

The shyte are getting passed around eager American suitors, rather like a knickerless, cream-pied slapper getting gang-banged after a dose of Rohypnol at a Detroit crack-house party. How do the thinkers amongst them think that they're going to match Man City and Chelsea? The American owners of the Liverpool Red Sox Franchise, Anfield Branch, will want a return on their money, so there'll be lots of ifs, buts, maybes and as yet hidden limitations. On the other hand, City's owners don't give two flying fucks about the balance sheet... go try compete with that!

Meanwhile, on Planet Earth

Fans who attended this season's Everton games against Wolves and Newcastle can now buy Merseyside derby tickets.

The game, which takes place on Sunday 17 October, affords Everton the chance to build on the 2-0 win they secured at Birmingham on Saturday.

This particular period of eligibility ends on Thursday night (7 October), with more fans able to buy from Friday morning. Eligible fans are urged to buy as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

For the list of eligibility criteria, which is laid out by date, visit www.evertonfc.com/tickets

If you are a Season Ticket you can purchase an extra seat.

To buy tickets for the Merseyside derby call 0871 663 1878, click onto www.evertonfc.com or visit the Park End box office.

Everton's first win, 2:0 away to Birmingham City

2010-10-02T18:52:00.001+01:00

A satisfied Moyes, talking after the match:

"At half-time I was thinking 'here we go again', but we got the own goal and it got us off and running."

Relief all around as we finally made our control of matches yield the biggest reward [3 points]. It's October and we've just got our first win.

The first of the brace came on 54 minutes when Birmingham's Johnson netted an own goal from a Leon cross, before Cahill doubled the lead with a second, deeeep into stoppage time.

We could have had a half-time lead though, as Yak fluffed a golden chance. Baines went down twice in the penalty box only to see his appeals ignored. At least one was a definite penalty, wait until you see it on MOTD [probably the last game they'll show in tonight's programme, haha].

Cahill did look uncomfortable and in pain throughout.

Moyes said on Sky:

"I thought he looked a bit injured - he was carrying his knee, I don't think he's fully fit yet but he's played and come through 90 minutes and scored. I think there is more to come from him with his general fitness and his knee."

Today's win ended a very long unbeaten run at home for the Brummies, a club record-equalling run of 18 league games unbeaten at home in 12 months.

Throughout the season, we have in parts of most games, shown the most ambition and invention [Newcastle and Brentford apart]. That continued today and it's a relief to see order being restored and the reward of 3 points being achieved.

Arteta was arguably man of the match, he ran the midfield and at times Birmingham looked bewildered by him.

Jagielka had a very good game also and was resolute throughout.

Nice timing this, with the Derby coming up fast...

Groundshare with Liverpool and Pienaar

2010-09-29T09:41:00.005+01:00

Dalglish [didn't he used to play for them?] has spoken through the media and stated that the 2 clubs should explore every possibility before building separate new homes. Bearing in mind both clubs could probably only afford to pay for the concrete foundations at present, he may be stating the bleeding obvious, like it or not. Like a recurrent abscess and despite the amoxicillin of fans' opinion, the ground-share never quite goes away does it? I'm cynical as fuck or maybe it's just that I am a realist? Anyways, it's crossed my mind quite a few times, to suspect that the decision that we will share may have already been agreed, in private and we will now witness the protracted growing-together. Such a move would require a huge PR exercise involving rent-an-old-boy tactics etc to press this home? >see here.

Pienaar now wanted by Juve as well as Spurs >see here.

FT: Fulham 0:0 Everton

2010-09-25T17:45:00.003+01:00

Second half, Coleman, playing at right midfield, was our star player.

With about 15 minutes to go, Yakubu shot from 20 yards out, an attempt that Schwarzer had difficulty with, but managed to save. Five minutes later, Schwarzer was faster to stifle a very good Yak chance.

Arguably the best chance of the game came in the final seconds of injury time. Rather than him being fed and scoring, Yak tapped a gentle back pass to the Fulham keeper, after Fellaini had set him up with a golden opportunity to clinch the win for Everton.

The site of the league table [bottom] is not for the faint hearted, see it here if you can stomach it.

Half time: Fulham 0v0 Everton

2010-09-25T15:33:00.003+01:00

View the match preview here.

Plenty of possession, but we need better quality from wide areas in the area around the Fulham box. We seem to try and walk it in too often. Simply too few efforts on goal, which from a side dominating possession, like we are, is disappointing.

Highlight was a great 30 yard shot from Arteta which was tipped around the post.

>Preview

Fulham v Everton preview

2010-09-25T14:14:00.012+01:00

HT Fulham 0:0 Everton

Cahill is back in the starting line-up and Coleman starts at right midfield [Neville right back],see the bottom of this post. The pic. to the left/above was just taken at the Fulham stadium [Craven Cottage]. It's the fullest I've ever seen a Fulham stand!

Yet another must-win game lies ahead, a further chance to kick start our season, after our worst start to a campaign since '94.

David Moyes has admitted in an interview with the Liverpool Daily Post [LDP] that Everton must improve on the physical side of their game if they are to turn their poor form around.

We have picked up just 2 from 15 possible points in our first 5 Premier League games and are already out of the competition that we had the best chance of winning, the Carling Cup at the hands of 3rd Division minnows, Brentford.

Moyes thinks we're not showing the sort of fight that has helped make us such formidable opponents lately. Neville admits that we'll have to go back to basics to dig ourselves out of their early season rot. He told BBC Radio Merseyside:

“It’s not a happy place at the moment; we felt we really climbed a mountain with our performances last season. Let’s forget last season as we’re second from bottom. We’ve started the season bad again and we need to give ourselves a kick up the backside very quickly. Let’s play winning football again and get back to basics."

A win at Fulham today could be essential if we're to improve on last season's 8th place finish.

Moyes told the LDP:

"The biggest concern for me is that we have lost our competitive edge in the last few games. The one thing you could never do was beat Everton up. If you wanted a scrap against us, then we'd be standing there waiting for you, not a problem. I've told them that I've been disappointed with the physical side of their game. Especially against Newcastle, I don't think we've competed as well as we can. Maybe we will have to sacrifice a little of the playing style we have got to get better results. But the players we've got here, we can't suddenly go and shell the ball forward, take long bombs into the box. I don't think I've got that style of player. We've evolved since I first took over, we don't have that style. We play football, we pass the ball around and we are creative going towards the 18 yard box. We have moved forward to where we are now. The Mikel Artetas, the Steven Pienaars, the Leon Osmans, we are in a different stage of our development now, and it is certainly not so simple as stopping playing a certain style and switching to another."

It's yet another shit or bust day, will it be another negative 4-5-1 line up throughout? Is Coleman the answer for the right side of midfield dilemma? Anything can happen in the next couple of hours.

Top scorer, Cahill starts as he has recovered from his knee trouble. Arteta, Pienaar and Howard return after not starting v Brentford.

Coleman keeps his place and replaces injured Hibbert.

Yakubu starts in attack. Beckford is a sub as are Mucha, Bily, Gueye, Osman, Barkley and Heitinga.

Anichebe remains sidelined for at least another month after undergoing knee surgery, whilst Saha is still out injured with a problem affecting his calf which began during the Villa game.

Match prediction:

Fulham 1:2 Everton

Brentford beat Everton in Carling Cup

2010-09-21T22:22:00.017+01:00

N I L - S A T I S - N I S I - O P T I M U M

What a load of shite Everton are this season. Why do we start each season playing like a disparate group of amateurs [2 minutes against Man U aside]?

Brentford sent Everton out of the Carling Cup tonight. The "Division 3" minnows got their deserved victory, after winning 4:3 on penalties AET. Beckford and Jagielka both missed their penalties in the shoot-out. Everton had taken the lead through Coleman on 6 minutes, Brentford equalised 4 minutes before half time.

4-5-1 is a set-up with the aim of trying not to get beaten. It's not a set-up indicating we're going out to try and win games. Why play with a defensive set up vs Newcastle and Brentford? We failed to get a grip of the game and our woeful lack of pace all over the park sealed our fate.

Where's Fellaini's head at this season? He should be in front of the back four, we just don't play our best players in their best positions. You've got to wonder what's been going on at Finch Farm 9-12, Monday to Friday, during the last few months.

Everton will make the headlines for all the wrong reasons. At this rate, we're going down! Too many out of position, too many on the bench who justifiably feel they shouldn't be, Everton were a fucking disgrace tonight. People just aren't going to accept any more of the lame excuses that have been bandied about this season, promises to "learn from this and improve" etc.

Well done Brentford.

News of return to more frequent postings

2010-09-19T21:42:00.005+01:00

Due to other commitments, the updates to the EvertonBlog have not been as frequent as during previous years. However, from later this month [end of September, 2010] normal service will be resumed.

Thank you.

Monday night Premiership match abandoned --- Liverpool v West Ham United

2010-04-18T19:59:00.006+01:00

Due to volcanic ash disrupting flights all across Europe, Liverpool have announced that they have had to reluctantly abandon their home game v West Ham United, which was set for Monday night. The club have calculated that only 1.2% of their current roster of season ticket holders would be able to make it to Britain, for the Monday night game.

NO KIRKBY - Everton FC plan for Kirkby stadium rejected by the Government

2009-11-25T20:40:00.007Z

Just a fucking mirage.

Everton FC plan for Kirkby stadium rejected by the Government

Everton's hopes of a move to a new ground at Kirkby have been dashed by public inquiry.

The news will be a major setback to Kenwright, who viewed the £400 million project as crucial to the our aim of providing more transfer funds for Moyes and help the side break into the Premier League's so-called "Big Four."

The decision to move to Kirkby, as part of a development involving Tesco, was made after the ballot of supporters, the majority of whom, decided to proceed.

Keep Everton In Our City, a vocal pressure group, warned that by moving to the outskirts of Merseyside, the club risked losing ground to the shyte.

The club have stated many times, that it is not feasible to develop the current Goodison Park ground, primarily because it is locked-in by residential streets.

So, to put it as scientifically and philosophically as I can at hearing this news, "What the fuck is it going to be now?"

Everton transfer rumour: may Defour be with you?

2009-09-01T17:33:00.004+01:00

This is an unconfirmed rumour only at this stage...

Steven Defour [21] the Belgian Standard Liège player is rumoured to have signed for Everton. He is highly regarded as a creative play-maker, with outstanding vision

For the 2007–08 season, despite being only 20 years old at the time, the right-sided Belgian international was Standard's captain.

Defour said:

"...in training I've become a better player by working with players like Conceição and Rapaić. They give me advice, but they also listen to me. I've already criticized Conceição. Sérgio accepts my criticism as he realizes I am a good player."

During the 2007–08 season Defour received the Golden Shoe, the official award for most valuable player in the Belgian League, of the year 2007. The form that won him this award would continue as Defour led Standard to the Jupiler League title, for the first time in 25 years.

Lets hope the source is correct!

Transfer latest: Johnny on the spot

2009-09-01T17:31:00.003+01:00

Welcome to Johnny Heitinga, we have completed the c.£5m signing of the Dutch international right-back. We have him on a long term deal [5 years I think] for c.£5m [rising to c.£7m depending upon appearances]. He will wear the number 5 shirt. After signing he boarded a plane back to Holland to link up with his International team mates. The deal he is reportedly one which makes make him the highest paid player on the books.

He said,

"The clubs came to an agreement about the transfer, however Atletico didn't want me to leave. I am a first team regular and feel very appreciated by the club."

Heitinga, who has nearly 50 dutch caps ["dutch caps" as in Holland appearances], can play at centre-back and is in possession of the versatility so highly prized at Everton these days.

He becomes the fourth new arrival at Everton over the summer, following the return-loan signing of Jo, the c.£9m arrival of Lokomotiv winger Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and the c.£5m acquisition of Distin.

Everton CE, Robert Elstone said:
"We are pleased the deal has been completed to get John into Everton. He is a very experienced player having played at both Ajax and Atletico Madrid and I know David Moyes is looking forward to getting him started."

A graduate of Ajax’s academy, Heitinga made his senior debut at 17 and went on to establish himself as a regular for the Amsterdam side, spending five years playing alongside Steven Pienaar before the South African left for Borussia Dortmund.

His career to date:

2001–2008 Ajax
2008–2009 Atletico Madrid

Distin arrives for medical

2009-08-27T17:32:00.003+01:00

Sylvain Distin will undergo a medical in the city today ahead of a move to Everton. Photograph: Barry Coombs/EMPICS Sport/PA Photos

We have agreed a deal to sign the defender Sylvain Distin from Portsmouth, subject to a medical taking place this afternoon. It will be our first signing since the £22m [plus potentially some GBP2m more] windfall following the sale of Lescott to Man City

The fee involved has not been officially disclosed, but 31-year-old Distin has agreed a three-year contract. I think it will be around 3 or 4 million quid. As he will be effectively a like-for-like replacement that will leave us with some 18 million 'up.'

Can't argue with it, looks like a good bit of business.

"Bily" from Russia with Love [for Everton] and Distin is next

2009-08-25T13:31:00.005+01:00

We have signed Russian midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov from Lokomotiv Moscow for an undisclosed fee.

Christ knows what we’re going to shout from the terraces when that name is first chanted… “Bily” perhaps?

The 24 y.o. has got 28 caps and has come on a 5 year deal.

He said,

"It is a dream to play for a big club like Everton and I know that the Premier League is the best league in the world. I spoke to David Moyes on Monday and he told me he is looking forward to working with me - and I am looking forward to working with him. I am looking forward to playing in the league and in the Europa League and helping Everton to win things. I know Everton has big players and a big history, and I know the club is 131 years old and has good traditions. I know about Everton's players and I know Jo from when he played in the Russian league. I also know that Andrei Kanchelskis played for Everton. Andrei is a hero for all people in Russia so I am very happy to know that he has played for a club like Everton."

“A big club like Everton,” Benitez and Hughes take note.

He is ineligible for the Europa League play-off, second leg with Sigma and is unlikely to be available for Sunday's game against Wigan [h].

He is 6’1” and left-footed player is set to malke his first start at Fulham on 13th September. He is known for his direct running style and leadership skills, which resulted in him being made captain.

He helped Lokomotiv clinch their second Russian league title in his debut season and was rewarded with the league's young player of the year award.

He made his debut for Russia as the age of 20 and played in every game during their run to the Euro 08 semi-final. He played in 10 of Russia's 12 qualifying matches for the tournament, including the two games against England.

When we have full a fitness, first choice squad, its going to perhaps be Pienaar on the right, Bily on the left, Arteta centre with possibly Neville in a holding role. Cahill can then go into his ultra-dangerous forward position with Yakubu. I can see Fellaini and Saha being very regularly interchangeable, with the players in that list.

With Bily secured and Valencia’s Argentinian, Banega all but complete, our focus has now turned to refurbishing our defence. “Just” a Lescott replacement now and we’re sorted. My money would now be on Sylvain Distin. A fee in the region of £5.5m is being negotiated with Portsmouth, whom he left Man City for a couple of years ago.

Deal done: Lescott to Man City for GBP 24m

2009-08-23T19:57:00.003+01:00

So said Sky, and they should know. In fact around an hour after this post was published, Man City announced it here.

Go back to this time last year... 24m for Lescott would be laughable, he had a poor start and would have deserved it had he been relegated to the reserves.

Will we be given the money to spend though? Almost certainly not. I reckon the maximum we'd be allowed to spend would be 50% of profit. I think Wolves will claw back 2.5m and that leaves a touch over 10m probably. We are a net seller, not investor, Everton is not in the business of investment, for the present.

If he can stand the thought of leaving Everton, then we can stand up to losing him.

TRANSFERS: one in and another on the way.

2009-08-22T00:08:00.003+01:00

Moyes is now looking at Spartak winger Bystrov after acquiring Banega. We have targeted Spartak Moscow winger Vladimir Bystrov after getting the nod on a work permit for Valencia midfielder Ever["ton"] Banega.

There were arses flapping over Banega's application because he has not played in 75 per cent of Argentina's international games over the last two years, winning only three senior caps so far. Our solicitor successfully argued for the permit to be approved during a hearing at the Premier League HQ in laahndan. Banega, who failed to settle in Spain after a £15m transfer from Maradona's old club, Boca Juniors, a couple of years ago, will now move to us on a season-long loan with the option of a permanent deal next year. This is the loan talked about in the "Everton Blog" exclusive a few days ago. Moyes now hopes to finalise a £8.5m+ deal for Bystrov...

Transfer stuff [2 signings this week] including Manchester City's "new money" crassness and that Arsenal match,

2009-08-16T22:30:00.028+01:00

I have heard from a good source, the same one who told me about us signing Fellaini a full hour before the news broke, that we are in for some good news this week. Monday or Tuesday, we are to announce two signings. One is a loan but the other is a big money one... the story goes that he is a centre back.

First and foremost about yesterday, Arsenal were amazing and we were equally but oppositely amazing, amazingly shite. The referee [Halsey] was astoundingly awful and should be ashamed of himself too. But, it's only one game and it occurred in the rarefied atmosphere of being the opener, so I'm not going to get hysterical. Good Arsenal blog article here.

Contrary to what Mark Hughes asserts, City have not done things the right way. They have shown the brassy arrogance, so often associated with "new money." Think Richard Pryor in "Superman III," when he turns up to work in a Ferrari. Hitherto I have quite liked Man City as an organisation but I think their Lescott methodology has lost them a lot of decent friends. The Lescott imbroglio has obviously affected the squad and shot our confidence. Prior to yesterday, I was all for him staying, but honestly, if he's going to play like a tw@ and be a liability, then perhaps the "stay" camp need to accept that it may be the wisest move to sell the man at his peak, pocket the £22m and try our damnedest to properly and professionally attract and acquire Steven Taylor [Newcastle] or Matthew Upson [West Ham Utd] - who to me, are the obvious replacement choices [see my "news" above].

Terry Fuckwit [of "Viz" fame]

I was so pissed off yesterday when I got home after the match, that I was tempted for a second or two, to put a Lescott "stay or go" poll up on the site, but it wouldn't be right to do that about a current Everton player, so it won't be happening. For the same reasons, I didn't boo him yesterday at any stage, even though several thousand did, in the early stages of the match.

When it comes right down to it, only Moyes knows what to do for the best about the Lescott situation and all the blogs, terrace shouts and news articles in the world won't sway his expert judgement. I'm sure that his mind has been made up for a while already.

Finally, Pienaar and Fellaini looked ready for a match and up for it, whilst all of the others seemed to be positioned within the darker end of the performance spectrum, lying between "off the boil" [i.e. Yobo] and "plain disinterested" [Lescott].

Footnote.

you know what can what happen to Ferraris if you're not very careful to treat them with the respect they command.

Everton v Arsenal 15-8-09

2009-08-15T09:55:00.002+01:00

Everton make an difficult start to the new campaign with one of the toughest matches on the card. Arsenal have mainly suffered big name losses [Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City] in the close season. Like us, they have not made many new acquisitions. They bought Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen who should face a torrid time against the multi-dimensional threats of Cahill and Fellaini. The sensational Andrei Arshavin will return to Goodison after his UEFA cup visit with Zenit St Petersburg last season.

Arsenal have won more opening day ties than any other side in the league [11]. The Gunners have never conceded more than one goal in their opening matches in the past 16 years.

We've all been frustrated by the the failure to bring in a number of targets including Kyle Naughton who went to Spurs. Jo has returned on loan to provide some outrageous hairstyles and aid the attack, he scored 5 goals in his 12 league games last season. There has been news of him suffering an injury...

Moyes told the official website:
"When Jo went over on his ankle, we didn't really think it was that bad and we hope that he is going to be okay for the weekend. He is back running now but is only doing straight line work. He's not twisting and turning yet but we hope to do that kind of work with him in the next couple of days."

At the time of publishing, there is a continuing off-field distraction, we are still resisting the disappointingly ungentlemanly approaches of Man City’s hunt of Lescott.

Remember, we only lost one game last year, we're not at all in the habit of losing at home.

Everton Blog prediction: Everton 2:1 Arsenal

EXCLUSIVE: a new look at Goodison

2009-08-15T09:33:00.004+01:00

If you're going to the game today and haven't been to the stadium lately, you may notice that the large motif of "The People's Club" has been removed from the top of the Park Stand end of the stadium.

It looks like we've abandoned the seven-year-old motto, coined by Moyes upon his arrival in March 02, after a local trader secured a trademark for the phrase. Brian Gould, 58, a market stall trader and lifelong Everton fan was granted the rights to the phrase to sell his scarves and hats.

It won't surprise many of you to learn that Everton failed to register the phrase as a trademark.

Gould's barrister wrote to Everton's management in May, informing them of his client's rights. At the time Gould insisted that he did not want to stop Everton from using the mark.

Instead of contesting Gould's claims, it looks like the club has chosen to abandon its use altogether. At a recent shareholder's meeting, CE, Robert Elstone said that the club would be promoting a new branding for the club with its original motto "Nil Satis Nisi Optimum."

So that's the end of that.

Everton reject formal request from Lescott

2009-08-11T12:42:00.005+01:00

Lescott's written transfer request rejected

We have turned down a written transfer request from Joleon Lescott, who is being targeted by Man City.

Moyes:

"I have always said that we are not selling any players and that has not changed,"

Lescott is currently on international duty with England ahead of a friendly against Holland. He played in the friendly 2-1 victory over Malaga last Friday and he was sportingly cheered throughout. Sadly, the support seems to have been unappreciated as he subsequently confirmed his want-away feelings, in writing.

First club of the city to return to Liverpool city centre, shop to highlight Everton Firsts.

2009-05-07T12:36:00.004+01:00

EVERTON RETURNS TO THE CITY CENTRE

Following the announcement of Everton Football Club’s new retail deal with Kitbag Limited, it has been confirmed that that the Club is to have a presence in the City Centre once again.

The new 6,000 sq ft store will be in the Liverpool One development and will open during the first weekend of July this year. Everton has brought in The Maxim Creative Group Limited, a specialised design and fit out company, to design the new look store - and visuals have been officially released for the first time today. Maxim lists the Co-op, News International and AOL as some of its main clients.

All of the store furniture in the City Centre outlet is bespoke and has been uniquely created for Everton, giving the store a very contemporary and iconic feel. Kitbag aims to create real ‘Retail Theatre’ in the new store, through the use of stunning visuals from Everton's history - and in that respect the company has turned to the Everton Collection Charitable Trust for assistance. The store will contain unique display items from the Everton Collection and these will be changed periodically – making for an emotional and educating retail experience every time. Everton will be the only football club in the UK to decorate its store in this way - no other UK club has the capability to do this, due to the sheer size of the artefacts in the Everton Collection. In addition to the artefacts, the interior will continue the emotive and proud theme on the mezzanine - pride of place on this level will be a large display highlighting the long list of Everton's ‘Firsts’ - exemplifying the club's innovative history.

Robert Elstone, Chief Executive of Everton commented; “We are delighted to announce to our supporters the imminent and much anticipated arrival of a City Centre retail outlet. These exclusive store images clearly show how stylish the new unit will be and demonstrate our commitment to a rewarding visit – as well as providing the most efficient retail offering possible. The City Centre store will also be a truly emotional experience for fans, thanks to our football club’s amazing heritage.”

Chris Bailes has been appointed as retail operations manager to assist the company to launch and operate the new Everton store. Chris has a great deal of sports retail experience and in fact was the first store manager of Liverpool FC's retail store at Liverpool One.

Commenting on his new role Chris said; “When I was approached to take up the post and witnessed the plans for Everton Retail I jumped at the chance. The new store in the City Centre will be another Everton ‘First’; it is very modern and totally unique. Customer service and satisfaction will be at the heart of our operation and I know Evertonians and football fans alike will be proud of this fantastic store. Together with Kitbag's renowned online expertise, customers will benefit from our exceptional order and delivery capability. For example, if a customer making purchases at our new store wants to send a shirt to a relative in Australia, an Everton scarf to a friend in California and take home an Everton track suit we can achieve all of that at the point of sale."

In addition, the store will offer a click and collect service – by simply going online, fans can purchase products for collection in-store the very next day. This innovation is unique to Everton Football Club – no other football clubs currently offer this service.

Working with Chris will be Simon Gibson who has been appointed the manager of the Everton City Centre store. Simon has a great deal of retail experience and was previously with both USC and Littlewoods. As an Evertonian this is his dream job.

The new store will create 25 full and part time jobs. For information on how to apply for a position at the new Everton store, please visit www.evertonfc.com/careers or the Job Section on the Liverpool One website at www.liverpool-one.com. Kitbag commences training its new staff on 1 June at Goodison Park.

Issued on behalf of Everton Football Club by Mere PR

For further information, please contact Tony Tighe/Ruth Wilson/
Suzie Myers on 0161 929 8700 or email suzie@mere.co.uk

---

Note to Editor

Kitbag Limited is Europe’s Leading Online Sports Retailer.
Kitbag.com is an online retail brand in its own right providing a broad range of branded sports products available to the online consumer on a global basis.
Kitbag Limited provides many leading sports business’ both in the UK & Europe with a complete online e-commerce solution on a global basis including Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and now Everton.

The company’s vast experience in sports retail online will see the introduction of one of the most innovative football shopping web platforms in existence for Everton. This capital investment into the Everton Retail Business is the single largest club partner investment in the history of the company. Kitbag Limited will operate under a bespoke Everton retail brand and will be directly responsible for high street shopping, mail order and the Club’s online store.

For further information about Kitbag Limited please contact: media@kitbag.com

Jagielka out for the season

2009-04-26T10:55:00.002+01:00

Centre-half Phil Jagielka has been sidelined for the rest of the season.

Moyes was quoted earlier in the day as saying that, after Jagielka had been stretchered off during the home defeat to Manchester City, the defender's season looked, "...doubtful rather than hopeful." Everton physio Mick Rathbone later confirmed the worst, revealing that the defender would in fact be ruled out for the rest of the season.

"The scan has unfortunately confirmed what we already feared and that is that Phil will be out for the rest of the season," Rathbone told Everton's official website.

"He has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo surgery in around 10 days' time when the swelling has gone down.

"It's too early to estimate a return to action for the player."

The injury is almost identical to the one that versatile play-maker Mikel Arteta suffered earlier in the season. And with Yakubu and Victor Anichebe's absences only being temporarily filled in by on-loan striker Jo, the lack of depth in Moyes' squad is really starting to become a cause for concern.

The biggest blow, however, comes to Jagielka himself, who will miss the FA Cup final - bearing in mind that it was his winning penalty against Man United in the semi that got us to Wembley for the final.

Everton - European football guaranteed

2009-04-26T10:52:00.003+01:00

Everton were yesterday guaranteed European football for the 09/10 season.

Reported on the official site last night:

Our run to the FA Cup final and excellent position in the League had made a place in the 2009/10 Europa League a probability. But despite losing to Manchester City on Saturday, that qualification has now been assured.

Chelsea beat West Ham 1-0 and secured a Champions League place. As a result, the Toffees will qualify for the Europa League through the FA Cup - regardless of whether they defeat Chelsea in the final.

The Europa League replaces the Uefa Cup and adopts a format that mirrors the Champions League.

The Blues will now have to overcome a play-off round tie before entering a new format group stage.

The new-look league will have 48 clubs in 12 groups of four, with teams playing each other home and away as opposed to just once as it stands now.

The top two in each group then join the eight third-placed Champions League clubs in a 32-club knock-out stage.

The competition will also have its TV rights sold centrally, in the same way as the Champions League. This switch should increase income to clubs.

Everton reach the FA Cup final

2009-04-20T12:27:00.004+01:00

Tim Howard saves - the mood swung dramatically thereafter...

More to follow, but for now here's one of my pics. from yesterday. I'm still recovering [physically and mentally]!

Moyes interview on Sky, some Liverpool - related and other funnies

2009-03-22T13:13:00.007Z

Some quotes from Moyes, "Goals on Sunday," on Sky today. The man is a legend:

Redknapp previewing Shite's game against Villa says: the "city's" buzzing. Moyesy's answer: "...must be 'cause Everton are doing so well - he should have said Norway, Finland and Sweden were buzzing!"

Kammy: "Did you have a plan against Delap's throw ins?"
Moyes: "Yeah, to head it out."

Another interesting thing was what a fan had sent to Moyes. Apparently, on pounds spent, per point won, over his 7 years, we have won the league 4 times [out of 7 since he's been here].

Moyes also said Big Dunc's goal against Villareal was legitimate and he wondered if funny things were going on that night, with [the shaved-bollock lookalike] Collina retiring after that match.

---

And finally, talking of quotes, now is as good a time as ever to remind you of the Dixie Dean classic:

"There was nothing like quietening that Kop. When you stuck a goal in there it all went quiet, apart from a bit of choice language aimed in your direction! Scoring there was a delight to me. I just used to turn round to the crowd and bow three times to them."

Everton Wembley tickets - more news

2009-03-17T13:32:00.000Z

SEMI ON SALE FROM NEXT MONDAY 23rd MARCH

Tickets for next month’s FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United at Wembley Stadium will go on sale on Monday, March 23, 2009 at 8am.

Blues officials have now agreed on how to allocate the 31,825 tickets made available by the Football Association and can confirm that all areas of the Everton fanbase will receive an allocation.

Priority will be given to the most loyal fans and that means every Season Ticket holder and Executive member will be given the opportunity to purchase a ticket for the Blues’ first FA Cup semi-final appearance in 14 years.

Tickets are priced at:
· £24.50
· £34.30
· £44.00
· £53.80

The FA offers a £10 reduction for supporters under 16 and over 65 years of age (please note that with any concessionary ticket purchased proof of age will be required on entry into the stadium).

The stadium layout and pricing grid can be viewed by clicking here.

Club officials have agreed to release the ticket allocation based on match attendance history and first opportunity to buy the semi-final tickets, next Monday, will go to any Season Ticket holder who has attended 13 or more Home or Away Cup and Away Premier League games in the current season.

Tickets will also be on sale from next Monday to any Executive member who does not wish to buy an Executive package*.

Thereafter remaining tickets will be available to Season Ticket holders and Executive members as follows:-

Monday 23/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 13+ and AutoCup and Executive members
Tuesday 24/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 8+ and Executive members
Wednesday 25/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 6+ and Executive members
Thursday 26/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 5+ and Executive members
Friday 27/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 4+ and Executive members
Saturday 28/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 4+ and Executive members
Monday 30/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 3+ and Executive members
Tuesday 31/03/2009 Season Ticket holders with 3+ and Executive members
Wednesday 01/04/2009 Season Ticket holders with 2+ and Executive members
Thursday 02/04/2009 Season Ticket holders with 2+ and Executive members
Friday 03/04/2009 Season Ticket holders with 1+ and Executive members
Saturday 04/04/2009 Season Ticket holders with 1+ and Executive members
Sunday 05/04/2009 Season Ticket holders and Executive members

Officials expect a small number of semi-final tickets to be available after the allocation to Season Ticket holders and Executive members. These Wembley tickets will go on sale to supporters with a purchase history for home games from any of this season’s fixtures. Details of priorities and dates will be published no later than Monday, April 6.

SUPPORTERS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO CONTACT THE CLUB UNTIL YOUR ALLOCATED PRIORITY PERIOD, AS TICKETS WILL ONLY BE PROCESSED TO THESE GROUPS AT THE TIMES SPECIFIED.

Shareholders

Any Shareholder requiring a ticket should apply to Lee Newman at the Fan Centre. Shareholders who hold a season ticket or Executive membership can purchase a ticket during the sales priority period outlined above or alternatively apply to Lee. Shareholders should note that they will only be entitled to one ticket whether purchased as a Season Ticket holder, Executive member or Shareholder.

Supporters’ Clubs

Supporters’ Clubs Secretaries should submit their applications by Friday March, 20, 2009. Applications received after this time can not be accepted. Season Ticket holders who normally purchase their home cup and away match tickets via their supporters’ clubs should submit their request with the Supporters club applications, giving name and customer number, and the staff at the Fan Centre will endeavour to allocate tickets together.

* Executive packages

Details of Executive packages for the FA Cup semi-final will be announced later this week, and any Executive members or Season Ticket holder wishing to purchase a package should contact the corporate sales team on 0151 530 5300 or email corporatesales@evertonfc.com

Postal information

Please note, all tickets posted will be sent via Royal Mail’s Special Delivery service and will therefore be subject to a postal fee of £4.95. Any supporters wishing to collect their ticket from Goodison must bring the payment card used to purchase this order and proof of identification before any tickets will be released.

Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Park End Box Office during normal opening hours or by calling 0871 663 1878**

**Booking fees apply

Everton Season Tickets for 09/10 on sale NOW

2009-03-16T12:20:00.001Z

Season ticket sales for the next campaign begin today: see the official site here.

Moyes wants to restore Everton to glory and team news [v Stoke]

2009-03-14T09:45:00.005Z

David Moyes celebrates his seventh anniversary as Everton manager this weekend and has spoken of his hope of restoring Everton's glory days.

Last Sunday's victory over Middlesbrough in the FA Cup – the last major honour we won, in 1995 – set up the Wembley semi-final with Manchester United. We are also currently in a promising sixth place in the League, obviously being hopeful of making a late push to challenge for a Champions League place.

Moyes is not the kind of person that settles for second best and certainly not sixth best [bearing in mind we're currently sixth].

"I have got to hope we can get it right back where it has been in the past," said Moyes, who signed a new five-year contract in October.

"I don't know if that is possible because finances play such a part in the game. If this was going back in years gone by and the money was equal I would see Everton as one of the top clubs. The difference why Everton are not one of the top clubs at this moment in time is more to do with finance than the team or the manager."

Absolutely spot-on.

Moyes continued,

"The other clubs have a greater chance to improve their squad by buying bigger players from all over the world. Everyone has made a point about how well the club is doing. It is nice in March but it would be better for me if they were still saying the same things in May."

Despite reaching the last four of the FA Cup, Moyes insists the league will always remain the priority, especially as a top-four finish provides a route into the lucrative Champions League.

That is why the manager will only allow his players to look at their next match, which sees struggling Stoke visit Goodison today.

Moyes added,

"I'm really excited by beating Middlesbrough and getting into the semi-final, but in my head we still have a chance of targeting fourth, so I'm not going to turn off and rely on that one game [against Man U] because if it didn't go right then all these [league] games would be wasted. The players know the focus is on Stoke and winning the games which come before the semi-final. It is a big credit to the players the way they have picked themselves up and got back into form having been knocked out of two cup competitions [Carling and Uefa] in the first month of the season. They have shown an unbelievable spirit to keep going and we have an outside chance of getting fourth and being in the final of the FA Cup and winning it, so it is a good time at the moment. Let's hope we can keep it going as long as we can."

The visit of Stoke means a return to Goodison for Beattie, who moved from Sheffield United in January, having left Everton in August '07. Beattie has scored five goals in seven matches for Stoke.

The derby-cross-to-Gosling-provider Van der Meyde is Everton's only new injury worry ahead of Stoke's visit [hamstring]. Hibbert misses his second successive match with a thigh problem.

FA Cup hero "King" Louis Saha is poised to progress in his return to full fitness at Everton by making his first start in more than three months.

Moyes has hinted the French striker will begin up front for the visit of struggling Stoke City this afternoon.

Saha has not started a game since the 1-0 defeat at Wigan Athletic on November 24, six days before injuring his hamstring in the win at Spurs.

The problem sidelined the 30-year-old for eight weeks, after which he has been restricted to appearances from the bench.

Saha came off the bench to score in the 2-0 home win over West Bromwich Albion a fortnight ago, and was then introduced at half-time during last Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Middlesbrough and within 11 minutes had scored the winner.

Moyes said,

“The time has come for Louis to go back in from the start. He has shown he is ready now, and it is just a question of juggling the side to see how we will balance it.
“I think we have to keep an eye on his overall injuries and make sure we get the best of him. He's doing a great job for us now.

Saha is most likely to be partnered up front by Jo, who was cup-tied for last week’s Cup win over Middlesbrough that has set up a Wembley semi-final against Manchester United next month.

Finally, I noted in the pre-match build up on the official site, that this Saturday marks David Moyes' seventh anniversary of being appointed Everton manager. His record since joining the club in all competitions is P318 W134 D75 L109.

Today's info. is drawn from The Daily Post and The Independent.

Everton Wembley tickets: 31,825 is a paltry number.

2009-03-13T17:57:00.006Z

From the official site

Everton have received details of their ticket allocation for the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 19 April.

Club officials were at Wembley today and were informed that we have been awarded an allocation of 31,825 seats.

Discussions will now take place this weekend about how to allocate these tickets among Everton supporters. The Club hope to make an announcement regarding ticket details early next week.

This quantity is paltry bearing in mind the capacity is 90,000.

This means we get a measly 35% of the tickets, or putting it another way, IF Man U get the same allocation as we do, that means that a whopping 26,350 [or 30%] will go to "neutrals."

26,350 is an appallingly high number. It does seem that the fans are not being given an even break.

Everton FC reveal details of tickets for FA Cup Semi-final v Manchester United

2009-03-11T16:17:00.004Z

From evertonfc.com:

Everton's FA Cup Semi-Final against Manchester United will take place on Sunday 19 April at Wembley Stadium, kick off 4pm.

Everton and FA officials met to finalise arrangements for the match earlier this week, and Everton can now confirm the tie will take place on this date, and will be screened live on ITV1.

The clash will be the second of the two semi-finals, with the match between Chelsea and either Arsenal or Hull City taking place on Saturday, 18 April at 5.15pm, which will bwe screened live on Setanta.

Everton booked their place in the last four with wins over Macclesfield Town, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough respectively.

Ticket prices for the semi finals have also been confirmed, and will be available for £24.50, £34.30, £44 and £53.80.

Details of Everton's ticket allocation and on-sale dates will be revealed on evertonfc.com once arrangements have been confirmed.

Everton march on in the FA Cup, Manchester United in the semi-final.

2009-03-09T12:41:00.009Z

A nice "King" Louis Saha pic. from today's Independent.

Memories of recent early FA Cup exits to Oldham and Shrewsbury don’t seem as painful at the time of typing. After beating Aston Villa and Liverpool we now have to face Manchester United at Wembley in the semi.

Chelsea will face either Arsenal or Hull in the other semi.

The two semi-finals will be played on the weekend of April 18 and 19.

Spurred on by a half time bollocking by Steve Round, assistant manager, we came from behind after the break in fine style. To reach the semi for the first time since the season when we beat United 1-0 in the final [May ‘95]

-----
Factoid:
On the five previous occasions Everton have won the FA Cup - in 1906, 1933, 1966, 1984 and 1995 - the West Indies cricket team toured England the same year. West Indies are due to play two Test matches in May 09
-----

The first half of the Boro match was appalling, seeing Boro take a deserved lead a minute before the break.

After the restart, we were a different team. Moyes had rightly decided that Saha had to be introduced soon as possible. He immediately paired well with Fallaini [who gets my man of the match vote]. Both scored with headers within an approximately seven minute window –early in the second half, to put the game beyond Boro, who had come out showing signs of sitting back.

Boro did have some threatening moments, including when Howard dropped a short – cu panic stations. However Lescott was magnificent and it did, for most of the game, appear that nobody was going to get past him for a Boro second.

Moyes post match comment included,
"Middlesbrough played well, but we have earned the right to go to a final having beaten Liverpool and Aston Villa so far. Now we have to beat a really good side to get to the final.”

Moyes paid tribute to Saha,
“Louis came on and gave us more direction up there, but it’s great that everyone is getting the goals because I don’t have anyone who is going to finish in the list of top goal-scorers this season.”
"I felt Louis would last 30 minutes (because of his injuries), but in the end he had 45 and was excellent. He will be a big player for us when he can start matches.''

Phil Neville,
“From the moment we drew Liverpool and beat them [in a replay], the fans were saying that it’s going to be our year. We have one step to go. We want to bring silverware to this club because it has been too long, and now is the time to step up and be men.”

Apparently Liverpool fans have been on the phone-ins in their droves, complaining about how they have been victimised by this evil world and system. They are unhappy that the semi finals are being played at Wembley and that they have never been to the new stadium. In typical fashion, the FA have caved in to their demands and have decided to let next season's 4th round ties be played at Wembley to give the kopites a chance to go and see the new stadium.

The draw

Semi-finals

Arsenal or Hull City v Chelsea
Manchester United v Everton

Matches to be played at Wembley Stadium on April 18 and 19

BREAKING NEWS: EVERTON sign £15m "Fallaini" from Standard Liege

2008-09-01T22:35:00.009+01:00

We have tonight signed 6'4 1/2" Marouane_Fellaini formerly of Standard Liege, for a record fee of £15m

Read all about him here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marouane_Fellaini

BREAKING NEWS: Everton Transfers

2008-09-01T21:49:00.008+01:00

LATEST: 00:00

The window has closed. We do not have absolute confirmation but the story reaching us from Goodison is that we have signed ace midfielder, Marouane Fellaini from Standard Liege for £15m

See here:

http://evertonblogcouk.blogspot.com/2008/09/breaking-news-everton-sign-125m.html

############################################

The transfer window is closing in approx. two hours, check back regularly to see any last minute deals.

Thus far today:

*Saha has been confirmed as joining the club

*We had a bid of about £3.5m rejected by Reading for their midfielder Stephen Hunt

*Wigan keeper Carlo Nash has joined us for an undisclosed sum.

Breaking news: Everton stadium called in

2008-08-06T20:53:00.005+01:00

Our wonderful Government have called in the our plan to relocate from Goodison to "Destination Kirkby."

The news will come as a kick in the bollocks to Kenwright, who had insisted that the potential £400+ million development, in partnership with Tesco was the only realistic way that we could generate the dosh to compete with the "top four."

This calling-in does not automatically kill the move, but it sets back the majority "yes" voters considerably.

Tesco's resilience to uncertainty and appetite for risk will now be the focus in the coming days.

The whole thing is fucking typical really, we simply don't seem able to organise things properly.

Finally, don't let any of the pond-life who spend their time on the internet, wearing just their underpants, insulting you on message boards, tell you that Evertonians don't want Kirkby. The FACTS are that the pro-Kirkby group of supporters WON the DEMOCRATIC vote and furthermore, albeit in a very minor way, the voters on this site have come up with similar results when it was put to the vote on here:

[Latest results from the site poll]

Are you for or against a new state-of-the-art home for the Blues in Kirkby?

Yes, I want this. I am a realist and think that this is it, it's now or never.

57% 319

No, I don't want Kirkby. I've faith that something else will come along to make up for the King's Dock loss and the "no" to Kirkby

35% 195

I'm still not sure. I'll support whatever the club decide.

8% 45

559 votes total.

The soap opera that is Everton's pre-season is to be continued... anything can happen in the next half hour!

Everton v PSV Eindhoven ticket info

2008-08-06T18:21:00.000+01:00

Tickets are still available for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against PSV (kick-off 5.15pm).

Please note there will be no cash turnstiles on the day of the game. Tickets are priced at £16 for adults and £6 for concessions, with all areas of the stadium available except the Top Balcony.

Tickets can be purchased through the following outlets:

* eTicketing on evertonfc.com
* Visiting the Park End Box Office
* Dial-A-Seat service on 0870 442 1878 option 3 and 3 again

Everton ahead of Liverpool, if the results were right

2008-08-04T20:44:00.002+01:00

See the final 07/08 table on http://www.rightresult.net/ [The way things ought to be]

The Right Result concept was devised by people who’d had enough of seeing bad decisions affect the outcome of football matches week in week out. Like many other fans they don’t buy into the old “luck evens itself out over the course of a season” line that gets offered up so often as if it makes everything ok, because luck doesn’t do this and it isn’t ok! We wanted to see just how different the league table would look if refs called it right more often.

Each week on their website the Right Result panel selects the key injustices that happen each week during the Premiership season, applies the strict rules of the game to them and passes an impartial judgement on whether or not questionable decisions should stand. The panel is a neutral and independent body, comprised of members from the Association of Football Statisticians (www.11v11.com).

Typical examples of incidents include penalties that don’t get given when they should have been. Or those that do get allowed in dubious circumstances. Whether balls did or didn’t cross the goal line. Goals disallowed for questionable offside. These incidents happen so frequently that there’s virtually never a weekend passes without at least one controversial call that not only affects the scoreline of a game, but actually changes the outcome.

See the final 07/08 table on http://www.rightresult.net/ [The way things ought to be]

Everton: Man U's Fletcher; Moutinho and to be up for sale?

2008-08-03T11:42:00.004+01:00

I think the deal most likely to happen this week is for us to secure the services of Man U's Darren Fletcher for £3m

Everton: A Philisophy of Nothingness and the Modern Melodrama [yesterday's post]

An outside bet is that we land £18m rated Joao Moutinho of Sporting Lisbon. But, we'd need the AJ money to part fund that.

Spotted this in the Observer:

Apparently we're in crisis, whilst financial titans prepare to clash over our future. We could be put up for sale if the government approves the new 50,000-capacity stadium in Kirkby.

It is understood that tycoons from India, Russia and America will swoop for the club if the green light is given to the £400m stadium project on the outskirts of Liverpool. It is thought an offer would not be rejected out of hand by Kenwright and Earl.

Kenwright and Earl [Planet Hollywood owner] are thought to have a disagreement over the future of the club. This is denied by Earl, who is currently holidaying with billionaire tycoon, Philip Green, on his £32m yacht. It is understood that Green also has financial interests in Everton. Green helped Kenwright to buy the club four years ago. He is a lifelong friend of Earl, who owns 24 per cent of the club. It was claimed last week that highly regarded Everton manager David Moyes had to consult Green if he wanted a new player. However, Green denied he was financially linked to the club and downplayed his involvement. He said he gave advice to Kenwright when requested and that he regularly acted for Earl in club matters, as he lives in America and cannot always attend meetings.

Moyes is known to be unhappy at the lack of progress in signing new players. Kenwright was forced to put out a statement last Friday to dispel growing anger among fans.

A bitter war of words has now broken out between the tycoons running the club and their former chief executive, Keith Wyness, who resigned last Monday. Earl accused Wyness, a former marketing executive at British Airways, of looking for another job on company time. He said he had documents which confirmed this.

Wyness has spent part of the summer advising Paul Davidson, the controversial City figure otherwise known as 'The Plumber', who is in the midst of due diligence on the purchase of Real Mallorca, the top-flight Spanish club.

It is thought Wyness is being lined up to become chief executive of Mallorca if Davidson buys the club in a deal worth over €50m.

Wyness refused to comment on his departure but friends said he had done nothing wrong and was helping 'an old mate' while on annual leave. It has been suggested that his departure was linked to Green's influence at Everton.

Wyness's departure prompted Green and Earl to sail from Sardinia to Mallorca for a confrontation with their former chief executive.

Wyness is expected now to join Davidson at Mallorca if he becomes the first overseas owner of a Spanish football club. The due diligence process is expected to run for another four weeks. Davidson, who was convicted of market abuse by the Financial Services Authority and then had the decision overturned on appeal, will sell some of the club's property assets to fund new players.

Everton: a Philosophy of Nothingness, and the Modern Melodrama

2008-08-02T11:22:00.006+01:00

Don't really know where to begin, I've nothing good to report. Instead, rather than building on the "creditworthy" placing of 5th... hang on a minute, imagine getting hold of the Tardis for an hour or two and between visits to the Rome, Paris, Egypt etc. of yesterday, temporarily time-shifting a few Evertonian fans from the 84-87 era and showing them this glimpse of their near future, a pay-TV nightmare, in which we would not have a realistic chance of winning anything significant and instead, continually dream of finishing 4th. I think the fans would likely kick such a Dr Who figure in the bollocks with their Trimm Trab and then, with a flick of their wedge fringes, fasten their Israeli parkas and sprint back to the relative sanity of 1980s.

So, rather than going back to the future, getting back to the beginning [of this article] - rather than building on a creditworthy 5th place, it looks like it's all about to turn to shit again.

Listing the current issues, in no particular order:

[A] AJ wants to go back to Lahndan, but a knee problems is preventing it and that will blow a hole in our transfer budget

[B] We are on a knife edge over Destination Kirkby. A call-in from central government [Public Enquiry] will most likely kill the scheme and leave us clueless about our new stadium once again. After all there is no Plan B... which brings me to Wyness.

[C] Allegedly the call of Mallorca has turned his head and his sudden resignation and departure last week, whilst welcomed by some of both the intelligentsia and illiterati, hardly adds security to the good ship Everton.

[D] Then there is the worry about Moyes, "the worry about the worried Moyes," to be more exact. He is rapidly losing patience with the current transfer inactivity and expressed his frustration following our 2-0 defeat vs Chicago Fire, midweek.

Moyes said,

"We’re a long way away from being where we think we’re going to be, that’s due to several circumstances. But some of the players aren’t playing well. Some of them need to start looking at themselves and getting their performances sorted, but because we haven’t got any competition for places it’s a little bit easy for them. It’s a big concern that the season is only two weeks away because we don’t have enough players to cope with what we have got right now."

Moyes then stated that he is not about to leave Everton but this kind of situation is hardly going to strengthen his position nor his resolve to spend even more time that he has privately planned to at our helm.

Speaking in Colorado this week, he said,

"I am not going anywhere, I am here and intend to see the job through. We have great expectations and I hope that I am able to fulfil them. I hope that maybe we can try and get together in the next week or two and sort something out [about the new management deal]. At the moment my energies are focused on bringing in new players. We have a certain amount of money to improve what we have got here."

Moyes thinks we need 3 or 4 high quality arrivals to bolster the squad, with Sporting Lisbon's Moutinho, Rennes midfielder Stephane M’Bai and Real Zaragoza’s Argentina striker Diego Milito high on the wanted list.

Moyes added,
"We need to bring in better players now to try and help the squad. But we don’t have bundles of cash."

Hopefully we're in for an exciting few weeks, both on and off field, barring the fact that we may grab 4th spot, how can the new season possibly live up to the drama of this summer break?

Recent results:

Thursday, 31 July 2008
Friendly Match
Chicago Fire 2-0 Everton

Tuesday, 22 July 2008
Friendly Match
Preston 0-1 Everton

Saturday, 19 July 2008
Friendly Match
Cambridge Utd 4-2 Everton

Forthcoming matches:

Sunday, 03 August 2008
Friendly Match
Colorado Rapids v Everton

Saturday, 09 August 2008
Friendly Match
Everton v PSV Eindhoven

Saturday, 16 August 2008
Barclays Premier League
Everton v Blackburn

We're in the era of the Premiership and it looks like we're either going to have to live with this continuous bollocks, or find another sport to follow. On a final and kind of positive note, if things went smoothly, then I guess it just wouldn't be Everton.

EVERTON link to fixtures Premier League fixtures new 2008/09 football season

2008-07-09T00:27:00.003+01:00

Fixture list has been released As ever, the dates on the list will be subject to major change, by virtue of the ring-masters' desires [TV].

>>>Fixtures now removed<<<

So click here [BBC] to see the fixtures on the BBC.

The nice guys in striped suits have apparently threatened Google's Blogger over my previous publication of this fixture data. I sh/t you not, I'm not even allowed to publish fixtures for our own club! What the f-ck is that all about? Anyway, I've had to make you take an extra click to see them on the BBC. So much for it being the sport of the people. Is it shyte; football is, effectively, a corporate whore-fest, "no pay, no lay:"

Click here to see the fixtures on the BBC.

UEFA Cup [half time]: Fiorentina 0-0 EVERTON

2008-03-06T19:44:00.009Z

Half time round-up: Yakubu suffers in isolation.

Everton have done reasonably well ... to keep it goalless.

We simply didn't keep enough possession to dictate the pace. Pienaar and Osman have been most disappointing, playing defensively throughout the half and not supplying the forward players in any way whatsoever.

Fiorentina have been in control for most of the match, playing a surprisingly rapid style and forcing Howard in two or three good saves. Everton in the opening 45 seemed to suffer as the sleet, rain and wind rallied against them. As for how much of the Italian's attacking prowess has been wind-assisted, time will tell ... it's now our turn to have the wind in our sails.

One save of note, was the truly excellent stop by Howard [with his legs] as Vieri closed in and blasted a shot goal-wards.

In the second half, Everton need to keep mean, close and compact and allow Pienaar and Osman to forage forward in order to support Cahill and Yakubu.

Cahill's "celebratory" actions v Portsmouth to be debated on Radio 5 at 11pm tonight

2008-03-03T20:40:00.002Z

Tonight on BBC Radio 5, from 11:00-ish, an Evertonian will be on the station, to defend Tim Cahill's actions after scoring the goal v Portsmouth. Harry Harris from the Daily Express will argue that it was distasteful.

Have a listen at 11pm tonight.

To listen online, click this link

http://www.bbc.co.uk/fivelive/

... then click on the "Listen live" button on the right hand side of the BBC Radio 5 page

Everton fans wanted to speak on Radio tonight about Tim Cahill's celebration [BBC Radio 5]

2008-03-03T17:59:00.005Z

This is a rare and exciting opportunity of the kind that doesn't come along often. It'll be first-come, first,served. Whoever phones first will probably get the chance to speak about Cahill on national radio [BBC R5] tonight ... interested? ... then read on ...

I received this request from the BBC this evening. It's for contribution on a phone-in on Radio 5 live tonight. Feel free to contact the producer if you wish to have your say and say that you read about this on "Everton Blog"

---

Hello,

I work for BBC Radio Five Live.

I'm trying to find an Everton fan who thinks Tim Cahill's goal celebration against Portsmouth yesterday was perfectly ok.

If you're that person or know someone who fits the bill, please contact me asap. It's for a radio discussion this evening.

Kind regards,

Tom

Tom Greenard,
Senior Producer,
Richard Bacon Programme
BBC Radio Five Live
Telephone (+44) (0)208 624 9506

---

For the record, here's the BBC's take on the incident:

Everton defend Cahill celebration

Cahill shows solidarity with his brother who was jailed in January
Everton have defended Tim Cahill after his controversial goal celebration in their 3-1 win over Portsmouth.

Cahill scored the Toffees' second goal and dedicated it to his brother Sean, who was jailed for six years in January for grievous bodily harm with intent.

The Australian midfielder crossed his wrists as if he had been handcuffed.

But Everton spokesman Ian Ross said that although some people would not "be in favour" of the celebration, it was ultimately a personal decision.

"Goal celebrations are a personal matter and up to the player to decide," said Ross.

"No-one dictates what the player can do as long as he stays within the laws of the game and as long as it doesn't result in a caution.

"He is a very articulate young man and will have weighed up the pros and cons and decided to do it because it was a personal and emotional matter.

606: DEBATE
Your thoughts on Cahill's celebration

"I am sure Tim was fully aware that some people would not be in favour of what he did before he did it."

The FA refused to comment on the incident but did say that decisions regarding celebrations rest with the match officials, unless it is deemed that an abusive gesture has been made.

The attack on 11 July 2004 in Bromley, Kent left the victim partially blinded after CCTV controllers spotted Cahill's older brother kicking his victim in the head twice as he lay on the floor.

Police found the victim semi-conscious and bleeding heavily and speaking in January, Detective Constable Will Hope described the attack as "brutal and terrifying".

Meanwhile, Cahill has struggled for form since the turn of the year and his goal against Portsmouth was his first since the end of December and has admitted that it has been an emotional time for him and his family.

Former Everton striker Graeme Sharp told BBC Radio 5 Live that he understood the motives behind the celebration.

"Knowing Tim as I do I can understand that he feels very strongly about his family and he's obviously very disappointed with how things have gone.

"Tim's been through a hard time with the circumstances surrounding his brother and it's just a way of showing his support for him."

If only the results were "right" and matches fair ... Everton 3rd [after Manchester United and Arsenal, ahead of Chelsea & Liverpool 8th].

2008-02-10T20:12:00.001Z

"What a yawn, another weekend in the English Premiership and further examples of officials incompetence / corrupted views influencing the outcomes of matches."

This is a nod in the direction of RightResult.net

Everton would be 3rd [after Manchester United and Arsenal, ahead of Chelsea nd Liverpool 8th] if the results were fair and the officials were not corrupted and incompetent ... so says this unbiased website called RightResult.net

View it here: www.RightResult.net

Matches such as the infamous Everton v Liverpool derby of last October unsurprisingly feature. Liverpool won after a series of utterly flabbergasting decisions demonstrated that the officials flatly refused to give Everton a fair chance that day and instead insisted that Liverpool be allowed to win and be awarded the three points.

The Merseyside Derby article:

"EVERTON vs LIVERPOOL - Toffees Clattered

Saturday 20th October 2007

Everton vs Liverpool

Panel Decision

As usual the Merseyside derby was packed with drama and controversy and, on this occasion, all the major decisions appeared to go against the blue half of the city.

New England defender Joleon Lescott will feel particularly hard done by.

With the game evenly poised in the second–half, ref Mark Clattenburg turned down his penalty appeal when he tangled in the area with Steve Finnan.

If that decision remained dubious, there was little or no doubt about the incident in the last seconds of the game when Lescott was wrestled to the ground by a guilty-looking Jamie Carragher in front of the Gwladys Street goal.

Unfortunately for Everton, just about the only doubt that remained was in the mind of the Tyne & Wear whistler and the seemingly certain penalty wasn’t given.

To make matters worse, moments earlier, Liverpool’s match-winning spot-kick was converted by Dirk Kuyt. How he remained on the pitch after an earlier airborne tackle on Phil Neville remains a mystery.

The Right Result is a 2-2 draw."

The general Everton page: click here to view

About the site:

The Right Result concept was devised by people who’d had enough of seeing bad decisions affect the outcome of football matches week in week out. Like many other fans we don’t buy into the old “luck evens itself out over the course of a season” line that gets offered up so often as if it makes everything ok, because luck doesn’t do this and it isn’t ok! We wanted to see just how different the league table would look if refs called it right more often.

Each week on this website, the Right Result panel, selects the key injustices that happen each week during the Premiership season, applies the strict rules of the game to them and passes an impartial judgement on whether or not questionable decisions should stand. The panel is a neutral and independent body, comprised of members from the Association of Football Statisticians (www.11v11.com).

Typical examples of incidents include penalties that don’t get given when they should have been. Or those that do get allowed in dubious circumstances. Whether balls did or didn’t cross the goal line. Goals disallowed for questionable offside. These incidents happen so frequently that there’s virtually never a weekend passes without at least one controversial call that not only affects the scoreline of a game, but actually changes the outcome.

Breaking Transfer News: EVERTON sign Tottenham Hotspur star

2008-01-31T22:51:00.000Z

One-time England call-up Anthony Gardner has left Norf Lahndan to join Everton on loan until the end of the season.

See more about him here and here.

Premiership score flash: Middlesbrough 0v2 EVERTON

2008-01-01T16:34:00.000Z

Wonderful scenes at the Riverside as Everton hit a quick second half brace to effectively finish the game.

The first came in the 67th minute by AJ from around 20 yards out. Faddy bagged the second five minutes later, from near the penalty spot, having been duly assisted by AJ.

Happy New Year ... Middlesbrough match and the story so far, 07/08 Everton results round up

2008-01-01T11:41:00.000Z

Happy New Year

Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably and never regret anything that made you smile.

Today's fixture:

Middlesbrough v Everton [preview]

Yakubu returns to the Riverside with us looking to show our bouncebackability after a 4-1 mauling by Arsenal on Saturday.

P2P betting exchange, Betfair has the following odds, making Everton favourites to take the points:

Middlesbrough 3.25
Draw 3.25
Everton 2.52

In Boro’s last Premier League victory against Everton, Yakubu scored for them. Boro tend to struggle against us of late, having failed to score in 5 of their last 7 Premier League matches against us.

We'll be without Arteta for the next three matches after he was dismissed for a powder puff raising of the arm during the Arsenal match. Unfortunately, it was seen by the referee as tantamount to breaking his mate's [Fabregas] jaw. In the meantime, Eduardo went unpunished for the handball assist from which he thence scored and a shocking two footer by Bendtner, only earned him a second yellow and an early bath, rather than the straight red it merited.

Everton Blog prediction: Middlesbrough 1:3 Everton

Results round up:

Saturday, 29 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 1-4 Arsenal

Wednesday, 26 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 2-0 Bolton

Sunday, 23 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Man Utd 2-1 Everton

Thursday, 20 December 2007
UEFA Cup
AZ Alkmaar 2-3 Everton

Saturday, 15 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
West Ham 0-2 Everton

Wednesday, 12 December 2007
Carling Cup
West Ham 1-2 Everton

Saturday, 08 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 3-0 Fulham

Wednesday, 05 December 2007
UEFA Cup
Everton 1-0 Zenit St Petersburg

Saturday, 01 December 2007
Barclays Premier League
Portsmouth 0-0 Everton

Saturday, 24 November 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 7-1 Sunderland

Sunday, 11 November 2007
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea 1-1 Everton

Thursday, 08 November 2007
UEFA Cup
Nuremburg 0-2 Everton

Saturday, 03 November 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 3-1 Birmingham
Who went home early and missed the last two goals?

Wednesday, 31 October 2007
Carling Cup
Luton 0-1 Everton
After Extra Time

Sunday, 28 October 2007
Barclays Premier League
Derby 0-2 Everton

Thursday, 25 October 2007
UEFA Cup
Everton 3-1 Larissa

Saturday, 20 October 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 1-2 Liverpool [with Mark Clattenburg]

Sunday, 07 October 2007
Barclays Premier League
Newcastle 3-2 Everton

Thursday, 04 October 2007
UEFA Cup
FC Metalist Kharkiv 2-3 Everton

Sunday, 30 September 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 2-0 Middlesbrough

Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Carling Cup
Sheff Wed 0-3 Everton

Sunday, 23 September 2007
Barclays Premier League
Aston Villa 2-0 Everton

Thursday, 20 September 2007
UEFA Cup
Everton 1-1 FC Metalist Kharkiv

Saturday, 15 September 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 0-1 Man Utd

Saturday, 01 September 2007
Barclays Premier League
Bolton 1-2 Everton

Saturday, 25 August 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 1-1 Blackburn

Saturday, 18 August 2007
Barclays Premier League
Reading 1-0 Everton

Tuesday, 14 August 2007
Barclays Premier League
Tottenham 1-3 Everton

Saturday, 11 August 2007
Barclays Premier League
Everton 2-1 Wigan

Carling Cup Semi Final Draw [ Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham ]

2007-12-19T21:53:00.000Z

The draw for the semi-finals of the Carling Cup has been made and what a surprise! You could have safely bet your mortgage that Arsenal and Chelsea would be kept apart in the semi-finals.

In-form Everton will play Chelsea. Chelsea knocked the "redshite" out tonight [Chelsea 2:0 Liverpool]. The first leg will be played at Stamford Bridge and the return leg at Goodison Park. In the other semi-final Arsenal will play Tottenham [first leg at The Emirates].

With the Goodison Park leg being the last of the two games, an advantage has been handed to Everton.

The Everton ties will be played as follows:

Tuesday, 08 January 2008
Chelsea v Everton, 19:45

Tuesday, 22 January 2008
Everton v Chelsea, 19:45

EVERTON beat West Ham United to reach semi-final of the Carling Cup

2007-12-12T21:37:00.001Z

West Ham United 1:2 EVERTON [FT}

Yakubu scored the winning goal in tonight's Quarter-Final. The Everton fans [who filled the Centenary stand] went bonkers, as they saw us reach a Semi-Final for the first time in 12 years.

West Ham had taken the lead after a poor opening spell by Everton. Carlton Cole beat Tim Howard to a long ball from Neill, he went around Howard and put the ball into our empty net.

Everton then built up a head of steam and an equaliser duly followed.

Five minutes before half time, Pienaar assisted Osman who's shot resulted in a leveller for the Blues.

In the second half, we stepped up a couple of gears. We controlled matters throughout the remainder of the match.

Yobo was superb and starting attacks with some tremendous long passes and headers. He thrived in the absence of the substituted Carlton Cole. Gone was the slack marking and poor discipline in the final third that the first half had yielded. In the face of a fierce Everton assault, Parker, Mullins and Ashton became pale shadows of their first half selves. Tim Howard found himself with very little to do in the second half.

A few minutes before the final whistle, a long clearance by Howard caused panic in the Hammers defence. A botch [Gabbidon headed the ball past his own keeper] allowed a rampaging Yakubu to latch onto the ball and put Everton into a winning position.

An inexplicble 3 minutes of injury time was then added but it was not enough to advantage the home side.

We finished the game very strongly, our fitness levels are fantastic.

We're on our way to Wembley.

FA Cup 3rd round draw, EVERTON v Oldham

2007-12-02T16:33:00.000Z

FA Cup 3rd round draw:

Preston v Scunthorpe
Port Vale/Chasetown v Cardiff
Colchester v Peterborough
Bolton v Sheffield United
Blackburn v Coventry
Brighton v Mansfield
Northampton/Walsall v Millwall
Charlton v West Brom
Watford v Crystal Palace
Luton/Nottingham Forest v Liverpool
Plymouth v Hull
Aston Villa v Manchester United
Tranmere v Hereford
Tottenham v Reading
Burnley v Arsenal
Bristol City v Middlesbrough
Fulham v Bristol Rovers
Huddersfield v Birmingham
Horsham/Swansea v Havant & Waterlooville
Sunderland v Wigan
Oxford/Southend v Dagenham & Redbridge
Everton v Oldham
Derby v Sheffield Wednesday
Southampton v Leicester
West Ham v Manchester City
Ipswich v Portsmouth
Wolves v Cambridge
Barnsley v Blackpool
Chelsea v QPR
Stoke v Newcastle
Swindon v Burton Albion/Barnet
Norwich v Bury

Ties to be played on 5th/6th January, 2008

Derby County v EVERTON

2007-10-28T10:20:00.000Z

Derby v Everton, kick off 2pm

Everton enter today's fray without Neville and Hibbert, further to the fiasco that was last week's derby match. Our good 3:1 winning performance midweek, against Larissa, who are no mugs - having knocked Blackburn out of the UEFA Cup, should have restored confidence.

We're certain to see Graveson feature and for Cahill to get his first game of the Premiership season, following his return from the dread metatarsal injury against Larissa.

Moyes said,

"We have to be careful with him [Cahill]. We continually hear these days how these metatarsal injuries keep coming and how easy it is to do more damage, so we will watch him and nurse him along. He is different to what we have. He can play virtually up front, but coming from deep it is hard for defenders to pick him up. He trained okay on Friday and he seems fine. He could be in contention if we think it is right."

Here is the latest betting on P2P betting exchange, Betfair [click here to view]. At the time of posting the odds were:

Derby win: 4.2
Everton win: 2.16
The draw: 3.35

Everton blog prediction: Derby 0-2 Everton. Anything less than three points would be a disaster.

EVERTON 1:2 Liverpool - a reaction to the appalling performance by Mark Clattenburg

2007-10-21T13:22:00.000+01:00

Click here: http://clattenburg.epetitions.net/

Obviously we can't blame Liverpool in any way, for what happened yesterday. They simply went out to win and like any team, took every chance offered.

I wouldn't recommend holding your breath for a full and frank public apology from the plonker in black - only the "big 4" can expect that kind of respect.

We all deal with grief/dissatisfaction in our own way and I was amused to see this e-petition now doing the rounds. some of the comments are hilarious:

Click here: http://clattenburg.epetitions.net/

His Wikipedia profile:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Clattenburg

Premiership full time: EVERTON 1:2 Liverpool

2007-10-20T15:09:00.001+01:00

Everton ended the afternoon pointless and disappointed. Liverpool took all the points after being awarded two penalties. Admittedly both were inarguable, but that does not escape from the fact that we did not get our key decisions awarded and a draw would have been a fairer result, based upon the balance of play.

Late on the second half, Kuyt scored his second penalty of the game, after Neville had handled the ball on the line, with what was a great "save." Consequently, Neville was sent off and our fate sealed.

Right at the death, we should have been awarded a penalty for a foul on Lescott by Carragher but the mediocre referee, Clattenburg, was once again not interested in finding in our favour.

EVERTON 1:1 Liverpool [2nd half scoreflash]

2007-10-20T13:59:00.000+01:00

Hibbert was sent off early in the second half. He was he last man, as he committed a professional foul on Gerrard. Hibbert made a very poor decision, simple as.

Liverpool then proceeded to convert the resultant penalty.

EVERTON 1:0 Liverpool [half time scoreflash]

2007-10-20T13:53:00.000+01:00

Everton took the lead around 5 minutes before the break, a deserved culmination to nearly half an hour of complete dominance. Liverpool had controlled the opening quarter hour and we briefly looked to be in for a torrid afternoon, before they faded into bit-part players.

With respect to the goal, Liverpool, as forecast in the earlier post, failed to deal with a ball into the box. Hyypia strangely whacked the ball into his own net with a right-foot belter on the turn that Yak or Anichebe would have been proud of.

EVERTON v Liverpool - Yak is back - preview and betting

2007-10-20T12:16:00.000+01:00

Match preview.

Everton Blog factoid: all of Everton's eight derby wins since the Premiership was created have come in the first derby match of the season.

The biggest news is that Baines will start on the bench and Cahill and Grav have not made it back from injury. Up front, Yakubu and Anichebe will start.

Everton starting 11 is therefore: Howard, Hibbert, Lescott, Yobo, Stubbs, Osman, Arteta, Neville, Jagielka, Anichebe, Yakubu

McFadden and Carsley are also amongst the group on the bench.

This is the first time we have met since the Spanish jefe's bitter, "small club" jibe at the People's Club. Everton fans will be preparing an "Hola, muy estupendo y grande" for him no doubt.

Stubbsy timed and articulated his response nicely,
"... they feel they are that much bigger than us, they should have been getting better results - like winning the league ... We beat them 3-0 last season, and you do not get a result like that by luck."

Stubbs believes Liverpool have no chance of ending their 17 years without the title this season, stating Man United will win the Barclays Premier League again,
"I do think United will win it and Arsenal will be the serious challengers this year."

Everton Blog prediction.

The matter that will dictate the outcome of the game will hinge upon if we can hit their keeper on his known achilles heel [crosses] - get crosses in from wide, something he is known to struggle game after game with. Everton to continue their winning form with a comfortable 2:0 victory.

Betting.

P2P betting exchange, "Betfair" has the following market-leading match odds:

Everton win: 3.95
The draw: 3.25
Liverpool win: 2.24

The Everton Blog correct score prediction of, "2:0 to Everton" is priced at a very attractive "26" [25/1] on Betfair.

EVERTON'S Joleon Lescott to start for England V Russia

2007-10-16T11:40:00.000+01:00

Last year's Everton players' player of the season, defender and prolific goal-scorer, Joleon Lescott, is expected to make his first start for England in Wednesday's very important Euro 08 qualifier against Russia in Moscow. He is set to replace the injured Ashley Cole at left-back ... not a very familiar role for him ... but then again, neither is a striker, but that doesn't seem to stop him scoring.

I commend McClaren's decision and would myself place him in the 11 ahead of Neville [poor form] and Shorey [unproven and risky and in an inferior team [Reading]].

UEFA cup, EVERTON drawn against Larissa, AZ Alkmaar, Zenit St Petersburg and Nuremberg

2007-10-10T02:51:00.000+01:00

Everton have been drawn against Larissa [who have just knocked out Blackburn], AZ Alkmaar, Zenit St Petersburg and Nuremberg [famed for the rally] in the group stage of the UEFA Cup.

We will play each of the sides in our group (Group A) once - with two games at home and two games away. The top three from the group will then go forward to the knockout stages next year.

The selection of home and away games is random and will be confirmed later.

The UEFA Cup final is set to be played at Man Citeh's City of Manchester Stadium in May '08.

The draw in full:

Group A
AZ Alkmaar
Zenit St Petersburg
EVERTON
Nuremburg
Larissa

Group B
Panathinaikos
Lokomotiv Moscow
Atletico Madrid
Copenhagen
ABERDEEN

Group C
Villarreal
AEK Athens
Fiorentina
Mlada Boleslav
Elfsborg

Group D
Basle
Hamburg
Stade Rennais
Dinamo Zagreb
Brann

Group E
Bayer Leverkusen
Sparta Prague
Spartak Moscow
Toulouse
FC Zurich

Group F
Bayern Munich
BOLTON
Braga
Red Star Belgrade
Aris Thessaloniki

Group G
Anderlecht
TOTTENHAM
Getafe
Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Aalborg

Group H
Bordeaux
Austria Vienna
Galatasaray
Panionios
Helsingsborgs

Everton and the UEFA cup draw, some data and predictions

2007-10-08T20:43:00.000+01:00

I've been mulling over tomorrows's UEFA draw and have predicted that this will be our Group:

Villarreal
Lokomotiv Moscow
Everton
Tolouse
Aberdeen

Please download and print for your use tomorrow, this file [click here] to see the background and an explanation.

Review: Newcastle United 3:2 EVERTON

2007-10-08T18:15:00.000+01:00

More powder puff defending saw us succumb to yet another defeat at St James.

Three minutes before the break, at the end of a finely balanced affair, Lescott's clearance fell to Butt who lobbed the ball over Howard and into the net. For the second, Osman headed defensively, towards the centre of the field, where Emre was waiting to unleash a wonder strike. For f---- sake, by the time I was 11, even I had learned that such clearances should be out towards the wing area and not knocked into the centre of the park. If that schoolboy error wasn't maddening enough, next thing you know, possibly the shortest man in the whole stadium [Owen] was made to look the size of Robert Pershing Wadlow [pictured above, the man on the right] as he stepped up to score against his boyhood team with a header! It was so infuriating to see appalling defending letting the side down.

On the plus side, we scored a couple of goals. AJ [his first since March] gleefully got off the mark for this campaign, after a rampaging run by Baines [the provider of the cross] enabled an easy tap in. Arteta also netted, rather comically beating Given with a lofted ball.

Premiership scoreflash: Newcastle United 1:1 EVERTON

2007-10-07T16:18:00.000+01:00

Early in the second half and AJ has netted his first of the season after a rampaging Leighton Baines had opened up the barcodes at the back.

The home side had deservedly taken the lead before the break when Butt lifted it over Howard's head.

UEFA Cup final score: Metalist 2:3 EVERTON [3:4 on aggregate]

2007-10-04T22:07:00.001+01:00

Passports at the ready lads, bring on the Spanish and the Germans.

After the first half we were a goal down and it was looking bad.

Moyes and others [Stubs? Neville?] must have said some stern and revitalising things in the dressing room during the interval as we came out and played like a different team in the second half.

Lescott was Johnny-on-the spot yet again and equalised, before Mahdoufi agonisingly sent Metalist into the lead [2:1] for the second time on the night, after knocking in a rebound off the post.

With around 20 minutes left, McFadden effectively clinched it, twisting to lose the marker and smacking a shot into the right hand corner from some 20 yards. Anichebe gave us a respectable if slightly flattering lead, with a couple of minutes left, keeping his composure after beating the keeper and placing it into the net despite the close attentions of two defenders.

Come the final whistle, it was the Everton fans who could be heard singing and many sporting Metalist fans stood to applaud.

The draw for the group stages is to take place next Tuesday I believe.

Teams that remain in the competition include:

Atletico Madrid
Bayern Munich
Villarreal
Fiorentina
Bayer Leverkusen
Hamburg
& Tottenham

UEFA scoreflash: Metalist 1v0 EVERTON

2007-10-04T20:06:00.000+01:00

Metalist had it too easy against Everton during the first quarter, utterly overrunning our pathetic midfield formation and going deservedly ahead after 20 minutes.

Brazilian, Edmar broke away from the advancing Metalist pack, who had counter-attacked after a foul on McFadden, on the edge of their penalty area, had yielded nothing for us. Our lightweight, indeed, "powder puff" midfield, did little to stand in their way. Consequently Edmar easily sprinted forward and had enough time to carefully aim and slide the ball past a sprawling Howard. A prize to anybody who spotted Neville anywhere near challenging the attacker, whilst he made his run and took aim.

This could get worse and judging by the first thirty-odd minutes, it probably will.

UEFA Cup: Everton to come down heavy on Metalist

2007-10-04T18:11:00.000+01:00

This is it. A huge, 07/08-seasoning-defining match already and we're just into October. Metalist Kharkiv (Ukrainian: ФК «Металіст» Харків), may be forgiven for thinking that Lady Luck had jumped into bed with them [heading straight for the midriff]. After all, a fortnight ago, having had two sent off and seeing two penalties wasted, they still found themselves escaping with a 1:1 "lead" [a lead, as away goals can be double counted of course].

On the positive side, we have had two wins since then and would have surely had adequate time to digest the disappointment and learn much in the process.

Finally, and arguably most importantly, we have world-class Arteta back. You like me, will be excitedly anticipating the prospect of him toying with such opposition. Howard is also set to return after missing recent games [including that v Man United again] due to a finger injury incurred playing for the USA.

Everton Blog prediction: Metalist 0:2 Everton

P2P betting site, "Betfair" has the following odds for the match:

For 90 mins plus injury time:
Metalist win: 5.1
The draw: 3.85
Everton win: 1.82

In terms of the tie overall, regardles of any extra time etc.
Everton to qualify: 1.49
Metalist to qualify: 2.68

The Metalist Stadium:

A cow, in a field, in Kirkby [ near Liverpool ]

2007-10-01T15:07:00.001+01:00

Vets have confirmed that a cow has been found, in a field in Kirkby, in a state of uncontrollable mooing, to the tune of Johnny Todd [Z-Cars]. An official statement from The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has confirmed that it is the first confirmed case of, "Blue Nose Disease" in the UK.

EVERTON v Middlesbrough - match preview including betting markets

2007-09-30T08:48:00.001+01:00

Yakubu: No doubt he will perform his tasks with all the added bitterness of an old friend***

Yakubu has told Boro's Gibson to "grow up" as the handbag joust between them grows in terms of the frequency of slaps. Yak has condemned the Middlesbrough chairman, Steve Gibson, for claiming he had, "switched off," in the second half of his spell at the Riverside.

Today sees our record signing face his old club for the first time since joining us. He is incensed by comments Gibson made following his protracted escape from the moonscape station that is The Riverside.

Basically, Gibson has said that Yakubu loses focus towards the end of a season. Unfortunately, the stats support the Chairman's view. In 05/06 Yakubu bagged 19 goals for Boro but none, nada, rien, zilch, in their final 16 games of the season. Amazingly, the following year, he scored a respectable 16 times, but again baggd none at the end, not hitting the net at all in his final dozen outings.

Yakubu,
"It is very unfair to say that. I played for Middlesbrough for two years and scored a lot of goals for them, and it is ridiculous for them to say that I switched off. I don't have anything against the Chairman or the club and so I was very disappointed for him to say things like that. But that is his opinion. In the summer, they were saying they did not want to sell me and that they are happy with me. But at the end of the transfer window they decided to sell me and I wanted to leave anyway. I was not happy and I wanted to join a club with more ambition than Middlesbrough. They never said I switched off when I left Portsmouth. They all loved me and I would never say anything abusive about Portsmouth. So for Middlesbrough to come out and say things like that in the newspaper is not good. You don't do that. I think they have to grow up."

In terms of what's going on at Everton, Moyes is hoping today's visit of Boro proves inspirational for Yakubu.

Many of you will remember that v Aston Villa last week, Yakubu was left out of the starting 11 ["rested" according to Moyes] and came on late. Worryingly, Leighton Baines then had to pull him over not chasing a pass.

Hopefully, his goal and his assist for one of McFadden's goals, in the Carling Cup win at Wednesday, on Wednesday, will have buoyed his spirits.

Moyes [on Yakubu],
"I thought he was a bit anxious on Wednesday and probably made some poor decisions with his shots, some of them were ridiculous long-rangers. But it was good that he got a goal, and hopefully it will just settle him down a little bit. I'm sure he'll be more fired up, just as most players are against their former club. I hope that's the case. I have been back to old clubs and it does spur you on that extra bit. Sometimes it happens to players adversely, though, because they know enough about you that they know how to handle you, so sometimes it can work to your advantage and sometimes it doesn't. But if you can pull out all the stops in one game then I think you should do it in every game. I'd have to say that you should play every game as if it was going to be your last."

AJ is struggling to recover from an groin injury and so Yakubu is set to partner McFadden once again.

The most puzzling quote of the week came from Moyes,
"If you're not playing as well as I think you should be, then you might not be playing in the next game, but that doesn't mean to say you've been dropped."

... in that case, I wonder what "being dropped" is?

Andy van der Meyde may feature.

P2P betting exchange, Betfair has the following match betting odds, correct at the time of publication:

Everton win: 1.82
The Draw: 3.7
Middlesbrough win: 5.5

We're heavy favourites to win and rise three or four positions in the table.

Everton Blog prediction: Everton to win 2:0

---
***Oscar Wilde went before the beak in order to have Queensbury prosecuted for libel [he had accused Widle of, "posing as a Sodomite"]. Note that in those days, it was illegal for a homosexual to penetrate a man's anus with his penis. Anyway, Queensbury was defended by Edward Carson [who would later achieve celebrity as one of the strongest Unionist opponents of Irish Home Rule]. Well, Carson was a classmate of Wilde at Trinity College and Wilde remarked that "no doubt he will perform his tasks with all the added bitterness of an old friend."

Carling Cup draw: Luton v EVERTON, incl. Chelsea, Leicester, Sheffield United, Arsenal, Tottenham, Bolton, Manchester City, West Ham & Liverpool ties

2007-09-29T21:24:00.001+01:00

All the matches are scheduled for the week of 29th October.

Luton v Everton

We've again been drawn against Luton, we played them [only that time it was at home] in the Carling Cup last October. That night, some 27,000 saw us thrash them 4 - 0, with Cahill, McFadden and Anichebe netting three for us, and our fourth coming from an own goal. Arteta missed a pen that night.

Luton are the only League One [aka "Division 3" for those of you who see past the hype and/or are old enough to remember life before the Premiership] left in the competition.

Luton qualified after knocking out Pardew's Charlton Athletic in the previous round.

In Kevin Blackwell they have a new manager, when we beat them last year, former Blue and the darling of the women's lib movement, Mike Newell, was at the helm. You'll probably remember that following a match against Queens Park Rangers , shortly after our 2006 match with them, Newell criticised female assistant referee, Amy Rayner, using sexist comments, and later apologised. Newell had been unhappy that Rayner had failed to award his side a penalty and said:

"She shouldn't be here, I know that sounds sexist but I am sexist. This is Championship football. This is not park football. What are women doing here? It is tokenism – for the politically correct idiots."

I'd be surprised it the vast majority of men in the country didn't agree with that kind of view.

Unfortunately, the other big guns have been kept apart and in the main, have been handed relatively easy ties ... funny how that happens very regularly in domestic cup competitions.

The remainder of the draw:

Portsmouth v Blackburn
Chelsea v Leicester
Sheff Utd v Arsenal
Tottenham v Blackpool
Bolton v Man City
Coventry v West Ham
Redshite v Cardiff

Sheffield Wednesday 0v3 EVERTON - the blues power through to the next round of the Carling Cup

2007-09-26T21:30:00.000+01:00

A very poor first half yielded no goals.

Early in the second half [60 mins], Yakubu forwarded Neville's cross and to McFadden to score.

A late flurry from Everton saw them dispatch the resilient Sheffield Wednesday side with relative ease and move into the draw for the next round of the Carling Cup [to be made on Saturday].

Phil Neville's [who had moved forward regularly and confidently] had crossed in superbly to the far post and James McFadden got his 2nd of the night, with a superb header, confirming Everton's presence in the final 16.

McFadden provided an assist for Yakubu to slot home.

Everton now have some much-needed positives ahead of Sunday's [Boro] and next Thursday's [Metalist] matches: two strikers brimming with confidence, a clean sheet under their belt and a great performance from Stubbs ...

Exclusive Aston Villa v Everton - exclusive pic

2007-09-23T14:03:00.000+01:00

An Everton Blog special services operative, sitting covertly amongst the Villa fans, has just sent this great picture via pic message. It shows the huge number of Everton fans at today's game. They're filling top and bottom tier of half of the Doug Ellis stand. Fantastic away support as usual.

Aston Villa v Everton - match preview

2007-09-23T13:01:00.000+01:00

Today's match sees Everton travel away to Birmingham to face a side in Villa that recently beat Chelsea 2:0 Kick off is at 14:00

Everton v Aston Villa is the greatest fixture in the top flight, in that, it is the one that has been played the most times.

Betting from P2P betting exchange, Betfair:

Aston Villa win: 2.12
Everton win: 4.2
The draw: 3.4

We were all hoping that Arteta had recovered sufficiently from his ankle problem. He was missed terribly v Metalist on Thursday, but was hoped to have made quick recovery. Unfortunately, the bad news is that he won't be playing. Grav should also return after having fluid from his knee drained during the week.

Howard's damaged finger leaves him a doubt, but Wessels is a superb "#2" and will, I am sure, inspire confidence in those around him today, should he be the selection. I don't want to see Hibbo play today. Up front, I expect AJ and Yakubu or Anichebe to start, with the introduction of whoever is dropped, probably Yakubu, being a certainty, the only question being that of timing.

Villa are without striker Marlon Harewood for today's clash. The former Hammer injured his knee in training last week. So, it will be the same side who started last weekend’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester City. Carew will continue to lead the attack despite a nagging groin problem.

Everton Blog prediction: Aston Villa 1:1 Everton [AJ to break his duck]

Embargoed until 13:15

Everton 1v1 Metalist - we couldn't score "for toffee"

2007-09-22T11:00:00.000+01:00

Failing to clear the first hurdle is now an established habit in Europe. For those of you who didn't watch, the evening was absolutely pathetic, in every way that you can imagine.

The night had started worryingly. Come 8 pm, there were still huge queues of those eager to get in. A 25 minute delay to the kick off was due to this late surge in numbers ... well it was a cup tie. Fortunately, it was blues and not fans of another club that we all know, or there could have been a major disaster.

For some reason, there were some large empty sections of prime seats in the main stand. We can only conclude that hospitality was once again not managed properly [aka Villareal]. Does anybody know if Keith Wyness has offered an explanation as to why we did not capitalise on the corporate side of things, leaving such seats empty for a major game like this?

AJ, who has not scored for more than six months, suffered the indignity of squandering two late penalties as Everton were held by a Metalist Kharkiv team who ended the game with only nine men.

For our goal, McFadden's corner had found Lescott, who easily lost the defender to head home, for his third goal of the season - he's now Everton's top scorer. Lescott should have increased his tally, but he headed wide at point-blank range from Osman's cross. To his credit though, the ball came at him like a bat out of hell. Still, his first-half goal had looked set to give us our crucial victory in the long standing quest to achieve something in Europe and reach the important group stages.

What is let's be realistic, a mediocre side, lying fifth in the Ukrainian league, had drawn level in this Uefa Cup first-round, first-leg match through Brazilian sub Edmar with 12 minutes left. Earlier, Johnson's ineptitude in front of goal had continued when he screwed-up the opportunity to create a winning [two-goal] position with a 70th-minute pen. Lescott was fouled by Babych. Gancarczyk was sent off for protesting [dissent]. Johnson proceeded to blast it into the roof of the net, the referee though spotted encroachment by Leon Osman [poor, inconsistent refereeing harming us in Europe again] and AJ's second attempt was stopped by the keeper.

Babych wrestled over Anichebe, and was dismissed for his trouble, leaving them with just 9 men on the pitch. AJ failed again from the spot yards with only two minutes to go, after Gollum-like, with the Ring, grabbing the ball and demanding he take the penalty. He ballooned it over the bar to the collective cries of incredulity from thousands in the stadium and no doubt, hundreds of thousands around the country.

Even six minutes of stoppage time couldn't produce a winning Everton goal, leaving manager everybody to reflect on what might have been and the countless promises and galvanising words from the team and manager, about how we have learned and improved since the Bucharest humiliation, looking hollow.

We now have a very difficult night to face on 4th October.

I stayed up until after 2 am in order to watch the recording of the match, I just couldn't believe that it was as bad as it had appeared earlier. Unfortunately, by virtue of the ability to pause and analyse, it was as bad, if not worse. I would have understood had I pinched myself to check that I was actually seeing what I thought I was seeing, as AJ blasted the ball over [his final pen]. If only I had fallen asleep and was having a nightmare.

I would think that the likes of Watford, Bristol City, Charlton, Coventry, West Brom and Burnley [i.e. any of the top 6 in Division 2 [aka The Championship]] would have beaten Metalist without too much trouble. They were poor but we do have a habit of making poor sides look the business.

For me, the main players that are now left with a LOT to prove are:

Neville: Where was he? The centre halves obviously hid him. Hoof after hoof was all I could see.

Hibbert: His distribution is infamously poor. However surely this is something that should be improving? I take it that he practices skills such as passing and crossing, in training all week, week after week, month after month, year after year? If so, where are the results? He needs to adapt his game to the fact that his teammates play in blue and concentrate on consistently getting the ball to them.

Yakubu: We spent £11500000 on a man whom I could just not see getting involved. Lethargic and certainly not hungry and it's not even February. Why was he spending so much time out of centre? Tactical ineptitude was abundantly evidenced once again.

All in all, a horribly frustrating farce. I just can't see that 11 getting 2 goals in the Ukraine. Putting is simply, without Arteta being both back and on good form in the return leg, we will be sunk and thence the laughing stock of the city.

Augmented by the Telegraph's review.

UEFA Cup: Everton to be on their Metal [the blues to host Metalist Kharkiv from Ukraine]?

2007-09-20T12:19:00.000+01:00

Tonight we play host to Metalist Kharkiv from Ukraine, in our first match of the 07/08 UEFA campaign. Metalist finished third in Ukraine's top flight last season. The match will be screened on Channel 5 and kick-off is scheduled for shortly after 8pm.

Celtic's defeat by Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk this week would certainly have focused minds at Goodison.

Everton have injury concerns tonight with Arteta, AJ, Pienaar, Howard and Grav all doubtful.

The Daily Mail has revealed that they think that Andy Johnson faces the axe for the first time in his Everton career tonight, rather than him being out through injury. AJ, who has not scored since March, is expected to be replaced by McFadden at Goodison Park tonight.

There is an undeniable acid test about to take place. We have invested heavily since we last tasted [the disappointment] of European competition.

The massive setback that we suffered in the Champions League qualifier with Villarreal, being denied a legitimate equaliser by big Dunc in Spain by Pierluigi Collina who to a friend of mine, "looks like a shaved bollock," seemed to have a knock-on effect for the early part of our last effort at a UEFA campaign. We got absolutely hammered and humiliated and in no way did ourselves justice, when we thence travelled to Romania. We were on the painful end of a 5-1 drubbing by Dinamo Bucharest a result that saw us fail to get into the final stages of that competition either.

Earlier this week, Moyes said:

"We need a good run in Europe and we need to put the voodoo of Bucharest [5:1 humiliation] behind us. The real disappointment was not getting through to the Champions League, and the nature of that game against Villarreal, a mistake by the referee, was the most galling aspect of all. But that is all water under the bridge now ... We do have a stronger squad now, with players such as Yakubu who had a great run in Europe with Middlesbrough. We are all more experienced and it's really important that we have a good run in Europe ... I think they will defend and try to make it difficult for us and get a result to take back to the Ukraine, so we need to be forceful and try to get a lead to take into the second leg."

A crowd of c.30,000 is expected to turn up, more than Chelsea attained for their CL match this week that may have been the final straw that led to the departure of the "special one" from his managerial position.

Make no mistake, this is the most important match in any competition since the Bucharest game. Whilst the UEFA competition is not a big earner, we need the prestige, the raised profile and the resultant feel-good factor that would result from a good campaign. Furthermore, we need a place in the group stages of European competition to exorcise the horrors of 2005. Arteta, Yakubu and others will naturally be keen to widen their field of operation and certainly in Arteta's case, achieve some much-needed international experience, in order to add gravitas to his claims for regular inclusion in the Spanish national squad.

Everton 0 v 1 Manchester United - review

2007-09-20T12:06:00.000+01:00

Everton 0-1 Man Utd

Amazingly this match was not a sell out. It was a painfully early kick off and perhaps this combined with some people deciding to save their cash for tonight's UEFA tie?

United again struggled to mount any serious attacking threat but Vidic's goal gave them their third successive 1-0 win. Vidic's late header gave Manchester United victory in a tight and evenly matched game. Well, we were closely matched until Vidic arrived at the near post to power home Nani's corner on 84 minutes to seal a big win for them. Scholes, who had received light and favourable treatment from the referee [not being booked when he should have been for a foul on Arteta] had earlier wasted United's best opportunity, volleying over from 10 yards.

Scholes rescued United just after half-time, when he scrambled AJ's header off the line.

Rooney, stayed on the bench but Ronaldo was able to return after suspension.

We were without former Manc keeper Tim Howard, who dislocated a finger playing for the USA against Brazil, so our summer signing from FC Cologne, Stefan Wessels, was handed his debut. He didn't have to do much in the first 45 minutes.

Carlos Tevez played three clever passes in the opening stages but Everton held firm, with Lescott once again an imposing figure. Left-back, Leighton Baines, was crudely hauled down by Michael Carrick after racing into the area but even though the our fans screamed for a penalty, the offence was clearly outside the box according to the TV highlights.

Vidic wasted United's best chance on the half-hour when he turned wide at the near post after our defence failed to deal with Ryan Giggs' corner.

Scholes was walking a tight line after being booked by referee Alan Wiley for throwing the ball away and he was very fortunate not to be sent off for a late challenge on Arteta just before the interval.

We started the second half with a determined, attacking style and Scholes was forced to hack Johnson's header off the line when he flicked on Arteta's corner. Scholes wasted the best opportunity of the match after 53 minutes when he volleyed over from only 10 yards from Tevez's flick, with Everton's defence nowhere.

Anichebe and Pienaar came on for Osman and the Yakubu.

With just over 5 minutes of normal time left, Vidic headed home home a corner at the near post.

International hero [did you see his winner v France?!] McFadden came on very late and he instantly brought a fine save from Van der Sar, with Yobo unable to turn in the rebound.

The People's Poem: "The Liverpool Saga" [800th birthday poem, Everton etc]

2007-09-16T13:28:00.000+01:00

Everton 0v1 Man U review to follow tonight.

A people’s poem for Liverpool’s birthday

Poetry written by Merseysiders makes up the 800 line Liverpool Saga to celebrate Liverpool's 800th birthday.

An 800 line poem has been written by people from across Merseyside to celebrate Liverpool's 800th birthday.

BBC listener's and web users were invited to send in their contributions to The Liverpool Saga.

Naturally, references to Everton FC feature frequently.

Mersey poet Roger McGough wrote the opening and closing verses, taking his inspiration from the creation of the original Letters Patent, although he admits that the first line was harder to pen than he had imagined.

Local poets Sylvia Hikens and Dave Ward whittled down over 500 submissions to create the 800 line Liverpool Saga. Apart from Roger McGough's introductory lines the whole saga has been written by Merseysiders.

“We’re talking about 800 years and the time of King John and so forth," says Roger McGough of the saga's span.

"There were no processors in those days no electricity – it would have been a quill pen or something started the whole thing and then 800 years later people working on a computer so its that moment of time and all that length of time."

There were over 3000 lines sent in for The Liverpool Saga covering subjects including the river, factories, sport, families, disasters and music across the 800 years of Liverpool's history.

When initially launching the Liverpool Saga project Roger McGough was clear about how he thought it would develop, “Its got to be Liverpudlian – it’ll be witty and cheeky and all those good things. I suggest four lines at most – it could be two lines or an image or something overheard. I’d rather have two good lines than twenty eight. Quotable lines.”

The Liverpool Saga was unveiled publicly on Saturday, 15 September by Roger McGough and Phil Redmond at Liverpool's St George's Hall during The Big History Show.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Liverpool Saga

From the first tentative scratch of the pen
To the keyboard’s final breathless amen,
One poem. A patchwork of laughter and tears.
Eight hundred lines. Eight hundred years.

800 years, oh what stories to be told
By the people young and old -
The bad times, the good times, tears and laughter.
The next 800 memories are left to the young to tell thereafter.

I’m a Liver bird, verdigris and aloof.
They made me their emblem,
They made me rustproof
And I’ll not leave this city, cos I’m tied to the roof.

Eight hundred lines is not enough
To tell your twisting tale.
What word will whisper lives now lost
In a puff of wind and ghost of snow?
So wind on through the years, old friend,
For oh so old you are.
I’ll carry you within my heart
Though I wander near and far.

Seven streets, a pool and a castle,
That’s how it all began.
A port to sail to Ireland from
Was King John’s crafty plan.

Jesters, jongleurs, troubadours,
Mummers of St George.
Through centuries of song and satire,
Scouse-sharp wit was forged;
From medieval minstrels
Using humour as their tool,
We are all born entertainers –
Yet we’re nobody’s fool.

From first monk-steered ferry
To great ocean liner
Via car ferry Sea Cat
What sight could be finer
Than Liverpool’s lifeblood
Murky and grey?

River Mersey wash over me,
Whisper where your secrets lie.
I shall tell you of my family
And promise not to cry.

A city haunted by her past lies dreaming of her future:
The river has seen it all and bears silent witness.

Through Jesse Hartley’s growing dock
Came merchant shipping round the clock.
The port of Liverpool expanded
With every cargo newly landed.

As Mersey pilots pass the bar,
They’re guided into dock
By sighting our lady Graces
And the Liver clock!

The ferry waits but not the tide.
Blue-jerseyed men shout “Gangway Clear!”
We’re chugging away
Away from the Pier.

I’m off on the Ferry
To New Brighton Sands,
Jam butties and water bottles
Clutched in my hand.
Wind in my hair,
Salt water on my face -
My Liverpool,
My home,
My own special place.

Wondrous river,
Full of power and might
Flows past a city,
A heritage site.

Has anyone heard the Liver Bird -
a song,
a shout,
a single word?
An “alright,” a “hiya”?
from up there on high
Nah, me neither
– maybe it’s shy.

Come on down to Liverpool beach:
Mist rising from the water in cold dawn air.
The sky is on fire: red, gold and blue.
Those seagulls, mate,
They’re bleedin’ hard.
They’re loud and tough and battle scarred.
They’d mug you for a pasty crust
And knock you to the floor concussed

The ships and the docks and the overhead train -
Childhood memories…

As a lad with me mates
On a summer Sunday afternoon,
We’d walk from the bus at St Johns Lane
Down to the Pier Head,
Through the eerily quiet Dale Street and Water Street
To see Sandy and the escapologist
Entertain the crowds.

“ ‘ere luv duz dis bus stop at the Pier ‘ead?”
“Der’ll be a bloomin’ big splash if it duzn’t!”
The smiling driver said.

They was launching a ship in Camell Laird
But the bottle wouldn’t break.
All hands were standing puzzled
Til some wag in the crowd
Shouted out loud
“Give it to Dixie, He’ll break it with ‘is ‘ead!”

Granda Van Engel passing through
To a New World wide and new
Placed his luggage,
Carefully laid
On Hope Street flags,
And there he stayed.

The Ark Royal,
Majestic great ghost in dry dock,
Posh Wavertree ladies with perm and best frock,
All captured on camera,
Hand printed in matt.
Hail E Chambre Hardman,
His hypo and hat!

Famous old ships:
The Reina del Mar,
Empress of Canada,
Off to places afar;
But we sailed to Woodside
On the Egremont ferry
And Royal Iris cruises,
Where we all got so merry

In this city of music and seamen,
It’s fitting the Phil took a stand
In honouring the Titanic courage
Of the men who played on in the band.
They played on as the great ship was sinking,
Played over that terrible din,
Then the music died along with them
As the Atlantic gathered in.

And of course the river,
Soupy brown and ancient,
Cradling shipping
With its own sweet Mersey sound;
Bubbling with sea-shanty language,
Vessels loaded,
Their bellies swelling;
Fitted, kitted, Africa bound.

Yes – remember the sailor
He who worked for a pittance,
Subbed to the last penny – paid off – no balance.
All spent on ale or in brothels – none wasted.

Try to envisage the port –
Horses, cranes and derricks,
Swinging goods, hands grabbing,
Groups of people,
Some forever leaving,
Many sobbing.

No longer needed:
The Floating Palaces,
The Tramp Steamers,
Tugs and Gig boats,
No longer needed:
Phenomenal skills
They used to build the Big Boats.

The waterfront, human concourse,
Comes, goes, returns, remains,
Travels many routes.
Our family, our familiar.

What will become of my growing son
Now that times are bleak and the ships have gone?

A city haunted by her past lies dreaming of her future.
The city has seen it all and bears silent witness.

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

In 1215 King John sat down,
When Liverpool was hardly a town,
To protect the rights of everybody
And included us ‘cos he’d heard of Doddy

Frank Hornby lived in Liverpool,
With his wife, one girl and two boys.
In an effort to try and amuse his kids
He started to make his own toys.
The toys went down well,
He developed his skills,
And to cut a long story short,
“Meccano Sets”, “Hornby” and “Dinky” were born –
Thanks Frank for the pleasures you’ve brought.

Joseph Williamson was a philanthropist
Who lived in Edge Hill and could not resist
Creating work for unemployed men;
Building underground tunnels,
again
and
again.

Williamson,
the King of Edge Hill,
Said “Pick up that spade and no slopin’
Get digging a tunnel to the nearest pub.
Try “The Legs”.
They’re probably open.”

It took me to Manchester and back,
A “Rocket” that moves on a track.
It runs by steam power, THIRTY NINE miles an hour!
At those speeds – I’ve had my wack!

She spoke for our Dockers and for womens’ rights,
On behalf of the poor she fought many long fights.
She campaigned to get family allowance accepted:
Eleanor Rathbone – greatly respected.

Mother Noblett – “Molly Bushell” –
loved by all Blues.
She jigs when they win and cries when they lose,
Molly still throws her sweets
to the crowd as they sing;
Somehow “Kirkby Mints” doesn’t have the same ring.

Not all our years are filled with pride and glory.
Behind the “highs” there lurks a different story.
A town condones a practice inhumane,
As evil traders seek commercial gain.

Long long ago, black folk were forced
To cross the ocean waves.
Our forebears sinned to gather wealth
By making them their slaves.

Where would we be without the friends of James Penny,
Who lined their pockets with ill gotten gains
From poor black people locked up in chains.

We badly treated many slaves,
So far across the ocean waves.
Our greedy fathers, just for cash
Beat those poor souls with strap and lash

William Roscoe was a Liverpool son
Who wanted to end what had begun -
And with the abolition of slavery
He helped to set the people free.

My father, a docker from Dingle,
Born in the shadow of the Mersey.
No poet he, or MP could be -
Just plain “William Roscoe” he is to me.

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

From “Battling Bessie” who fought for the cause
And the “Liverpool Pals” who died in the wars
To so many Scousers we’d like to say thanks -
But let’s not forget the “Liverpool Yanks”

In Anfield Cemetery
Lay the great and the good,
Once proud merchant,
Policeman and maid.
Classless in death as they turn into mud -
No deference shown in this heavenly parade.

Maggie Barry’s steps were her pride and joy.
(I used to watch her scrub them
When just a little boy) -
On her knees she toiled away,
She’d scrub and scrub the dirt away.
Taught me how to work and play
And mind my step along the way.

I am one of the ragged children
Not acceptable to public view.
So to ease the public conscience
I’m shipped to a country new.

The spirits of gilded dragons circle the Chinese Arch
To guard the misty streets around
As the shells of a million red firecrackers
Shower poppies to the ground.

Down slides the sun,
Blood red and golden heading into the stars -
Nothing left but the clubs and bars

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets;
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

One river Two Liver birds Three Graces
Four mop topped singers with world famous faces

The Fifties and Sixties;
what a time to be alive.
Days out at New Brighton and Harrison Drive;
New Brighton Tower where the bands would perform;
The Beatles,
The Searchers
and the great Rory Storm.

Blessed in rhythm of local bands,
Chippies and hot dog stands,
Our town had a teddy boy story:
The lads dressed like Billy Fury.

Birth of Merseybeat -
The echo of the music still hangs on every street.
Here errant sons of Merseyside
Misspend remembered youth,
As they recollect the Sixties
And bend a little truth.

In the Grafton Grab-A-Granny
And there were plenty,
A ten to two dance
To a tremble in the entry.

The Mardi Gras,
The All Fours Club, Victoriana,
La Pez Espada, The Pen and Wig:
This is the Sixties
where we dance and sing
And meet a fella to get a ring.

Home of the Beatles; Scouse started too.
The first shook the world; the other’s a stew.

Tocky, Crocky, Walton on the Hill -
Wah, The La’s, three and in.
Dockers, rockers, flying pickets,
Liverpool, Everton, Derby tickets.

A cry from Dale Street of “Exxy, Echo”.
Brown mixed in alehouses whose names I don’t know.
The Clock, the Locarno and places long gone,
And screams from the Cavern of “I love you John!”

Down in the pubs, clubs
And alleyways
The poets were singing their songs
…”It won’t be long now.”

We bred four lads with warblin’ gifts,
Their talents were so rare.
They put this city on the map -
No quartet could compare.

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

Adolf Hitler had a brother
who lived just off Park Road.
Alouse had married Bridget,
who kept a tidy home.
So when Adolf came to visit
he was asked to do the chores.
He said “Stuff you and yer dishes;
I’d rather start a war”

The women of the war were left
With very few provisions;
Travelling to the fields of Kirkby
To work amongst munitions.

The bombers came both night and day
Throughout the merry month of May,
Throughout the Blitz and decimation
We never suffered desperation.

Winter of the dogs,
spring of the siren.
Keep your legs fit;
there are no cars to ride on.
Summer of storms;
autumn of chaos
And old Mother Earth
still turns beneath us.

Jostling in my mother’s clasping arms,
I sprang awake
As on the landing and down the stairs
in blinding black we flew.
Beneath the throbbing drone of bombers
seeking how to make
A crumbled hell of Smithdown Road
and a bloody human stew.

Damp cheeks, closed eyes,
the little boy lay dreaming
of family left behind,
mother weeping,

Bombs falling;
and of the adventures to come
Aboard the Benares departing tomorrow.

Up from the docks into the town
a fire watcher’s running.
An unexploded bomb is down,
“Tell the ARP help’s coming.”
Stirrup pump heroes
extinguish the flame,
“Keep those fire buckets to hand, lady –
Christ, here they come again.”

John Kirk got Liverpool’s first VC;
The boy from the workhouse,
the way it should be.

In the squalid Flanders trenches
Tireless Captain Chavasse strives -
Stemming lifeblood which is flowing
From young Liverpudlian lives.

Marched into Europe,
all heeding the call.
The Liver Birds wept
too many did fall.
Mothers at home
for their sons they do weep:
Their offspring destroyed
on the fields around Ypres.

The Admiralty regrets
There was a disaster today
And HMS Thetis is missing
Somewhere in Liverpool Bay.

From scrubbing doorsteps in the war,
t telling her life story to strangers on the bus -
she loves Liverpool
and Liverpool loves her.

A city haunted by her past lies dreaming of her future.
The city has seen it all and bears silent witness.

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

Ken Dodd and his tickling stick
Has made us laugh til we cry.
Sometimes I thought my sides would split
As I dried the tears from my eye

As a Scouser -
“How tickled I am.!”
I was brought up on Scouse and Spam.
Now, as an older and richer man,
My wealth affords me Scouse and Ham

Ain’t the time
to read your rhyme
I’m on bacardisncokesnlagerlime
N20filternnutz,
oh yeah, nsome crisps -
N den up at Yates’s kebabed out n pissed.

On Everton Brow, Spring Heeled Jack
Swirled his cloak across his back.
Spring Heeled Jack, his eyes aflame,
Lit the sky in a lightning crack…
Never to be seen again.

Carefree,
unshod as children are wont
chasing rabbits galore,
while waiting for Dad on the Cast Iron Shore.

In Scotland Road
I remember when
there were black clad women and limbless men
Snotty nosed kids with dirty necks
no shoes on their feet,
no arse in their kecks

When cholera broke out across our city in 1832,
A community turned to a woman named Kitty.
She treated people with kindness and infection with scorn
And from her example the “Wash House” was born.

Kitty Wilkinson was the Housewives Choice.
“Soap and hot water” she said in loud voice.
“Wash frequently your clothes, your bedding and child
And Cholera and Typhus will be gone from your mind”

Toast at the wash house,
a penny a slice -
and tea in a cracked cup
sheer Paradise

Darkened streets washed clean with rain.
Flickering gas lights
glow and wane.
Raincoats pulled up o’er your head -
rushing home to get to bed

“Scuse me officer,
what time is it, like?”
“I can’t tell yer love
we’re out on strike…
Oi you, stop!
that’s my bike.”
“You won’t need it mate –
you’re out on strike!”

Balsa wood models from Hobbies;
hiding from bobbies;
being scared of the dark and ghosts

Gaslight armposts
with two arms for our swing ropes…

Down the cobbled slope of St Domingo Road
Comes a horse and cart with heavy load.
Children follow
With bucket and spade
And if the horse performs, a profit is made.

Silver spoons and crustless butties!
Forget all that jest…
We were weaned on scouse and bacon ribs
Puts hairs on your chest.

It’s 2007 -
I’ve gone quite posh.
I drink dinner wine now
and have some dosh.
But I can never forget that little house
and me mam’s big pan of steaming Scouse.

The penny machine on Central Station
that gave me so much pleasure.
It produced a metal label of my name
that I would always treasure.

A penny return on the 29 tram,
A bottle of water and sarnies of jam;
A trip to New Brighton to play on the beach:
Who said that Utopia was out of our reach?

It’s got a ceiling that doesn’t leak,
This monstrous concrete funnel,
But great for those that cannot swim -
Is our famous Mersey Tunnel.

They drilled and they dug and they blasted away.
Some lost their lives in the cause of Queensway.
“Well Done” said King George – so they told us at school:
Then with some of the rock they made Otterspool.

As kids in summer we could travel anywhere
On Green Goddesses for a penny return fare.
No doors closing at the front or back -
And you could run and jump aboard
As they moved off along the track.

Across Greaty to Scotland Road,
Watch the lorries unload,
Pinch an apple then on my toes -
In my own Liverpool home.

Jam butties, pan of scouse,
four in a bed, it’s cold in “are house”.
It’s what I remember when I was a lad -
I’ll love Liverpool till I’m not about.

Butties in a plassy bag,
a tanner for our fare
and down the Pier Head we’d go,
without a worry or care.
Tryin’ to bunk on the ferry,
to go to Birkenhead,
but getting caught and “logged” -
so endin’ up in the museum instead.

Meccano and a football for the lad.
A plan to follow to make him like my Dad.
For the girl it’s a doll and a pram,
Some cookery lessons, a recipe for Mam.

Hop on the bus;
we’re going to town.
Blacklers grotto is where we’re bound.
It’s such a magical place to go
especially with Santa and his “Ho, Ho, Ho!”
Dripping wet in plastic macs,
Waiting patiently by the door.
“Can I ride him, can I ride him?” -
The old rocking horse in Blackler’s Store

The Playhouse watches on
like some awesome cool big brother,
as Codman’s Punch hits
PC Copper once more;
and the new generation laughs loud and points
while we step back
in to the shoes
our parents wore before.

No street corners,
nor pub doorways did we stand.
In the seventies we had a helping hand -
we formed our minds and shaped our frames,
playing ice hockey we made our names.
God bless Silver Blades!

Going to work on the top deck
of the No 8 tram
your head would be
in a cloud of cigarette smoke...

Gimme a Woodbine an a cuppa tea,
Thas a real scouser breakfast.

A late 86 from Speke to Paradise Street.
Its Monday morning cargo shifting listlessly
In fag burned seats
Heading down to the sea

En route to Tate and Lyle
on a cold dark Vauxhall morning -
suddenly from behind
came without any warning:
antlers and hooves
and a powerful snortin -
a Lord Derby stag off the Irish boat
came cavortin.
Did they believe me when I arrived on station?
They said “Son, all you saw was a large Alsatian.”

“My nan worked for Tate’s,” said me mate,
As he stirred two sugars in his tea.

Refinery some might say,
From Lyle to modern Tate.
This day – oh – for eight hundred more
Before we closed.

I was just reminiscing
about the things my mam did
with the Liverpool Echo,
when I was a kid
when the new lino was laid,
to keep damp at bay.
It was laid on the floorboards
as a great underlay.

A Liverpool Love Poem:
You trap my dreams,
Nutmeg my soul,
You’re Shankly’s words,
And Robbie’s goals,
You’re my European Cup
Won in May,
My Kenny Dalglish
My Steve Heighway.

The sound from the Kop
when the “Reds” score a goal -
it grabs at the heart
and rips at the soul.

Everton, the People’s Club, formed in 1878,
Saint Domingo’s finest,
They thought it would be great to be the first
to represent the new sport in the city,
Dean – Ball – Inchy, Sheedy – Arteta,
Football so pretty.

Rides on the ferry when we broke up from school,
Picnics with Mum down at Otterspool.
Billy Liddell, Ron Yeats, Tommy Smith, Emlyn Hughes,
Six penneth of chips wrapped in yesterday’s news.

A city divided by colours -
red and blue.
But when it matters
we stick together like glue.
For the 96 we showed dignity and pride
and shared prayers and tears,
together, side by side.

And then in the ‘70s
we were linked up with the “Mancs”
The M62 –
to replace the East Lancs.
Pity the builders didn’t see it through.
They forgot Junction 3 –
oh - and One and Two

I am your city. You are my people.
You’ve built me a synagogue,
a church with a steeple.
I’ve given you shelter and when you roam,
a river to leave me;
a welcome back home.

Arrived in the Pool in ’59 -
Did 23 trips on the Blue Funnel Line,
Married a girl from Liverpool 8,
42 years on, she’s still my mate.

We’re very bohemian apparently,
but I won’t swap teabags for latte.
We’ve got ghosts at the bottom of Bold Street.
The seagulls don’t land on the river,
they have apartments overlooking the bay.

Will the Landing Stage float?
Will the Liver Birds break loose?
Will the Forum be finished in time?

Nationalities lumped in a giant melting pot
drew the best ingredients
which were preciously hot.
A conundrum of cultures,
roped in one house.
And the outcome,
world famous,
a new word – that’s “Scouse.”

Blue and red.
Roman and Prody:
I think that covers everybody…
Wait -
Chinese. Jew.
Black. Brown:
Then eight hundred years.
Now that’s our town.

Truth, hurt, a twisted romance,
leading the mind
in a Merseyside dance.
Skies above, rain,
sunbeams and tears -
multicoloured visions
for 800 years.

From the ground rose towers of glass and crystal
To make the city a little more mystical.

The glass towers are rising up
for the billionaire investors -
but for the seagulls and pigeons
it’s just another place to nest in!

Atop Beetham Plaza,
binoculars in hand,
watching kids in New Brighton
catching crabs in the sand.
City skylines a changin’,
and morphing so fast -
let’s embrace the new culture,
not forgetting our past.

The last towers fall in on themselves,
Wild flowers open as the dust settles.

Cranes fill the sky, a hole in each street,
A time of transition where old and new meet;
A city transformed, but at what cost?
A new “Paradise” – or a Paradise Lost?

Too bad that the city lost out on the trams -
Soon the Manchester system will reach Blundellsands.
Our lines are there waiting, all over the town,
Buried with forethought, just six inches down.

Sun goes down over the Mersey,
Stars come out to shine.
Moonbeams flow in the afterglow
On this old home of mine.

This city is great
And how do I know?
There’s nowhere on earth
I’d rather go.

Arrived by ship from Singapore;
Married my nan during the First World War

We can come back,
But not go back -
Yet this old town
Holds us to itself.
Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

“Nil satis, nisi optimum.”
“You’ll never walk alone.” -
Such mottos help to sum up life for folk
In our Liverpool home.

Southern snobs decry us, cos it’s a-la-mode:
Still think we’re wearing skins, still covered in woad.
Their supercilious style makes us wanna blow a fuse.
We’re too polite to tell them where to stick their southern views.

For each and every year, ‘neath our Liver bird wings
This city has spawned the most extraordinary things.
So today the world gasps in envious awe –
“Ar ay! Let’s hope there’ll be eight hundred more!”

What more do you need from a city like this?
Two football teams, two cathedrals and pop stars with hits.
You name it, we’ve got it. We do it in style.

Well earned pride upon our streets,
From sporting legend to Mersey beats;
Our quick witted humour is world renowned
And our local lingo really is “dead sound”

“2007 and we’re 800 years old my dear esquire!”
Boomed the Scouser proudly to his son.
Then leaning forward he mildly enquired;
“Are ya reading dat paper wot yer sittin’ on?”

You called me from the Irish waters.
For you I birthed my sons and daughters.
Your culture grows; your streets tell stories
Of years gone by and future glories.

Those blessed with talent always go,
Consistent with life’s ebb and flow.
Forget their roots where they were born -
Like Mersey Goldfish, never spawn

Eight hundred different stories, eight hundred different songs;
Eight hundred different cultures, eight hundred different tongues;
Eight hundred different rhythms in eight hundred different streets:
Eight hundred hundred different hearts all dancing to one beat.

Seagulls hover
Above rusted cranes.
No more the sound
Of dockside trains.
All has gone,
Everything’s changed.

There was Auntie Mary, Uncle Ronnie,
Grandad an’ our Nanna,
With a dozen more behind the door
Around the ol’ piana.
We danced like crazy to “Bumps-a-Daisy”
An’ Grandad acted the clown.

J’member when we went de pics to see de film stars?
Waitin’ in the queue outside, der was always one ars.
J’member the buskers as you waited in the queue
who played an’ sang der heart out
‘til dey’d made a bob or two?

The docklands ever bustling,
Strong horses hitched to carts
Waiting to be loaded
With goods from distant parts.

The pan’s full of water on the gas, prayers for no rain said,
It’s washing day.
The Dolly tub and peg with turbo action and mam’s sweat,
Clean clothes for Mass this Sunday.

“’old on der la’ It’s Derby day.
Eh Ma! Pack us a butty.
It’s great to watch der Reds an’ Blues
Dey play der weerlds’ best footie!”

It’s Liverpool for Life.
Saturday morning, tram to town.
Back of the Market, swans around;
Pets galore – perhaps a vulture?
Whose ghosts haunt our City of Culture?
The town of many colours, but only one accent.

Why pay an advertising agency
To come up with the hype?
This Scouser’s got the motto.

You can always tell a Scouser -
But you can’t tell him much.
“I used to werk for Cunard!” said me Nan.
“’Ow ‘ard?” said me Grandad.

Funnels red and black and various hue
But my heart’s in India Building
With blue funnels -
“Stacks of black and blue”

Carry your suitcases, heavy as stones
The length of Hope Street. Everyman waits
In the shadow of a space ship ready to take off
With its carousel of headlights, its cargo of saints.

I’m sure I saw John and George in Mathew Street
Tapping their feet to that same Beatle beat.
I nearly joined them ‘cos I really wanted to
But they had disappeared into the night’s blue.

Unkempt, scraggy beard,
Plays guitar made from card.
“Dring, Dring, Dring…” - he plays on,
Guise unmarred.

Uni girl and a local boy
Liaised for laughter and beers;
Then she left for a job in Essex.
This happens every three years.

A skyline to rival the best in the world;
Not New York or Sydney: those two Liver birds
Bring a lump to the throat as I remember my home.
Liverpool is much more than this humble poem.

The Liver, the Customs House,
Beautiful Cunard;
We boast of all three graces
And McGough, the great poet, our home made bard.
There’ll be plenty for him to edit
He’s only writing the first and last verse
But he’ll get all the credit.

One poem. A patchwork of laughter and tears.
Eight hundred lines. Eight hundred years.
From the first tentative scratch of the pen
To the keyboards final breathless amen.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Calling all ardent Evertonians - you're wanted by Sky TV for a new programme - "Premier League Allstars"

2007-09-03T22:46:00.000+01:00

This site has been contacted by the team behind a new major Football show for Sky One, called, Premier League Allstars.

Sky TV is looking for dedicated fans to appear on their Live show and talk about their love of Everton.

Sky have told me that they're keen to feature home-grown fans and also fans who follow the team from overseas.

Download the application form click here

The publicity information and a link to the application form is below:

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

SKY ONE- PREMIER LEAGUE ALLSTARS- EXTRA TIME

We are looking for dedicated British & Overseas Everton enthusiasts to support their favourite Premier League teams.

We need live-wires who can prove their football passion.

It could be that you have an impressive souvenir collection, an abundance of ‘team’ tattoos, a wealth of impressive

Footie knowledge, a child or dog named after a team/stadium/player- or you are getting married dressed in your kit!

Prove your passion and please get in touch to be part of our new exciting show in September.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Download the application form click here

The Programme Researcher is a lady by the name of Susannah, her contact information is as follows:

Name: Susannah Haley
E-mail: susannah.haley@northonetv.com or call 0207 502 5852

Sky One Premier League Allstars- Extra Time
North One Television
46-52 Pentonville Road
London
N1 9HF

Everton's Lescott called up for England

2007-09-03T22:39:00.000+01:00

Toffees defender Joleon Lescott [who has played for England Under-21's and England B] has been called up to represent England in the Euro 2008 qualifier vs. Israel on Saturday and also vs. Russia the following week.

McClaren has obviously been aware of Lescott's stunning form both last season [he ran Arteta close for my, "Player of the Season"] and this. Also, Portsmouth's Sol Campbell has pulled out through injury.

McClaren statement on the FA website:
"Joleon has been looking very solid for Everton this season, and has also scored a couple of goals, too. He is big and strong and is a threat at set-pieces as well, but as a defender he makes life very difficult for strikers. His versatility also means he is a good option as he can play in the middle of the defence or at full-back. He came on as a sub for the 'B' team at Burnley in May and looked assured and I think he's very capable of making the step up to the full team."

Congratulations to Joleon. I think that he'll make whatever position he is played in his own.