Top Balcony

MOVED

2009-09-19T11:35:00.001+01:00

This had moved to here:

http://topbalcony.wordpress.com/

If you're interested Dad.

Sleepless In Seattle

2009-07-20T20:15:00.002+01:00

The Everton squad is off to a training camp in Seattle ahead of a series of games on a tour of North America. Nice place to be based. Bit like the UK in terms of weather, but unlike anywhere in England, there's plenty of space. That's not to say Seattle is a city full of space. Some genius stuck the mother of all freeways right through the middle of it years back cutting off the waterfront from the main downtown cityscape. And it does have some of the worst traffic jams in the USA outside LA.

That aside, I love the place.

The travelling squad is pretty much a case of 'as you were' in terms of unenlightening additions and no obvious replacements for the departed Castillo, Van der Meyde, and Valente. You could easily argue with a shrug of the shoulders 'so what we managed without them for most of last season', which has validity. However, by May 2009, Everton were obviously running on empty with the squad stretched to the limit demonstrating our blatant need for reinforcements.

Outside of the re-signing of Jo, there have been no further additions. I refuse to count the youngsters we've poached from youth schemes away from our own. The rumours have run their course and we've not signed M'Bia, Tuncay, Owen, Hunt, Reo-Coker, Eagles, Defour or Moutinho. The Naughton story drags along through the dirt and I've lost complete interest in that now. The fact that it's 10 days or more since a concrete offer was made, countered by Spurs and followed by a whole series of increasingly bizarre scenarios even including another lad at Sheffield called Kyle. It does make you wonder what on earth the clubs, agents and players are up to.

All of which effectively leaves us with a starting 11 come August 15th of Howard, Hibbo, Lescott, Yobo, Baines, Fellaini, Neville, Pienaar, Osman, Jo and Saha. The weak link remains Hibbert and Osman. It's as obvious now as it was 4 years ago.

Watford sign Slovenian defender

2009-07-19T13:34:00.002+01:00

A headline on the BBC's football page this morning. Priceless. It completely sums up the madness and nonsense of modern-day football, squads and the transfers that clubs partake in, especially at this time of year.

At the end of last week, City finally put a concrete offer for Lescott on the table. It was one facet of a busy week faxing, texting and calling in offers for various players on Mark Hughes' hitlist. As the City manager and staff are all in South Africa, I assume someone in the purchasing department at Eastlands is sending out these offers? They managed to secure the services of Adebayor despite reservations coming out of Abebayor's country compatriots in Togo. It was one of the more ridiculous reasons for delaying signing a deal to make yourself a multi-millionaire, but Adebayor did say that we was thinking things over because he wasn't sure what the people back in his homeland would think of a move from Arsenal to City. Apparently City's reputation for being the home of comedy extends all the way to darkest Africa.

Eventually the lure of £150,000 a week over-ruled any possible feelings of embarrassment for Adebaoyor and he signed on with City. Either that or the hoped-for offers from Inter / AC Milan never arrived...

So we wait for a similar thing with Joleon. £15 million is not enough. I still think we'll sell for about £17m, more so if City chuck in a player. Moyes has made one of those statements that is without meaning and may well come back to haunt him along the lines of 'nobody will be leaving Everton', which was then downgraded to 'nobody will be leaving Everton without me knowing about it'. Lets face it, IF City up their offer and Joleon is then pushed to ask for a move, he's gone. What we need to do is ensure we have enough money coming in and enough time to find a replacement.

Season Ticket

2009-07-17T11:23:00.001+01:00

New season ticket, or card, arrived on Thursday. No expense spared on design with this thing but at least the front side is different from last season and it is, according to a West Ham supporting friend of my, better than theirs. And a good deal cheaper.

Ultimately the look of the card doesn't matter. As long as the technology within works and it opens the turnstiles on August 15th, that's what really counts. Having said that, the card is part of the identity business and I reckon with over 20,000 sold, a little bit more imagination could be put into the card's appearance.

Rock 'n Roll Stars

2009-07-13T12:31:00.005+01:00

Went to see Oasis at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. Not remotely keen on big stadium venues but sadly these days it is likely that this will be the only way you'll get to see the biggest bands on the planet.

You know what you're going to get with Oasis and they delivered. A series of anthems punctuated by Liam's disappearances backstage allowing Noel to play some semi-acoustic tracks. The crowd pitchside could have been pulled off an 80s football terrace - albeit with a handful girls thrown in to prove this is the 21st Century. Any show that kicks of with Rock 'n Roll Star is alright with me and the whole 105 minutes turned into a one-band karaoke night. Leicester's finest Kasabian proved immediate support but it is with the earlier line-ups that the big stadiums get shown up. Broad daylight and banks of empty seats just doesn't work.

Swine Flu Derails Trade Rumours

2009-07-11T18:22:00.002+01:00

With possibly the best rumour-to-reality story of the close-season, it would appear that Micah Richard, far from being at Goodison Park this week to seal a deal to move to Everton, was in fact in an isolation tent somewhere in Manchester having contracted Swine Flu on a holiday to Cyprus. It is one of those moments when the truth is better than the fiction (the fiction being Richards' transfer to Everton). The good news is that Richards is OK and will recover in time - we hope - to be the subject of more transfer links next week.

I wonder if he invoked the government's recommendation that all people who think they have swine flu can now call in sick for two weeks.

Elsewhere, our attempts to sign Sheffield United's tidy-looking right back, Kyle Naughton, could be scuppered by a late bid from.... Tottenham. Now there's a surprise. If there is a team with in England with a less structured approach to signing players for their bloated squad than Newcastle, it is Tott, and now with 'wheeler-dealer' Harry Redknapp making those decisions, it will be even less structured. This is the club that sold right-back Pascal Chimbonda to Sunderland in July 2008 only to re-sign the bloke in the January transfer window. Chimbonda apparently didn't like the North East (nobody is going to criticise him for that), but Tott didn't need him and he spend most of the remainder of the 09 season on the bench. He's still there. As is Alan Hutton and Chris Gunter.

Tott will do the usual, offer greater wages and the virtues of living the dream in the Smoke. It's up to young Naughton to see the light and take the short ride across the M62 and join a club where he'll play every week for a good manager and not end up each Saturday in a Essex night club with Ledley King.

Sky Ruins My Plans

2009-07-09T19:19:00.004+01:00

It's about this time every year that I suddenly find out that, having shelled out £500 for a season ticket, I'm about to lose at least 4 matches before Xmas courtesy of Sky's TV fraternity. The fixture list gets decimated as Sky and newly arrived ESPN start carving up matches left, right and centre, kindly handing new kick off times like 1948hrs or Saturday at 1726hrs.

Having just checked out the changes I wasn't surprised to see the home Derby switched to some nonsense time around lunch one weekend, but the opener against Arsenal is now an ESPN game at 1715.

Assuming all the Micah Richards rumours are true, we should have a new look back line on August 15th. Crossing Tower Bridge in Central London this afternoon, Micah Richards approached me wearing a new Le Cock top with the number 23 on the back and asked me if I thought his bum looked big in white.

Gary Ablett

2009-07-08T21:18:00.002+01:00

I remember first hearing that Everton were about to sign Gary Ablett. I was lucky enough to be somewhere in a lounge at Goodison when word came via one of those characters that inhabit the Everton lounges - always in the know - that 'Howard' had just told him we'd paid half-a-mill for "a defender from over there".

Knowing it wouldn't be anyone who was any good - even in the dire Souness-led times - after much shouting and argument, the decision was that we'd signed Barry Venison. Maybe we needed cover at full-back in 92/93? I can't remember now. I'm sure we had Ratcliffe hanging in there plus Martin Keown and probably Neil McDonald still. By the time we left the club that evening, rumours having flown, we had (in our own minds) signed Venison and somehow, Jan Molby. In the end it was all nonsense and it says a lot about Gary Ablett's reputation that when we all found out it wasn't Venison there were some disappointed sighs that night in town.

Ablett it turns out was a good signing. Without completely forgetting his unfortunate red background, he did well for us and was a key component of the '95 Wembley side, becoming (I think) the first player to win the FA Cup with both Liverpool and Everton. I may have just made that bit up.

In his post-playing career, Ablett has turned himself into a well respected coach having spells at Everton and Liverpool, most recently at Anfield until the FSW 'rejigged' his backroom team early in 2009. Today, Ablett took his first step on the managerial ladder taking the vacant job at Stockport County.

By the way, what is all this nonsense with Jo? We haven't signed anything with City, yet Jo has been allowed to join the pre-season training camp in Scotland. How does that work? Is it a bit like trying out at a different company before handing your notice in to see if you fancy it? Weird.

Matteo Ferrari

2009-07-07T21:27:00.003+01:00

The deal to take Jo back for another loan spell seems all but done. Which is a relief. For me, Jo, a fit-again Yak, Saha and young James Vaughan is a good group of strikers to have on the books. Back fill with the midfield threat of Cahill and Fellaini and we don't look too shabby. The real difference maker will be a flying, goal-scoring winger, and we haven't seen one of those since The Russian so I won't hold my breath.

Elsewhere today, I noticed that a former loanee, Italian Matteo Ferrari has moved from Genoa to Besiktas, the lesser known Istanbul relations of Galatasaray and Fenerbache. I think Amokachi went there from Everton in the mid-90s? Ferrari took a while to get going when he arrived on loan from Roma, slotting in at full-back and centre-back. But then I recall he started playing regularly alongside Yobo in the centre of the defence and things improved, especially a rearguard action at Fratton Park. At the end of the season, Ferrari was allowed to return to Rome as Moyes decided to 'look elsewhere'. That elsewhere turned out to be Joleon Lescott so things turned out just fine.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/10/italy/2009/07/05/1365799/matteo-ferraris-transfer-to-besiktas-almost-done-agent

Making Ferrari more impressive is his missus, a TV presenter / model / general all good-looking thing called Aida (below).

They're Back

2009-07-06T21:17:00.002+01:00

Notables for July 6th.

Some of the Everton squad are back for pre-season training. The official site is full of pointless quotes from people like Leon Osman and a rather fetching snap of someone who could be Carlo Nash outside Finch Farm. But look closely and it could be any sportsman parked outside a shopping mall in Florida.

Anyway, there's nothing to say about pre-season training and it's somewhat symptomatic of football's blanket and insatiable coverage that anyone even mentions it, and I include myself in that. It's probably very important to those infamous Far East markets.

Elsewhere, Jo was also apparently at FF before slinging his rucksack in the back of the van and heading with the squad to Scotland (for pre-season training). But then, maybe he wasn't. And the unnecessary rumour of the day was Moyes preparing a bid for Paul Scholes.

I'm a cynical person by nature so when I see these snippets of news emanating from Goodison's media department about 'signing' Kieran Agard and 'signing' some American boy who isn't even good enough for the MLS, I fear the worst.

Spend, spend, spend

2009-07-05T21:39:00.002+01:00

I've been sensing people all over the internet starting to get agitated because Everton haven't signed anyone. They're even allowing people to complain on the official club site, which is a surprise. Some kid has joined us from the Leeds United academy (that must have been a tough choice), we've lost three squad players, and it's only 5 or so weeks til our home opener with Arsenal.

The good news is that most other clubs are in the same boat. United have lost two excellent players and replaced them with poorer alternatives. Arsenal have done nothing. Liverpool blew £18m on a right-back, and everyone is predicting a rash of spending at Chelsea but the only big story coming out of West London is City's repeated attempts at pilfering John Terry - now that would be a story.

Everton's biggest rivals will be Villa, City and Spurs. City with all the money in the world, are struggling to spend it. Barry is a great addition alongside Santa Cruz, and it's assumed Tevez will arrive shortly and we wait to see if they'll do the right thing and offer proper money for Lescott rather than expecting Joleon to go all septic on us and start doing the Rooney routine, engineering a move. He won't.

So aside from City, nothing much seems to be happening with Villa or Spurs. Maybe Harry is still on holiday? This appears the case around the division with the only significant activity being made by the promoted clubs who are doing the usual and wasting small amounts of money on Championship-ready players or obscure foreigners that they hope may turn out to be OK.

Fingers crossed we'll see some action before too long.

The Luckiest Man In Football

2009-07-03T21:30:00.003+01:00

In the space of a week Michael Owen has gone from a future involving Hull City, Stoke and possibly Everton, to a nice two-year deal with the Champions of England, recent Champions of Europe, and probably more of the same in the 2009/10 season.

I'm not sure anyone can believe it. I certainly can't. It's reassuring though to see all the tired journalists trotting out the lines comparing the move for Owen to that of Cantona back in the mid-90s. Ferguson's pulled another rabbit out of the hat etc. It would have been interesting to see what the same hacks' reaction would have been had Moyes signed the best Welsh forward to play for England. I'm guessing not quite the same.

For a team like United with money to burn and a great and settled squad, signing Owen is a no-brainer. No transfer fee, a moderate weekly wage (by their standards) and probably laced with appearance and goal incentives. They're not going to have to rely on Owen. He'll spend time on the bench, contribute when needed and provide options and striking cover. For Everton, Owen was always going to be a gamble. We've already got injury-prone forwards and didn't need another. I'm also not sure - never have been - about Owen's attitude within a club. He doesn't come across as a real team player and it is noticeable how little vitriol is emanating from the Liverpool fans; imagine if Fowler or Gerrard moved to Old Trafford and the subsequent reaction. It would be carnage. What I'm saying here is I don't think the Liverpool faithful revere Owen in the same way they do Fowler, Rush et al. Owen is going into a club with a hatful of players far better than him, his status is diminished and he's a squad player for sure.

That said, I still think Moyes was prepared to chance his arm on Owen and now he's got to look elsewhere. All signs point to Jo returning on a year-long loan.

Jaco-lar

2009-06-29T20:30:00.003+01:00

So we say farewell to Lars Jacobsen, or Jaco-lar as he was known to a fellow Top Balcony fan. He's signed for Blackburn Rovers for next year having picked them ahead of Burnley.

Not sure what to make of it really. For me, once Lars finally did get on, he didn't look too bad and certainly gave us cover at right-back. The five appearances won't live long in the memory though and I think he'll be best remembered as getting on in the Cup Final at half-time saving Tony Hibbert from further embarrassment at Wembley.

More importantly, it is another squad player exiting the club along with Castillo and Valente, and we are yet to make any additions (I'm not going to include the German 12-year old we've poached from Bremen or wherever). Giving the club management the benefit of the doubt, let's assume we're about to sign Naughton from Sheffield United. Then again, let's not. We've been here before, in fact last summer, as we saw Gravesen and AJ depart with no incoming players until it was too late.

If we're exposed at right-back, then the same goes for the left as Baines is now our only left-back at the club. Lescott can cover, but I'm not sure how much time he has left in Everton's blue.

Too Smooth

2009-06-24T20:15:00.002+01:00

One of the worst kept 'secrets' in the nutty world of off-season football transfers is Mark Hughes' desire to add Joleon Lescott to his squad at Eastlands.

I love Too Smooth. Alright so he messed up in the Cup Final for Drogba's goal, but who didn't that afternoon? Even Moyes gave up on that left-back nonsense and admitted he'd have to take the tough decision to pick two from three at centre-back. Aside from United, I think he'd improve any top Premier League side in his position. Take Arsenal for example. How could they not be better with Lescott in the centre of that defence? Would anyone swap Toure or Gallas for him?

Now, saying all that, I find it hard to believe we're going to keep him. The cash-rich Manchester club's opening offer is £15m. They just paid that for Santa Cruz and similar for Barry - both with shorter contracts and Lescott is Hughes' number one choice. Everton have to say no to the £15m for two reasons. First, it's just what you do, a sort of pride thing. Like selling your house - you never take the first bid. Second, we need more. Lescott's replacement is likely to cost at least £8m for someone either half-way decent or experienced. And, whatever nonsense coming out of Elstone et al, we need this money to fund our other moves.

I don't want Joleon to leave, he's one of our pivotal players in the same group as Howard, Arteta, Pienaar and The Yak. However, if he is to be sold, we need to claw back every penny of that oil money. Ask for £20m and take no less than £17m. Get a sturdy replacement in quick and put the remaining £10m towards improving our midfield (and by that I don't mean Stephen Hunt, David).

Whatever the final sale price, Everton will have made a handsome profit. Too Smooth will be set for life. He's given us great service, played for England and in a Cup Final. So we bank a bit, find the next Lescott and all move on. That's football.

Lords

2009-06-07T19:54:00.002+01:00

Had a great night on Friday attending the opening match of the Twenty20 World Cup at Lords. England were hosting cricketing minnows the Netherlands, threw in a bucket of complacency, sent out a strange looking side (given the England squad) and came a brilliant orange cropper in the final over. As well as being there, we were sat amongst the bulk of the Dutch supporters who made a decent racket throughout the match, all 500 of them, adding to the atmosphere.

It was refreshing to see the reaction of the winning Dutch side and supporters, who deserved their win, and rightly celebrated at the so-called 'home of cricket'.

It's started already

2009-06-02T21:18:00.002+01:00

As part of Sky's attempts to convince everyone that there is no such thing as life without Premiership and Champions' League football, Ancelotti dropping his load at Stamford Bridge for the next 3 seasons on Monday must be a dream come true. Tuesday follows with the news that Gareth Barry has signed for Manchester City for £18m - presumably because City qualified for some alternative universe Champion's League tournament next season and nothing, I repeat nothing, to do with money.

There is also an scramble to be the next Wigan manager as Steve Bruce heads off to 'sleeping giant' Sunderland, and no shortage of people trying to poach 12-year old managerial rookie superstar Darren Ferguson from 'sleeping giant' Peterboro to be their next manager. Well Reading anyway.

Saving the best til last is news that will delight all fans of Rangers as Tony Adams is looking to be Celtic's next manager. Shooty-in as they say north of the Border. Better still, it could be one of those uncomfortable 'step-uncle' arrangements involving former Celt manager and wild-haired Wim Jansen as a Director of Football. Tony is Wim's choice as manager in the event that the Celtic board are mad enough to pursue the idea. John Barnes anyone?

Back at Goodison Towers all is quiet as we collectively try to work out what happens next after Saturday's day in the sun. I'm assuming Bill is out there again with his begging bowl trying to whip up some funds to enable Robert Elstone to deliver on his promise to do our transfer business earlier than a day before the transfer window shuts on us in September. Whatever David Moyes ends up with needs directing at the right-side of our team, full-back and midfield. My personal choice is Glen Johnson and Joe Ledley. I think one of them is practical and the other is a pipe dream. I leave you to work out which.

Oh, and the new kit? Without V-bib, a great looking top. Sadly somebody voted with V-bib. It looks at best odd, at worst, downright stupid.

Ballack

2009-05-31T18:35:00.004+01:00

I've stopped writing to Ballack asking him to sign for Everton. Looks like he's opted for another 12 months stay in West London, presumably to get on the nerves of the next Chelsea manager. Instead I'm now writing to Torsten Frings, another German international midfielder, a very good one let me tell you, messing about at Werder Bremen. He's 32, German and knows how to manage a game.

Oh, and just check out his website. Can you imagine an English player putting something like this together? Do any of them have the wit or imagination to do it? Course not.

http://www.torsten-frings.com/

Saturday Night

2009-05-30T22:22:00.002+01:00

Well, that's that then. Hopefully we don't have to wait for another 14 years, but given the way football has become so influenced by cash flow in the last 14, I'd be surprised if things change.

Today was awful. The excitement peaked at about 29 seconds into the game. After Saha's strike, Chelsea regrouped, took hold of the match and basically rolled us over. They're not pretty, their football is formulaic and fairly direct, but they're a powerful bunch and just stifle the life out of you. Yes Hibbert was out of his depth against Malouda, Osman irrelevant, and Fellaini just looks so over-priced it's a wonder how many breweries Everton's directors visited in Belgium last August before handing over £15million, but the whole thing had the impression that Chelsea were just waiting to score a couple and put the event to bed.

I can't remember Cech having to make a save. That says it all.

Later in the summer I may be able to look back and reflect on a pretty successful season by our standards and something most other clubs (hello Newcastle) would give their right arms for. But then again, maybe I won't. It's a sad thing now that the game is so utterly dominated in England by just four teams, that the best of the rest can be so outclassed on a day as big as the FA Cup Final.

Saturday. Game On.

2009-05-30T10:06:00.002+01:00

Cup Final Day is now upon us. Yesterday it was evident in London that Evertonians were starting to arrive, particularly around the stations at Euston and Kings Cross, but other early arrivals were spotted at some of the more famous and attractive sights in town. For some reason or other, known only to himself, a friend of mine went to Canary Wharf.

Amongst the moaning about the price of a pint of lager - wait til you get anywhere near Wembley folks - there is a buzz and anticipation that Everton can actually pull this off, beat Chelsea, and win the FA Cup for the first time in 14 years. Even a gnarled veteran and eternal pessimist like myself can see some merit in this. I've heard enough times this week (from all but Chelsea and Liverpool supporters) that an Everton win would be 'good for football' but I don't really care about football today. I couldn't care less if the 2009 FA Cup Final is the most atrocious in recent memory, goes the distance and Everton squeeze home via a penalty kick that hits the net via post and bar. All I want is an Everton victory.

In reality it's going to a tough afternoon. Everton is a good side these days. We don't get beat often and can usually hold onto a lead. Our problem, and it relates directly to making the next step up, is we don't win many crucial games and certainly not against better sides and to do this teams need to score goals, and we don't score enough goals. Our record this season as with plenty of others shows that we can get one goal against any one of the top 4 teams. Against Chelsea, it's less than one.

So, it'll be about hanging in there, defending as well as we've done all season and taking that one opportunity we may get (because Chelsea will give you one), and hoping Chelsea fail to deliver on the day. Shut down Lampard and we've got a real chance.

Go on Everton, make my day.

Kendall interview

2009-05-29T09:31:00.002+01:00

In the Independent today. Best piece you'll see in the build up to the cup final. Times are different and Kendall is a world away from his halcyon days, but his team was special and this is a good interview with Brian Viner - Evertonian.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/fa-league-cups/howard-kendall-this-everton-side-takes-me-back-to-the-eighties-1692430.html

Back into the mad world of Bill Kenwright, he paints an extraordinary picture today of his other half - actress-lovey Jenny Seagrove - singing 'Tell Me Ma' on the coach bound for Wembley tomorrow. Surreal.

Happy Slapper

2009-05-26T20:18:00.003+01:00

Nice one Everton. Real classy touch. Arrived home tonight to find one of these on the door mat. The sort of trick I'd expect from Gillingham and their big day out on Saturday.

Maybe we should get one of those big banner flags we can pass around over our heads in the stands at Goodison next season? Or do one of those Kop-esqe tributes with cards that ape what they've been doing all over Europe for years?

All that and they're irritatingly noisy. Hopefully I'll be sat behind the 50-something Twiggy look-a-like again this time who kept doing a Turkish-style throat slitting gesture to the Mancs at the semi.

Tiles

2009-05-26T20:01:00.004+01:00

Now then I know it's not really the thing to be seen doing. Taking pictures in any toilet is a bit taboo, but in the bogs at Goodison? Well it's right up there with the smokers in the traps at Sunderland a few weeks back. Actually that was worse due to the additional health risk I suppose. Full marks to the lads who were chased out of one end by some shop-steward type veteran of the Korean conflict in an EFC beret only to slide back in via the second entrance moments later.

Anyway, the reason for this is I've been fascinated by the tiles in the Goodison toilets for a while now and finally got the opportunity to snap away at the Spurs match. An admirable bit of design work I think and I'm damn sure people would bite the club's hands off at the chance to lay their home bathroom to a similar high standard of design and fitting.

Who Next At Celtic Park?

2009-05-25T16:37:00.004+01:00

Just seen on the Internet that Strachan has chucked it at Celtic. Perfect timing given the link between him and Sunderland in the last 24hrs. Or maybe even those madmen at Newcastle will give him a job? Reason I bring it up is we're now going to see the old 'Moyes to Celtic' nonsense splashed all over the press to MP Expenses proportions over the next days and weeks. Well, maybe not that much. I'm no gambler, but if I were, I'd be fairly confident in backing my collection of Panini sticker albums against Moyes moving north just now. In fact, I'd say he'd be more likely to take on the simple task of reawakening that 'sleeping giant' of the North East (that'll be Sunderland then) than waste three years in the 2-horse race in Scotland.

On a recent edition of Inside Sport in an interview with ace-in-the-hole journalist, Gabby Logan, Moyes spoke of managing in Scotland at some stage, but I just can't see that happening right now. On the radio this morning a clearly drug-addled fan of Sunderland was talking about their new owners going after Moyes to replace Rikki Superga based on the notion that Everton haven't got the money to buy Jo, but the Makems do. Great thinking mate. Even if Everton did have the 19 million for Jo, I wouldn't have him on my first choice list. Maybe signing Anton Ferdinand for 8m was a good idea too?

Connected to Scotland I was chuffed to see David Weir lift the SPL title with Rangers on Sunday. Since he left Everton, Weir has won a few medals, played in a UEFA Cup Final and is still going at 39. Class act.

Countdown

2009-05-23T11:20:00.002+01:00

The countdown begins. I collected my cup final tickets from the Post Office this morning and it then dawned on me that this time next week I'll be all over the shop, chewing bark, climbing walls and at times wishing I could be anywhere else but England.

I'm bailing out of Fulham tomorrow because I'm tired of the Premiership. I won't be watching the Sky coverage either. It's all about the cup final. That said, it would amuse me no end if Newcastle are the ones to take the drop. But I've got a feeling it'll be Sunderland. No idea why.

Good to see we've moved to get Jags and Yobo tied up on contract extensions. Same policy as last couple of years with Osman, Neville and Hibbert given similar deals in 2008. It's all about continuity - teams like Newcastle and Spurs should take note. The squad is solid. Even with Arteta and Yakubu returning for Autumn, we still require a couple of real quality players, preferably in the middle and one on the wing who has pace.

Possibly the best photo you'll see all year

2009-05-17T15:27:00.000+01:00

Hammers and Tigers

2009-05-17T14:38:00.002+01:00

If you ever see The Times at the weekend, there is a great columnist called Daniel Finkelstein who uses a lot of statistics and historical match-ups between two teams to produce a decent set of analysis as a guide to whether you can expect your team to win at the weekend. The Fink Tank is obviously all stats, probability and so on, but I still find it fairly compelling to prevent certain 'foolish' bets or avoiding unfounded optimism.

Anyway, I'm not completely sure, but I don't think there is a team in the Premier League that Everton can expect to beat each year at Goodison than West Ham. The home win rating is about 60 per cent. West Ham to win at Goodison is about 17 per cent. A given if ever there was one.

I used Finkelstein's analysis in deciding not to attend yesterday's match opting instead to watch Leicester take on London Irish in the Guinness Premiership at Twickenham. A truly terrible game of rugby but the result was a win for Leicester by the footballing equivalent of a 1-0. Leicester play rugby in the same way Arsenal used to win matches in the days of George Graham; not pretty but successful.

As we approach Wembley, I'd take the worst cup final on record and a 1-0 win for Everton.

itunes Everton

2009-05-14T20:19:00.003+01:00

I don't bother buying much stuff from iTunes, but occasionally have to indulge myself. Where else can you get a copy of the 8 minute version of I.O.U by Freeez these days for example without visiting one of those record fairs?

What I did notice tonight is that the FA Premier League has got in on the act and you can now download a handful of Premier League matches from about 2002/03 onwards including the 3-0 Everton demolition of Liverpool from a few years back. I think it's the only Everton victory featured in the set. Got to be worth £1.49p I'd say.

Money

2009-05-13T20:51:00.002+01:00

In a week clouded by a host of MPs abusing their position as an elected representative of the people and skimming off taxpayer's money to line their luxurious, shag-pile sofas with another layer of golden fleece fur, I noticed Everton Football Club has helped itself to some money from my bank account.

Which was nice of them. Perhaps an email or text will be forthcoming confirming that I am shortly going to be the recipient of a prized cup final ticket. Or maybe they're just borrowing the money for a bit and will repay it with interest when someone lets the Daily Telegraph know what they're up to.

Spurs

2009-05-10T14:31:00.002+01:00

Drew O-O against Spurs. Based on chances created, we probably should have won. But we didn't because we don't really have one of those tap-in type goalscorers. At the back, Yobo and Lescott kept Defoe and Moanin' Keane out of harm's way. That was a highlight, particularly as the pairing is going to be critical against Chelsea in three weeks. Other highlights were Gomez's goalkeeping and the cameo by Pavlyuchenko for the last fifteen minutes. I could have sworn he was trying to end his season early by getting the ref (who was appalling - note for UEFA), to send him packing.
As nil-nil draws go, it was decent. Both sides attempted to win the game and there was actually some decent football played.

Pienaar was again superb but I'm getting concerned about the role Saha is supposed to be playing. He could be injured. Otherwise, why doesn't he start matches? Despite having Saha and now Vaughan available, we persist with Jo plus one other. Of late it's been Fellaini, who again frustrated the hell out of me, with Cahill dropping into the midfield. Why not put Saha up top with Jo and play Fellaini alongside Rodwell in the centre of the park? Rodwell was great too I thought.

So, it's three weeks til the big one. We now have to hope for no more injuries or moments of madness from silly little men in black that may result in red cards and suspensions.

Curses! If it hadn't been for those meddlesome kids...

2009-05-07T20:59:00.002+01:00

Well, my Grand Plan for FA Cup glory is in tatters today following Chelsea's seizure at Stamford Bridge in injury time last night. Now it's all down to Everton and how they cope on the day. The only question left is how will that energy and emotion-sapping result against Barcelona last night affect Chelsea? Will it galvanise them into concentrating on the FA Cup as their final chance at silverware this season? Or will the side be a spent force, doomed to wander that lonely wilderness with empty hearts knowing that Rome will not need their glamorous presence come May 27th?

Who knows? Judging by the state on most of their supporters at work today, I'd say the latter; most looked ready to escape for two weeks in the sunny Caribbean and await the next set of exciting, world-famous players to arrive in July.

The one thing that stood out in the game last night, well aside from Barcelona's astonishing ability to play keep ball for about 80 per cent of the night and not have a shot at goal til the 92nd minute, was John Terry's look of total bewilderment just after Iniesta's strike. There was a man who captains England and alongside Lampard is the core of the Chelsea operation, stood staring blankly like a goldfish not comprehending events just past and not having a clue what to do next. Time was up. Chelsea were out and nobody could do anything about it.

Then Ballack and Drogba went mad. Fabulous.

Paper Talk

2009-05-06T21:01:00.003+01:00

We're a few weeks away from the end of the season. Lucky for Everton, we're in the FA Cup Final (still feels good), and there is still a decent battle going on at the top and bottom of the Premier League. However, the papers are getting itchy feet. They're bored of match reports and the feature pieces on certain players are a thing of the past because players don't talk to journalists anymore, except on the sly when they need something.

Anyway, the number of lines given to football gossip is increasing as teams apparently are starting to draw up their summer wish lists. Or is it more a case of agents contacting teams with their wish lists? I even saw the crew on Sky asking Mick McCarthy and Alex McLeish about whether they'd started planning for next season since both manager's won promotion. One of them at least had the nous to tell Dicky Keys that the season wasn't over yet.

So it's good to see the nonsense returning. We've all seen the Michael Owen link, and yet again Joe Ledley is on the radar. But the link to Christian Poulsen at Juventus is a newby. Let's hope he responds better to the possibility of a move to Everton than his Portuguese colleague, Tiago, who allegedly locked himself in the toilets when told the news and refused to leave yelling (presumably in Portuguese) "I'm not going there".

Poulsen, for the record, is a defensive holding midfield player who did very well at Seville for a few years before signing on with Juve last summer. He isn't a regular as his place is more regularly filled by a certain Mo Sissoko...

Respect

2009-05-05T20:24:00.003+01:00

Got the Arsenal vs United game on in the background. Watch the reaction by Alex Ferguson to the Korean scoring and then cast your mind back to his pompous (and staged) dig at Benitez over a perceived lack of respect shown to Allardyce last month.

If he was in the crowd it could be forgiven.

Phil Likes Peanuts

2009-05-05T19:27:00.002+01:00

Capt Phil wasn't exactly going out on a limb when he gave this interview to the official website at Everton now was he? Phil says that Stephen Pienaar is Everton's best player 'by a mile' at present.

The only noteworthy thing about the comment is that the captain singled out one player for particular praise, rather than a general 'everyone is going great at present'.

Pienaar is the club's second-most creative player after Arteta anyway. His polished skills, attractive footwork and willingness to take the opposition on make him standout from the crowd. It's a shame we don't have a few more.

Phil tells it how it is here

Stadium of Light

2009-05-04T21:06:00.003+01:00

Went to the Stadium of Light on Sunday. My first visit. Very impressed with the outside and even more with the view from inside. Obviously the whole experienced was made better by Everton's comfortable second-half performance and tidy win.

Few impressions.

1. First was the usual struggle we seem to have at the outset in breaking teams down, even those as poor as Sunderland. The second half saw Everton up the tempo and put some good football together. Does it need a regular half-time rocket from DM to gee the players up?

2. Jo was impressive. Probably the first time away from home. His application shows us just what we miss without a genuine forward during the cup games. I think he's scored 5 goals in his 9 games, albeit against pretty mediocre teams. It will be a tough decision in the summer if we get the option to buy. I fancy his price tag will be prohibitive for a bid.

3. Pienaar was magnificent.

4. What gives when the locals from a place as dreary and mundane as Sunderland start up the "you've knicked our stereos" chant? Lads, check out the state of the area and some of the quality mongs appearing from the confines of Seaburn who attended the match?

5. The mass walkout of the Sunderland fans seconds after Fellaini's tap in was quite pronounced. There is clearly some significant dissatisfaction with the team and manager judging by the conversation on the Metro back to Newcastle after the final whistle. Sbragia has to be the Premiership's most unlikely manager.

6. The weather was nice all weekend in the North East. Puts a nice gloss on things.

Everton finally get some Fanni

2009-05-01T12:59:00.001+01:00

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article2406331.ece

Silly season is on

Chelsea ticket sales

2009-04-30T19:58:00.004+01:00

Here's the thing. I work in London and alongside some Chelsea fans. Season ticket holders. Not the ones you see on TV drinking red wine in the stands at home matches or those we all remember from our days of visiting Stamford Bridge in the 1980s, but proper ones who were there when they weren't very good.

Anyway, they got their cup final tickets today. Like Everton, there was a point-based system but no ballot. So each one was able to log onto the club website this morning, select a price bracket and 10 minutes later they have an email not only confirming the sale, but also what section in the West Stand they will sit in. So all of them can sit back, relax and plan their day.

The worst element of this revelation came when I described Everton's allocation approach to be greeted with nods all round and the line "yeah, ours used to be like that 10 years ago".

Application made

2009-04-30T14:05:00.003+01:00

Made my application for FA Cup Final tickets via the online club site. Now the wait begins.

I have to say that considering the club is using an automated form, and presumably some type of CRM app behind it, I'm surprised that the confirmation email for the application didn't contain a tracking number of some sort.

More cup tickets stuff

2009-04-28T21:28:00.002+01:00

Another public comment by Robert Elstone on the shortfall in cup final tickets for Everton (and Chelsea). He gets onto talking about touts. The FA has launched a new campaign to Out The Touts. Which I'll be doing if necessary. But only once I've bought a ticket off Mr Tout.

Looks like Chelsea are going to pull off a decent result in Barcelona tonight. That will be Part One of the Grand Plan for Everton to win the FA Cup Final. Chelsea must get to the Champions League Final, must win it and Mr Abramovich will take the entire squad out on a 5-day bender in both Rome and Moscow celebrating. The end result will be that Chels show up at Wembley completely mullered and take not a blind bit of interest in the game. We win the cup. Everyone's happy.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/8015583.stm

Phil

2009-04-28T21:26:00.002+01:00

Found this photo on the web. Love it.

Cup Final allocation of tickets

2009-04-27T19:24:00.003+01:00

Everton has announced the system they will use for allocating FA Cup Final tickets to the club's fans. Unsurprisingly, there are not enough tickets to go around. In fact, there are not enough tickets to ensure that every season ticket holder, as the club itself identifies 'some of the most loyal fans', will get to see the side in the final at Wembley on May 30th.

So now the fight for a ticket begins in earnest. Well, actually from midday on Wednesday through to May 6th - the closing date for applications. The official site outlines the application process but if you haven't attended three matches in addition to owning a season ticket, you can forget Wembley. Having reviewed the process again just now, I still have a feeling the club will find itself short even allowing for this reward system. We've played so many extra games this term, I simply can't believe that there won't be significant demand over and above the club's assessment.

A quick peak at the various message boards and comments by Everton's support online reveals every possible emotive fear and doubt about the system Everton has opted for with dispensing it's allocation of tickets. The nagging feeling that the much maligned Box Office will manage to make a pig's ear of the whole thing is a recurring theme. Sadly, there are no alternatives.

In Box Office We Trust.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/cup-final-ticket-information.html

Away from Cup Final ticket dilemma, I'm sure I'm not the only one hoping to see Newcastle get beat this evening placing their Premier League future in doubt. No group of fans deserve trips to Peterborough, Doncaster and Blackpool more.

City

2009-04-26T14:46:00.005+01:00

Terrible day. Terrible match, terrible performance and the whole thing overshadowed by the appalling cruciate injury sustained by Phil Jagielka in the second half which not only rules him out from the FA Cup Final, but in all probability, for the next few months.

Jagielka's injury came out of the blue as he chased a ball back towards the half-way line. There was nobody else in sight but it was obvious from Jagielka's reaction as he lay on the pitch that the damage was significant. The news in detail emerging today is both bad news for the club but even more bad news for Phil Jagielka on a personal level as will miss out of (possibly) his biggest day in football later in May. Jags has been Everton's most consistent performer this season, if not the best. His application and constant ability to learn quickly when thrown in against the Premiership's best forwards is a credit to his attitude. I've seen him caught out twice all season and I can't say that I can recall a time when he's been found wanting against the same opponent twice. He got the run-around from Torres in the home derby but there was not repeat in the three matches a few months ago. Same with his experience against Ashley Young. In addition he's made the England squad on a few occasions.

Let's hope Jags makes a swift and successful recovery.

Centre-half is actually an area at the club we have a good deal of strength in. Lescott, Jagielka and Yobo are all good players. Yobo and Lescott were a tight unit until Jags came through last season. They'll now be responsible for containing Drogba and Anelka in May.

Fair play to Moyes for (still) refusing to moan about our injury blight. We've now lost three first-11 players for the season in the shape of Jags, Arteta and Yakubu. Throw in Anichebe, Valente, who are also gone for the season and the lengthy time lost for Vaughan and you have a small squad stripped bare. It's a credit to the rest that we've managed not only to compete but do so very successfully.

I hope that City was a blip. Very possibly a case of After The Lord Mayor's Show, or a game too far. It would be a shame if the season dribbled away now. We've got a series of tough matches left leading to Wembley on May 30th.

Blue Is The Colour

2009-04-23T21:00:00.002+01:00

Forgot about this. We're wearing blue for the Final. Result. I couldn't bear the idea of us walking out onto the pitch in either that pathetic white number or, worst still, the acid-house top. Question is, will it be a final outing for the existing Umbro top, or the introduction of the rumoured retro le Coq '84 incarnation?

And by the way, is this the best photo ever?

Final Ticket Allocation

2009-04-23T20:39:00.003+01:00

So, a bit earlier than expected, Everton's allocation of tickets for the Cup Final has been announced. The club will get 25,000 or so tickets. The next challenge according to Robert Elstone is to work out a process to divide the tickets fairly amongst Everton's fan base.

I'm not sure what that means exactly. Everton probably has about 20,000 season ticket holders who should, in my opinion, get first shout. But I'm biased because I am a season ticket holder. The club is in a difficult position here. They could follow the same process as with the Semi-Final and utilise a points-based system rewarding season ticket holders who have attended additional fixtures (and therefore further lined the pockets of the club). Alternatively, they could do something radical and split the allocation between season ticket holders and other fans who have only attended a certain number of games but shouldn't feel alienated because they do not have a season ticket, in the form of a ballot. Either way, a lot of fans will be disappointed.

The second option would definitely succeed in reaching a wider audience and it's right that non-season ticket holding fans should get an opportunity to attend the game. But I'll be honest here, if I lose out because of a ballot I WILL GO MAD.

The Cup Final ticket allocation is an annual hand-wringing, teeth-gnashing performance akin to the first day of the Big Brother Show. Apart from the freak 2008 Cup Final where both sides could cope, there are simply never enough seats to go round. The preposterous award of over 30,000 cup final tickets to FA officials, distinguished guests, liggers and other pointless souls prevents a sensible award to the respective fan base of the teams involved. But it will never change, so there is little point moaning about it. So I won't. Call in favours, make new friends, lean on people. Remember that horrible bloke you hated at school but now works in the ticket office at Goodison? He's your new best friend.

http://www.evertonfc.com/news/archive/final-allocation-announced.html

Everton into the Final

2009-04-20T20:11:00.004+01:00

Panini

2009-04-07T22:33:00.002+01:00

It's a generation thing, but for me Panini sticker albums from 1977 to about 1982 were a highlight of my day to day existence. Probably because Everton repeatedly lifted my spirits only to dash them at the final hurdle, I found alternative solace in collecting football stickers.

Having lost them all, like many others, I rediscovered complete or semi-complete albums courtesy of eBay in the last 3 years. There is, obviously, a certain shame attached to a grown man parting with several pounds online and waiting for a brown envelope to pop through that letterbox a few days later, but it's something I'm prepared to deal with.

Despite the intervening years, the Everton double-page is still the first I turn to, but for true value, you've got to dig deep and look hard at some of the images staring back at you. Take Paul Wilson of Celtic for example. Could you look like that and be a footballer in the 2000s?

Stanley

2009-04-07T22:24:00.000+01:00

Sporting Limburg

2009-04-05T20:36:00.004+01:00

I didn't go to the match today. Several reasons including my inherent dislike of Sunday afternoon kick-offs. Anyway, caught it via Mr Internet, and, as usual in these circumstances, looked like a great game and not one to miss. Following on from the awful trip to Portsmouth, it was a good result with a series of good performance. Leon Osman stood out particularly on the 17 inch monitor and I though Fellaini looked decent. I'm starting to develop a theory about Jo being only able to play at home. Yet again he put in a shift and, critically, scored the goals. At Portsmouth and at Newcastle, he'd have been better in the stands.

Before tuning into the Everton match I caught 20 minutes of a Dutch top flight game between Ajax and a team called Roda JC Kerkrade. Of no real interest aside from the romanticism still attached to the Ajax name, and that Roda until recently were managed by our very own Raymond Atteveld. The bit I caught involved a protest as the Roda fans hurled bits of yellow seating onto the pitch. They weren't protesting at yet another defeat, but at the actual death of their football team. Roda are about to be merged with another local regional side Fortuna Sittard, a side with a connection to Everton as they were one of the teams beaten on Everton's run to the 1985 European Cup Winner's Cup triumph.

The deal to merge the sides is not uncommon in Dutch football. Roda themselves were created out of a sequence of mergers in the 1950s. The economics of a small country and a desire to be competitive makes it an attractive and sensible option for custodians. However, it still stands that the fans, having grown up with their local team are going to witness it disappear in the next 12 months and be replaced by a regional 'super team' who will be called Sporting Limburg - Limburg being the Dutch province.

Merging football teams, indeed any sports team, is an emotive subject in the UK. Robert Maxwell tried it in the 80s proposing to merge Reading, Oxford and QPR to create the infamous Thames Valley Royals or Rangers. It failed. In rugby league in the early 90s as the Superleague era was born, the new sponsors and financial paymaster wanted a smaller group of regional super teams and proposed merging the likes of Warrington with Widnes, Castleford with Wakefield. It failed due to overwhelming objections from fans, the connection of the fan to the club is often lost on the financial people. I would imagine there is a tiny seed of this reaction that will ultimately prevent Everton ground-sharing with Liverpool. Club identity will always be more important than success. Just ask the fans of AFC Wimbledon.

Read on in the Guardian

Observer article

2009-04-05T16:00:00.003+01:00

Good piece this morning in the Observer highlighting the financial risks being taken by football clubs in England and across Europe. The stat that about £7 in every £10 of turnover for Premiership and Championship clubs goes straight to the players says it all. There's plenty of other alarming bits and pieces.

Everton get a mention.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/apr/05/football-finance

Wembley...

2009-03-31T20:19:00.002+01:00

England 4, someone else 0

2009-03-29T15:41:00.002+01:00

England's showing yesterday against Slovakia was exactly what you should be expecting of a team that thinks once again it is in with a shout of winning the World Cup in 2010. A comfortable victory over a side who have a qualifier to play on Wednesday, and needed a 4-0 pounding like a hole in the head, should be expected and should be delivered. Becks got 109, the core players all performed well and Everton had three on the bench. Three-quarters of our best back four in ages.

Whether any of the trio makes it to South Africa next Summer remains to be seen. I think there's a fair shout that either Jags or Lescott will make it as the 4th choice centre-back, particular as both can fill in at full-back. Fabio seems to favour Upson over both and he may also end up taking the lame Ledley King with him just to spite the increasing annoying 'Arry Redknapp. I would.

Block 127

2009-03-24T21:22:00.003Z

So that is Wembley sorted. 45 minutes on hold from 0800 this morning and I have been rewarded with two tickets in Block 127 at the West End of Wembley Stadium.

Having experienced the booking system through the club and heard the complaints on radio, read about them on the internet, I can understand people's irritation. However you can't satisfy everyone and some people are not going to get their preferred seating option, including me. The main thing is that I'll be there for the match. Supply and demand et cetera. Some folk are not going to get there so I should be grateful I will.

Ticketing for any event these days is a time-consuming, expensive and unfulfilling experience. The punter is robbed blind with unjustifiable charges (in addition to the price of the ticketed event) coming at you from all sides. There's always a totally inappropriate delivery charge which seems to be a random number plucked from thin air and then 20 per cent added, and the ubiquitous 'booking fee' even when you only interacted with Mr Internet for 10 minutes. The mystery charge for the Semi-Final ticket is the cost of postage. Recorded mail. The same mail that is delivered by the same postman each morning, who frequently doesn't actually get the signature requested, and charged for.

Still, given Everton's sparse visits to Wembley in the modern era, I'll cope. I remain of the opinion playing the match on Sunday is ludicrous.

End of the run

2009-03-22T16:09:00.002Z

The lad behind me said "this is the worst view in the worst ground in the Premiership. It's the hardest to get to - and I live here". Turns out he's in the armed forces, exiled from Liverpool and currently residing in the Southsea area. But his comment just about sums up Fratton Park and, due in part to Fratton being certainly one of the hardest grounds to get to (one road in, one road out), I missed the Everton highlight stood along with about 500 others waiting to squeeze through the turnstiles.

Once I did take my position things looked good. Although the two lads down Portsmouth's right flank were making decent inroads into the Everton half, most of Pompey's attacking play was disjointed. Then, from a corner that shouldn't have been given, Everton failed to clear the first ball properly, a second one was dropped into the area from where Glenn Johnson nodded across the box and Crouch piled in over the top of Lescott for the equalizer.

From that moment on, I wasn't overly confident Everton had the wit to break down the Portsmouth back line. I agree with some witnesses that Everton didn't really test Portsmouth, but that said, I thought Sol Campbell managed the threat of Saha and Jo comfortably even if he does look like he just feasts on growth hormones for breakfast. We didn't turn him once or exploit his obvious weakness in his lack of pace.

As the game was running down for what I expected to be a draw, Pompey threw on Kanu whilst Moyes' pondered introducing Gosling. For some reason, Gosling got his kit off but was then told to sit tight, presumably whilst we defended a corner? From that corner, Kanu did enough to put off Howard and Crouch did the rest leaping over Fellaini who didn't appear to jump. Game over.

Driving home I was struggling to remember the last time Everton got beaten by a team not competing for a top six finish. It looks like the aberrational trip to Wigan in November. Which is an indication of how well the side has done in the last 3 months. The fixture list gets harder now but we're still in decent shape for finishing sixth.

No sign of the loon with the bells this year. Disappointing.

Hall of Fame

2009-03-19T19:54:00.003Z

A friend of mine told me earlier he's on his way to the Hall of Fame induction of one Duncan Ferguson, late of the Parish of Mallorca I believe. He got into the recent Times Online Top 50 Everton players at a lofty 49 (at least he was ahead of Gravesen). There are many words you could use to describe Ferguson, but the one I'll settle for is enigmatic. It probably best befits Ferguson's on and off-field persona and behaviour. From his arrival on loan from Glasgow Rangers, right through to the 90th minute final match penalty - on the rebound - against West Brom, the man basically transcended the football arena, possibly more so given how rank poor Everton were as a team for most of Ferguson's career at the club.

Even his decision to relocate his family to a Balearic Island post-career is different. It kind of sums the man up. Nothing he ever did was conventional.

For me Duncan Ferguson is a legend for two main reasons. Firstly, he frequently delivered in key matches against the better sides, consequently leading to accusations that he simply 'couldn't be arsed' for the mendacity of Coventry away. Secondly, he played in an era of dross. Outside of the magnificent run to Wembley in 1995, for a chunk of '94 to 2006, we were poor, and I amongst many others often went along to the game waiting to see something of quality from Ferguson. Often we left disappointed, but the odd gem stood out and are remembered far more than the barren periods.

Years from now, it will be Ferguson who is recalled from that period. Obviously Moyes' transformation of the club means we're no longer a 12th place scrapping operation, and we had a brief glimpse of what Wayne Rooney would become, but that aside I can't think of a single player so closely identified with our club during such an underachieving period in the club's history.

Delilah

2009-03-15T17:01:00.002Z

Everton took care of a fairly stern challenge from Stoke on Saturday, but I think the 3-1 scoreline is misleading. Once Stoke pegged us back to 2-1 early in the second half, they put together 20 minutes of old-school English football, making a very uncomfortable period until the braided Fellaini finished it minutes from the end.

The game was largely forgettable, but the 3000 Stoke fans deserve massive credit for selling out their section, all showing up and putting together 90 minutes of 'back in the day' chants, sing-songs and behaviour that turned the clock back. I appreciate Stoke have been out of the top flight since the mid-80s, and that could go somewhere to explaining the style of football they play, but there must be more to it. I can't recall a larger police presence than the one surrounding that corner of the Bullens Road Stand, inside or out, nor the systematic piling in of the coppers to eject Stoke fans at regular intervals until they finally became becalmed once Lescott tapped us 2-0 up after 25 or so minutes.

Up until then, the Goodison faithful had been treated to a cacophony of noise and some decent banter with the Park End Blues. Although slightly quieter between Everton's second and the Stoke goal from Shawcross, things livened up for the remainder of the game. The excitement that greeted every Delap throw-in was priceless.

Outside of the visits of the 'big four' sides, Sunderland's travelling support usually provide the best show at Goodison, but for me in 08/09 campaign, the boys from the Potteries take the award for Best Travelling Fans.

Semi-Final dates

2009-03-12T20:37:00.003Z

Whether it is the FA, ITV, Setanta or the Met Police, who made the decision on scheduling the forthcoming FA Cup Semi-Finals at Wembley, take a bow. Take a very big bow.

With respect to Hull, in all likelihood, Arsenal will be playing Chelsea in one match, Everton up against Manchester United in the other. Two northern clubs, two London clubs. Acknowledging that the FA has to fund Wembley and television's input in wanting both matches to be broadcast on different days, I've no issue with splitting the games across the weekend. But to then decide that you'll play the 'local' London derby on the Saturday, and the North-West version on the Sunday evening at 4pm, is plain crackers. Whatever those witty opposition fans say, the bulk of United's travelling support will be from the North-West and not Devon or South Wales. Even more of Everton's support will be drawn from that corner of England. So given the appalling state of our network rail infrastructure, you're looking at potentially some 60,000 people travelling back north via the M40, M1 and M6 on a Sunday night. And you just know the Highways Agency will have some major roadworks scheduled on the M6 that night don't you?

So, all-in-all, a very good call. The television directors have long since shown their lack of respect for the football fan who actually goes to watch a match live, but I would have thought that the police of all those involved would have preferred being able to get the Northern half of the draw out of the way on Saturday. Playing on the Saturday would have seen people stagger their journeys to the capital across the weekend for example.

Roll on extra-time and penalties.

Top 50 Everton players

2009-03-10T19:15:00.003Z

Everyone seems to be onto this one from The Times online, but just in case...

Top 50 Everton players

I selected my top 5 before reading the article. Setting aside my irrational need to put Gary Stanley in every 'Greatest Everton Side Of All Time Ever. Fact', I went for Dean, Ball, Labone, Nev and Lawton. Close enough.

Wembley bound

2009-03-10T18:56:00.002Z

Standing on the concourse of the Top Balcony at Goodison Park on Sunday watching people's faces illustrating varying degrees of anger, disbelief, resignation ('only Everton could manage to mess this one up'), I sensed we'd hit the buffers for the first time this season. The team had been collectively awful for 45 minutes, culminating in a goal for Boro, something you cannot say they didn't deserve. Without our creative talisman Arteta, Tiny and Fellaini once again filling in up front, we looked bereft of ideas, slovenly in possession. Plain lost.

Retaking my seat for the second half I was relieved to see Louis Saha on from the off. Boro had played well and were leading but you don't find yourself at the bottom of the Premier League, short on confidence and leaking goals for nowt. We'd put their back line under no pressure in the first 45. Minutes into the 2nd period and with Saha and Fellaini now leading the line, Everton were a changed team. The ball went back-to-front quickly, putting the only moderately mobile Wheater and Co on the back foot. Fortunately, Boro's keeper Jones decided to help out and we were back in the game in no time. The second goal was an example of Saha's class; quick and powerful, he buried a header for 2-1. Had Baines' free-kick dipped a bit more, the 3-1 lead we craved would have finished the tie. In the end Boro upped their game and both sides went toe-to-toe to the end with Everton hanging on to claim a place in the Semi Final at Wembley in a few weeks.

And I'm delighted about that. The subsequent draw against United slightly spoiled things, but I said before Sunday I'd take a semi-final and a sixth place finish, and that still stands. Should Arsenal make it through, the FA have got their wish not to endure a repeat of the 2008 line-up.

Couple of things I notice about Sunday. The atmosphere in the first 15 minutes of the 2nd half on Sunday was immense, duly noted in one of the papers on Monday, and Louis Saha demonstrated the kind of extra class you get from a top striker. If only he could stay... Yawn.

Blackburn Nil

2009-03-05T20:28:00.002Z

Now wasn't that terrible? So bad that even Sky couldn't put their usual glossy sheen onto a truly turgid nil-nil draw with little goalmouth action, a dearth of skill and creativity, dominated by defensive solidity. I think I heard the Rover's faithful give MOTM to Ryan Nelsen, Sky opting for Joleon 'Too Smooth' Lescott. Sums it all up. One conclusion not lost on many was that we're better with Saha up front than Jo and it has to be a fair bet Saha will start against Boro on Sunday. He'd better. And then there was the Blackburn fans asking 'what the f@cking hell is that' at Fellaini on the touchline with the hair and a natty pair of skater-boy gloves on in that shocking rave-yellow shirt.

Pienaar plugged away a bit, but the Blackburn team closed down quick all over the park all night. Once possession was won, they battered it left to right, right to left putting pressure on the Everton back line which, once again, was imperious. Even Tugay couldn't change it for them. Sadly, we couldn't change it either so we biffed it about like a clock pendulum for 90 painful minutes.

What else? Well, what are we to assume about the ability of Lars Jacobsen if, with Hibbert out, Moyes opts for Jagielka (or Yag-yell-ka if we are to follow Sky's commentator) to shift sideways to right-back with Lars on the bench. Nothing I guess.

Fat Sam made some daft comments before the game about Cahill in an attempt to influence the ref. Overall I think Wylie managed well, ignoring Sam's imploring, except when he got it totally wrong as Samba clattered into Sir Tim in the 2nd half. The smug berk who thinks he should manage England was caught nicely on camera bragging to fans in the vicinity seconds later giving it 'I told you so' nods. Yeah, Big Sam. Big Time Manager.

I've just seen Michael Jackson announcing 'This Is It' on the news. Now there's a real tool.

Europa League

2009-03-01T13:48:00.005Z

As Everton push for a sixth or fifth place finish and qualification for Europe next season, I came across this article by Paul Wilson in the Observer today - his view on the UEFA Cup.

I like what Paul Wilson writes about, primarily because he's a very good writer, but he always gives a decent level of coverage to Everton and is always fair. With his piece about the UEFA Cup, he talks about the attitude taken by Spurs and Villa last week in their approach to their cup ties and highlights the problems facing the UEFA Cup as once again it is to be revamped for the 09/10 season as the Europa League. Again the competition will be based initially on mini-leagues, before moving to a 32-team knock-out including (still) the fall out boys of the Champions' League, which, as usual, will be full of lots of non-Champions. Paul Wilson basically thinks it is a failing competition and this will not improve things. He also suggests it be turned into a straightforward knock-out cup with possibly some seeding making it a completely different competition to the CL.

For me, he's spot on in highlighting the weakness of the UEFA Cup. As Europe is so utterly dominated by the Champions League, anything else is always going to play second fiddle. In that respect, why compete? Why not try something radical and reintroduce a 64 or more team knock-out to rev it up? One of the best supported and most avidly followed competitions in the USA is something called March Madness, an annual basketball tournament for college teams where 64 teams play winner takes all over a period of weeks in, well, March. Its popularity is partly based on the uniqueness of the knock-out system from the first day of the competition; this is not the case in any other sport in the US.

Ultimately for me, Everton qualifying for Europe remains a big deal. I'm completely bored of the Premiership. I'm bored with the predictability of it, with the constant weekly droning noise of the same sides and players. Today, some poor sap is going to sit down and watch Bolton vs Newcastle on TV (nil nil at half time by the way) but outside from fans of those respective teams, who else is really interested? Same with Everton vs West Brom yesterday. The novelty of witnessing sides from across Europe playing at Goodison in the winter is great. Playing Zenit, we got to see Arshavin months before everyone jumped on the bandwagon in December 2007. I thought that night Pogrebniak and Tymoschuk even better. Everton's trip to Nurnberg is now part of club folklore and I got to sit in front of Berti Vogts. Is that happening for me at Fratton Park in a few weeks? From a practical perspective, only by entertaining these European teams on a regular basis do our players become better at performing in Europe in future. I'd hope that regular exposure to European players for Everton's squad would mean that at some point a return to the Champions League - pipe dream though it is - will mean we're better equipped to compete, and it has to help David Moyes become a better manager.

I completely understand Redknapp's decision on Thursday. Spurs have the Carling Cup Final today and are in the soap down the bottom of the Premiership. O'Neill's decision is harder to square. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but if I bump into my Spurs supporting work colleagues tomorrow morning and they are no longer holders of the Carling Cup, still 3 points above the drop in the Premier League and not in Europe since Thursday, I can't imagine many rushing to buy match tickets between now and May.

West Brom win: job done

2009-03-01T12:35:00.003Z

Job done. Must have heard that expression about 20 times since the ref blew his whistle , mid-afternoon yesterday. A 2-0 home win against the league's bottom side, just about deserved because we converted our chances and West Brom did not. They outplayed Everton until Cahill scored after about 35 minutes with some slick passing and quick movement but WBA's central defence has looked poor all season when I've caught them on TV and yesterday was no different. Throw in the mix a midfield that looks as though it is designed NOT to compete when they don't have the ball and you've got a team that will leak goals.

It was Everton's first match post-Arteta and a sign of what we're going to get for the rest of this season. Creativity will be a scarce commodity. That said, I thought Pienaar was outstanding yesterday, genuinely using trickery and application to constantly provide a threat from out wide. I also thought that we looked better once Osman came on into the middle and he made a decent fist of pulling the strings, especially as Fellaini provided another frustrating show. Fella's role is was clearly different from his pre-Xmas one as a front line support striker; he played some neat passes across the park, but his tackling remains woeful.

One major positive was the re-appearance of Louis Saha just as we need a proper centre forward. When he came on he provided direction and put further pressure on the Baggies' centre-halves. His goal was an excellent turn and first-time shot, made by the efforts of Pienaar in closing down the West Brom full-back. Given that Anichebe looks done for the season too, we desperately need Saha to avoid injury, particularly for the Quarter-Final cup tie next Sunday.

Otherwise, the defence was solid once more (Jag's goal-line clearance was outrageous) with Yobo in for Lescott. Neville dropping back for the early departure of Hibbert didn't adversely affect things. Crucially, Everton won and Wigan lost which gives us a comfortable cushion between us and 7th spot helping our European aspirations for next season. In theory, we should be looking at Arsenal in fifth spot now, but if we get sixth and a day out at Wembley - even if it is a semi final, I'll see that as another successful campaign.

Castillo's pants and socks combination continue to baffle me.

Rafa

2009-02-25T19:12:00.003Z

This morning at work got a call from an agitated colleague who'd popped out for something to eat and (inevitably) ended up in the bookies. He was rambling madly down the phone that Rafa had chucked it. All based on the fact that one of the online spread betting companies had suspended all bets on Rafa either getting the punt, or more likely, marching out on some dumb ass principle that he should be given complete control over player signings! This from the man who gave us Lucas, Josemi, Babel, that caveman Dossena, from Italy amongst many others. Anyway, the story swept through the offices and betting shops in London resulting in lots of chatter, speculation and ultimately, absolutely nothing.

How often do these kind of things happen? How many times have we all done the greyhound chasing the rabbit trick only to race round the corner and find no rabbit? Amazingly enough, I am now hearing the same story being repeated by 'proper' radio people on Five Live.

Come on Real. Stick it to them.

Arteta Is Out

2009-02-24T21:31:00.005Z

I've been away for a few days, enjoying the result of the Villa game and anticipating a decent shot at 3 points at the home of the 'best fans in football' on Sunday.

The great thing about being in America is they don't give 2 hoots (make that 200 hoots in New York) about football. Nothing. Nada. No interest whatsoever unless you're at school or college. They've even managed to relegate Ice Hockey to somewhere behind NASCAR and the College Football and Basketball seasons in terms of media profile. So what I'm trying to say here is I didn't hear anything about football until Monday when I was catching up on the match result from Sunday, which became an irrelevance once we learned that Arteta was gone for the season.

Sure he's got his faults has the little Spaniard. As often noted, he can fall short against the biggest teams in the Premier League, but then many others do too. The reality is that Arteta is Everton's only real creative force; he's our play-maker and the only one we've had for years. He dominates set piece play, takes most of the free-kicks, penalties, and given the time can 'manage' a game for us. On his day, he's excellent. Maybe not quite good enough for Spain and I can't see a Big Four ever signing him, but for us, he is irreplaceable.

The impact of losing Yakubu was significant and we've clearly suffered without him. Saha was a gamble and looks set to fill in his usual return of missing half the campaign, scoring a handful of goals. Fellaini hasn't quite worked out. Castillo was obviously bought after one viewing of a video and the theory that if you've played in the Balkan leagues you've got to be tough. But we've managed without them, or in Fellaini's case, with him.

The loss of Arteta is a disaster. I don't see a replacement anywhere in the squad. We'll need to somehow replicate elements of his creativity using the likes of Osman and Pienaar, which will look as unpalatable as it sounds. Moyes has done well to put a brave face on it. Saturday's game will show us what we're likely to expect for the remainder of the campaign. With Arteta, I had plenty of confidence at securing the European spot and of a trip to the FA Cup semi-finals. Without him, Moyes has to change things as we're likely to score even fewer goals.

Everton 3 - 1 Aston Villa

2009-02-16T21:30:00.002Z

What a great game of football that was. Obviously helped with having the best possible start, followed by a swift Villa equalizer and it then looked like anyone's game for the remainder of the 70 minutes until Cahill ended the tie with 15 mins left on the clock. At that point it definitely looked like Villa gave up the ghost. Finally. Cahill, as we've become accustomed to, has this innate ability to become seemingly invisible to every centre-back in England, even the best ones. He did it repeatedly against the latest lumoxing oxen that O'Neill has filling in the central unit of their back four culminating in the goal that has Everton looking forward to a home tie against the winners of the Boro / West Ham replay next week (c'mon on Boro).

From the opening exchanges it was clear that to be remotely comfortable against this Villa team, Everton would need a 2-goal cushion. Although it is fair to say that Villa probably only had 5 or so concrete attempts on goal - all poorly taken aside from the brilliant Howard save from Carew - I wasn't relaxed until Cahill's strike. I got the impression that the players felt that on the pitch. It was noticeable for a period in the middle of the second half that Villa, gaining momentum, were pushing on. Lescott for the first time in weeks temporarily lost his cool and positional sense and the midfield didn't do enough to protect the back four. However, the terror twins of Young and Agbonlahor were slightly off-colour and Carew morphed into a performance similar to that of the visiting Drogba a few months ago; arms aloft, moaning to the ref, yelling at his team mates.

Yet again, Moyes and his backroom people came up with a formation to suit our resources and counteract the potent attacking threat of Villa. Aside from the excellent James Milner, the rest of the Villa front players and Petrov were not allowed their usual control. Villa definitely play the percentages and I get the impression they'll have to get a bit cleverer if they want to take on the big sides in England and Europe. Once Everton pushed back, Villa's main attacking threat came from cross-field passes or their standard high-speed crosses into the box. Everton made sure they didn't give away too many set pieces, a specialist theme for Villa's assault on any opponent. The only time Agbonlahor got a clear run at the Everton back line, guess what? Hibbert tripped him for the opening goal from the spot.

Aside from that mistake, the defence once again were tight. Yes we were under the cosh for a 15 minute period in the second half, but the resilience and strength of this Everton team is becoming unavoidable. Deprived of Fellaini, Pienaar and Osman (I'm not even going to mention the striking options), from the regular first team, the incoming Rodwell and Gosling were excellent and the returning Anichebe put in one of the most impressive shifts in his stuttering Everton career to date. Cahill and Jags were their predictable best.

Whoever comes out of the replay at the Riverside next week, we've got to fancy our chances of a trip to the all-new Wembley in mid April for a semi-final. The FA couldn't face another repeat of the Portsmouth-Cardiff final of 2008, and must be delighted that 'warm balls' ensured the big guns were kept apart in the quarter-final draw.

I've said this repeatedly to anyone for weeks now. I'd hate to think where we'd be with a couple of centre-forwards in this side.

Sunday's match

2009-02-14T15:48:00.000Z

Without subscribing to the notion that if we don't win tomorrow, that fantastic result against Liverpool will have been pointless, a small part of the brain cannot avoid seeing it that way. So if we don't win on Sunday I'll be a tad disappointed. The way Villa are playing at present, it could be tougher than the recent spate of matches against Liverpool, Arsenal and United. I love what they're doing in the League putting the heat on Arsenal and Chelsea. Nothing would shake up the predictability of the Premier League's closed shop if either miss out on that luxury money from the Champions' League, particularly if City start throwing the cash around for the next 10 seasons, and both Villa and City subsequently become Sky's new BFs.

Villa are built like every other Martin O'Neill team I can remember. Big and strong up front, big and strong at the back with bags of pace across the park. They keep it simple. You could say they're a long-ball side with a little bit more guile. They don't have a single player as creative as Arteta, but we don't have anyone as quick as Young or Agbonlahor.

Villa have got bigger fish to fry, competing in the League and in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup. But I can't see O'Neill treating any competition with the snooty disdain that Wenger and Benitez do. O'Neill never won the FA Cup as a player and has stated enough times down the years of his desire to win it.

Let's hope we catch them sleeping. We owe them one.

Waterfields, Rivington Road

2009-02-08T15:35:00.002Z

Finally I made it to the old site of the Pimbletts shop on Rivington Road (locally known as the City Road shop) for the first time since Pimbletts became a footnote in the history of St Helens alongside Pilks, Jonny Vegas and Bobby Goudling.

From the outside appearance, the shop has had a coat of purple paint, which I assume is the corporate colour of Waterfields. Inside I thought I was in a Greggs. Standard production line pre-packed sandwiches and funny looking like cakes. They could have been french fancies I suppose? Anyway, there were no pies visibly on display. Not knowing exactly what the new branding means - aside from the main fact that the pies are now made at the Waterfields Bakery and obviously use their recipes - I asked what pies were available. Beverly kindly started listing them but once we'd got to 5 including Meat 'n Potato and Steak, I'd heard enough. I explained I'd not been back since Pimbletts went under. Beverly confirmed it was 'the same, but different'. Enough said I guess.

I loaded up on pies, tarts, buns and vanilla slices. Sunday, the family passed judgement.

The pastry was good. Different - Waterfields use a browning agent - but good. The filling was OK. The steak was different no doubt. More steak mince I'd say than lumps of beef, which may take some getting used to. The Meat and Potato (Dad's choice), was a tad mushy, but overall good. Slightly missing the pepper 'kick' of the Pimbletts' recipe I thought.

The fruit (blackcurrant) tart looked completely different and I feared the worst when I bought it for Mum. Pimbletts' tarts were flat, bigger but not deep-filled. The pastry was always pale and crumbly. The Waterfields version to me looked like a mince pie. Mum's a expert here with 60 years experience eating Pimbletts' fruit tarts. You can imagine the risk. I got a text this morning that said it all: "fruit tart - delicious".

So the pies and tart passed the litmus test. The disappointment came with the vanillas. My excitement at seeing they were on sale was tempered when I looked at what Bev stuck in the box. Small, perfectly formed, sticky looking icing. They could have come from any tin-pot bakers anywhere in the UK. The Pimblett's vanillas were loaded with a unique custard-flavoured filling that was lumpy and rough. The pastry was layered and flaky, the icing stuck to your fingers for days. Waterfields' vanilla slices are manufactured, bland and creamy. A major letdown.

There remains an alternative in St Helens and that is Burchalls. I'll try there next.

Everton 1 - 0 Liverpool

2009-02-05T20:30:00.001Z

"What are you Liverpool-supporting press going to do?"

"You all look stunned."

Well done David Moyes. Sublime.

Arshavin, Keane, Jo...

2009-02-02T19:34:00.003Z

Well, we got our striker and for that I'm grateful. Jo is in from City until the end of the season when presumably we hand him back because we really don't want to be spending £19m or whatever ridiculous value is put on Jo's head in July.

I'm delighted we got someone because I just couldn't see us maintaining our push for 6th place relying on Victor and Tiny. OK Jo's scoring record at City is appalling. 3 goals in 9 appearances and those three came courtesy of 2 against Omonia Nicosia and a single in the 6-0 rout of Portsmouth, a bit after Pompey thumped us 3-0 at Goodison. But the whole Jo at City saga comes with the caveat that he was signed by the previous regime, and therefore we're told that Hughes 'doesn't fancy him'. We have to assume Sven or the Thai did. Let's hope it was Sven. So Jo hasn't had a fair crack at the whip. He'll get that at Goodison because we have no alternatives.

Some trivia-related nonsense springs to mind. I think he's our second Brazilian (behind Rodrigo - for those low on memory, read this), surely has the shortest name of any Evertonian, and must be the most expensive player we've ever borrowed? Another thing, I can't think of any other signings we've made from City since the days of Kendall's first return when he nipped down the East Lancs and came back with Mark Ward and Alan Harper in the boot of his car. That's quite rare in over 15 years.

We'll hopefully get our first sight of Jo against Bolton on Saturday because he's ineligible for Wednesday night's Cup replay. Probably a good job because he'd likely get sent off for being on the same pitch as Shabby Alonso which seems to be the FA directive we didn't get told about for this season.

Say It Is So, Jo..

2009-02-01T14:31:00.006Z

Lame title I know but, hot off the press (and there seems to be legs in it), we may have a striking option arriving imminently.

Everton are apparently in talks with City over the possibility of borrowing Jo for the rest of the season. Not sure Jo was getting much of a game at City before Bellamy's arrival, but now his opportunities seem even more limited and Hughes appears not to fancy him, in the manager's vernacular.

He's tall and obviously has some talent and IF he arrives, Moyes will need to rebuild his confidence, and work out a system to incorporate his ability. He won't be eligible for the FA Cup.

I like him. Jonny says he's mince. Could be that sort of player.

http://twitter.com/mencityfc and here at the Telegraph.

Ian Snodin

2009-01-29T22:58:00.003Z

This is a nice piece by David Prentice about Ian Snodin.

Snodin was a favourite of mine from his time at Everton. Like so many others, his career was blighted somewhat by injuries. In my opinion if Ian had been fit for the bulk of his time at Goodison (87 to 95), he probably would have become captain and a central part of the side either playing in the middle or at the back. Loved a tackle.

Liverpool Echo piece here

Gravesen

2009-01-28T21:08:00.005Z

So farewell Tommy Gravesen. Opted to retire at 32 having failed to find a new home following his release from Celtic in the Summer of 2008.

I'm pretty ambivalent when it comes to Gravesen. To be honest, the fist-pumping, mad-eyed stuff was always a bit over the top for me; at times that appeared to disguise inadequacies on the pitch. That said, Gravesen was a fixture in the Everton midfield during one of the most unmoving periods in the history of the club, a time cluttered with 'bitty' players that suited Walter Smith's squad in the late 90s, early 2000s. Alongside the likes of Scott Gemmill, Tobias Linderoth, Alexandersson, Gazza and the disasterous Nyarko, he was the best of an average bunch. Compared to what we have now, it seems a lifetime ago. But there is no doubt Gravesen had his moments and on occasion his passing could be outstanding. My final memory of Gravesen is a good one. Having played no part in the previous 120 minutes of the UEFA Cup match at home to Fiorentina, Gravesen marched on for the penalty shoot-out, was brave enough to take the opening shot and smashed it past the excellent Frey. I wish he could have taken all 4.

Gravesen does join the list of players who had a couple of spells at the club and I can't think off the top of my head of another Everton player who also called Real Madrid home. Whatever anyone says about his short time in the Spanish capital, it's not a bad club to have on a footballers CV.

Monday

2009-01-21T21:24:00.002Z

Right, well, that's one-nil to Everton then.

The match reports said it all as have all the post-match comments. Despite my pre-match concerns, we were boss, at no point outclassed by a side trying to win the title for the first time in a lifetime. I think all but one of our bench, plus Victor Anichebe, were not even born the last time Liverpool won the title. And I think one of the commentator types told us at some point that our entire squad cost the equivalent of Torres plus a couple of boxes of San Miguel. Says it all. I don't understand the attitude Benitez takes in the Premier League. He seems to think he can put out reserves or rest players against teams he feels are beneath Liverpool's standing. Bizarre stuff. Works in the Not-Many-Champions League where over 50 per cent of the teams in it are mince, but not in the weekly grind of the Premier League. They've blown it. Again.

Anyway, I'm delighted. More of the same on Sunday would be marvellous. But then so would a date with Duffy and we can't have it all.

Red Cards

2009-01-19T19:50:00.003Z

I don't care for the Derby to be honest. It's hard enough watching it once a year at Goodison, let alone the annual stroll in the park at Anfield for Liverpool. The fact that satellite TV insist on showing it has been made more probable in recent years with the arrival of Setanta and another TV operation willing to expose us to the nation live on telly. Is it me or do Everton rarely set the pulses racing when the nation has the opportunity to tune in?

So tonight I expect either a gritty display and keep things tight to end with a 1-0 defeat or a draw. What I don't think any of us could cope with is a repeat of the Goodison debacle where we were spared a right doing.

Good mini column in the Observer at the weekend. In the results / digest page in the Sport section was a little league titled 'Fight Clubs', a list of the Premier League fixtures to have seen the most red cards since the league's inception in 1993. Unsurprisingly the Merseyside Derby was top of the pile with 17 red cards in 15 seasons! Second on the list was Everton vs Newcastle with (just) 11. We featured again in joint 3rd with 10 in our fixtures against Chelsea.

I think it's fair to say most fans would be aware of Everton's disciplinary problems in the last 15 years - we've been combative since Joe Royle's Dogs Days, and if you've got Big Ferg on the books, things are going to be, well, spicy I guess. Still, I was a bit surprised at so many mentions in the Top 5.

For the record, my favourite Merseyside off is the legendary Jeffers / Westerveld handbags from '99, highlighted here in the Daily Mail.

Sunday on Sky

2009-01-18T16:53:00.004Z

I don't know why I do it because I just get increasingly would up. I'm talking about Sky's coverage of football. Not the camera work, the technical side, not even the commentary, all of which is excellent. It's just the Richard Keys, Andy Gray hyperbole and the pointless ex-pros who sit there every game, pontificating about nothing whilst having their egos fluffed up by Dickie et al.

15 minutes of the Tottenham game and I had to switch off. David Nugent was bearing down on goal and Andy Gray chimed in with "go on son - see what its like to score in the big time". Priceless. The Big Time everyone. Top flight football is now The Big Time. Baseball forever in the States has been referred to as 'The Show', if you're not in The Show, you're nobody.

I was relieved to find out that I'm not the only one who thinks that Harry Redknapp is somewhat of an irritation. Paul Wilson in the Observer makes some good points about 'Arry.

Nugent

2009-01-13T20:04:00.001Z

David Nugent is turning out for Portsmouth tonight in the FA Cup replay against Bristol City.

That would rather reduce his appeal to any prospective buyer or renter in the North West I'd say.

Same applies to Peter Crouch. Ahem.

How very annoying

2009-01-12T20:42:00.003Z

I didn't got on Saturday, due a birthday party taking place in Scotland. So I was kept updated whilst in Edinburgh via text. Three texts in all came through:

Get in Screech!
Arteta. 2-0
Screech booked: out of both derbies

Its testimony to how far Fellaini has progressed since his hasty arrival in August, that my reaction to the third text probably mirrors that of many other Evertonians in a fitful outburst consisting of disappointment, frustration and anger, followed (in time) by resignation. It is also I guess symptomatic of the continued perception some have that David Moyes is a manager who struggles to use his substitutes to change a game positively, that he didn't remove Fellaini at half-time, opting to leave things and see how the match went for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd half.

Moyes' reasoning behind his decision to allow Fellaini back on for the second 45 minutes have subsequently been given. He points out (rightly) that Everton looked pretty secure when 2-0 up against Newcastle earlier in the season and his preference was to ensure 3 points rather than risk allowing Hull back into the game. No doubting an element of the logic there. However I would argue that Everton are a much different team from the one who couldn't put the Magpies to bed back in early October. Then we were a side bereft of confidence and struggling to find our form and having just come off the humiliating defeats by Liverpool and Standard Liege. Scroll forward to early January 2009 and we're in sixth spot in the table, possessing a settled line-up and playing with a fair degree of authority. In addition, we haven't conceded a goal in 5 matches, unbeaten since the Villa affair.

Secondly, what message does it send to those players on the bench for Hull? With Anichebe getting back to fitness, Castillo and Rodwell available, there were options to either further secure the midfield or create problems up front. Dan Gosling, who impressed me in his brief appearance against Sunderland, was another who would benefit from 45 minutes experience. Obviously there may be issues with the players on the bench outsiders are not aware of, and it isn't the strongest squad, but for 45 minutes against a team who appear to have already peaked in their first season of top-flight football, Everton surely could have coped? It wasn't Manchester United.

It took me back briefly on reading the match reports to the Arsenal match at the Emirates this season when we'd done well in the first half, ridden our luck and were 1-0 up at the break. Arsenal were not their fluid selves but you knew they'd come out of the blocks with pace and power in the second half. For me, the difference between the very best managers and the rest is their ability to influence a game with substitutes, usually to get to a winning position or back in the match. Ferguson is a master and Mourinho's brave use of subs at Chelsea won them a host of points and that in turn got into the minds of the opposition. Moyes is very much a late reactor to such situations and vastly conservative in his approach. Against Arsenal, throwing on another forward could have changed things for us and it would certainly have registered with Wenger and affected his plans. Instead, Arsenal tore into us, scored quickly and I think we were 3-1 down and out before Moyes belated introduction of Saha.

My final issue with the decision on Saturday is the implied notion that we needed to ensure 3 points in this match because we're not seriously expecting to get anything from the next 3 matches. Whilst acknowledging the club faces a tough run of fixtures, we should be in a position now after a series of strong performances not to be making that assumption.

For me, leaving on a very young player with a record for collecting yellow cards, already warned by the referee and one card away from missing two of the most crucial games Everton will play this season was a poor judgement call. I'm sure Everton can manage without Fellaini for both Anfield trips and even with the Belgian in the side, we may still get beat, but you know what? I'd have preferred to have him out there than watching from the stands.

Filbert Street, December 2008

2009-01-09T21:54:00.006Z

Further to my Leicester expedition, here is a bit of what was Filbert Street

The tatty blue fence is the edge of what would have been the entrance to the South Stand, home of the infamous 'Baby Faced Crew' or something similar. The road it sits on is Lineker Road.

http://www.oldgrounds.co.uk/filbert_street_leicester.htm - provides some better pictures.

The Walkers Stadium, Leicester

2009-01-08T21:40:00.006Z

It's not my fault right, but I was born in Leicester. I went back there for a year when I was about 21 and lived a short walk - 300 yards - from Filbert Street. It was a good location because the (more) famous Welford Road, home to the Leicester Tigers RUFC, was even closer so we were able to take our pick of sporting entertainment in the event that EFC were not playing that weekend, or more likely I was short of cash.

Anyway, I recently went back for a day, mainly to watch the Tigers play Perpignan, but also to do some Christmas shopping on the cheap at Leicester Market and poke through the door of some old haunts. The new football ground in Leicester is the Walker Stadium. City were playing at home so I couldn't get inside but took some quick snaps in the growing gloom of a winter evening. As with other new stadiums, it looks functional and there is the ubiquitous car dealership, hotel and road to nowhere. And an interesting electricity power station across the street. That's a nice touch.

It's better than Wigan and at least the retail area around it is low key. Critically I would imagine for most Leicester City fans, it is not too far from the original Filbert Street so club officials and local planners will not have alienated tens of thousands of local supporters by moving the ground, oh I don't know, let's say 5 miles outside the city outskirts? I mean, who does that these days?

January 7th 1994

2009-01-07T21:20:00.003Z

Every now and again I take a look at the official Everton website, mainly to find out ticket news for forthcoming away matches. Like all official sites, it's safe and bland, but fortunately not as unpleasant as some the can read like Pravda in colour with an interactive shopping experience tagged on the side. Some of people's comments to the news stories are blindingly funny.

Anyway, my favourite bit is the section dedicated to 'on this day in' theme. Useful for getting the memory cogs turning and reminding ourselves of great, and not-so-great, times in our history.

So, on this day in 1994, Everton finally got their man in the shape of Mike Walker. Walker had no real resume aside from a short, but relatively highly successful period with Norwich that saw a team including Chris Sutton, Ruel Fox, Jeremy Goss et al compete in the fledgling Premier League and reach the latter stages of the UEFA Cup, beating Bayern Munich at some point.

Walker couldn't cope at Everton. His reign peaked with a battering of Swindon at home, culminating in the infamous Wimbledon match to ensure our survival on the last day of the season (thanks Hans Segers). A hapless summer was spent trying to sign anyone who'd stepped foot on a field in the US World Cup '94, including Martin Dahlin and the abortive pursuit of 'Muller', we ended up with Amokachi and Vinny Samways. The start of the 94/95 season was hideous. My recollection is not picking up our first win until about the 9th game at home to West Ham. Walker was out of his depth, the team had no spine and he had no answers. A few days after the West Ham win (another turning point, Mike), the silver fox was sacked and Joe Royle stepped through the door looking like he was meant for the job for life.

Ironically, it was Walker who bought Everton's most celebrated player of recent times, Duncan Ferguson, down from Rangers, initially on load along with Ian Durrant. I watched them at Portsmouth in a cup tie; the club had mispelled Durrant's surname on his shirt. Ferguson looked mean and moody and was unplayable. It rained, there was no roof on the stand and we got beat. Maybe 3-2.

Hated Mike Walker. Loved Joe Royle.

http://www.evertonfc.com/history/on-this-day.html

January looks good

2009-01-04T18:08:00.004Z

So our win at Moss Rose yesterday has been rewarded with a plum home draw in the next round against non-league Kettering.

Sorry, my mistake, we're going to Anfield to give it a go against current league leaders and all-round media folk heroes, Liverpool FC. In the space of two weeks we go to Anfield twice, entertain Arsenal a few days after the cup tie, and then go to Old Trafford on February 2nd. A testing period. Having just discussed it with a mate who also turns 30 in January, he's opting to get solid drunk for about 3 weeks and sober up for Feb 3rd. Numbs the pain etc.

History tells me we haven't played Liverpool in any cup competition since the infamous three-match series from 1991, including the classic Goodison 4-4 game. The eventual home win for Everton a week later meant nothing as we capitulated in the next round under the lights at Upton Park which turned one Stuart Slater into a football legend for a short-time as he turned our back line that night, especially Neil McDonald, around time and again. It was horrible.

Still, we may well have Leroy Lita on board in time to become an Everton legend. Lita is currently tearing it up in the Championship with, er Norwich.

Told you so

2009-01-02T15:41:00.003Z

So Louis Saha is officially gone for (another) five weeks. The hamstring he tweaked at White Hart Lane appears more serious than the medics first thought. Or maybe it's just a case that Saha's injury history that has blighted his entire career, is making itself known to the backroom staff, medical people and management at Goodison Park. Let's hope he's still on a pay-as-you-play basis eh? It's probably too early to say, but all things point to Saha's Everton career being a short and frustrating one.

Five weeks is a nice prognosis tho, because it falls nicely in calendar terms ending around the first week of February, just days after the now legendary transfer window is closed shut by Mrs F.A down in London. With Yak and James Vaughan gone for the season and Saha out til February at the earliest, we've got Victor Anichebe plus a collection of youngsters from the reserves and Cahill / Fellaini to spearhead Everton's front line. Not something likely to reap dividends in our push for a Top 6 finish. Cahill and Fellaini are doing great, but they cannot be expected to play with such commitment and effort until May. The kids don't look to be much in favour with Moyes and Victor isn't exactly prolific. All of which means we need a striker with experience, preferably at the top level in January.

It's alright to say we've managed in the last month, and Moyes' beloved 4-5-1 got us to the Champions League qualifiers in 2004 with Marcus Bent leading the line, but football moves on quickly and defences at the top table find this strategy out.

Hang on, Marcus Bent...

January 1st 2009

2009-01-01T15:22:00.001Z

Bloomfield Road

2008-12-29T21:58:00.002Z

Unless he was just there for the uniquely English seaside experience, we got a good indication as to which pond Everton will be fishing in come January. David Moyes was at tonight's Blackpool vs Wolves Championship dust-up at Bloomfield Road in all it's 3-sided glory. If you believe the papers, he's been itching to sign Wayne Hennessey, the 21-year old Wolves 'keeper since he left school. But then we're not exactly short on keepers are we? Moyes has also been regularly linked to Ebanks-Blake, the nippy Wolves forward. However as the Mighty Wanderers are firmly in the hunt for promotion this season, you can't really believe they'd be willing to upset their squad at present and risk it affecting their campaign.

Maybe he just fancied a reminder of what life is like outside the cozy confines of the Premier League?

Everton in home win shock

2008-12-29T21:42:00.002Z

Finally I see a home win for Everton this season. I missed the only previous one at home to Fulham, watching it in a Hong Kong darts bar with a Chinese gambling fanatic. Darts Bars are the new thing in Hong Kong - plastic arrows with those weird pre-holed boards and automatic scoring systems.

Anyway, not only did we comfortably dispatch a disappointing Sunderland 3-0, but we did it with some good football borne out of a recent run of decent displays. You could see a level of confidence returning once we went in front. The back line held firm with Jags marshaling the pacey threat of Cisse and Lescott 'managing' the strength of Kenwyne Jones. I liked Baines and Hibbert at full-back too. The middle partnership of Arteta and Phil worked as productively as it did against Chelsea on Monday night, but they didn't have much to challenge their dominance on the opposite side. Once again, Pienaar's invention was a real threat down the flanks and the two makeshift forwards ran themselves into the ground. If I was to be slightly critical, then I'd say Fellaini struggled until he was subbed, but at least he didn't get booked.

The introduction of youngster, Dan Gosling, was good to see. I read rave reviews of his play last season in the Championship for Plymouth and couldn't see why we hadn't blooded him sooner. According to the press, he was immense against Boro on Boxing Day so I was a bit perplexed to see him left out as Osman returned. Gosling's first act once on the pitch was to drive at pace straight at the Sunderland back line resulting in an inevitable foul. Now that was refreshing to see some direct play out wide. Minutes later Gosling capped a great cameo with a tap-in from Lescott's left-wing cross to seal the game at 3-0. A good introduction for the lad.

It was a timely win and a necessary one for a couple of reasons. We need to start winning at home and match our away performances this season. In addition, January is not pretty fixture wise, with Liverpool away, Arsenal at Goodison. United at Old Trafford is a nice way to start February. Realistically - you could of course argue that it's a good time to be playing Arsenal just now - Hull City on January 10th, is our best hope for a 3-point win. We need to keep in the mix as we go into February when the fixture list is kinder to our pursuit of a top 6 finish.

Ballack et al. Part 2

2008-12-27T16:20:00.002Z

How good were Everton on Monday night? Even if it was against 10-men for a large part of the match. We've got no forwards and still managed to make a decent fist of it against one of the best sides in the Premier League. Obviously Chelsea held onto the ball better and put some good periods of possession together, but even when the Drog came on, they didn't give Everton a great deal to worry about. In the past, that would have ended in an annoying 1-0 defeat courtesy of Frank Lampard or Joe Cole, not this time. We pushed on, played some good football and the work that Cahill and Fellaini are putting in as makeshift forwards as present is excellent.

Fellaini has started to look like a very good player in the making. I was really sceptical at first. I think it's fair to say for the first 5 to 10 matches he tended to look bewildered, off the pace and totally lost at times. But in almost every game, we've had a glimpse of the potential and I think a year on, and a quality midfielder alongside him, and we'll see the value in the £15m investment.

Worth noting too that the fans were in fine form on Monday night. Very vocal, certainly from the point John Terry was carded, and right to the end of the game. Made for a great atmosphere. And well done referee Phil Dowd for having the guts to book some of the real whiners in the Chelsea ranks. The highlight being the carding of Ashley Cole after demonstrating the Everton wall was the correct 10 yards back.

Book For Christmas

2008-12-23T20:50:00.003Z

The Everton Miscellany – Mark O’Brien

I’ve always been a fan of Mark O’Brien, initially through the When Skies Are Grey fanzine and now via the best Everton fan site out there with the online version of WSAG. It’s irreverent and doesn’t take all things Everton FC too seriously. After all, it is only a game. Crucially for me, it keeps the real whiners at bay.

The Everton Miscellany is part of a well-trodden football book formula, throwing in facts, trivia and short stories to create a perfect book for dipping in when you fancy it. All the main UK football clubs have one; Everton dragging along at the back, beaten to the publishers by Leicester City. The 148 pages is packed full of balanced bits of trivia and interesting text. The short, punchy paragraphs avoid getting too detailed and the entire book is nicely broken up by ‘player pics’, biographies of a handful of our greatest players, a few who also became managers. Legends one and all. It all starts with Dixie Dean as early as page four and quickly onto the second most prolific scorer in the club’s history, Graeme Sharp. No sign of Stuart Barlow.

There’s an account of Latchford’s 30-goal season, the ’64 betting scandal, Ball’s white boots and non-player related info on the origin of the Z-Cars theme tune and Eddie Kavanagh’s race across the pitch from Wembley ’66. We’re 9th on the all time Premier League table – somehow that doesn’t surprise me - and there is a nice bit on Poll’s bottling the Goodison derby result in 2000, disallowing Hutchison’s goal. A classic understated post-match quote from Walter Smith, manager at the time: “the referee took the easy way out”. You don’t say Walter.

The list of foreign players to have donned a royal blue jersey makes for painful reading in the chapter ‘Foreign Legion’. I know every club has a comparable list compiled over the last 15 years, but what a shower in the shape of Kroldrup, Nyarko, Bakayoko, Tal, Claus Thomsen, Rehn, Degn and Li Wei Feng. Incidentally, Sweden has provided the most imports down the years (totalling five) with Limpar being the only really good one.

It’s a nice piece of work and short on faults. OK, I don’t think David Johnson is listed in the section on players who had two spells with the club, and Bjarni Vidarsson is Icelandic, not Norwegian. The hand-drawn pictures that accompany the Goodison Legends biographies are, however, diabolical. Joe Royle looks like a cross between Desperate Dan and Alan Shearer and I couldn’t begin to guess who the drawing of Howard Kendall is actually based on. But in a way they add to the appeal in their awfulness.

So, to remind yourself of Peter Reid’s ‘just for men’ transformation, Fergie’s 8 dismissals for Everton and an account of our most recent, and maybe last title win from 1987, rush out tomorrow and treat yourself to this little blue book for £9.99. Or buy two and give the other to someone who needs reminding of the words of Alan Ball, “once Everton has touched you nothing will be the same”.

Ballack et al

2008-12-22T11:44:00.002Z

Off to see Everton take on Chelsea tonight. Looking forward to seeing a few top class players in the flesh, and see how Chelsea cope with our new 4-6-0 formation. Chelsea are very competent away from home and Everton have been terrible at Goodison all season. In addition, Chelsea have the opportunity to take advantage of Liverpool's inability to beat 10-man Arsenal yesterday, and go top. Chelsea have some great players, proper ones. If you give it some thought, and escape from Sky's Orwellian-style promotion work that would have us believe every Premiership player is Pele in disguise for a moment, you can probably count the number of truly great footballers in England using just your fingers. OK, maybe the odd toe. I'll give you Ronaldo, Rooney and Rio at Manchester United; Torres and Gerrard at Liverpool; Cech, Terry, Carvalho, Ballack, Lampard and Drogba at Chelsea. Arsenal look like they've got some starlets in the making and they play some cracking, attractive football but would either Man Utd or Chelsea swap what they've got for Adebayor? Liverpool might. Fabregas will be a top class player in a couple of years.

And that's the lot. There are some good looking youngsters at Villa (as we found out), and Owen is still knocking about in the frozen tundra of the North East crying for an escape route to a 'big' club. City signed Robinho but is he really that good? Scores at Eastlands but is found out away at Hull as many predicted, so much that it now looks as if he just excludes himself from selection to avoid the coach trip.

Away from our match tonight, Manchester United won the World Club Cup or Club World Cup, in Tokyo. Is anyone really interested outside of United's financial controllers and their legion of TV-viewing fans in places like Singapore? Tim Vickery writes a great blog relating to how strong European football is compared to South America on the BBC site. United beat Liga of Quito, a team from Ecuador. Ecuador.

Pietersen's Hundred

2008-12-21T21:08:00.004Z

I watched Kevin Pietersen's 15th Test Match century on Sky this morning. There aren't many players worth paying to watch play cricket for England, but KP is the genuine article. A sportsman with the talent to back up his arrogance and belief in his own ability. I can't think of many English sportsmen who can combine the two. Anyway, Pietersen's century threw up a raft of stats as ever, the most impressive being the sheer speed at which he's now scored 4000 test match runs. The quickest apparently in terms of days since his test debut, and joint 3rd on the list of English batsmen to reach 4000 run in fewest number of test. In Pietersen's case, that is just 45, matching Jack Hobbs. The two above Pietersen on the list are equally illustrious: Herbert Sutcliffe (43) and Len Hutton (44).

The other interesting fact handed out by the Sky commentary team was that Pietersen is the first England captain to score a test match hundred against India since Tony Greig in 1977. Before that, Tony Lewis did it in Kampur in 1973. Which in itself throws up another interesting fact - none of them were born in England. Pietersen is from Pietermaritzburg in the Natal region of South Africa; Greig is from the Eastern Cape and Lewis from the not-so-exotic Swansea, South Wales.

Carnaby Street, Saturday

2008-12-15T19:50:00.000Z

I couldn't face a trip to the City of Manchester Stadium on Saturday opting instead for a day free of football, exchanging it for Xmas shopping. Given the Villa match and my reaction, a day in the West End surrounded by idiotic Italian tourists and Kentish chav schoolgirls seemed like my best bet for purging the soul. And it rained. All day.

Breaking loose at one stage and crossing through Carnaby Street, I came across the Soccer Scene shop. Amongst a ton of replica Arse, Chels, Manure, Milan, Brazil and Celtic tops were a handful of Arteta 10 jerseys. Better still, in the bargain bucket were a collection of ProStars (Bigheads) including what appeared to be a few hundred Andy Johnsons. Some could easily have been Tommy Gravesen. I grabbed myself one and then struck gold with a legend one which said it was Andy Gray. Make your own decision. Two pound each. A snip.

Villa Horror Show

2008-12-11T20:49:00.003Z

I'm not sure, it could be one of those perception things, but Everton appear to get involved is silly games against Villa, usually coming off worst. I remember watching us get tanked at Villa Park in the late 80s / early 90s, losing 6-2 and I think one of our two was an own-goal. Mind you, Villa were an odd beast in those days, playing 3 hideous centre-backs, and David Platt. Kent Neilson anyone? Oh, and of course, one of my early introductions to Everton came as I ended up blubbing beside a radio listening to us lose the umpteenth replay in the '77 League Cup Final.

So Sunday saw us limp into a tough-looking fixture with just one recognisable forward on the books fit, play our best 90 minutes of the entire season, running Villa ragged for most of the first half and somehow managing to lose two goals in the 1st and 93rd minutes. In between, the team was mostly excellent apart from an aberration by Jags, and a crucial last 30 seconds when everyone collectively nodded off to allow Ashley Young to ruin our weekend. I still don't know how it happened and I cannot face watching it again, but it did seem to encapsulate Everton's entire season to date: we are seemingly unable to remain focused for the duration of the match. In addition, in every game, at least one player will stink the place out. Sunday was Jagielka's turn. After he played the best pass Ashley Young will get all season, he visibly went to pieces until the last 10 minutes of the game. Arteta seemed to be at fault for losing the ball for both Villa's first and final goal - he is having a nightmare season.

Dare I say it that we actually looked slightly better in the final 8 minutes or so after Shandy came on? I'm certain he delivered a number of more accurate passes into the box for our new front line of Fellaini and Lescott than Arteta had managed all game.

Surreal.

Credit Crunch Pies

2008-12-09T19:35:00.005Z

On Monday I got news that Pimbletts, a St Helens bakery since 1921, had gone into administration. The shops had been sold to a Leigh-based bakers, but the original bakery in College Street, St Helens, would be closing for good with the loss of 80 jobs. Now, I'm not from St Helens but my parents are, and various members of the family were born and bred there. A trip to the City Road pie shop was part of my childhood routine as it was a regular weekly aspect for my grandparents dating back to pre-war days. Even in 2008, I would stop en route to Goodison to pick up a selection of pies, vanilla slices, egg custards and a fruit tart (for Mum) and I live 200 miles away.

The business had been in trouble for some time, amazingly still family-run. It's seen off many recessions, some worst than the '08 version, war and the blight that badly affected the North West in the 1980s. St Helens is known as the home of Pilkington glass and a top-class rugby league side. It can seem a dour and unimpressive place to an outsider and the loss of a local institution like Pimbletts will do the town no favours and will have left locals shocked. A good illustration of the impact of the closure comes from St Helens' expats. My mother rang me at work having received a call from her bewildered brother-in-law from Canada who subscribes to the online version of the St Helens Reporter. At about the same time, a work colleague from St Helens mailed me the text transcript on the story. He wonders how life will be without another Pimbletts steak pie.

The Steel City Tour, Brighton Centre

2008-12-06T21:35:00.001Z

It’s a Friday night and about 3000 people are waiting for Heaven 17 to come on stage at the Brighton Centre. There’s a level of eager anticipation amongst the crowd as this is the first part of a trilogy of Sheffield’s finest pop bands that make up the touring Steel City Tour.

The band final emerge to a polite round of applause. A moments hush descends as the last of the crowd finish their mobile calls home giving promises to their teenage kids that they won’t be too late home, or similar homespun instructions to Friday’s babysitters. Glenn Gregory struts across the stage looking as debonair as I remembered, sporting a waistcoat and fedora hat. Only he and Martyn Ware remain. Ian Craig Marsh opted out of the tour, back at University or something. As youthful as Gregory is, Martyn Ware is not. He’s happy enough though tucked behind a bank of keyboards: a cross between your slightly seedy uncle and Roland Rivron. No matter, Gregory belts out a tune, the support band is professional – the drummer looks 16 - and the two backing girls hit every note. And Billie Godfrey is from Brighton too.

The great thing about music is its ability to pass through time. It’s emotive and provides us all with nostalgic moments. I can still recall hearing Heaven 17’s Penthouse & Pavement album for the first time. I was with a group of teenage friends having a picnic in a sunny Berkshire field. A new lad from Merseyside brought his tape deck and a copy of the album south. It was 1982, and Alex had an older sister who was already living the New Romantic dream in Reading. I was hooked.

The 17 tore through their 40-minute set. I fully expected them to end with Temptation and they did just that. It was fantastic and exactly what the audience wanted to hear. They kicked off the set with Fascist Groove Thing and got treated to Come Live With Me, and Penthouse. We learnt that Let Me Go is both Glenn and Martyn’s favourite H17 track and that we’d been the best audience so far on tour. And because we’re in Brighton, we got a special high-energy, techno version Geisha Boys. Well, I think that’s what Gregory meant.

Twenty minutes later, after a glass of water and a sit down, we’re back in for ABC. In reality it’s just Martin Fry. No matter. Can anybody remember the other three original members anyway? Fry looks now like a Tory MP from Norfolk, or Max Moseley. But like Gregory before him, Fry can still sing. A bigger band supports him, and you get the impression more instruments means more sound. H17 relied more on keyboards – not a great surprise – whereas the men no longer in gold lame suits have got a guitar, keyboard and a rather too lively girl accompanying on percussion. She came into her own whilst imitating a rodeo rider on ABC’s new track ‘Ride’. It struck me at this point that these guys are attempting to write pop songs for a generation who don’t want pop music anymore. Pop is a young person’s game and the mistake reforming pop acts make is mentally dropping back into the era that first made them famous. Ride sounded like a watered-down Prince. And he’s 50. Fry ran through a 40-minute set of classics, hitting the high notes on cue and completing the show with the classic ‘Look of Love’. The audience lapped it up.

Yet another intermission and another opportunity for a breather. The Human League topped the bill. Aside from being last on, you got the impression Phil Oakey was behind the whole thing. That could have explained his appearance for the opening track ‘Seconds’, impersonating Morpheus from the Matrix. Behind him the set was serious. You could have been in the Apple Store in Regents Street, enough for me to be checking around for a brochure to take away. Dry ice and a deliberate build-up with just 3 mics visible from the pit below. The emerging stage was a two-level affair with a trio of keyboard players motionless on the higher level. As we moved onto Mirror Man we got our first glimpse of Joanne and Susan. It was refreshing to see that even after close on 30 years the singing is hardly improved and the dance moves beggar belief. Joanne is inexplicably wearing a flapper dress for the first couple of numbers. I can’t stop staring as she mouths the words verbatim over the course of the next 45 minutes, as aside from walking backstage and forward a couple of times, I’m not sure she lifts her feet once. She could be any 40-something mother of two at a family wedding after two glasses of Pinot Grigio. The other one is robotically turning left and right with her arms above her head. Phil is singing Mirror Man; Susan is dancing to Hey Mickey.

Four songs in, including dragging Empire State Human back from 1979, Phil stopped for a breather. The hushed audience listened as Phil applauded H17 and ABC. A cry of “I love you Phil” from the bloke behind me drifted away amidst the smoke. The gals returned and we were off with The Lebanon, (Keep Feeling) Fascination, more costume changes before arriving at Don’t You Want Me (Baby). Susan is still flinging her arms around and slightly off the beat but she’s dragged the original white fur coat used for the Don’t You video out of the wardrobe. As with both ABC and H17, the best was saved for last. The audience sung along with every word. I wondered how many of these people had seen any or all of these groups in their 80s hey-day? I didn’t. Just like catching Prince at the o2 Arena last year, I did it to make up for missing him first time round. I was slightly disappointed at Phil’s need to thank everyone one final time in the middle of Don’t You Want Me, but he was seemingly as euphoric as the middle-aged crowd in front of him.

As people drifted out into the cold December night air, everyone had a favourite track that hadn’t been played. Hardly surprising when each act had barely 45 minutes per set. Minor detail. All said, it was a solid show and we’d all gorged ourselves for just less than 3 hours of great songs and great memories from a time when such events would end with a lift home from your Dad.

Berks

2008-12-04T20:35:00.003Z

I forgot to say. Here's a perfect reason for avoiding the internet. A post on the caughtoffside site.

Jsug - December 4th, 2008 at 8:05 pm

everton dont av a say as u r 2 dreadful.

You just have to pray he's about 12.

Nonsense report on forums. Shock

2008-12-04T20:22:00.003Z

A friend of mine reported today a list of utter nonsense appearing on the various forums found at Everton fansites on the web. Varying ideas on who we should be signing in January. I hope he wasn't having a go at me now I think about it. Anyway, three of his highlights were -

Bring back Marcus Bent
Sign David Nugent
What about giving Castillo a game? He looked good in the matches I saw

In fact, these are probably some of the less ridiculous posts you could find if you looked hard enough. You can't argue with Nugent's goalscoring record at Pompey: doesn't play, doesn't score. Probably 100 per cent record.

Looks like Fowler is going to opt for Grimsby. Gutted.

Owen

2008-12-03T21:10:00.002Z

Let's face it, the fact that we can all set up a website or start writing our own blogs doesn't mean any of it is any good. It's public time-wasting. And football rumours are the epitome of time-wasting on the internet. Even the BBC has a 'football gossip' bit.

Tribalfootball specialises in hashing, and re-hashing football nonsense. It's a reason why people call radio phone-in shows like 606 demanding manager of Club X be sacked after 3 games in charge, having never seen the team play except via the google-box. Today, I came across this pearl of wisdom from caughtoffside, working from a piece of rubbish from tribalfootball about Michael Owen possibly moving to Everton in January.

And another thing. Message to the England cricket team. Get a grip, get back to India and play the two tests. Either that or give back the money you're paid to play.

Super Swede

2008-12-01T21:57:00.003Z

From hearing the news about Yak's injury and Saha's hammy last night, I put the stopwatch on how long it would be before I heard about Everton being linked with Emile Heskey and Henrik Larsson. It was about 9 hours. Officially like. Heskey will be sold in January, Larsson a likely loan option (stop me if you've heard this one before)... Oddly, Helsingborgs IF are not saying anything official on their official website like. Official. Not even in Swedish.

Over the next 48hrs, watch out for links to Riquelme, Michael Owen, Mido, Tony Blair, that bloke tearing it up at Leeds, the Hunt Bros at Reading, maybe even Robbie Fowler if the mighty Blackburn can spare him?

God Is Great

2008-11-30T21:44:00.001Z

Nice one Steve. A Spurs mate from work gave me an armload of stats about how (relatively) poor both Everton and Spurs have been in the Premiership down the years - like it needed a load of statistics to tell fans of both clubs that. Anyway, the only one that really matters was another 3 points won at 'the Lane', making it three wins there in 3 years. Our away form still conspires to put further emphasis on our appalling performances at home this season. The bad news, and there was plenty, sees Yakubu gone for the season to an achilles injury and Louis Saha picking up a hamstring putting him out (probably) for a couple of weeks. Who knows what predictions you can make when a 30-year old, injury prone power striker goes down with this type of injury.

What we do collectively know is that our near goal-scoring future is likely to lie with young Victor Anichebe leading the line, possibly supported by Tim Cahill. Reverting to Moyes' trusted 4-5-1 formation is on the cards, only this time at least it is forced and not by choice. I like Vic's aptitude and maybe a run in the team with a set role could see him develop a bit? I would imagine most pressure will be on the midfield trio of Cahill, Osman and Pienaar to provide a more realistic goal threat.

The Next Big Thing

2008-11-28T14:55:00.002Z

Some interesting news doing the rounds on various internet sites from a brief article in a recent edition of the Liverpool Echo mentioning Michael Branch. At one point in the mid-90s, Michael Branch was being spoken about in very hushed tones as the next big thing. Unfortunately for Michael, he wasn't, but Everton did find the genuine article some years later as Wayne Rooney emerged from our academy scheme. Branch never cracked it at Goodison, did OK for a while at Wolves but fell down through the football pyramid ending up at Halifax Town. Now though, he's off to try and kick-start his career in Australia, trying out at Queensland Roar.

In amongst the various web notes, I came across this link on a site called 'Up The Posh'.

Thai takeover

2008-11-26T21:42:00.004Z

Nothing to do with a multi-millionaire Thai businessman buying Everton. I got a call this morning at 8am from a work colleague. He runs our nightshift and was calling to let me know he's stuck in Bangkok as the airport has been closed by anti-government protesters. He reckons he'll find a few things to keep him occupied whilst waiting for the military to move in and end the blockade. Visiting temples and so on.

Oddly he didn't mention anything about Everton's swift response to the government's PBR commitment to lowering the VAT rate to 15 per cent by reducing ticket prices by a pound. But then nobody else did either.

O'Shea

2008-11-25T21:05:00.002Z

To recover my senses from last night's diabolical showing by Everton, I'm dipping in to a bit of Champions League, watching Villareal take on Man Utd. Not a fan of the concept or the hype. The competition has been found out and they'd be better getting it over with and giving a bye to the top English sides through to the quarter-finals each year. But that isn't my point. My point is this. Despite Manchester United being the best side in England for nearly 20 years now, Ferguson remains loyal to one donkey in every generation of the brilliant squads he builds. The current incumbent is John O'Shea. If O'Shea is on the team sheet and United are playing your side, you know how Fergie rates your team. O'Shea is a football barometer - if the match doesn't matter, or the manager is supremely confident of a United win, O'Shea plays. It rarely backfires.

Watch out for O'Shea signing for Everton over the next couple of seasons. That's just our luck.

Wigan

2008-11-25T13:28:00.002Z

Awful. Awful. Awful. Again. I have an opinion on Everton's season to date. I think we've played well for a solitary 45 minutes in the second half against Man Utd at home. That's it. We battled well at Stoke and played reasonably in patches at West Ham and Hull. Pretty much everything else has been rank. And the Wigan game yesterday was a perfect illustration. No tactical approach, no guile, no style. If you don't have any decent footballers in the starting eleven (and i'm excluding Arteta here now because anyone who delivers set pieces as badly as he is doing isn't a good player), you have to fight for it. That's what we did when Joe Royle turned up in the 90s. Fought well until he could add craft. But we seem to have elected not to bother and the best footballers also happen to be the smallest and most easily dealt with by the stronger players in the Premier League (Osman, Pienaar).

On paper and looking at the League table, Wigan were bad. They didn't even play well but beat Everton quite comfortably. If Tim Howard hadn't been in top save-making mode it could have been a three goal defeat.

I see us live most weeks and have felt we've been riding our luck and getting unmerited results for weeks; Fulham at home, Bolton and West Ham away. Didn't outplay any of those three mediocre teams. Middlesboro looked at ease for most of the home game last weekend. Don't fancy a festive run up to Xmas.

Rank.