johnh

My favourite season was 1948/49, mainly because I didn't miss a single home game that season. The highlight was the record crowd of 78,299 against Liverpool 1 - 1. The lowest crowd that season was just over 25,000 against Blackpool. Everyone wanted to see Stanley Matthews playing for Blackpool but it was announced on the Friday that he wouldn't be playing. Perhaps the other reason for the low turnout was the fact that there was six inches of snow on the pitch and it was snowing heavily all day. Today, there is no way the game would be played but then they just seemed to get on with it. Everton won 5 - 0 with Eddie Wainwright bagging four. The odd thing is, the one thing I remember is that there was 6 inches of snow on top of the crossbars of the goal. In the first half Eddie Wainwright hit a shot that skimmed the bar and took a 'bite size' chunk out of the snow. it was still there when the game finished. I reckon that the average home crowd that season was not far short of 50,000. Another game I remember from that season was against Manchester City - it was on Christmas day. I had received my first pair of football socks as a Christmas present. In those times of austerity, just after the war, you couldn't just go out and get a pair of blue and white hooped socks, so I had to make do with red and navy blue hoops. Still, they were football socks and I wore them to the game on Christmas day. Frank Swift played a blinder for City and we had to make do with a 0- 0
draw. We played the return match against City two days later and it finished 0- 0 again.
I used to go with my brother who was 13 months older than me but several years older in maturity. After some games when Everton had lost I was almost in tears with frustration but my brother used to be able to analyse the game sensibly and identify just how much, and why, the opposition deserved to win. If he hadn't been my brother I'd have punched his lights out!
Saw my last game at Goodison in 1951 before we moved away from Liverpool but the memories of those days will be with me for ever.
 

My favourite season was 1948/49, mainly because I didn't miss a single home game that season. The highlight was the record crowd of 78,299 against Liverpool 1 - 1. The lowest crowd that season was just over 25,000 against Blackpool. Everyone wanted to see Stanley Matthews playing for Blackpool but it was announced on the Friday that he wouldn't be playing. Perhaps the other reason for the low turnout was the fact that there was six inches of snow on the pitch and it was snowing heavily all day. Today, there is no way the game would be played but then they just seemed to get on with it. Everton won 5 - 0 with Eddie Wainwright bagging four. The odd thing is, the one thing I remember is that there was 6 inches of snow on top of the crossbars of the goal. In the first half Eddie Wainwright hit a shot that skimmed the bar and took a 'bite size' chunk out of the snow. it was still there when the game finished. I reckon that the average home crowd that season was not far short of 50,000. Another game I remember from that season was against Manchester City - it was on Christmas day. I had received my first pair of football socks as a Christmas present. In those times of austerity, just after the war, you couldn't just go out and get a pair of blue and white hooped socks, so I had to make do with red and navy blue hoops. Still, they were football socks and I wore them to the game on Christmas day. Frank Swift played a blinder for City and we had to make do with a 0- 0
draw. We played the return match against City two days later and it finished 0- 0 again.
I used to go with my brother who was 13 months older than me but several years older in maturity. After some games when Everton had lost I was almost in tears with frustration but my brother used to be able to analyse the game sensibly and identify just how much, and why, the opposition deserved to win. If he hadn't been my brother I'd have punched his lights out!
Saw my last game at Goodison in 1951 before we moved away from Liverpool but the memories of those days will be with me for ever.
 

Moyes has stated that he will not allow Rooney to be transferred to a rival team in the Premiership. Apparently, Norwich City and Hull City are gutted.

Saturday 3.00pm Here are todays football results read by D J Campbell.

Moyes has stated that he will not allow Rooney to be transferred to a rival team in the Premiership. Apparently, Norwich City and Hull City are gutted.

The first article gives the impression that Peter Corr played in the late 1950's. I saw him play for Everton in the late 1940's. He was brilliant in the first half but ran out of steam in the second half (every game). There were no subs then so it was like playing with ten men in the second half. Peter Farrell, Everton captain, was brilliant. Never stopped running for 90 minutes. Was stood behind the goal when Peter Farrell scored for Ireland against England at Goodison (about 1948/49). Ireland won 2 - 0 which raised a few eyebrows as England didn't lose 'at home' in those days. They had never ever lost at Wembley. Tommy Eglington was a mercurial presence on the left wing. Can still see them all as though it was yesterday.

The first article gives the impression that Peter Corr played in the late 1950's. I saw him play for Everton in the late 1940's. He was brilliant in the first half but ran out of steam in the second half (every game). There were no subs then so it was like playing with ten men in the second half. Peter Farrell, Everton captain, was brilliant. Never stopped running for 90 minutes. Was stood behind the goal when Peter Farrell scored for Ireland against England at Goodison (about 1948/49). Ireland won 2 - 0 which raised a few eyebrows as England didn't lose 'at home' in those days. They had never ever lost at Wembley. Tommy Eglington was a mercurial presence on the left wing. Can still see them all as though it was yesterday.

The first article gives the impression that Peter Corr played in the late 1950's. I saw him play for Everton in the late 1940's. He was brilliant in the first half but ran out of steam in the second half (every game). There were no subs then so it was like playing with ten men in the second half. Peter Farrell, Everton captain, was brilliant. Never stopped running for 90 minutes. Was stood behind the goal when Peter Farrell scored for Ireland against England at Goodison (about 1948/49). Ireland won 2 - 0 which raised a few eyebrows as England didn't lose 'at home' in those days. They had never ever lost at Wembley. Tommy Eglington was a mercurial presence on the left wing. Can still see them all as though it was yesterday.

Thought it was a very poor decision. The only players blocking Hart's line of sight were the Man City players. Can't understand why the ref went to confer with the assistant ref as the assistant ref couldn't see who was blocking who from his position.

Who would want to sign a player who has refused to turn up for training or to play for his current club? Presumably he is still being paid.

Raheem Sterling just ruined a good suit. He was walking down Dale Street felt a butterfly land on his shoulder and automatically dived.

Went to help a poor old man who had fallen on the ice. At least I think he was poor, his wallet was empty.

Went to help a poor old man who had fallen on the ice. At least I think he was poor, his wallet was empty.

Went to help a poor old man who had fallen on the ice. At least I think he was poor, his wallet was empty.

Went to help a poor old man who had fallen on the ice. At least I think he was poor, his wallet was empty.

Pat found a pen. He said to Mick 'is this yours'. Mick took the pen and wrote on a piece of paper, then said 'yes its mine'. Pat said 'how do you know its yours?' Mick said 'its my handwriting'.

Guy bought a new Porsche. He wanted to boast so he put an entry on Facebook. 'Can't wait for the new 911'. In the next 24 hours he had 40,000 new Muslim friends.

Paid for the wife and her mother to go to Paris for a week. Shows how much I hate the bloody French!

Paid for the wife and her mother to go to Paris for a week. Shows how much I hate the bloody French!

Mourinho, Martinez, Wenger, Rodgers and Moyes were in the pub. Mourinho got the first round, five Portuguese beers. Martinez got the second round, five San Miguels. Wenger got the third round, five red wines. Rodgers got the fouth round, four pints of bitter. Moyes said 'where's mine' Martinez said 'this is the fourth round and you're not in it'.

ManU once the Goliath of English football, then David came along.

Pat found a pen. He said to Mick 'is this yours'. Mick took the pen and wrote on a piece of paper, then said 'yes its mine'. Pat said 'how do you know its yours?' Mick said 'its my handwriting'.

The reason defending has deteriorated is that tackling is being taken out of the game. Platini of UEFA has even stated that this is his objective. You only have to see some of the pathetic decisions from referees who seem to think its a foul every time a player falls over. Dixie Dean scored his 60 goals when tackling bordered on the GBH.

I was brought up during the war. There was no organised football during the war as all leagues were suspended for the duration. I was still football daft though, through playing in the street with an old tennis ball and the occasional game at school. We lived on Walton Hall Avenue in a cul-de-sac, almost opposite where Littlewoods Pools were, by the big girder bridge. Our cul-de-sac was our Wembley Stadium and we could always get enough lads to make two teams of five or six a side. One lad, Bernard Hogan, was a bit older than the rest and had seen some league games before the war. He was an Everton supporter and is the reason that my brother and I are Everton supporters to this day. Bernie Hogan had a photographic memory and he used to keep us spellbound with his commentary on the games he had seen. Almost kick for kick. He knew all the Everton greats and my hero became Dixie Dean, even though I had never seen him play, or even seen a photo of him.
One day, my dad took me and my brother to see an elderly gentleman. I have no idea to this day who he was. But he told us that he had been to the party which was held to celebrate Everton winning the FA Cup in 1933. He went to a drawer and got out an old stiff collar, the sort that was attached to a shirt with a collar stud. On the stiff collar were the autographs of all the Everton Cup winning team, including Dixie Dean. I remember holding the collar and touching Dixie Dean's autograph and the hairs stood up on the back of my neck.
A few years ago, I keyed in 'Dixie Dean' to Wikipedia and the information provided included the fact that when he retired, Dixie Dean worked as a Porter at Littlewoods Pools on Walton Hall Avenue. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck again. Just to think, all the time I was kicking a tennis ball around our cul-de-sac, the great Dixie Dean was no more than a couple of hundred yards away!
Finally saw my first live football match, aged 10 in 1946.
 

The reason defending has deteriorated is that tackling is being taken out of the game. Platini of UEFA has even stated that this is his objective. You only have to see some of the pathetic decisions from referees who seem to think its a foul every time a player falls over. Dixie Dean scored his 60 goals when tackling bordered on the GBH.