paul

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Yes Q8 I don't mind whether it it is in a home ST area or a home non ST area

I do find it interesting myself from a EFC social point of view rather than from a religious perspective. The Everton old firm songs that we done, well those that I know the words of, were actually sung with the original sectarian bashing removed and replaced with kopite bashing instead! I think it was more a case of that's a good tune and I like Rangers/Celtic, and so write an Everton footballing version. Eg, The Everton Athenry version was made up in the Winslow in the 80s when the Celtic fans were coming down. So our fans heard them singing it, thought that's good then done an Everton version. I have heard from a couple of different Liverpool sources that Liverpool's version of FOA was actually based on Everton's version, and was done a good 8-10 years later if not more. Like most Everton songs though they don't stretch to being sung en masse but are sung in smaller numbers, hence why some fans think we've got half a dozen songs while others know we've had hundreds.

Do you know if that was early or late 70s? I know in the 60s to very early 70s there were a few adaptations of the Old Firm songs ie Merry Ploughboy, GOT, Sash, Follow Follow, but they went off the boil a bit when it got serious on the news in the early 70s. Time forgets and the late 70s and 80s saw a revival of interest, the Rangers/Celtic chant come in which was arguably equal in shouts, but the 80s saw a visible shift to Celtic with the bobble hats (arguably this was because Green and Blue stands out more than blue and blue?) but nevertheless Celtic and Everton became the fan association that people made. Celtic fans were noted for coming down to Goodison in the 80s in good numbers (were they regular visitors before?, did Rangers come down too previously?). Good numbers of Celtic also went to Anfield meaning that their fanbase was split Everton/Liverpool. Naturally this interest may have resulted in new songs being adapted to Celtic songs? I know Liverpool's Boys of the Old Brigade was from the 80s (don't know when their Soldier Song was) so maybe ours was then (let us know if you find it on youtube). I know GOT was revived on the terraces in the mid 80s. There was an Everton version of Athenry but I reckon that was more the late 80s, not to be outdone our Everton/Rangers fans showed they were still around by doing one to the Rangers version of Athenry, a Fathers Advice then too.

Any idea on any of our words to either of them? Roughly when did our versions originate from?

Does anyone know if we ever sung versions of the Soldier Song or Boys of the old brigade?

With this question people need to distinguish between, Everton the organisation that includes the committee structure, or Evertonians as in the actual fans. For the latter, we have a large fanbases from both.

You can't see past the penalty area of the Park End when stood, but GT4 (and GT3) is the best part in the ground as it's the Everton away area in the home end! It is worth sacrificing the view for it. If you don't like it then just get your ticket earlier next time.

Would anybody know his player song was?

I've probably stood by you at the match many a time Goldfish. I used to love the back of the Gwladys St, best part of the stadium by far for the atmosphere. I've not been in there this season so I'm starting to itch to go back in there.

I came across a couple of recent Everton books by John Fowler - 'Pops why did Everton win the league in 87' and 'Everton or What'. I wonder if it's them? I've ordered the latter off ebay

You've got me on that one. I thought I knew them all but no. I think you've got yourself a rare gem there

What's the book about?

We are talking about standing up. I see it as a human right to stand up. How someone kicking a ball 50 yards a way makes that unsafe, whereas seconds before a fella blows a whistle makes it safe is just beyond comprehension. Plus why is it ok to stand in the exact same stadium but a Rugby match is going on? Or if a lower league game is happening? Or why is it ok for a manager to stand up? If a stadium cannot safely accomodate a fan doing an everyday action then it is not fit for purpose. What next, fans must sit in the concourse? Fans must not scratch their heads? I sit out of politeness to the person behind me, if that person is happy for me to stand then I will.

Thanks for the responses, perhaps I should change my question to did w chant 'We are the Champions, Champions of England'? As I think Europe may only have been added as a drunken twist on the above going by the responses.

After winning the CWC in 85 did we used to chant "We are the Champions, Champions of Europe"? Thanks

When buying away ticket can you have a choice of what your seat/general area is? ie if not the exact row then even pick near the front, at the back, side etc? Or are you always given a randon seat that could be anywhere? I know you can choose for example upper tier or lower tier (if we're given both), plus Man U is split into two prices, so you have a choice there, but can you get a more specific area?

Would anyone on here who went in the Gwladys Street in the late 70s remember which player we adapted the song When a Child is Born for?

They overtook us in the 70s in terms of attendances. By thay stage we were similar succes wise so I'm not sure. Maybe they were marketed better so new fans thought they were supporting a fashionable club perhaps

Amusing, but I'm sure many people do have a Bentley so it's not impossible if you have the nous to get it.

Football is a competition. We should aim to be better than Liverpool on and off the pitch, and a stadium is huge to a club's identity. I want a better stadium than Liverpool, I want better fans than Liverpool, I want better atmospheres than Liverpool etc. If we shared ground, all new potential fans would see is one club filling the stadium, in the media spotlight and another not filling the stadium and looking inferior

A lot of the footy arguments between Everton and Liverpool fans are so tedious and tit for tat. Daft pride most of the time using a club to score points off another person.

You do need constructive ways to move the club forward. I agree. Let's have yours, and show us where you are upto with pushing them plans through. You never know someone may be able to help. The all consuming issue to me is the stadium. There are two possibilities, leave, or stay. As I said they have made a few options on how to do that, as you said they've looked at plans for elsewhere. So that is one of the aims of the BU that you asked for, you can go On their website if you want more. Do you think a new stadium will aid Everton? Re the protest, that is a general message to the board that people are not happy. Were you hoping for a song that everyone knew that included the entire aims of ther issues? Not practical.

Blue Union are made up of normal people who are supporting the club by doing what they can. As am I but my tactics are poor but the BU are doing a better job? Or is your point has been that you dont think theyre doing a good job but at least theyre trying to do something? By this, it was "they're doing something". You asked what are they doing, I told you, yet you are not happy with their effort as your reply above? So if you think their effort is not enough, or good enough, are you now going to shame us all with your efforts? Feel free to approach the plans for Goodison, and feel free to offer improvements, and amendments. We all benefit from improvements. Protests about what? Do you not remember them? Pressure on press to move on from the plucky Everton tag to having a closer look to having a look a nose into Everton's finances. My stance in this thread is that it's easy to sit back doing nothing and find holes in others actions.

If there's a valid point you believe I should have addressed put it down again, and I will. I thought I addressed what needed to be. I don't see it as a black and white issue whether they're doing a good job or not. It's about what your cause is and fighting any way you can to try and get some results. Perhaps it's like a match, I want to win first. How you win is secondary. Maybe you're more interested how you go about trying to win. They're still fighting the match is not over. Maybe you can sense a better way of achieving the cause, good, try it. I've done stuff like this before over the stadium issue so I know how tough it is to get the message out there. The finance stuff I haven't got involved in, I find it boring to be honest, so I haven't got involved in that side of the debate. I'm on a break, recharge the batteries, but I see their frustration from their side of the fence. You speak to people at the club who even admit they're not happy with certain elements but don't do anything about it themselves. You go to the Echo over those same elements and they dont touch it, you go to the fanzines they ignore the issue. Yet privately they agree with you. So what do you do if you're powerless to knock down a wall? You have to keep chipping away at the same point.