summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
I like this idea, thoughts ?
www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
With Everton exploring the idea of building statues to honour legendary figures from the club’s history at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Blues superfan Dr David France has outlined his ideas for the project.
arts of Hill Dickinson Stadium remain a blank canvas, and that more can be done to make it feel like home.
“As such, a project of ‘Evertonisation’ is ongoing. The addition of statues of club legends such as Dixie Dean and Howard Kendall are being considered.”
The ECHO understands that high-ranking Everton chiefs have subsequently discussed the matter as the club looks into the best ways to implement the project and choose suitable candidates.
Someone who is as well-qualified as anyone to have their say on such a pivotal decision is Dr France.
The 77-year-old sold his 10,000-item collection of Everton memorabilia to the club at a heavily discounted price so it could be kept for posterity while also founding the Everton Former Players’ Foundation to raise money for the physical and pastoral care of ex-professionals who have represented the club.
ney for the physical and pastoral care of ex-professionals who have represented the club.
Born in Widnes but based in North America for almost half a century, he has travelled over two million miles attending Everton matches and on Sunday he watched a game at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time as the Blues brought the curtain down on their first season at their new 52,769 capacity home by the banks of the Mersey. During his executive career in the oil and gas industry in Texas, Dr France was earmarked to be part of a taskforce to deliver a comparable vision in the Lone Star State, but given that scheme never came to fruition, he now wants Everton to get it right.
He told the ECHO: “A few decades ago I was involved in a similar project to establish a ‘boulevard of famous Texans’ leading to the gigantic 700,000-square feet, state-of-the-art convention centre in downtown Houston, which unfortunately was never fully implemented.
“At the outset, it is not my intention to pick the icons but rather describe a well-understood methodology to be adopted by a uniquely qualified panel of Everton experts – and, though we like to sing about knowing our history – there are few of them. If applied to future statues by the waterfront, it is vital that a systematic approach is adopted.
“In Everton’s case, I believe a valid approach would be to divide our past into 25-year blocks – that is 1878-1903, 1904-1928, 1929-1953, 1954-1978 and 1979-2003. Also, candidates would only considered more than 25 years after their active careers have been completed.
“As for eligibility, it should be recognised that major contributions have been made by club chairmen and managers as well as players. So, for example, the experts would be required to identify two men per period.
“Also, rather than the ad hoc approach now adopted for the Everton Giants, which results in bias towards recent players, research should be conducted on say 10 statues to be introduced over time. For example, one per year over the next decade with unveiling celebrations attended by fans, club and football officials plus local dignitaries.”
Dr France, who in 2011 was given the prestigious Citizen of Honour title from Liverpool’s Freedom of the City panel, becoming the first recipient for services to Merseyside football since Bill Shankly, believes that in the high finance world of the Premier League, the statues project would prove good value for money for the Blues. He said: “For a relatively modest investment, the Everton family has a tremendous opportunity to immortalise distinguished service over the club’s long and illustrious history.
“Equally importantly, there is an opportunity to add value to the fan experience at the new stadium, making it a top Merseyside tourist attraction. But, for me, perhaps what is more important than the names of the commemorated individuals is the well-considered process for their determination in order to reflect all eras of the club’s nearly 150-year heritage.
“The approach adopted for Gwladys Street’s Hall of Fame back in 1996 was influenced by advice and guidelines provided by the US Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
“While all candidates must have had a massive impact on the standing of the club – preferably without stain – selections are always somewhat subjective. How do you compare the merits of an early trailblazer in the 1880s with those of a trophy-laden star from the 1980s?”
Like all Evertonians, Dr France has got a list of names in his head who he thinks should be considered. He said: “As a fifth generation Evertonian, I offer my own, hopefully unbiased thoughts which have been shaped by tales of these individuals which were passed down within my family – especially by my grandfather – who was the architect of my royal blue indoctrination.
“For me, the list must include our pioneers from the 1878-1903 period. Possible players, which many younger Blues may not be aware of, include Jack McGill, our first recognised star from the 1880s, Mike Higgins who made the most pre-Football League appearances, Johnny Holt who was the club’s first England international and Jack Taylor, the first Everton captain to lift the FA Cup who also made 456 appearances.
“As for prime movers off the pitch, there is chairman George Mahon, ‘Blue Moses’ the mastermind behind the move to Goodison Park and, more controversially John Houlding, who was instrumental in the early years for two great football institutions in the city, going on to found Liverpool FC.
“Moving on to the 1904-1928 period, it is dominated by the unparalleled accomplishments of Dixie Dean, 383 goals in 433 matches, but the era also included the likes of Sandy Young, who scored the winning goal in our first FA Cup triumph but whose later life was marred by his conviction for the manslaughter of his brother. Another pathfinder is Jack Sharp, the football/cricket international who spent 11 years as a player, 16 years as a director and a lifetime as a household name throughout Merseyside due to his sporting goods shop.
“The following 1929-1953 period includes goalkeeper Ted Sagar whose Everton career spanned 497 appearances across almost 23 years and also, there is captain Peter Farrell who made a massive impact after the Second World War with 453 senior appearances, but tainted by relegation as well as superstars like Joe Mercer and TG Jones who both made unfortunate and contentious exits. Possibly their respective achievements are overshadowed by the deeds of ‘Mr Everton’ Will Cuff who served for 54 years as a secretary, director and chairman.
“The 1954-1978 era was enhanced by my dear friends Brian Labone, ‘the Last of the Corinthians’; Alex Young, ‘the Golden Vision’; Alan Ball; Ray Wilson, Everton’s World Cup winner; and the homegrown favourite Colin Harvey. However, arguably no-one, not even manager Harry Catterick, made such a gigantic contribution as billionaire businessman Sir John Moores.
“Finally, there is no shortage of candidates for the 1979-2003 period which includes everyone’s favourite Neville Southall who made a record 751 appearances and was rewarded with more silverware than any other Everton player plus his exceptional team-mates Kevin Ratcliffe and Peter Reid. Then there is another of my old pals Howard Kendall who despite having a couple of somewhat acrimonious exits, remains the club’s most successful manager.”
While Dr France, who was also the driving force behind founding the EFC Heritage Society, is advocating a rigid criteria for selection, as a man who appreciates works of art, he is open to the idea of this new generation of 21st century statues showing the subjects in more animated fashion than is often common with more traditional monuments. He said: “To reiterate, selecting say 10 statues is an unenviable task which I feel is best left to real Everton experts and historians.
“As for their impact, it is important that the poses adopted by the sculpture are expressive and memorable. For example, some can picture George Mahon with Goodison in his pocket, Big Nev resting against a goal-post during his half-time protest, Ray Wilson with the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy held high, Ted Sagar making a typically acrobatic save, Dixie, whose Goodison pose is inspirational, heading the ball and Alex Young defying the laws of gravity with breathtaking grace.
“The above are offered as mere examples – not my personal preferences. To reiterate, it is key that men must have made a massive impact on the standing of our great club and therefore significant expertise and debate is required to realise such a tremendous opportunity to immortalise distinguished service and add value to the fan experience in advance of the club’s 150th birthday celebrations.
“Football statues, though well intended, sometimes result in controversy. In addition to likeness issues like those associated with Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport and Ted Bates at Southampton, well-intended statue projects are often fraught with a lack of planning and an undefined selection criteria.”
Plan for Everton statues at Hill Dickinson Stadium outlined
Everton superfan Dr David France has outlined his own plans for how he feels the club should embark on a project to build statues at Hill Dickinson Stadium
With Everton exploring the idea of building statues to honour legendary figures from the club’s history at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Blues superfan Dr David France has outlined his ideas for the project.
arts of Hill Dickinson Stadium remain a blank canvas, and that more can be done to make it feel like home.
“As such, a project of ‘Evertonisation’ is ongoing. The addition of statues of club legends such as Dixie Dean and Howard Kendall are being considered.”
The ECHO understands that high-ranking Everton chiefs have subsequently discussed the matter as the club looks into the best ways to implement the project and choose suitable candidates.
Someone who is as well-qualified as anyone to have their say on such a pivotal decision is Dr France.
The 77-year-old sold his 10,000-item collection of Everton memorabilia to the club at a heavily discounted price so it could be kept for posterity while also founding the Everton Former Players’ Foundation to raise money for the physical and pastoral care of ex-professionals who have represented the club.
ney for the physical and pastoral care of ex-professionals who have represented the club.
Born in Widnes but based in North America for almost half a century, he has travelled over two million miles attending Everton matches and on Sunday he watched a game at Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time as the Blues brought the curtain down on their first season at their new 52,769 capacity home by the banks of the Mersey. During his executive career in the oil and gas industry in Texas, Dr France was earmarked to be part of a taskforce to deliver a comparable vision in the Lone Star State, but given that scheme never came to fruition, he now wants Everton to get it right.
He told the ECHO: “A few decades ago I was involved in a similar project to establish a ‘boulevard of famous Texans’ leading to the gigantic 700,000-square feet, state-of-the-art convention centre in downtown Houston, which unfortunately was never fully implemented.
“At the outset, it is not my intention to pick the icons but rather describe a well-understood methodology to be adopted by a uniquely qualified panel of Everton experts – and, though we like to sing about knowing our history – there are few of them. If applied to future statues by the waterfront, it is vital that a systematic approach is adopted.
“In Everton’s case, I believe a valid approach would be to divide our past into 25-year blocks – that is 1878-1903, 1904-1928, 1929-1953, 1954-1978 and 1979-2003. Also, candidates would only considered more than 25 years after their active careers have been completed.
“As for eligibility, it should be recognised that major contributions have been made by club chairmen and managers as well as players. So, for example, the experts would be required to identify two men per period.
“Also, rather than the ad hoc approach now adopted for the Everton Giants, which results in bias towards recent players, research should be conducted on say 10 statues to be introduced over time. For example, one per year over the next decade with unveiling celebrations attended by fans, club and football officials plus local dignitaries.”
Dr France, who in 2011 was given the prestigious Citizen of Honour title from Liverpool’s Freedom of the City panel, becoming the first recipient for services to Merseyside football since Bill Shankly, believes that in the high finance world of the Premier League, the statues project would prove good value for money for the Blues. He said: “For a relatively modest investment, the Everton family has a tremendous opportunity to immortalise distinguished service over the club’s long and illustrious history.
“Equally importantly, there is an opportunity to add value to the fan experience at the new stadium, making it a top Merseyside tourist attraction. But, for me, perhaps what is more important than the names of the commemorated individuals is the well-considered process for their determination in order to reflect all eras of the club’s nearly 150-year heritage.
“The approach adopted for Gwladys Street’s Hall of Fame back in 1996 was influenced by advice and guidelines provided by the US Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
“While all candidates must have had a massive impact on the standing of the club – preferably without stain – selections are always somewhat subjective. How do you compare the merits of an early trailblazer in the 1880s with those of a trophy-laden star from the 1980s?”
Like all Evertonians, Dr France has got a list of names in his head who he thinks should be considered. He said: “As a fifth generation Evertonian, I offer my own, hopefully unbiased thoughts which have been shaped by tales of these individuals which were passed down within my family – especially by my grandfather – who was the architect of my royal blue indoctrination.
“For me, the list must include our pioneers from the 1878-1903 period. Possible players, which many younger Blues may not be aware of, include Jack McGill, our first recognised star from the 1880s, Mike Higgins who made the most pre-Football League appearances, Johnny Holt who was the club’s first England international and Jack Taylor, the first Everton captain to lift the FA Cup who also made 456 appearances.
“As for prime movers off the pitch, there is chairman George Mahon, ‘Blue Moses’ the mastermind behind the move to Goodison Park and, more controversially John Houlding, who was instrumental in the early years for two great football institutions in the city, going on to found Liverpool FC.
“Moving on to the 1904-1928 period, it is dominated by the unparalleled accomplishments of Dixie Dean, 383 goals in 433 matches, but the era also included the likes of Sandy Young, who scored the winning goal in our first FA Cup triumph but whose later life was marred by his conviction for the manslaughter of his brother. Another pathfinder is Jack Sharp, the football/cricket international who spent 11 years as a player, 16 years as a director and a lifetime as a household name throughout Merseyside due to his sporting goods shop.
“The following 1929-1953 period includes goalkeeper Ted Sagar whose Everton career spanned 497 appearances across almost 23 years and also, there is captain Peter Farrell who made a massive impact after the Second World War with 453 senior appearances, but tainted by relegation as well as superstars like Joe Mercer and TG Jones who both made unfortunate and contentious exits. Possibly their respective achievements are overshadowed by the deeds of ‘Mr Everton’ Will Cuff who served for 54 years as a secretary, director and chairman.
“The 1954-1978 era was enhanced by my dear friends Brian Labone, ‘the Last of the Corinthians’; Alex Young, ‘the Golden Vision’; Alan Ball; Ray Wilson, Everton’s World Cup winner; and the homegrown favourite Colin Harvey. However, arguably no-one, not even manager Harry Catterick, made such a gigantic contribution as billionaire businessman Sir John Moores.
“Finally, there is no shortage of candidates for the 1979-2003 period which includes everyone’s favourite Neville Southall who made a record 751 appearances and was rewarded with more silverware than any other Everton player plus his exceptional team-mates Kevin Ratcliffe and Peter Reid. Then there is another of my old pals Howard Kendall who despite having a couple of somewhat acrimonious exits, remains the club’s most successful manager.”
While Dr France, who was also the driving force behind founding the EFC Heritage Society, is advocating a rigid criteria for selection, as a man who appreciates works of art, he is open to the idea of this new generation of 21st century statues showing the subjects in more animated fashion than is often common with more traditional monuments. He said: “To reiterate, selecting say 10 statues is an unenviable task which I feel is best left to real Everton experts and historians.
“As for their impact, it is important that the poses adopted by the sculpture are expressive and memorable. For example, some can picture George Mahon with Goodison in his pocket, Big Nev resting against a goal-post during his half-time protest, Ray Wilson with the Jules Rimet World Cup trophy held high, Ted Sagar making a typically acrobatic save, Dixie, whose Goodison pose is inspirational, heading the ball and Alex Young defying the laws of gravity with breathtaking grace.
“The above are offered as mere examples – not my personal preferences. To reiterate, it is key that men must have made a massive impact on the standing of our great club and therefore significant expertise and debate is required to realise such a tremendous opportunity to immortalise distinguished service and add value to the fan experience in advance of the club’s 150th birthday celebrations.
“Football statues, though well intended, sometimes result in controversy. In addition to likeness issues like those associated with Cristiano Ronaldo at Madeira Airport and Ted Bates at Southampton, well-intended statue projects are often fraught with a lack of planning and an undefined selection criteria.”
