This is a story from a Sunday newspaper a few years ago by Des Cahill ,one of the better Irish sports journalists/reporters.
I like the story in paricular because it relates to a hero of mine...Joe Royle.
A number of years ago when Joe was manager of Everton he agreed that Everton would play in a testimonial game in Dublin(a game I attended) for a player called Terry Eviston(himself a fervent Evertonian).
Everton came over ,the game was played and afterwards both sets of players and officials headed to a local nightclub.
At about 2.a.m Eviston recalled that he was absolutely shattered having spent the day organising the event.He made his aplogies,thanked everybody profusely and was getting ready to leave.
As he was leaving Joe Royle he wrote down his address and gave it to the Everton manager and said that if wanted a rasher sandwich ,there would be one for him at Evistons home.
Eviston left and thought that would be the last he would see of his guests.
Some time later he was relaxing at home with a couple of teammates drinking a can of beer when the doorbell rang.
He went to answer the door to find a number of taxis pulling up and Joe Royle walking up his footpath looking for his rasher sandwich.
Apparently a roaring sing-song ensued which finished some time after 6.30 a.m.
Eviston said that it felt surreal to have his semi detached suburban home packed with some of his greatest heroes which included John Hurst and Jimmy Gabriel as well as Joe Royle.
I always liked this story because as I said earlier for some reason Joe Royle has always been one of my heroes.
A couple of years ago I met the great man outside Goodison ,I shook his hand and told him that he was always a hero of mine.I felt a little juvenile,because it's not as if I am a teenager myself.But over my Everton lifetime some players just seem to have a greater affinity for me than other...none more than JR.
I like the story in paricular because it relates to a hero of mine...Joe Royle.
A number of years ago when Joe was manager of Everton he agreed that Everton would play in a testimonial game in Dublin(a game I attended) for a player called Terry Eviston(himself a fervent Evertonian).
Everton came over ,the game was played and afterwards both sets of players and officials headed to a local nightclub.
At about 2.a.m Eviston recalled that he was absolutely shattered having spent the day organising the event.He made his aplogies,thanked everybody profusely and was getting ready to leave.
As he was leaving Joe Royle he wrote down his address and gave it to the Everton manager and said that if wanted a rasher sandwich ,there would be one for him at Evistons home.
Eviston left and thought that would be the last he would see of his guests.
Some time later he was relaxing at home with a couple of teammates drinking a can of beer when the doorbell rang.
He went to answer the door to find a number of taxis pulling up and Joe Royle walking up his footpath looking for his rasher sandwich.
Apparently a roaring sing-song ensued which finished some time after 6.30 a.m.
Eviston said that it felt surreal to have his semi detached suburban home packed with some of his greatest heroes which included John Hurst and Jimmy Gabriel as well as Joe Royle.
I always liked this story because as I said earlier for some reason Joe Royle has always been one of my heroes.
A couple of years ago I met the great man outside Goodison ,I shook his hand and told him that he was always a hero of mine.I felt a little juvenile,because it's not as if I am a teenager myself.But over my Everton lifetime some players just seem to have a greater affinity for me than other...none more than JR.
