Why do you support Everton?

[Alan Whittle]

Pardon my intrusion. I am not an Evertonian. Despite going to games since October 1966I didn't see Everton "in the flesh" until 1991. However, thanks to old football annuals, newspaper cuttings/scrap books from older cousins and watching the '66 FA Cup Final I knew all about Everton. When I say knew, I don't mean factually, I mean in the sense of the aura they create. There is a kind of feeling that surrounds certain clubs and fans of the era pre Premiership will recognise the qualities of glory, honour, honest endeavour and integrity that certain clubs have. For me, Everton have always been one of those few.To an extent, Arsenal are another but Chelski and ManUre could never be. "If, you know, your history..." sums it up for me.
For this reason, when my youngest son, who at the time could not even speak properly, let me and his brother know, in the only way he could, that he wanted to support the team playing on the box because they played in blue, I steered him away from them and their billions and towards all the things that are best about the game we all love.
Trying to be a fair Dad, I tried,(and sometimes suceeded) to see as many Everton games as Palace and although I could never become a blue myself ( where I was born, Mayday Hospital Croydon, the Matron would stamp the foreheads of all new born babes "Palace Fan" before the Mums were allowed home) I see them as a loyal husband might see an alluring mistress. Steering him towards Everton and seeing him become a fanatical Blue is a decision I have never once regreted. Club, team and fans, I've never met a bad Evertonian.......again, pardon the intrusion, true blues carry on!

 

[thebluefox]

Pardon my intrusion. I am not an Evertonian. Despite going to games since October 1966I didn't see Everton "in the flesh" until 1991. However, thanks to old football annuals, newspaper cuttings/scrap books from older cousins and watching the '66 FA Cup Final I knew all about Everton. When I say knew, I don't mean factually, I mean in the sense of the aura they create. There is a kind of feeling that surrounds certain clubs and fans of the era pre Premiership will recognise the qualities of glory, honour, honest endeavour and integrity that certain clubs have. For me, Everton have always been one of those few.To an extent, Arsenal are another but Chelski and ManUre could never be. "If, you know, your history..." sums it up for me.
For this reason, when my youngest son, who at the time could not even speak properly, let me and his brother know, in the only way he could, that he wanted to support the team playing on the box because they played in blue, I steered him away from them and their billions and towards all the things that are best about the game we all love.
Trying to be a fair Dad, I tried,(and sometimes suceeded) to see as many Everton games as Palace and although I could never become a blue myself ( where I was born, Mayday Hospital Croydon, the Matron would stamp the foreheads of all new born babes "Palace Fan" before the Mums were allowed home) I see them as a loyal husband might see an alluring mistress. Steering him towards Everton and seeing him become a fanatical Blue is a decision I have never once regreted. Club, team and fans, I've never met a bad Evertonian.......again, pardon the intrusion, true blues carry on!

nice to hear. good on ye

 

[roydo]

Pardon my intrusion. I am not an Evertonian. Despite going to games since October 1966I didn't see Everton "in the flesh" until 1991. However, thanks to old football annuals, newspaper cuttings/scrap books from older cousins and watching the '66 FA Cup Final I knew all about Everton. When I say knew, I don't mean factually, I mean in the sense of the aura they create. There is a kind of feeling that surrounds certain clubs and fans of the era pre Premiership will recognise the qualities of glory, honour, honest endeavour and integrity that certain clubs have. For me, Everton have always been one of those few.To an extent, Arsenal are another but Chelski and ManUre could never be. "If, you know, your history..." sums it up for me.
For this reason, when my youngest son, who at the time could not even speak properly, let me and his brother know, in the only way he could, that he wanted to support the team playing on the box because they played in blue, I steered him away from them and their billions and towards all the things that are best about the game we all love.
Trying to be a fair Dad, I tried,(and sometimes suceeded) to see as many Everton games as Palace and although I could never become a blue myself ( where I was born, Mayday Hospital Croydon, the Matron would stamp the foreheads of all new born babes "Palace Fan" before the Mums were allowed home) I see them as a loyal husband might see an alluring mistress. Steering him towards Everton and seeing him become a fanatical Blue is a decision I have never once regreted. Club, team and fans, I've never met a bad Evertonian.......again, pardon the intrusion, true blues carry on!

Blimey, if I understand rightly Alan, your lad lived in a Palace house, and you pointed him to Everton??!!

*looks up social services*

 

[BlueSea]

Arteta's Girl #66 is right, Everton chooses us. I started supporting Everton in the mid 1960's (age 7 ish), it all started with the Liverpool Echo. There was an offer in the paper whereby you could get charactitures of players from Liverpool or Everton; I always remember receiving Gordon West (fantastic goalie) and Brian Labone (legend) and from that point onwards I was a Blue. Never entered my head to ever be a red even though 90% of friends and peers were Liverpool fans. Once a Blue always a Blue.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Why do I support Everton?

It's a question I frequently ask myself but, essentially it's because my mum and dad both support Everton.

When I was growing up, there was just an understanding that our family supported Everton. My dad started taking me to games when I was about 8 or so (my first game was a league cup 2nd round, 2nd leg game against the mighty Leyton Orient at Goodison in 1989 which finished 2-2. Memorable for a wonder goal from their left winger, Danny Carter, who smashed one in from about 30 yards on an angle. I think all of the family enclosure applauded it).

For some reason, despite the fact that for most of my living memory Everton have been dreadful, I never questioned the fact that I was a blue nor did I ever think there was an alternative. I guess once you get to a certain age, your decision has been made and there's no turning back. Oddly enough, my younger brother turned to the dark side and, for some reason, somehow became a red. In fairness, he follows them all over Europe and I can't really ever accuse him of being an armchair fan (we all know hundreds of them).

I now have a son myself (and another baby due in a few weeks) and I don't really intend to afford them the luxury of choice. Supporting Everton has been almost defining for me - it builds character and although Everton have caused me far more pain in my living memory than good memories, it's the good ones that count. It's the hope that kills you, as they say.

My boy(s?) will be blues. They don't know it yet, but they will be. Daddy will make sure of it.

 

[AktionT4]

Being from the States, soccer isn't exactly mainstream but after the World Cup, I found myself reconnecting with my love for the game.

After having played organized ball for a number of years and being recruited to play American football (kicker and punter) I had more or less stopped playing soccer altogether.

In any event, I'm also a fan of boxing and am a member of a forum where several other users are from the UK. After the World Cup, I wanted to follow the English Premier League but didn't exactly know which team more or less fit my style. Being from Buffalo, NY, I'm quite familiar with the frustration of always coming close to winning the big one. The Buffalo Bills lost 4 Superbowls, the Buffalo Sabres have been in the Stanley Cup Finals twice coming away empty - and both teams have ALL sorts of issues with ownership running on the cheap, promoting youth from within the club, rarely signing the big names and always on the outside looking in. Sports fans here in Buffalo are among the most passionate hockey and American football fans you will find in the US. This area lives and breathes based on the success of its local sports teams. We're proud of hard working, "blue collar" teams that best represent our industrial past and our reputation as Western New Yorkers for overcoming adversity.

So, with that being said, I had asked my UK friends from the boxing forum, which Premiership team would suit me best - passionate fans, great sports history and a club that represents its fanbase well. I wanted to follow a team that I could be proud of - and reminds me of my local sports teams.

Everton they all said.

So with that, I've become a fan and always will be. I've invested too much of my time and emotion into this club this year to be a fairweather fan. I missed the Stoke match in October after being hospitalized - and have yet to miss any other match.

Everton is my club - always will be.

 

[toffeeblue9]

Being from the States, soccer isn't exactly mainstream but after the World Cup, I found myself reconnecting with my love for the game.

After having played organized ball for a number of years and being recruited to play American football (kicker and punter) I had more or less stopped playing soccer altogether.

In any event, I'm also a fan of boxing and am a member of a forum where several other users are from the UK. After the World Cup, I wanted to follow the English Premier League but didn't exactly know which team more or less fit my style. Being from Buffalo, NY, I'm quite familiar with the frustration of always coming close to winning the big one. The Buffalo Bills lost 4 Superbowls, the Buffalo Sabres have been in the Stanley Cup Finals twice coming away empty - and both teams have ALL sorts of issues with ownership running on the cheap, promoting youth from within the club, rarely signing the big names and always on the outside looking in. Sports fans here in Buffalo are among the most passionate hockey and American football fans you will find in the US. This area lives and breathes based on the success of its local sports teams. We're proud of hard working, "blue collar" teams that best represent our industrial past and our reputation as Western New Yorkers for overcoming adversity.

So, with that being said, I had asked my UK friends from the boxing forum, which Premiership team would suit me best - passionate fans, great sports history and a club that represents its fanbase well. I wanted to follow a team that I could be proud of - and reminds me of my local sports teams.

Everton they all said.

So with that, I've become a fan and always will be. I've invested too much of my time and emotion into this club this year to be a fairweather fan. I missed the Stoke match in October after being hospitalized - and have yet to miss any other match.

Everton is my club - always will be.

You know what?

Funny you should say that - my friend (who, incidentally became a dad for the first time yesterday) is very much into American football (can't say the same myself I'm afraid) and when he was deciding which team he should support a few years ago, he was looking for one which most reminded him of Everton for, mostly, the same reasons you described.

Everyone told him he should support The Buffalo Bills. And he does.

 

[Billy the GOAT]

Being from the States, soccer isn't exactly mainstream but after the World Cup, I found myself reconnecting with my love for the game.

After having played organized ball for a number of years and being recruited to play American football (kicker and punter) I had more or less stopped playing soccer altogether.

In any event, I'm also a fan of boxing and am a member of a forum where several other users are from the UK. After the World Cup, I wanted to follow the English Premier League but didn't exactly know which team more or less fit my style. Being from Buffalo, NY, I'm quite familiar with the frustration of always coming close to winning the big one. The Buffalo Bills lost 4 Superbowls, the Buffalo Sabres have been in the Stanley Cup Finals twice coming away empty - and both teams have ALL sorts of issues with ownership running on the cheap, promoting youth from within the club, rarely signing the big names and always on the outside looking in. Sports fans here in Buffalo are among the most passionate hockey and American football fans you will find in the US. This area lives and breathes based on the success of its local sports teams. We're proud of hard working, "blue collar" teams that best represent our industrial past and our reputation as Western New Yorkers for overcoming adversity.

So, with that being said, I had asked my UK friends from the boxing forum, which Premiership team would suit me best - passionate fans, great sports history and a club that represents its fanbase well. I wanted to follow a team that I could be proud of - and reminds me of my local sports teams.

Everton they all said.

So with that, I've become a fan and always will be. I've invested too much of my time and emotion into this club this year to be a fairweather fan. I missed the Stoke match in October after being hospitalized - and have yet to miss any other match.

Everton is my club - always will be.

Unrelated to Everton...I'm from about 40mins north of Boston and absolutely despise NY sports teams. All of them except one. The Buffalo Bills. Love the blue-collar mentality. Being a lifelong Pats fan I can't exactly say I support you guys, but I certainly don't hate you. I reserve that hatred for the Jets, Giants, Yanks, Mets, etc.

 

[sharron]

coz we're EVERTON, EVERTON FC, we're by far the greatest team the world has ever seen!

 

[Namdrater]

I've posted my story on this site once or twice. I saw Everton at the bottom of the log on the TV and I guess I was born with the 'support the underdog' mentality and decided they were the team I wanted to support - I was only 6, knew almost 0 teams in the league and that was that. Duncan was my hero and I never actually watched much football back then.

Although I've only seen us lift the FA cup in my lifetime, I'm glad I chose Everton - the fight, the passion, the dignity, the history. I've thought to myself what would I do if Everton was relegated many divisions down and I can't catch any games of them whatsoever - is it possible to want another team to win and enjoy watching them? NOT A CHANCE. Watching Everton play is another level to watching any other game, no matter what competition, no matter who's playing. That whole line of being chosen and whatever, is just so true it's unbelievable. COYB

 

[mawders]

4th generation blue, dating back to my great grandad working the turnstiles. My boy will be born next month, making tiny toffee the 5th generation. Why do I love everton?? It's always been that way...born into it...no choice and happy to have it that way!

 

[Paddy F]

Because my Dad does, both Granddads did, my Uncles do, my cousins do and because it's in my heart and in my soul.

 

[alexander]

First premier league match I ever watched was...Everton v. Stoke in december of 08? It just happened to be on espn. Moyes got sent into the stands for complaining to the officials. If I remember, Timmy snatched a goal at the end for a 3-2 victory. They ended up adding something like 5min extra time, and they cut to a shot of Moyes' face - his eyes said it all. He was so pissed. I thought to myself "I like this guy, this guy's funny."

I started keeping up with the premier league, watching games when I could. It came time to where I wanted a team to support, someone to root for to make it interesting. I wanted a club outside of the big three, with play that I thought was attractive, with the potential to go out and win. Everton fit the bill, and I remember my first game.

So yes, a pretty new supporter to the club. I soon found out Moyes wasnt the fiery character I thought he'd be - but actually a very sensible, dignified manager who never gives excuses for a bad performance, which is something I still love about Moyes. I do still like when he gets pissed and yells though.

I love being an Everton fan, I regularly wake up at 6am to watch a match, or stay up till 4am. Ive had sober mornings pondering derby losses, or man u games that couldve been. I've had mornings where I woke everyone in the house form celebrating. Watched us draw 3-3 with UTD on my 21st birthday. Watched us lose the final at Wembley, heart broken, watched us put 3 past UTD at Goodison, ecstatic.

I play soccer out at the local college, and no one ever calls me by my name, when they want the ball they just shout "Everton!" It's only been a little over two years supporting the club, and so much has happened already. Everton is a team that can frustrate you to no end, but when they win it's like nothing else. When they're in stride, the play is just beautiful. Getting out to Goodison for a match is on my bucket list for sure.

Win or lose, Everton's my team for life.

 

[EFC NY]

Being from the States, soccer isn't exactly mainstream but after the World Cup, I found myself reconnecting with my love for the game.

After having played organized ball for a number of years and being recruited to play American football (kicker and punter) I had more or less stopped playing soccer altogether.

In any event, I'm also a fan of boxing and am a member of a forum where several other users are from the UK. After the World Cup, I wanted to follow the English Premier League but didn't exactly know which team more or less fit my style. Being from Buffalo, NY, I'm quite familiar with the frustration of always coming close to winning the big one. The Buffalo Bills lost 4 Superbowls, the Buffalo Sabres have been in the Stanley Cup Finals twice coming away empty - and both teams have ALL sorts of issues with ownership running on the cheap, promoting youth from within the club, rarely signing the big names and always on the outside looking in. Sports fans here in Buffalo are among the most passionate hockey and American football fans you will find in the US. This area lives and breathes based on the success of its local sports teams. We're proud of hard working, "blue collar" teams that best represent our industrial past and our reputation as Western New Yorkers for overcoming adversity.

So, with that being said, I had asked my UK friends from the boxing forum, which Premiership team would suit me best - passionate fans, great sports history and a club that represents its fanbase well. I wanted to follow a team that I could be proud of - and reminds me of my local sports teams.

Everton they all said.

So with that, I've become a fan and always will be. I've invested too much of my time and emotion into this club this year to be a fairweather fan. I missed the Stoke match in October after being hospitalized - and have yet to miss any other match.

Everton is my club - always will be.

Hate to go out on a tangent, but I don't see Everton as the Buffalo Bills at all. Everton is the 4th winningest club in all of English football. The Bills, and Buffalo sports teams in general, have no history of winning.

I know us Evertonians like to play the hard-luck woe-is-me card, but we support a glorious franchise with an outstanding history.

 

[EFC NY]

Unrelated to Everton...I'm from about 40mins north of Boston and absolutely despise NY sports teams. All of them except one. The Buffalo Bills. Love the blue-collar mentality. Being a lifelong Pats fan I can't exactly say I support you guys, but I certainly don't hate you. I reserve that hatred for the Jets, Giants, Yanks, Mets, etc.

Hate to add my second contrarian post to this thread, but the Buffalo Bills are NOT a NY sports team. Yes they are in New York State, but I live in the NYC area and can drive to Boston and back in the time it would take me to get to Buffalo. I am also closer to Virginia than I am to Buffalo, which means all of the following NFL teams are closer to my house than Buffalo is (Jets, Giants, Pats, Eagles, Ravens, Skins). No one in NY, or Boston for that matter, sees Buffalo as a NY sports team. They receive as much local press/interest in metro NY as Wigan does.

End of senseless rant.