90min's Definitive A to Z of Everton

30 March 2020 14:25

Given the current side's ongoing commitment to providing the wrong sort of entertainment, it's easy to forget that Everton are historically one of the most successful clubs in England.

Indeed, life at Goodison Park didn't always feature Michael Keane falling over his own feet, with so many of Britain's greatest talents making the blue side of Liverpool their home.

Starting from A and ending at Z, strap in for 26 essential facts about the Ev.


A is for Alan Ball

Everton supporters hold a banner in memo...

The World Cup winning winger with a striking head of red hair, Ball was a hero for club and country, and became England's most expensive player when he left Everton for Arsenal in 1971.


B is for Big Dunc and Leighton Baines


These two iconic players epitomise very different aspect of Everton's recent history - no one quite made the mixer his home like the brutal Duncan Ferguson, while Bainesy is a gentle set-piece wizard with a barnet straight out of a Paul Weller tribute band.


C is for Tim Cahill


One of the few Evertonians as aerially accomplished as Big Dunc, the Australian who seemed to have spring-loaded boots scored 22 out of his 56 Premier League goals with his noggin.


D is for Dixie Dean


Most Liverpool fans will try and tell you that this icon of the 20s and 30s was offside for half of his 395 Everton goals, but they've also yet to see a striker score a ridiculous 60 goals in a single season, so we'll write that off as jealousy.


E is for Eighty-four/ Eighty-five

Peter Reid

The 1984/85 season is commonly regarded as the best in Everton's modern history, and between Graeme Sharp, Andy Gray and Peter Reid, to name just three, the side which won the First Division and European Cup Winners' Cup was crammed with a silly quantity of absolute ballers.


F is for First Division


There was football before 1992 you know!

Everton may not have made much of a splash in the Barclays, but Manchester City and Chelsea have a bit of catching up to do before they can match Everton's nine top-flight titles.


G is for Goodison Park

Everton FC v Manchester United - Premier League

This country's first ever purpose-built football ground, it doesn't get more old school than the Gwladys Street End, and it's almost a relief that Everton's plans to move into a futuristic new stadium are constantly being foiled.


H is for Howard Kendall


With 270 appearances as a player and three separate spells as a manager, this guy really didn't get bored of Everton, and having won nine trophies there over the course of a legendary career, why would you?


I is for ATV Irdning

You'll never see a pre-season friendly like it again!


Everton were guilty of organising a bit of a mismatch here in 2018, with four different players scoring hat-tricks as they trounced the Austrian minnows 22-0, who must have been wishing that it was possible to rage quit in real life.


J is for Joe Royle


If there's one thing Everton can do, it's produce legendary players-turned-managers.


After 276 appearances for Everton, Royle was hungry for more, and came back to scoop up the FA Cup in 1995 as boss.


K is for Kevin Sheedy


Everton stole this Irish free-kick magician from under Liverpool's noses and made him a pivotal element of the 1984/85 side.


L is for Liverpool

Liverpool Parade to Celebrate Winning UEFA Champions League

Probably the toughest part of supporting Everton at the moment, enough said.


M is for David Moyes


Before he was memed into oblivion during his Manchester United spell, Moyes had a reputation as one of the best coaches in England, ensuring that Everton punched above their weight for many years.


N is for Neville Southall

You wouldn't know it from his wholesome Twitter presence, but this man struck the fear of God into strikers during Everton's glory days in the 80s, and also had the distinction of appearing for Bradford in the Premier League at the grand old age of 41.


O is for Owners


As anyone who has started a frustrating Football Manager save with them will know, it's only in recent years that they've started splashing the cash.

Bruce Buck,Bill Kenwright

Bill Kenwright steered a steady ship for many years, but can the ambitious Farhad Moshiri make the good times roll again?


P is for Paul Rideout

The journeyman striker had a very respectable, globetrotting career, but is also the scorer of the goal that brought Everton's most recent pot (the Community Shield aside), the 1995 FA Cup.


Q is for Queen's Head

Everton's nickname The Toffees might refer to a toffee house near the Queen's Head hotel where club management used to meet - tasty!


R is for Wayne Rooney

The Everton wonderkid went to Manchester United, became a legend, and then made sure to save one last filthy halfway-line goal for his return to Goodison.


S is for Gylfi Sigurdsson


The trundling Icelandic playmaker has the current honour of being Everton's record signing, and hasn't quite provided value for £40m just yet.


T is for Top Flight

Everton have missed just FOUR top-flight seasons since 1888 - you don't get a trophy for that, but you should!


U is for David Unsworth

As with fellow caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson, Unsworth was another iconic hard man at the turn of the 21st century who hit each ball like it was his last, as shown by this rocket against Newcastle on an appalling pitch.


V is for Villarreal


Though, as established, there was footy before 1992, a heartbreaking, controversial qualifier against the Spanish club was the closest the Toffees got to the modern Champions League, way back in 2005.


W is for World Wars


As the immediate First Division champions before both World Wars broke out, Everton got to hold on to their respective crowns for a combined 11 years across the global conflicts - very crafty.

Hopefully the next time they claim the crown it won't be such a bad omen.


X is for UneXpected players

Shokdran Mustafi, Eric Dier, John Ruddy... A lot of random players have passed through Everton at some point in their career.


Y is for Alex Young


I was tempted to include Yakubu, but this revered Scottish attacker, known as 'the Golden Vision', has one of football's great nicknames.


Z is for Z Cars

What better way to end this list than the cheerful and only slightly annoying tune which brings the Everton players onto the Goodison pitch.


Source: 90min