Pretty similar, supporting since the late 70s. School mates supported Liverpool and Man Utd and I had some distant family who supported Everton. It's been up and down but I would not have it any other way. I've got a few mates who support Everton too, so it's not too bad down here.

The motivation to support Everton is triggered by the same mundane (and silly) reasons prompting people to support any other team. There is no need to resort to hyperbole about Evertonians "being chosen by the Almighty Himself."

I know of a bloke who started supporting Everton in order to please the nasty Evertonian-daddy of the lady he was dating. You started supporting Everton because you were nauseated by Kopites. I chose Everton rather than Liverpool because I hate moustaches.

Trevor, as a long life Blues supporter who now lives in the south west of England I do have a theory that in areas not well known for football (such as the SW) footie fans tend to tag on to the well known sides, these days obviously the Man Us, Chelsea, Man City. In the eighties it was our beloved neighbours in the main but I do know there is a strong EFC base in Yeovil which I imagine had something to do with our success in the mid eighties. Also, my two sons were both born and bred in Somerset but are blues through and through owing to their genes! Anyway, just my thoughts on it and as far as I'm concerned once a blue always a blue , no matter where you lay your hat!

Im from india..born and living here right now.Spent a year and half in Liverpool when I was 7 years old.Most of my classmates in school were Liverpool fans but I decided(was chosen?) to support Everton.Have followed them ever since and now have passed on my love for the club to my wife and 2 year old daughter. I cant imagine life without Everton...its a part of every aspect of our lives now.

I'm a born and raised Canadian. My mother is from Liverpool and came to Canada in the late 1970s where she met my father. I hated football (or soccer as we call it over here - yes I know it's dumb) when I was younger. Didn't understand it. Hockey was much more interesting to watch for me. When I was in university, my wife and I started dating and her family is Scottish and they are soccer nuts. My mom's Liverpool family is kind of split up in terms of Blue supporters vs Red supporters, but my one Auntie and cousin were HUGE everonians and kind of got me into looking Everton scores up here and there over the years. But I didn't really follow it. It wasn't until 2009 when my wife and I took a visit to the UK to visit family in Scotland and Liverpool that I became an Everton fan. One magical visit to Goodison Park and a pint at the Winslow hotel and I was hooked!! I don't knwo why it took a visit there to get into the game, but I seriously love it now. And that game alone (a scoreless draw vs Tottenham) was what got me addicted to Everton. I've never looked back and I sersiously think I'm the biggest Everton fan in Canada currently. I must have the greatest number of IP hits to evertonfc.com from Canada! Ha Ha. Love my blues. Wish I had been hooked much earlier in life. Stupid!

Well Trevor, this is a topic that has always interested me. I am from Cape Town, South Africa but grew up in Namibia (just north of SA) and that was where the Everton bug bit me. I remember it well, my elder brother and my seven year-old self, watching the '85 Cup Final on our small telly.

He said "I pick the guys in red" and I said "okay that means I will pick the guys in blue." And a love affair was born.

It was tough back then, no internet, very limited coverage (especially in Namibia), but we would regularly go down the newsagents and wait for the weekly copy of Shoot, Match and 90 minutes. As we grew older, we found out more and more about our respective clubs and the passion just grew and grew.

Needless to say I was the subject of much abuse on the playground (most kids supported Liverpool or Man United) and I was the only (proud) blue in my entire school.

I often read the mantra about "Evertonians being born, not manufactured and being chosen, not choosing" and I honestly believe that Providence guided me to choose the blues that day.

I can honestly say (despite all United's success) that I am glad my brother picked the reds that day, because I think being an Evertonian is something truly unique, and I wouldn't swap that for the world, nor all the trophies in United's cabinet.

That's why when we do beat them, like on Monday night, it means soooo much more than it does when they beat us. It was fun seeing my bro (whom Iove dearly) sitting there glumly with two other Manc supporting mates whilst Fellaini bossed them the other night!

Magic memories, forever etched!!!

COYB!!!

Although I'm an exiled scouser in the midlands (been away 30 yrs now) in my early business ventures I'd travel up and down the country and found Evertonians in the most rural and unexpected places.

A common theme was people like my kids and grandkids second and third generation relatives of a mad evertonian like myself. I've never encouraged the following of football with my clan but when asked they all say they support Everton!

My love affair started in 1966. I was 8 and just getting into football in a big way. In the playground we followed the FA Cup in 38-a-side games. I allways played on the Everton team. The school kit was Royal Blue Shirts whte shorts and socks as well.

As the FA Cup progressed the Everton influence grew until the final. We all watched the match on TV. It's the first game I can remember. My early infatuation was about to die as the game progressed. Then Mike Trebilcock lit up Wembley and Derek Temple added the cherry on top.

I was hooked. There was no way I could support any other team after that. Being from deepest Somerset, there was no local competition (not that I looked) and became a Blue for life.

You can never turn your back on your first true love, can you?

Born and bred in Cannock, Staffs.
Started following Everton aged 13 in 1984 after watching Andy Gray on telly,me bro was a Wolves fan, mom Birmingham, most of me mates were Villa,Manure,Wolves and the shite. I was the only Everton fan I knew of, probably made me more passionate because of this.
So, to sum up, I was a glory hunter and didn't know any better.
Do I regret it? NO KIN CHANCE!
COME ON YOU BLUES!

NYC boy. Saw a surprise soccer highlight on ESPN in the late 90s. Joe Max Moore scoring on a header and the fans going berserk. For an American!!!!

Had no idea what or where Everton was. But that put the bug in me.

I was brought up in Lincoln, then London. At about 7 or 8 I recall 'supporting' Liverpool - ie saying that was who I supported without really following them. Yeah, call me what you like but at that age I had aspirations to be a goalie and Ray Clemence was a hero due to his England caps.

But my step-dad was an Evertonian from Wallasey so I decided that was a better reason to support a team than just plucking a popular one (it was them, Spurs or Arsenal at school) from the air.

Later I did not see eye to eye with my step-dad at all, but that's another story.

By that time Everton had me.

My best mate asked for a football shirt when he was a kid. For some unknown reason, his cockney dad bought him an Everton one. Then I joined him at the odd game here and there whilst in high school before getting hooked once we learnt to drive. We have both lived in Blackpool all our lives.

Originally from Los Angeles, now in Carson City Nevada. I lived and worked near Warrington from 2000 - 2002. Started attending games at Goodison with a blue from the office. Been a supporter ever since and I rarely miss watching a game (internet or occasionaly on ESPN). COYB!

The success of Everton in the 1960's probably attracted me and I've been hooked ever since. I remember asking my Dad - where is Everton ? He said it's Liverpool and I said no that's Liverpool FC , no he said look at a map and there is a place called Everton . I was fascinated by that and have spent a lot of time in the city and suburbs and met loads of people ,mostly Blues I have to say.

I live about 80 miles from L4 4EL but get to 6 or 7 games a season ,would be more but I usually work Saturdays. Where I live there are many armchair manure and shite fans and a surprising number of Evertonians ,many match-going. I've converted 2 people into avid Blues and one visit to Goodison usually gets them hooked.

I run into Evertonians in the most unlikely places ,walking on Lancashire beaches ,climbing Coniston Old Man ,in B&Q in Barrow ,the ice-cream van in my town etc.etc.

It only takes a bit of success to bring out the blue shirts .

Based in Oxfordshire, I started following Everton when I was five, because they had Gary Lineker playing for them... I also liked the name! Was a bit too young to enjoy the remainder of the 80's, but i've stuck with my decision ever since.
I've only actually been to one match, which was the 7-1 stuffing of Roy Keane's Sunderland a few years back. Had a great time sat in the Lower Gwladys, joining in with the songs. I felt right at home! I'm looking to relocate to Cheshire over the next year or so, so i'll try to be a more regular visitor.

From Northern Ireland. Grown up with my Dad a keen Everton fan, my other two brothers started supported Liverpool in Primary school so I followed Everton, partly because it annoyed them at the time and pleased my Dad haha. Anyway as we all know once a blue always a blue, Everton daft and have just got my wee man now 2 years old fully kitted out.....For some reason thou I cant get the home kit for a 2 year old as they only start from 4 year yet I got last years for a 1 year old......Come on Nike, sort it out.

Yorkshire born and bred. My family had a close relationship with a chap called Bill Lyken who was a famous face at Goodison in the 70s & 80s. I was taken on a trip to Bills in Walton in 82 as a 5 year old and instantly fell in love with Everton. What made my mind up without doubt was when the family presented Bill with a birthday cake made out as a football pitch complete with goalposts and 10 blue players. Unfortunatley they all follow the dark side so thought it would be funny to have one pink figure with a banner reading 'Kenny is King'. Needless to say that Bill thought differently and threw the cake at the wall and stormed out of the house and down to the supporters club at the end of Bardsay Road, quickly followed by little old me. I like to think that I was chosen and I know I don't need to explain to you!

Trevor - 'it's rare to see an Evertonian outside Liverpool'.

Of course the bedrock of the support is very local, and the diaspora carry it with them. But Everton has always been a 'regional' club. North Wales has loads of blues - the likes of Roy Vernon and Neville Southall helped that along - as well as the Wirral and Cheshire, where you generally get a better class of drunk.

Look at the coaches lined up outside every home game, coming from all over, right down into the deepest Midlands.

And one little extra here. Ask an Arsenal, Villa or whatever supporter who his second team would be. I'd like to present evidence I don't have, but I meet lots of that kind of footie fan in my local - and get a load of respect from them as an Evertonian. Nobody wants to lose to us, of course, but they know we do it honestly. Always. And may it ever be so.

I started supporting Everton when I was six years old, which was in 1982.
My parents and 2 brothers are mad City fans and if it wasn't for a holiday to Butlins or Pontins (can't remember which) at Phwelly, I probably would be too. Much to the annoyance of my Dad, that was the year I met a big family of Evertonians and became great friends for the week and a Blue for life.
I still go to the odd game with one of the lads I met 30 years ago and I love it that we're Citys bogey side.

Mancunian Toffee.

Pretty similar to James Newcombe. I was born in a village in West Yorkshire. Football was not followed by any family members but I loved it. Fell into Everton support around the time Linekar signed, also remember seeing the shirts around and not even knowing where Everton was heightened the appeal! Linekar and over the following 5 years the shirts seen around dried up, I stuck, had a season ticket late nineties early millenium but since moved to Scotland, get to around 4 games a season due to cost but love the club and always just enjoyed going,

Theres a fair few blues here in Dublin, Ireland. Possibly only outnumbered by United and Liverpool supporters. My own love of Everton was passed down from my Da', but his love and alot of blues from his generation would have come from the fact Everton signed a few Irish players, such as Tommy Eglington & Peter Farrell from Shamrock Rovers. Plus Ireland beating England 2-0 at Goodison Park would have been good advertisement for the blues back in the day!

Never really supported anyone as a kid, although I was encouraged to back the reds. As I am from south Wales nobody ever told me about the blues. I played footy at every chance and when I was young scored loads of goals, getting the nickname "Dixie". It was when I was about 16 that I found out who he was. My favourite player at that time (1980) was Big Nev and so it all kind of fell into place and felt oh so right. I was fortunate that over the next few years I was able to shout about how great we were at the time and so it all began.

My youngest son got given a middle name that he will never forget and had become a blue as well. I have met plenty of fellow toffees over the years and know of quite a few in Cardiff where I now live.

Being a blue became a real pleasure when I discovered that my father in law was a scouse red. I even managed to get him to Goodison for a match many years ago now, we beat Watford 3-1 I think. For me once a blue...............nothing else comes close.

Born in Bournemouth. Many of us followed the Cherries AND a 1st Division club. I chose Everton. Why? Two words, one man, Alan Ball.

Born 1978 in London. My great Uncle used to play for QPR, but neither my mum or dad were into football; so when I went to get my first football top at 7 years old I was expecting a QPR top.

This being life though, there were no QPR shirts in my local Intersport, but... and it's a big fat ironic but... it was the only time in history that I recall seeing Everton shirts for sale in an average south London sports shop.

So even though it was only a top, it got into my blood.

Never got to The Old Lady as much as I would've liked (especially now I live in Thailand), but I was there for Big Dunc's header against Man U in '94 and I did get to take my Thai wife there for Everton vs Everton a couple of years ago.

I fucking love my club.

I was born and educated in Liverpool. I now live in Kent.

I have to agree with Trevor. I hardly ever bump into any other Evertonians down here - which is precisely why ToffeeWeb provides a useful service! It gives me a chance to shoot the breeze with fellow Evertonians, debate the minute details of team selections and tactics, have a moan and a laugh about the boys in blue and - with all and sundry, our voices raised as one - utter the heartfelt battle cry: COYB!

Hi Trevor, I actually wrote a whole mailbag piece about this a few months back! In short, The presence of the American keeper on the club piqued my initial interest, and from there I did a whole bunch of research and found that Everton were the club for me! It was definitely the right choice, they've attained a rightful place in my sporting heart.
There are actually many American born Evertonians I run into, at least here in New York, not sure about the rest of the country

Sorry GJ but I'm from Dublin too and In my estimation the order of supported clubs here goes more like:

1) Utd
2) L'pool
3) Celtic,
4) Leeds Utd
5) Arsenal/ Villa/Chelsea
6)Everton/Spurs/WHU

I came to support Everton because all my dads side are Scotland road natives so I was chosen which is just as well because I was hardly going to choose a team with players like John Ebbrell, Stuart Barlow & Brett Angell

Lived in Yorkshire all my life. My dad was a glory hunting Liverpool supporter in the 80s so naturally so was I. At the age of 9 I befriended a kid at school who was an Everton fan and he spent about 6 months trying to get me to convert. The promise of his dad taking me to all the home matches (which we did religiously up until the age of about 16) and my first trip to Goodison was what finally swung it. I've never regretted the decision despite Liverpool winning more. I've had some amazing memories of supporting Everton and hopefully will have many more to come!

Moved from Wales to NorthernIreland when I was 3, the first match I remember seeing on TV was Everton and I was hooked a straight away. I think it was 1980...

My son is 2 now and I'm already preparing him for life as a Blue!

Born and bred in Lincolnshire. Went to University in Norwich, worked in London for a few years, then in Cheshire. Now in Cheltenham. Been a Toffee for as long as I can remember, in-spite of Goodison being a good 5 ours from where I grew up. First game I properly remember was the '89 cup final (also a 7-1 tonking from Villa that was on tele). Why an Evertonian? Because my dad was an Evertonian and I was never going to support another team. Not so extraordinary.

Except that my dad was also born and brought-up in Lincolnshire. He's an Evertonian as he was the youngest of three brothers. So the story goes, back in the 60s these three Lincolnshire boys were choosing a team. The eldest chose Man United, the middle chose Chelsea and my dad was told in no uncertain terms that he couldn't choose the same team as them. So, he chose the blessed, beautiful, Everton.

We've only been to Goodison a handful of times (when I was resident in Cheshire) and have been to a few away games. But as Evertonians are very rare in the rest of the country, we still talk Everton for a good hour every time we meet-up and still meet-up for the big games. Father and son -- Evertonians always.

I'm a London-based blue! Lived in south London all my life, but the first time I really got into football was as an 8-year-old watching Mexico 86. Gary Lineker was the Three Lions hero back then, and as soon as my dad told me he played for Everton I was hooked.

No one bothered to tell me that he moved to Barceolna that summer, but if truth be known, I wouldn't have it any other way. Once a blue, always a blue!

Father is from the area, supported Everton since he was a kid to piss off his old fella who was a Red. Passed the Blue Bug on to me, I started supporting Villa as a 5-year old because I liked the kit, then came to my senses a couple of years later when I realised what football was all about and have been a committed Blue ever since. Passed all of my Villa merchandise to my younger sister, she has supported them ever since (poor girl). I'll be giving her stick when we wallop them on Saturday!

Trevor like you I was born in the London area (have lived in & around croydon). I was drawn to the mighty blues as they were the first team that I saw on the telly back in 82 (as blue is my fav colour) and started to follow.

Went to my first game in 86 at a rainy plough lane (we won 2-1) in our last title winning season.

Despite our lack of success down the years I've kept coming back because of the people I've met & experiences through the mighty blues (a drunken weekend in Florence when I took a flier and went without a ticket but managed through meeting some members of Berkshire blues to get one being a highlight).

Hi Trevor,

I too have often thought of this, especially being a Kiwi born and bred in New Zealand. I have supported Everton since I can remeber... probably about 5 or 6 years of age back when we got a highlights show on Sunday afternoons. I used to watch with my dad and week-in, week-out it was Everton and Liverpool predominantly being shown....

Dad was a Red and I was a Blue... don't know why I went that way but after all these years now aged 34 and being at the ground on Monday for only my second ever game watching them live, it has made it all the more special.

Even for a Kiwi where the colour to follow is All Black, for me I'll always be a Blue...

Although I read Toffeeweb everyday, I have never posted before, but felt this subject was the time to contribute. After the Chelsea Final in 2009, I was drinking in a bar in Angel Islington and started talking to some other blues from Reading. As I left I took the opportunity to thank the lads for being Evertonians as I explained "we need everyone we can get". I'm not sure why I said this, maybe it's because I grew up in Lverpool and I'm amazed that people with no connection at all to the city (as with these lads) support my beloved blues.

The response was to put me firmly in my place, suddenly the friendly atmosphere changed as one replied "are you implying that I am lesser of an Evertonian than you? Just because I never grew up in the city of Liverpool believe me I'm blue through & through and there's no need to thank me - for what? I'm just as much an Evertonian as you, even though I have a Southern accent".

His response shocked & embarrassed me and I ended up apologising as he was so right, just because he comes from a different place than I, who am I to thank him for his support. He made it clear he's an Evertonian in his own right and feels as much (if not more) pain and joy that I do every match day.

So to all you blues, wherever you are, wherever you come from, Liverpool connection or not, I want you to know I'm so proud to be standing side by side with you.

From Dublin. Kevin Sheedy was my favourite Irish player as a kid, plus my brother and my sister's boyfriend (now husband) both supported Liverpool. Naturally I chose Everton.

To add to GJ and Conor's points about fans of English clubs in Dublin / Ireland I would say it goes:

Man U
Liverpool
Chelsea (only within the last 6 or 7 years and mostly young 'uns)
Everton / Arsenal / Spurs
Villa / Leeds
Others

John Hughes @ 302 - glad to hear that there are other Blues in Somerset though I can't say I've noticed any on my infrequent visits to Yeovil. Mind you, I don't wear a shirt so why should anyone else?
I was born in Hertfordshire & surrounded at school by Arsenal, Spurs & West Ham fans. The family has no link with Merseyside but big brother was, & probably still is, a Red. Maybe that's why i'm a Blue (we never ever got on!).
My Mum tells me that I was about 5 when I started asking about Everton's results but my earliest football memory is crying at half time in the 1966 FA Cup Final. For some reason I remember Harold Wilson in the crowd smoking his pipe.
I've never lived north of Watford but in my single days followed Everton pretty much all over the south & made the off visit to Goodison.
My nearest Premiership grounds now are WBA & Southampton, both a couple of hours away. Family & business commitments stop we seeing Everton very often these days but I try to arrange meetings for the right time & right place to see games every now & then.

Conor, I wouldn't have counted Celtic in my guess as I assumed we're talking premiership and as I'm sure you know, there's a high percentage of the Irish population that would claim to support Celtic aswell as an English club. Neither of us can claim who is right and wrong, it's opinion, but for what it is worth in 31 years of living in Dublin, I've met two villa fans, 1 Spurs and zero West Ham. There are a fair few Leeds knocking about I'll give you that. And I will also say that the worrying thing is there are very few young Evertonians coming through looking at the shopping centres and parks. We're all of an older generation. Then again, the kids not wearing kits could all be Everton fans unable to buy a kit in their local sports store thanks to our wonderful kitbag deal.

Hello Trevor

I asked this same question last year and the response was fantastic, some great stories and reasons for "being chosen" (See here: http://www.toffeeweb.com/season/10-11/comment/fan/17941.html)

As for me? It's Mike Trebilcock and the 1966 FA Cup triumph that did it for me (and the colour blue and the name) :o)

Living in the South and supporting Everton has a certain cache (it's like being in an elite club, very exclusive membership) and I LOVE IT (In Woking by the way, so if ever you're passing Junction 11 feel free to pop in for a chat and a "Chang")

I'm from Chester originally. Although this is not far away I'm a non Liverpudlian Everton fan and the club means the absolute world to me!

I suppose at school Liverpool and Everton dominated and it was either Everton or Liverpool bags/shinpads/coats that could be seen in the playground and only very very few United fans were around (this was the 80s, Rush, Sheedy, Cottee, Sharpe, Barnes, goes without saying really).

I've got very fond memories of making trips to Goodison Park, me and some mates used to get the train over after school on Fridays to get tickets for the next day when we could manage it, thinking about it, as 3 soft little no marks from Chester we were lucky to not get robbed walking down the Scotland road from Lime Street to Goodison (quite a walk that!).

I love to here from Everton fans from all over the world, it's a credit to the illustrious history of a wonderful club!

COYB!!!

Likewise, 1966 did it for me and being an Essex-based True Blue ever since, including for a while benefiting from membership of the Everton Supporters Club London Area. Was the return rail fair only £10 or am I still dreaming? There are many Blues in Essex as following the crowds home after the FA Cup proves. Not felt as optimistic about a season since the mid-eighties. COYB

I watched a Liverpool match after getting Fox soccer Channel, here in the US. By half-time I decided I hated Liverpool and was going to root for their rivals. I found Everton.

Turned out Everton was a perfect fit for me. All the little things lined up. They had an old fashioned, hard-nosed manager. They had nice shirts. They had an American 'keeper. They were workmanlike. I don't become a bandwagon jumper by supporting Everton. Their odds of being relegated any time soon were slim. The city of Liverpool is, in many ways, like the city of Philadelphia where I'm from. All the little things made the club fit me perfectly. So much so the I feel that the quote "Evertonians are born, not manufactured" applies to me.

Everton have an international fan base.. Which I think grew in the 80's... Which is when I started watching football.

I'm from Port Elizabeth in South Africa and when I moved to PE at the age of 7 my classmates all watched English football. Most were Liverpool fans and some Man U..... Not one Everton fan. I remember reading Shoot annual (still have it) with us holding the cup winners cup and not knowing who the blue team was I watched the first game I can remember... Everton v Man U FA cup final.... I detested the Red team just from what I saw... And far preferred the blue... Which now I think might have subconsciously been from seeing us in Shoot.

When Peter Reid (my memory isn't what it used to be) did a somersault in midair the deal was signed. I was a fan and screamed for us from then on.

As an 8-year-old growing up in Co Donegal, Ireland, in 1984 and confused about what football team to support (pressure being put on me by my Man Utd supporting brothers to join the dark side), I saw "that goal" by Sharpie on telly and another Blue was born.....

My dad, his dad before him etc etc. My two boys? Both brought up in London SE25. They're both glad all over to be Eagles. Fair enough.

Hi Trevor,

I'm a Kiwi, and back when I was a kid during the glory days of the 80's part of the Everton squad visited New Zealand and played a couple of friendlies against our local sides. They also held coaching clinics for us kids; and the rest, as they say is history - I was hooked and have been an Everton fan since. Not only that, but of course in a rugby-mad country it also I'm sure helped to get a few converts to football. I found it interesting to read the different reactions to Everton's cancelled pre-season tour to Indonesia this year - yes, am sure it helped to keep the players fresh and in the end it may have contributed to the magnificent result on Monday night, but if my Everton experience is anything to go by, these sorts of "PR" pre-season trips can help to spread the Everton brand and increase the fan base worldwide.

I live in London and started supporting Everton after going to Blackpool for the weekend with a London Man Utd supporter and took in Man Utd v Everton first game of the season 1968-69. Everton lost 2 - 1 but played fantastic football so I watched them when they played in London and I saw some great football from a great team.

After meeting an Evertonian from Liverpool in my local gym, I joined Escla so I could see games at Goodison Park with like minded people. My son, who's now 27, also follows the Mighty Blues — no pressure from me: when he was younger and was asked, "What team do you support?" – he told them "Everton!" They would say, "At least you're not a glory hunter.

Well I hope the glory days are coming back. My favourite all-time Everton player is Colin Harvey but I always thought John Hurst was a tremendous player in that team as well. COYB

James Booth @ 305.
"I've never looked back and I sersiously think I'm the biggest Everton fan in Canada currently."
Sorry mate you may have some competion there. I was born 5 streets away from Goodison now living in Edmonton, Alberta for the past 30 years. There are quite a few of us in the Edmonton area that would dispute your claim, anyway welcome aboard CYOB.

It sounds corny, but we do not choose, we are chosen.

My first ever football game was at Old Trafford. Man United outplayed Crystal Palace, won 2-0 and my school-friend's step-Dad was in goal (Gary Bailey). It was also the closest big ground to our house. I feel asleep!

Next match my Dad took me to Goodison to watch Everton struggle against West Brom at home. We won 1-0 thanks to a deflected goal. I was hooked!

I love being an Evertonian and honestly feel sorry for anyone who supports anyone else, because they'll never understand! Oh well - their loss!!

COYB!

Dad RIP - Evertonian from Birkenhead. I first got interested in football 1969 - only one way I was going to go really wasn't there. My lad has picked up from me. Like some others I continue to like how we do things our own way, is definitely not a glory seeking thing, I like sticking 2 fingers up basically.

I'm originally from Worcester & now live in Portsmouth [via Leicester & Aylesbury]. My Mum was from Liverpool & was a red although it seems most of her family were blues, including her sister - who influenced my choice of team just as I was getting into football at about the age of 8. For a great many years I only saw Everton at away matches around the Midlands & then the South - including 'that' match away to Oxford United.

My first proper match & second visit to Goodison was for the Coventry City match in 1998 - I had to be there after being unable to attend the Wimbledon game 4 years previously. Fortunately, a few years later I joined ESSCA & can attend the odd match with fellow blues from the area - many agreat day out via minibus has been interrupted by a couple of hours of dreadful soccer. Now my kids aren't all that bothered about the game but if asked would say they support Everton rather than, say, Pompey - although I usually ask them what makes them think they're worthy!

From my own experience, I think you'll find blues most everywhere & I'm sure that we ever have a Board who could sort the club out & get us re-established in the forefront of the English game it would swiftly become apparent just how much of a sleeping giant this club really is!

Sharp's volley, blue kit, red-supporting dad (wind-up), mum and dad bought a house off a Blue-supporting family that got me hooked.

1984 FA Cup Final – when cup final television was a massive deal, and being Welsh, the large contingent of Welsh players.

As a youngster growing up in North Wales in the mid-80s I was hardly far from Goodison Park. At a time when Brian Clough's Nottm Forest were riding high, my Mum chose a Forest shirt for my PE lessons.

One day I arrived at my grandparents wearing the Forest shirt. My Granddad's Evertonian friend took one look at me and declared that I wouldn't be supporting 'that lot'. After that, every time I visited my Grandparents I would be greeted by a pile of programmes and merchandise he'd left for me. Pride of place is the Bayern Munich away programme he gave me.

30 years later, my two boys follow The Blues – all thanks to an Everton mad friend of the family!

I might have the least consequential reasons for becoming an Everton fan, but that doesn't mean I'm not a die-hard supporter! I'm born and raised in California, and I started playing FIFA 07 with some friends, and I would always pick to play as Everton because 1. My brother's name is Andy Johnson, so he became by default my favorite player and 2. I didn't want to be like my friends and always choose Arsenal or Man U.

Luckily, my fandom grew from that point and I dove into the history of the club and woke up at horrendously early hours to watch games on the weekends, and now I'm hooked.

Liverpool born and bred, we do not choose we are chosen........loved reading every single post - welcome to the family !

The year: 1970/71
The place: somewhere in the East Midlands.
Me: aged 5
The reasons: blue was my favourite colour and I couldn't resist a club named after two types of sweeties.

Another supporter from Somerset! Watched the cup final in 84 aged 7 and was hooked from then on. As stated earlier footy fans from Somerset tend to support the big teams - mum is a gooner, dad manure, brother the shite and me the mighty blues! Footy conversation over Sunday tea can get interesting.....

As a Norwegian I have a lot of Liverpool supporters around me.
The reason I chose EVerton was because of Duncan Ferguson, his headbutting story made me grasp what he was all about, and then what Everton meant to him.

That passion was the hook for me, never seenany player like him and probably will never see again.
No matter how poor we played Duncan was always there to make it right.
His elbowing of Robbie Savage and Paul Scoles are among the best moments, but also his treatment of Paul Ince, he,he.

I guess heart and soul is what it is all about, and Duncan is a great role model too.
I felt like I was alive when I watched Duncan play, it was a joy to watch Everton then.
Today I find there is less passion and soul among the players, loyalty is so rare to see and I think it is sad.
Today we come off more like a family club which is nice, but I miss the old Everton with Duncan Ferguson.
Those were the days for me.

Trevor, whereabouts in Croydon. My office is there. I live in beckenham. However I'm out of the country till December. Originally from Liverpool though.

London - As a 6 year old after the 1987 league win, had were in my sticker album, I liked blue and I liked the trophies that were in the team photo. Been hooked ever since, been to every PL ground with Everton.

I'm also the reason that Chelsea changed their ballboy policy in the early 90's - after me they only allowed Chelsea supporters to be ballboy after Ken Bates saw me jumping up behind the goal after we scored at Stamford Bridge - little claim to fame that!

Al and james - likewise.

I moved to Canada (Burlinton ON) in 2010 and although I miss the games (went to Arsenal and Swansea on my trip earlier this year) the amount of games here is fantastic even if you have to listen to muppets Gerry Dobson and Craig Forrest (numpty that proclaimed last year that everton are no longer a top 10-club).

I take it you both have premierleaguelive tv - if not get it, pretty much every everton game except those on TSN2.

Family aren't into football at all so no links there. First game I ever saw was on telly 1986 cup final. Decided to support the underdog and despite us losing, that was that.

Gotta say it's been a real labour of love ever since. Highlights were going to

Everton 3-2 Wimbledon (when we stayed up)
Everton 1-0 Man U (to win the cup)
Everton 0-0 Man U (we won the semi final on pens)

Lowlights were seeing us lose cup final vs Chelsea & losing semi final vs Shite last season

From London (Harrow way if anyone else is from there) and used to be a member of ESCLA

Like I said, real labour of love watching us under Mike Walker, Kendall Mk 3 and especially under Walter Smith (dear oh dear) which is why I generally support Moyes. Though I do get frustrated at times

But only cos I love the club so much

Grew up in the Midlands in a family of Man Utd fans. My reason for supporting Everton was simple- I was a stroppy, awkward 6-year old on the day of the 1985 FA Cup Final and fancied cheering for the other team! Hooked from that day forward.

Funnily enough, Everton were always very popular at my school. Must have something to do with being a very successful side in the mid to late 80's. It is a club that does create very loyal fans in my opinion. Even now, on my shift at work, there are around 12 of us all together and three of us are Toffees, all aged in our early thirties.

Quite often we do get stick for our allegiance, particularly from Villa fans who clearly feel we should support a more local club. However, as Alan Ball said "Once Everton has touched you, nothing is ever the same" and I simply could not ever imagine supporting anyone else.

The teacher tells my parents at parent teacher night, first year (rugby playing, Australian) high school, 1972, 'Steve needs to read more'. So they buy me a pile of books, including Sylvia Sherry's (somewhat didactic) 'A Pair of Jesus Boots' - set in wet, slumy 1960s Liverpool (England, not Western Sydney), where everyone calls each other 'wack'. At one point, a Caretaker asks the main character, Rocky O'Rourke, and his friends, 'Who do you support, Liverpool or Everton?'. (They all reply 'the 'Pool' - I can still remember all this shit) Anyway, this kid (who becomes my best mate) comes up to me a few days later, we start talking, he says he follows English soccer (er, not exactly 'the done thing' at a rugby school in Australia in the '70s), he supports Liverpool, and do I have a team? Yes, I do, actually, and it is... My God, that one brain snap has cost me untold time, money and emotion over the past 40 years.

Shaun Brennan, I'm in Purley. Nice to know there's a another Blue in and around the area.

Also was born 'n bred in London, didn't really get into football till I was about 7, and my best mate at time supported Everton, so I followed.....(thinking back on it, I'm technically a glory hunter, as I was 7 at the start of the mid 80's!).

I remember vividly him saying his dad played for Everton (they did live in a big house mind-you) and his surname was Latchford. However that was probably pure coincidence!

Supported ever since, go to at least 2 home games a season, and occasionally when the blues play down south (planning on going to the Reading game soon as I live there).

Falkland Islander.
Evertonian since 1961.
I wanted to be different.
Had to wait for 20 years before visiting Goodison Park.
Nearly burst into tears being there.
Only had the chance to watch a couple of games live.
My younger brother travels alot more than me and he always tries to get to see an Everton game or two when he is in England.
Watched the Manure game on ESPN Monday night.
Great night.

Kirkby born and bred - but we won't go there (gerrit?). This has been a good post. I'd always assumed that the majority of out of town Blues would have had family connections with Liverpool in some way, but apparently not.

It's a good family to be in.

Born in Chester, so not a million miles away! Mum and Dad used to motorbike to alternate red and blue matches on Saturdays but said they had no preference. Probably saw them on TV or in a football mag like 'Goal' around 1968 and just took a shine to them as my 'local' Division 1 team (maybe I was chosen by a higher power, as most of us have been!!!)

Enjoyed the 1968 cup run, but cried my eyes out as a 7-year old on the stairswhen Astle broke my heart! Dad worked shifts at Stanlow but took to me to my first game next year - the famous 3-2 win v Leeds, holding me up on his arm the entire game so I could see above the Paddock wall (the next match I had my home-made stool!). The rest is history - all the ups and downs and I wouldn't change it for the world! Now living in Darlington (via Grimsby etc.) my son is as avid a fan as I was at that age - it's in the genes now!

Interestingly, to be different, my younger sister chose to support the RS in the late 70s, but from the late 80's she switched and admitted she supported them out of spite and realised Everton were just a 'nicer' club in all aspects (fans included). She and her 3 lads ended up as season ticket holders and fanatical as ever (a 'Road to Damacus' conversion - but I got there first!!!!) COYBs

Surprised there is no other Scottish Evertonian posts.

I live in the North East of Scotland, my uncle was in the Navy and relocated to Liverpool. He went to a RS game and did not enjoy it one bit, tried Goodison and he was a supporter. Wasn't madly into football but followed them. My dad and I then got hooked due to his story up here. I have family in Liverpool now thanks to my Uncle and its always awesome to not support Chelsea Utd City and Arsenal who everyone supports around here! Always proud to wear the shirt out!

When I visited Goodison for the 1st time we beat fulham 4 1 in 2007 that got us into Europe and was even more hooked. True love!

NSNO COYB!

Lachlan -

you certainly get my vote from the many great posts on here for the guy with the best excuse for not being there on Monday night. I'll bet you've witnessed a few extraordinary things in your time. Monday would have been one of them.

Born in Singapore..
Started watching football in 1985 with my Man Utd supporting grandpa, RIP..
One day we were watching a blue team playing a red team (RS is suspect), and I decided to follow the blue team! And that's where the adventure began.
27 years down the track I now live in Melbourne, Australia, but still a proud blue through the good times and bad. Once a blue, always a blue!

Born of Irish and Jamaican heritage so plenty of blues on the Irish side of the family plus one of my Jamaican uncles was christened Everton - a not uncommon name back home ! For instance, the reggae singer Everton Blender (Williams) was born in Clarendon parish, where many of the Jamaican family are from. So it could only be one choice of team ! Plus my earliest football memories are the 1966 cup final and World Cup. How could I resist a team who could win the cup after going 0-2 down ? And then we signed my favourite player from the England winning squad ? Which made Alan Ball the most exciting signing I have witnessed and also the most traumatic sale. Like many of my generation this was a defining moment of tears, anger, sadness, heartbreak - maybe that prepared me for the years ahead....

Born Belfast, grandad worked in Liverpool for a while, had a soft spot for Everton, passed till me arl fella who followed the blues, then ive took the baton on and its been an rollercoaster of emotions but wouldntve had it any other way. COYB

Devon boy. My mates favorite color as a 6 year old was blue, so he chose Everton. Coming from an area with few local teams, all with very little exposure back in the mid 80's I started supporting the team my mate did. First game I remember watching on my black and white twisty nob tuner TV was the 1986 FA Cup final. Never regretted the choice!

I now live in Malaysia, surrounded by red expats, most locals don't even really know who Everton are! Always keen to preach to the uninitiated!

I live on Vancouver Island now but originally from Hampshire. As a child, we would often visit our grandparents in Kirkdale and I was always fascinated with the hordes being marched to Goodison on the Saturday by the mounted police. My dad's family were mostly evertonians and my first game was an FA Cup tie against Walsall in 1972. Will never forget those early days. Daft evertonian now and each time I wake up in morning, I have my iPad at the ready to check the latest on Toffeeweb, followed by the BBC News

Hey Tony..............I live on Vancouver Island, have done for nearly 9 yrs, moved here from the Wirral, where abouts on the Island are you?

Keith.
Many years of emotional highs and lows.
We used to have delayed TV here. That was to make the UK evening programmes available in the evenings here.
The Coventry game in 1998 for example was finished about 5 hours before I watched the game not knowing the result. I had the curtains closed, phone unplugged. What an emotional game.
I phoned my brother afterwards and he was like me, exhausted.
On a footnote both him and I played for the Falklands team.

Hey Doug - we live near Victoria. Haven't met any evertonians yet but our builder Jimmy (who is a red) knows an evertonian - you're not him are you?

Hi Tony...............We live in Mill Bay just over the Malahat, our business is based in Victoria, me, my 2 sons & wife are all ex-season ticket holders, we all work together and have met a few reds and a few Blues through work but I can't recall anyone named Jimmy..........

Born and brought up in South Wales, I've lived in N.Z. for 16 years. Now just south of Christchurch. My mum was originally from London and I started watching football with her dad, who supported Charlton Athletic. When the time came to buy my first football kit for school P.E., I chose blue. "Well, you'd better have a blue bag to keep it in," says Mum. And the bag had "Everton, F.A. Cup winners 1966' on the side. And so it began.

Bumped into another Blue a year or so ago at my lad's saturday morning game, so there at least two of us here. I think there used to be a Christchurch-based supporters' club/website called "Bluesaders" but can't find a link to it anymore.

I was born in Finland and I am now living in Queensland Australia. I have been following Everton since 83 after seeing us lose the 6th round FA Cup match to ManU on telly. I was hooked. I used to order all the things of Everton from UK and I decorated my room with posters and flags. It felt like I was the only Evertonian in my town.

I actually moved to London in the late nineties so I could go to matches. Unfortunately this was at the time when we had a really drab team. But they were still such great days - just being able to go to matches to support my beloved Everton. The highlights were us spanking Soton 7-1 and also seeing us winning the Merseyside derby at home.

I am living now in the sunnier climates but I am definetely Evertonian for Life. COYB.

Born and bred in Singapore.

The first time I watched football on TV as a young boy were highlights of the 1984 FA Cup Final. So yes, I was a glory supporter (the operative term being 'was').

The first 'live' game I remember watching was the 1985 FA Cup Final. I left the living room crying, and my mother really puzzled.

Born Hong Kong. Raised UK. Supported Everton since our glory days in the 80s so feel free to categorize me as a glory hunter. Strangely my early recollections of Everton were our losses to Man Utd and Liverpool in the FA Cups. There's been a pattern there ever since.

Oh and of course Adrian Heath.

Born & raised in Malaysia. Based in Thailand now.

Similar to Leslie (491) and Jason (492), first started following Everton in the 80's. My exposure to English football then was through a weekly highlights program called "Big League Soccer". Still remember the tune (ta ta ta ta taaaa, ta ta ta...). Think it was the colour blue that swayed my choice toward supporting Everton. And yep, still remember all those FA cup final losses to Liverpool... really hated Ian Rush then.

@497

Marcus! The tune of BLS: classic!

I remember the big white fonts too!

Pretty simple (or naive) for me ... when I started to watch football in mid-1980s, everyone (I was from Hong Kong) supported Liverpool who wear red, but I simply don't like red, and I want to support a team who wears blue, and what is the other significant team who wears blue ~~??? the rest, as they say, is history..

From the States here. I became an Evertonian in 04', my first year of University. European Soccer is tough to find on TV over here (has gotten easier…) and in the dorms we had Fox Soccer Channel. I fell in love with the way the Everton played - the spirit and determination - and especially loved Cahill. I've since had the oppurtunity to see Everton play twice - vs Real Salt Lake in 07' & the MLS All-stars in 09'. I should also say that I'm quite fond of Howard (for obvious reasons) and Goodison Park. Much like Fenway & Wiggly Field over here, there is so much history and atmosphere that modern stadiums can't provide. I only hope I'll be able to catch a game there someday.

Love this thread and hearing all your stories/loyalty.

Spot on, Zach with the Wrigley Field/Fenway comparison, works perfectly in terms of history, culture, and now.

Born, raised, and came of age in (God I miss it) Liverpool. In Chicago now, meet blues quite often, saw red shite in O'Hare tonight with – typical – fading 20-year-old Candy shirt, not even worth confronting.

Love this club so much. Was in a bar in Iowa of all places one match last season, and there were 2 Iowans there, never been to England and, I swear, with the new shirts on. We are still in touch. Everton cox, as one said, 'It felt right, I looked at the history. It felt right'.

I wouldn't say it's rare to see one outside of liverpool. I've travelled all over the world and watched Everton in pubs with fellow Blues. Now living in Wales where there are quite a few fans... more than Chelsea, City and Arsenal.

My dad started supporting Everton because of Alan Ball. Now the whole family supports them and next generation will too I hope. We all follow Welsh teams but always want Everton to beat them.

One thing I find werid though are anti-Welsh songs which are directed at quite a few fans stood right next to the chanters. Saying all this, I certainly take pride in the fact that it's The People's Club!

Norwegian television broadcast the Saturday game since the late 60's (I think), so I watched English football from as early as I can remember. Not having any top level local teams in my part of the country, it was all about English football with the kids. I did not have any particular team I supported, although I remember it was all about Man U, Leeds and LFC with most of the other kids. In the mid- to late 70's they were selling English football cards with picture/name/stats of players, maybe with a plate of bubble gum included early on. I was too young to have money to buy them, but the older kids would give me their excess cards they couldn't trade. I must have been around ten years old. The first complete team I collected was Everton, so I started paying attention to their games.

So I became an Evertonian because that was the team everyone else didn't even bother to hate, so to speak. :P

I'm from Mauritius, where you will find only Manure and Shite fans. I know the Lineker era a bit, the FA Cup Final where we lost 3 - 2 against the shite and at that time my favourite player was Kevin Sheedy. What I can say "I'm just proud to be a Blue". Today Everton is part of my life, everyday I must visit Toffeeweb, Official site and even Bluekipper.
Once a Blue, Always a Blue.

This is a fascinating thread and a bit of an indication of just how much support Everton can call on, not only from around the UK but also from around the world.

I was born in St Albans, Herts, to an Evertonian father from Bromborough on the Wirral. I spent every school holiday on Merseyside and my addiction to the Royal Blue cause grew from that, despite living 200 miles from Goodison Park and later moving to Bermuda, before returning to England.

I wrote a book last year called "Blues & Beatles", trying to explore some of these topics – most notably the relationship between father and son and how this bond can dictate your support.

The older of my two sons is now 8 and a truly committed Evertonian. How he laughed at the West Brom result against Liverpool on Saturday – and how we celebrated after Monday. Once you're bitten by the Everton bug, I think that's it. After all, Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. COYB – all over the world.

Italian/Dutch, grew up in Belgium and Holland. When I was about 8 years old and getting into footy, all my friends and I decided we all had to pick a favourite team from all league tables printed in the newspaper each week. The strangest thing, I must have chosen a German and a Spanish team as well but I really have no idea which teams that would be (the Italian one of course being Napoli for obvious reasons). Everton... stuck by me for the rest of my life. And I do not regret it one second.

Most of my friends, co-workers and relatives know of my Evertonian passion and I got some of them hooked as well. Currently planning a trip to the Arsenal match in November.

I decided to follow Everton when I was 5 years old back in 1978. I collected football cards as every other Norwegian boy at that time.

I had most cards for Liverpool and almost started to follow them, but then I got an Asa Hartford card, I just loved the name and after that I followed them on Norwegian telly whenever they showed them.

Most part of my life I newer met a Norwegian Everton supporter before I started to play a footy game called Hattrick, there I met a lot more of them. So now I try to see most of the games.

I was born in Birkenhead.... Dad was a Chelsea season ticket holder until he moved up North, but I found following Chelsea didn't sit right with me. The majority of kids at school - including ALL the scallies and cool kids - tended to support Everton, and I was a bit of a lost soul until my mate's Dad took me to Goodison for a night game against Stoke. 11 September 1973 was the date..... Cannot remember a single thing about the match, but my own personal 9/11 was without doubt the single biggest turning point in m life..... 40 years next year!

We emigrated to South Africa in 1974, and I was fortunate enough to have another Blue in my class at high school, so we formed an alliance and have been spreading the word ever since..... All of our kids, including various boyfriends, girlfriends and mates are committed Blues, and we're building a dynasty of sorts down here! NSNO

Grew up in York, where, at the time, in the early 90s, Leed United were the team to support. Mother's side of the family all fully paid-up Mackems and I remember getting a Sunderland shirt most years for Christmas, which was stuffed down the back of the wardrobe. I used to go to see York City regularly when they were playing league football (nice to see them back) and even saw them at Wembley in the play-offs. I was also dragged along to Roker Park by uncles, but never really felt I had a connection.

However, my godfather is an Evertonian from the Midlands, and he's always suported them. Our families were close and Everton was passed on to me, despite never having been to Liverpool. We certainly weren't glorious! I was taken for a tour of Goodison and, despite never having seen them play, it was fantastic. I was hooked.

Sometimes it was truly shite being a solitary Blue. I remember when we played York City in the league cup. Most of my school went through to Goodison and I was proud to wear blue in a sea of red and navy. We drew the first leg and it was off to Bootham Crescent for the replay. We stank the place out and rightly lost! Think York had knocked out Man U the round before, too!

So the next day I remember being dragged to school by my mum an was told to 'take it like a man'. The teasing lasted weeks! In my career I've converted my wife and sister to the blues and, now, working in Lusaka, Zambia, I'm bending people's ears left, right and centre to the merits of Everton FC. There's three of us here (wife, me and my boss) - that's enough for a supporters club! COYB

I was born & bred in Australia. Dad would wake my brother and I up to watch the FA Cup every year, I never had a team I really followed. Our family never supported a team.

It was '95 and at school a lot of the guys followed Man Utd. I was so fed up with hearing them dribble on about how great Man Utd were that I thought, fuck it, I am supporting what everyone thought was the UNDERDOG.

The underdog got up, I gave them shit, and another Evertonian was born.

I'm Palestinian-Canadian, have spent my life mainly between Dubai and Montreal. Started following Everton after watching the '89 Cup final on TV at the age of 12. Even though we lost Everton was the team for me. The bond grew stronger once the internet appeared in the mid 90's. Before then I remember listening to the radio for the BBC World Service sports round-ups every Saturday evening to get the results. Highlight was the 95 FA Cup win - I watched with 5 friends who all supported either Man U, Chelsea or Liverpool. (None of them gave us a chance before the game...)
Have yet to visit Goodison and experience the passion of being an Evertonian but that day is fast approaching, till then forums like TW help me feel like I'm there for every game

First football match I ever went to at the age of 10 was Cheltenham v Everton in a pre season friendly (25 years ago!) I was playing in the under 11's league at the time as a keeper, and at the end of the match I got to meet my idol Neville Southall. So from that moment on it was always Everton, always will be. Everton actually lost the game 1 - 0 as the sides had swapped keepers to try and even things out a bit, big Nev played in goal for Cheltenham and not many could beat him. What a legend.

I'm from Singapore, and have been following Everton ever since 1990, following my brother's footsteps. Those Blue posters covering the walls on the room we shared must have played a part. Sizeable English football following here, thanks to weekly Big League Soccer highlights in the 80's. What's there not to like about the Blues? Friendly football club who promoted from within - Colin Harvey at the time, though Kendall three times was a bit much - without a hint of menace about them, perhaps that's why we never won things then. Watching players like Beardsley and Beagrie certainly put a smile on any football lover's face. Then surprise, Royle dogs-of-war won us a Cup, coupled with a surge in local interest, who likely wanted to stick it up to the dominance of Manure and their set of nasty players like Ince, Hughes and of course, Cantona. Funny nothing as changed - after witnessing the Monday's antics - is that the culture of winning that Fergie has festered? Ever since Moyes has been in it's been good days relatively. Barring the season we finished 17th, disappointment has been not qualifying for Europe. I think we've come a long way from the dark days with Walker and Smith. Lastly, we've a local Blue group on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/7724760489/) - funny but happy to see us attracting supporters in a football climate of glory-hunters, though I don't usually watch matches at the pubs, prefer to suffer in silence at home!

I'm from Cambridgeshire.

There is no other team on the planet worthy of my support!

John Hughes (302):-

Have you ever been along with the 'Westcountry Blues'? (I think they still set off from Yeovil, and take a full coach to every home game). I used to go up a fair bit with Jackie, Bill, Andy Maxwell etc (before a wife and baby fucked all that up!!).

To answer the OP: I'm from Trowbridge Wilts, my brother and I have supported Everton since tiddlers because of my Dad. He grew up in that famous Everton stronghold of North Devon!!!... of course he started following Everton as a boy in the 60s due to the glory days of Catterick and the Holy Trinity.

I was lucky enough and just about old enough to remember HK's Everton on top of the world, so that must have cemented my affection. At the age of 7 my Dad took us to our first game – Pompey away 87' and I think Sharpy scored the only goal in what turned out to be a title winning season.

When I was old enough to drive I got myself in with the Westcountry Supporters Club, and had a few years of travelling to every other home match, and the odd away.

Nowadays with the pressures of mortages and all that shite, I generally get to 2 or 3 games a season... can't wait for the short trip down the M4 for Reading in November!!!

I was born in Liverpool, but moved to the midlands when I was 9. I still regard myself as a Liverpudlian and stand up for the City when it and the people get ribbed - which catches people off guard if they don't know me as I no longer have the accent anymore (neither, I may add, do I have a midlands accent!).
My family like many is split Blue and Red, my Dads late brother was a Red, my uncle is a Red, my Dads cousins are Blue etc, etc, nothing different to many families in the City. But the most important influence on me was my dad who is a staunch Evertonian....one match later and so am I…
Now as a father myself I will let my children decide, however, not living in the city I hope to influence that decision as my first child (second is due in a few weeks) has had a kit each year and other merchandise items (a swim suite and fleece for example), I plan to take her to her first Everton game either this season, but more than likely next, I always show her the games when they are on TV and she knows the important songs like IYKYH, she does love to ‘sing the blues’ and recognises z-cars – although when we do ‘sing the blues’ I do have to explain the ‘Liverpool lose’ reference is not against the city but that other club! She does love going up to the city as she sees her second cousins and great nana….
Anyhow there will hopefully two additional blues to add to the fro in the future and not born in the City….COYB

I've been supporting the toffee's for about 30 years, I can't really remember why, I was seven. All my mates were Man U and Liverpool fans. I come from East Yorks where the biggest club we have is Hull City, pretty average at best I think you'll agree! so I guess thats why we ended up supporting the best northern clubs at the time since we had nothing local to shout about.

Nobody ever pointed me in the direction of a particular team, I just liked Everton, my old man was a Leeds supporter having migrated from West yorks to East yorks before I was born, but he never took me to a game.

Then my old man got us free tickets for Everton v Villa because he knew Duncan Mckenzie from the after dinner circuit, it was a 3 all draw and the first live game I ever attended, man I loved it, that sealed it for me.

I have three kids who have been dressed up in Everton kits since they popped out, they were effectively born blue's, I took my eldest (nine) to the game on monday night and stuck around after for some autograph's. The excitement and look and the boy's face brought a tear to my eye as he stood outside getting a picture taken with Jags (true gent), and after that performance, the whole night was amazing.

I think if there is a similar thread on toffeeweb in twenty years, he would say, I was born a blue, and although I have taken him to many games I reckon monday night was the one that hooked him for life.

One kid done, two to go. COYBB!!

I was born in Liverpool but moved away to Yorkshire when I was 19.

My dad was an Evertonian, I was "born" an Evertonian.

And now my son has been born an Evertonian, although all his mates will probably be Leeds supporters.

Christ, there's more than one Toffee in Croydon!?!

My Dad supported Everton, Alan Ball joining us made his mind up as he was born in Watford and had been undecided between Everton as his cousin supported them and Watford. He moved to Liverpool just before I was born for work reasons and then returned back to London (Croydon) when I was 2 years old and we have been down in the smoke ever since. As I was born in Liverpool I do consider myself a scouser though!!

Well Trevor, i'm from Gloucester & have been a toffee as long as I can remember, there are a few Evertonians around here, who got into Everton through the great team of the 80s. Most people around Gloucester follow the red shite or manure.
However, I follow Everton through my Dad, who grew up on Scotland road & is now an exile of the great city. I still have family in the Walton area. My first memories of football are of Everton & my Dad would show me all of his old programmes, my education started young. I am so proud that I inherited his love of his hometown team, I couldnt imagine supporting a soulless team like red shite or manure. My brother follows Everton also, for the same reason.

Chris @489.
I'm in Christchurch, and yes I had heard about the "Bluesaders" but as you point out the link doesn't exsist. I was at the pub Tuesday night (same day our time as the victory vs the Mancs) and there was a bloke there in an Everton top, and I have seen/met a few other Everton fans down here, so there are more than a few Blues it seems in Christchurch.

This is a very interesting question. Why anyone support any football club?

Well, here in Bosnia and Herzegovina I needed something to restore faith in my belloved game of football. Here situation in football is disgusting and that great game serves only to making money and promoting some criminal minded people. Whenever you talk to someone or listen supporters arguing you can always hear blaming clubs for fixing games, transfers, and being criminal in every possibly aspect of football. So, it's dificult for normal persons to identified themselves with domestic football clubs.

One day last year I accidentaly saw game between Everton and Manchester Citty which was played at Goodison Park. In that moment Everton restore my love for football again and I started to support him liking his colors, name, crest, and I can proudly say that i'm now Evertonian and that this season is my first of many as Evertonian.

Come on you Blues!

See you on sunny G
oodison or Wembley day!

Everton chose me at the tender age of 4 (1983).
The influence came heavily from my Grandfather a massive blue who was born and bred in Southport.
While good ol' Jim managed to convince me that Everton was the future he failed with my brother who opted for Arsenal - The team of our other Grandfather.
My best memory of being at Goodison with my Arsenal loving brother was of course the 19th of October 2002 when a young Wayne Rooney lifted the lid and made the preceeding 5 hour drive home oh so sweet.

Dave @ 553, or should I say Dr Who @ 553

Like you Trevor I'm London born and breed and share the same local team of Crystal Palace as yourself.

I've been supporting the Blues since 1987. It started for me with my best friend at school who at the time started following the club. After watching the likes of Sharpe and Reid grace the pitch I was hooked. Needless to say I used to take a bit of stick at school, but if anything this just hardened my resolve.

One thing that stands out for me about supporting Everton is whenever I have holidayed or travelled abroad I’ve always meet fellow blues wherever I’ve been. Particularly, any scousers I’ve meet have been very warmed by the fact but never quite understood why someone from London who has no connection at all with the city of Liverpool supports the blues. I’ve always said that if I had a pound everytime someone asked me that question I would be a very rich man.

My son who turns 5 at the end of the month has just informed me he supports Chelsea. Naturally im disappointed, so I’ve already ordered the new Everton kit with his name on as part of his birthday present. I hoping a trip to the old lady may sway it this season and see him become a blue as well.

Here’s hoping for a successful season. COYB.

Born in Dundalk, Louth, Ireland. I've supported Everton from the mid-eighties from when I was about 8 years old.

My cousins were all Liverpool fans, we would all be in my grandmother's house all day Saturday so there was always rivalry between us. I can't really remember consciously deciding to support Everton, just seemed to work out that way.

My mother's uncle (John Kennedy, RIP, from Bootle, originally Scotland) took me to see Goodison Park during a visit with my grandmother and mother to Liverpool in 1988 and it's stuck with me ever since... love it!

I'm one of the mid-eighties wave of new supporters. I was 7 or 8 when I started supporting them. I suppose because they were successful is why I followed them in the first place. Mind you, I was the only one in my class who followed them. I think since most of the rest of the lads in my class back then followed Liverpool or Man Utd, I just wanted to follow a different team. I've been a blue ever since. It certainly has been one hell of a ride!

Folks moved over from Chester to Grantham in Lincolnshire in 1973 when I was born. Dad and his Dad before were season ticketeers. I have to say there is a FRIGHTENING amount of RS around this town and many good mates including my best man are part of the unwashed!

Derbies tend to involve hellish periods of whopperism about how they are nailed on to win '******' [insert here] – this season's current league / Champions League campaign.

Er, or maybe not....

:-)

Well I've been supporting the Blues since a certain Wayne Clarke scored to end that lot from across the park's unbeaten run in 1988!! I remember being sat at a friend's house watching it on TV and being mesmerised by the intensity of it all!

I'm from south Wales so only get up 4 or 5 times a season but I am responsible for my 3 cousins being Evertonians. One in particular was off to buy a Liverpool shirt for his 8th birthday and I was asked to accompany him to the sports shop. Needless to say, he came back with one of a blue variety!

I may have missed out on the success of the 80s but I'm so glad and proud to call myself an Evertonian and, whether sat in my front room or at the Old Lady herself, there will always be a part of South Wales supporting the Mighty Blues!

My first live game was at Highfield Road in 1985 and Everton were the visitors. Coventry needed to win to stay up and Everton had already won the league. As an 8 year old I didn't have an affliation. You know the result but I wasn't going to choose Coventry, was I?

Incidentally.. on the way back down south from Goodison there are shed loads of us in the service stations around Birmingham, topping up on KFC.

I am a blue from Surrey/Hants. Back in the mid-80s it was either blue or red and there was no way I was a RED.
And over the years the other blues and reds slowly changed there clubs to more local sides(london teams). I could never change.......

Once a blue... you know the rest!

Born Lincoln now Croydon.

Wanted to support a 1st division club as well as The Imps.

Did not want to follow the usual suspects and fav colour is blue and remember watching an episode of Brookside and loving the accent so chose Everton.

One of the best decisions of my life.

Get more and more passionate every day and try to see them as often as possible.

I began as a Liverpool supporter living on the south coast when I was about 8 years old. I asked my dad where Liverpool was and he showed me on a map. I decided it was too far away to support (250 miles) so for the next year or so was looking for a new club to support.

One day I watched Everton on The Match on Sunday afternoon, Tony Cottee scored a goal and decided that I would go with them, not knowing they too were in Liverpool. It just stuck since then. 24 years of supporting an average team, far, far away with the occasional success in between. One day we´ll come good.

I'm from Salford, and was, like the rest of my family a Man U fan from birth - even though I wasn't really into football. Once I DID discover football, and hit the teenage years I rebelled and went to look elsewhere ... I flirted with Wolves for a bit - I liked their colours - until I'd seen them play a few times - then - because I liked the history - and because my Subbutteo team of them had just won the title amongst my mates' league - I stuck with Everton - it was 1981.

The more I saw of them the more I fell for their ethos, their history and proud tradition. Then came along the glory years in the mid 80s and I was hooked.

God how I've paid for those glory years, in suffering since!!

Until now.....

Born in Taunton, grew up near Yeovil, with Scouse parents. Dad was a blue, mum a red, but neither really into the footy.

Rest of my family stayed on Merseyside so, when I was a kid and we used to visit for Christmas, my blue uncles took me to Goodison...

Dec 28, 1982: Everton 3-1 Nottm Forest

Never looked back!

Live in the South East. Get up to Goodison whenever I can.

Supported Everton since the mid 80's when I was about 10. The choice I had at the time was Man Utd or Chelmsford City - neither appealed so I looked for a side that was likely to win something...!

Often wondered what local fans think of fans from other parts of the country, have to say I've never felt anything other than welcome up in Liverpool when I've been there wearing blue.

I was on holiday in Turkey in July and after grabbing a couple of sunbeds on the beach the lad who came for the money (about 18 yrs old) had an Everton shirt on. I don't speak Turkish and he didn't speak English so I couldn't investigate any further. So I just patted the badge and stuck my thumb up and all I could get back from him was a big smile, 'Jelavic' and a return thumbs up. Every time he passed us throughout the day I got the same!

Now I'm not suggesting he was definitely an Evertonian (somebody probably gave him the shirt) and he never said Yobo .But later in the day when me and the missus were struggling for shade he gave us an extra parasol for nowt!

So it is a possibility!!! Must learn some Turkish if I go back there again.

My mate was in the Canary Islands at the time of the FA Cup Quarter against Sunderland last season. So he walked into a bar that had the match on and he was amazed at how many Blues were there and even more amazed that they were from all over the place, Devon, Birmingham, Crewe, Lancaster and one was apparently a Geordie as well as the majority of course being scousers!

We're all over the place.

I've lived around the Lancaster area all my life and I think it's a combination of a few things that got me hooked on Everton.

As an 8yr old I seem to remember picking up a Littlewoods catalogue at home in 1988. On the back there were three kids wearing football kits holding the Littlewoods Cup. One wore a Liverpool kit, another an Arsenal one but I remember being drawn the the striking blue Everton kit and begged my mum to get me one for Christmas.

I also wanted to be different, there were loads of Liverpool and for some reason (as they weren't that good) Man U fans at my school. My dad was also and still is a closet Liverpool fan (In 1992 suddenley he claimed he had supported Leeds all his life)

Luckily my mum had a huge soft spot Kevin Ratcliffe and on Christmas morning 1988 all my dreams came true and I have been obsessed ever since. When we lost the Cup final that season I felt like I'd been stabbed through the heart.

Why do I support Everton even though I'm not from Liverpool (I'm from Great Yarmouth, btw, it ain't so Great!).... My Dad made me. Thanks Dad!

Chris Fisher, 543, in regards to the amount of Everton fans in Croydon: I might start an Everton supporters group in Croydon at this rate. Ha ha.

Ian @ 446.
Never miss a game on TSN / FOX used to get up at 5:00 am some Sat / Sun mornings to watch the game.
We now have a PVR so can record the games, what a wonderful invention. Dobson & Forest are not so bad they just don't know their history.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Evertonian since 1995 when I was 10.

First match I saw Everton play (on TV) was the quarter-final vs Newcastle, 2nd match was vs Spurs in semi when everybody wrote us off.... this match really caught my eyes!!! Then, the famous cup win in the final against Man Utd.... At that time, we are the underdog, all the reporters, commentators and football fans thought we have no chance, but I just support the underdog, I was really impressed by how we played, the passion, enthusiasm, togetherness....

One of my brothers supports Man Utd and the other supports Redshite at that time and they are both red... and Everton is BLUE is another reason, hahaha

yeah Neil (507) that link is an interesting one... I have my 2 year old able to point as his bed spread and say Everton ... I am consciously working on him being an Everton fan before he is "manipulated" by his mates to support a glam team!

He has the works and I get him to watch us for as long as he can when we play etc... not leaving this to chance!

I am from Darlington. My aunty got me supporting Everton, dressed me all up in Everton colours, and watched the Everton v Watford FA Cup Final. She is also from Darlington and has been a Blue ever since.

Born Wirral, now the Cotswolds (have been out of the Wirral for about 22 years now).

Whilst Tranmere were technically the closest league club to my home, the whole area is mostly Blue or Red. Luckily, I got taken to Goodison Park by a family friend when I was about 8 (would have been about 1980 or so). That made me a Blue for life. I try to get to a game or two each season, despite the 7-8 hour round trip.

I've repeated that favour, and I'd like to think I've made some other non-Liverpudlian Everton supporters with trips to Goodison Park. Once you have been bitten...

Trevor @ 596.... I come from near Croydon. :) Tulse Hill to be exact. Moved to Newbury (Berkshire) when I was around 9.

My story is different to any of the above/below: My brother always had Liverpool bedcovers, curtains & shirt etc for Xmas; I always got England items.

I remember listening to the radio on a Saturday as a 7/8-year-old, asking my brother how England are getting on? Always the same response: they aren't playing today... Anyway you get the story.

So one day I decided to open a sticker book and the team it landed on was the team to support... Yes, it was the Blues of Everton.

Born and raised in Texas, my son's youth team coach was a stauch Blue from Widnes. So when I asked what Premiereship team to support...

@ Geoff Trenner 555.

What do you mean? Dr Who @ 553?

I was an exchange student at Liverpool Hope in the spring of 2000. Been a soccer/ football fan and player all of my life and have always had an affinity for the underdog. So when my friends were going to Anfield, I started to develop a soft spot for Everton.

A friend and I went to Goodison to take a tour one day but they weren't running them. We manged to convince the lady at the gate to let us walk around inside the ground and found a groundskeeper, who when we explained our situation to him, took a picture of us on the penalty spot (don't know which end, though)

I went to the home Watford win (4-2) the next week and was hooked! I also took a spring break trip through Europe, where I toured a bunch of big name soccer stadiums. As soon as you got anywhere close to the field, you'd get yelled at. The win vs. Watford and the generosity of the staff I met that first day helped make me a Blue for life.

Its not unusual to find Everton fans , in the most unlikely of places, I was born and bred in Nottingham , I have been a Evertonian since the late sixties, I remember watching Forest, then anxiously looking for the Everton score on the little boards at half time, the seventies were not happy times for an Evertonian.

My favourite Everton team is obviously the team of the mid eighties, we played some brilliant breath taking winning football, only one sub allowed , I remember Harper or Richardson being used as subs, utility players were so important then.

Whatever happens to Everton, win lose or draw I will always be a blue with a red heart, (Nottingham Forest) Nil -Satis Nisi Optimum

Mike Brevet

I know what you mean about 'an affinity for the underdog' I think that's a very Evertonian trait, compassion I suppose.

Compassion is a sign of intelligence and specialogical advancement and, in a two horse race, if you picked the other lot (the shite) that makes you pretty thick.. You can see evidence of it wherever you look.

I'm virtually sure I picked Everton because about the first game I ever saw, on the telly in the late 80's at some point, I recall a) I liked the blue kit b) they looked like they needed support and c) the players seemed to have more integrity than their opponents (the shite) who looked a bit cocksure for my liking.. I definately wanted the team who had the least chance to win and I've been the same ever since.. My dad's the same, he supports anyone who plays against Man U.. Loves us right now!

I met a mad scouser crazy about Everton in 1981 in Calgary Alberta Canada and we immediately became great friends. As a right of passage he stated that he had to convert one person into being an Everton supporter I was that person and have never looked back.

There are a core group of Everton supporters in Calgary and yes I do believe we are "bitter". We have traveled back and forth countless times to watch our beloved BLUES and my support has never wavered through thick and thin.

I always said that it was a dream of mine to become a season ticket holder even though I live in Canada and three years ago that was accomplish as I now own a season ticket in the Gwladys Street End...Block GS5.

That's what they say right? Evertonians go to the match....even though I have to travel half way around the world

Born and raised in Lanarkshire, my teenage rebellion involved turning my back on Celtic and following the Blues, though not the Glasgow variety.

That was during the 1977-78 season when we were second behind Forest going into the Christmas period.

The first time I remember listening as an Everton fan to Radio 2 - the football station in those days - was for the 6-2 hammering by Man U on Boxing Day. Undeterred, I tuned in again the next day if memory serves me right for a 3-1 defeat by Leeds!

I stuck by it and my first game was in December the following year when I travelled down by train to see us beat Brighton 2-0.

Back then there were only scraps of match reports in the Scottish papers and Radio 2, which didn't give anything like the coverage 5Live does now.

Generally, people in this part of the world are bemused/confused/astonished to come across an Evertonian with no family links to Merseyside, but I find increasingly that many Scots admit to a liking and an admiration for the club, citing the team spirit, lack of prima donnas and consistent league positions despite our financial problems.

I get to only two or three games a season, though I wish it was more.

A couple of pints of Cains in Dr Duncans, train to Kirkdale, then the walk to the ground, the first sight of the stadium, cake and tea at St Luke's if I'm on time - I relish every stage of the pre-match ritual.

Last season it was Blackburn (1-1, so bad we were comical at times) and Fulham (4-1, Cahill's last goal - and what a peach).

It can be a long journey home (especially when we've just been thrashed 4-1 by West Brom), but I'd rather have that than the guaranteed three points that regulars at Old Trafford and Celtic Park look forward to.

I was born and raised in Dublin. In 1984 was brought to Goodison by a friend of my dad's who we were visiting who was a massive blue, that sparked a life-long love affair with the Blues through good and bad!

PS I hope Sheeds makes a speedy recovery

1984 FA Cup final plus family connections were either Man Utd or Everton.... Being from the South I couldn't support Man Utd... and I'm glad I didn't!

In my early teens I supported both Everton and Arsenal. At that time Arsenal won almost all games they played and loads of young Swedes started to like em too. Therefore I chose Everton and soon after that I was stuck.

We might lack a few cup wins and europe spots lately. But to me the feeling when we beat the crap out of my friends teams, like against Man U the other day... It is brilliant!

They fear the blues, all of them, and I love it.

I'm in Prestatyn, North Wales so only 45 minutes away from the ground.

My Dad is an Evertonian and his dad was an Evertonian (he worked a lot on the docks) so I was always going to be an Evertonian.

We don't have any 'real' football teams here in North Wales so you will find that the majority here either support us, the shite or manure.

I would say though that it takes it liitle more dedication for us 'Non-Liverpudlian' supporters because quite a few of us travel to home and away games. I would love to live near the ground but life is peaceful here.

Born in Cavan, Rep. of Ireland in '77, I became an Evertonian somewhere between 1984 and 1986 but can't exactly pinpoint how, when or why. Maybe the name, unusual and starts with an 'E' like mine. Maybe the colour. I do remember getting a Graeme Sharp card in a packet of those candy cigarettes they used to make.

None of my family, or even anyone else in my class in school even liked football, so I put it down to hanging out with my Man. Utd. friend from up the road. He used to say that if Man. Utd. were my second favourite team then he would have Everton as his second favourite team. No longer the case on my part, thats for sure.

I can clearly remember watching the 1986 Cup Final, and during the pre-match interviews with Kendall and Dalglish my mum asked me who I wanted to win, and I said something like "the blue team, I like them best, I don't like that man" (Dalglish). So that was it, that day was to be the start of what was to come; learning to take the bitter defeats and the lows more often than the highs. But I wouldn't change it at all, I am defiantly proud to be an Evertonian here in Ireland.

I think you can define a person, to an extent at least, by the team they support. Here most people support Man. Utd. or Liverpool, and bar a few who are genuine fans, I have no respect for the others. I might be generalising but I find that most of the scumbags, the guys you see with that bad look in their eye, criminals etc. are liverpool fans. Not always, but very often.

Then the people that like to latch on to success claim to be Man Utd fans. Many of them I quiz can't even name players from their club's past, or trophies they have won.

I have had to put up with years of slagging, teasing, jokes etc., but I always feel that the joke is on them, as Everton have something special about them, a truly unique club. I tell them all to see how big Everton are now with no money and no success, and just fear the day we have both, as we will dwarf anything United have done.

Alas, I didnt get to attend a game at Goodison until I turned 30, due to having nobody to go with etc. Have been 4 times now, twice last season. Planning to go again twice this season at least.

Here's the interesting part. Last game I went to, Wolves at home last season, I went with 2 other cavan based Blues that I recently became aquainted with. Although nearly 20 years my senior, Adrian and Sean are great company. Adrian is known as Mr. Everton here in Cavan: lives at Goodison House, drives a jeep with the badge painted on it, always wears his jersey. Sean, although more understated, is a died-in-the-wool Toffee.

So, when I was booking the flights, I had to get their passport details for the online check-in. I had to do a double take when I saw the dates of birth both men had given me, to make sure it wasn't a mistake. Both men were born on the same day, same month, same year, the exact same age......maybe there is something in the claim that Evertonians are "Born not manufactured" after all!

I found reading the comments really interesting, I started supporting Everton in the early 70s mainly because of my brother (who has a more interesting story about why ) I live and was born in Shropshire, but have always supported the supper Toffees much to the abuse from my friends who all supported Liverpool or Man Utd (exeption of on who supported Derby) he is still best mate.

Luckilly both my sons, now 14 & 17, are addictied to Everton and we try and go and watch as many games as we can. I love Everton with the same passion as if I were born in Liverpool; however, after speaking with my Mom about our family history, it turns out that my great granddad was born in Roderick road Liverpool and when he was older he threw himself into the River Mersey in anger and drowned as he couldn't swim... Doh!!!!!!!!!!
Always and Forever a Blue :-)

If any of you guys in and around the Croydon area are looking to meet up and go to a few games in London and possibly at Goodison, let me know. It would be good to have a few locals to go to the match with.

For me it all goes back to the glorious eighties and before. Born in '65 and schooled in the 70's in the midlands (CV10) everyone supported either Liverpool or Man U or even Leeds around by us.

I used to like Leeds myself for a while (ref ’72 cup final) and my sister (pain in the arse at the time) "supported" Liverpool. What that meant was she had a Liverpool bag that she took to school everyday - so she was obviously a Liverpool fan. Every time the RS won a game it was always "we" have just won again etc etc. It used to really piss me off big time (sibling rivalry and all that).

I had always heard of a team called Everton and that they had won the Championship back in 1970 (ref A&BC Orange back football cards from 1970-71 season with a checklist showing the Everton team) and so I was intrigued when I eventually learned (a) Everton were Liverpool’s arch rivals located in the City of Liverpool (my dad told me this) and (b) My English teacher was in love with two things – Shakespeare and Everton football club!

From that moment on I was intrigued and always looked out for Everton’s results on Grandstand on a Saturday afternoon. Then came the ’77 FA Cup semi final and the injustice of losing to the RS, once again my pain in the arse sister would go round saying “we” are in the final bla bla bla.

Even as a 12-year-old, I wanted to burn that friggin bag of hers and strangely enough the more she and all the other Liverpool “fans” in the playground strutted about like life long supporters and arrogant glory hunters, the more and more I felt a sense of injustice against Everton and a strange type of allegiance to them.

It was weird but I was intrigued by the team from Merseyside that played in blue and had such a large loyal fan base. Goodison Park on MOTD always seemed to be rockin. Also at the same time my dad and older brother were both Villa fans (both born in Aston) and they tried to convert me to Villa by taking me to Villa park. It was nice but it didn’t make any difference to my interest which was now developing into an obsession with Everton (the more my sister professed her allegiance to Liverpool the more a liked Everton!)

Roll on seven years – to the 1984 League cup final and Alan Hansens rendition of the original “Hand of God” and yet more injustice for the Blues at the hands of the Reds.- the catalyst for a complete breakdown in relations with my “Red” sister who was now totally intolerable! And the fact that the sleeping “Blue” giant was now awakening once more under the guidance of Howard Kendall.

Things were starting to stir, the balance of power between these two great Merseyside rivals was moving and guess what…..my sister was now starting to show a lack of interest in Liverpool (surprise surprise) and after the injustice of the LC final came the glory of the ’84 FA Cup final. Graeme Sharp, Andy Grey, Neville Southall and all the rest.

For me, I was now hooked on Everton and there was no going back! I supported from a distance during that glorious 84-85 season but by this time everyone in the CV10 postcode new I was a huge fan. A year after that I passed my driving test, got a Mini 1000 and discovered that the M6 linked the midlands to the northwest and eventually Liverpool (via M62), a journey I have been repeating now for 26 years, the last 10 with my own lads.

My first game at Goodison Park was a weekday evening game against West Ham shortly after losing the ’86 cup final to that lot. Never been to the City Of Liverpool before, found Stanley Park, paid at the turnstile to enter the Gladys street end and took my position behind the goal. From that moment I new I had finally found what I was lookin for and have never looked back!

I get on great with my older sister now and would like to thank her for her pain in the arse antics all those years ago that pushed me towards Everton. I never did find out what happened to that bag of hers though!

Wow, an inspiring post! When I left Liverpool to go to Swansea university ,as well as the college team I started playing for a local side (Pentredwr Rovers) and was amazed that so many of the lads followed Everton. Now living in Brighton for over 30 years I constantly come across Evertonians born and bread southerners and proud Blues. I'm so proud to be part of such a family

First caught Everton at the pre-season match in Dallas, TX in 2006 versus Club America. It was my first football experience and after that I was total hooked. Have followed Everton ever since and even made two trips to Goodison catching the finale against Newcastle last year. My brother took me to the match in Dallas and to return the favor I am bringing him to Goodison this year to see the Arsenal game. I have the only house in St. Louis with an Everton flag hanging out front, and my two daughters and wife are always wearing their Everton gear when we turn in early mornings for the matches.

Emlyn Hughes singing 'Liverpool are magic, Everton are tragic'-- EH was clearly drunk and at a civic reception for liverpool winning european cup but this was shown on TV. Although EH has passed away, I'm sure he would not be amused that I choose to follow Everton as a result of his gloating.

Although I live in Scotland, 4/5 of us manage down to Goodison--Saturday games only--approx 3/4 times a season.

My daughter(18) wants to go to University in Liverpool, mainly because she can go to Goodison more often!!!

Never regreted becoming an Evertonian.

I'm from Liverpool but spent about10 years in London from 1998/2008. Whenever Everton were live on sky and I went to watch them, there were always a few efc fans in the boozer! Can't say the same for NUFC, Citeh, Aston Villa Sunderland and Leeds when they played live! To be fair, I lived in Hammersmith, and there were still more efc fans than Fulham when they were live on sky. Even Chelsea didn't get that many! Don't be fooled, we're a well supported club down south! Admittedly, the biggest game was MUFC v Redshite. But the majority of their fans seemed to be foreign!

I just have to add my comments here...

I am from Malaysia and I have supported Everton since 1970. I guess, I just latched on to Everton because they were a top side then and were prominent in the Newspapers — no internet then! Since then, I have seen all the ups and downs — more of the latter, I am afraid.

When I first started supporting Everton, I had a group of five other very close friends, all of whom were Leeds Utd fans (that was the early 1970s when they were riding high). So you can imagine the stick I used to get but I remained steadfast.

I studied and worked in London for close to nine years until the end of 1986. As such, I was in UK during the glorious mid 1980s. My first visit to Goodison Park was in 1980. Thereafter, I made a few more trips all by myself as I could not find any other Everton fan in my group of friends. I used to get up very early in the morning and catch the 9am train from London to Lime Street Station, then the bus or taxi to Goodison Park, hangout in the stadium, watch the game, take the bus or taxi back to the station, catch the train back to London and reach home past 10pm.

I get lots of puzzled looks nowadays when I tell them I am an Evertonian. I was fortunate to have had two Evertonian Scousers who worked with me in Brunei in the mid 1990s. That was really great fun — exchanging all the stories and the news. Well, I am still a staunch supporter after all these years — 42 years!! COYB

Essentially, at the age of nearly 8, Everton was the first team I ever wanted to win a game of football.

That game was the 1985 FA Cup final so they didn't, sadly. I had no particular allegiance to any team at the time other than a loose local attachment to West Brom (which still exists to this day); I had a mate who supported Albion and even back then detested Manchester United. One Saturday I turned on the TV and discovered some football, which turned out to involve them, so I had an interest in the other team immediately. Clearly I was hooked.

I remember a mate of mine at school when I was about 9 supporting Everton and I was just about getting into football, Italia 90 was just round the corner, I was picking my team to support and ya few liverpool fans in my class, not many United as they were a Fulham at the time, going nowhere. He was trying to get me to support Everton and to be honest the name sounded good and he was telling me about Sheedy and Sharp/Cottee and that Everton had more connections to Ireland that no other club in the first division.

My gran got me a annual football book for Xmas and when I started looking through I saw 2 pictures of Cottee and one of Rats. I was pretty hooked. The blue jersey stood out a mile, the Everton logo, just something about the tower and Cottee with the gelled hair, an impressionable 9 yr old just a connection that was there.

Bought my first Everton jersey bout a year after it was miles too big for me at the time, Football Crazy sports shop in Cork City, its gone now but I remember going in and being very disappointed that it was mans medium and I was a medium sized 11-year-old. I went back a few hrs later and bought it £40 quid and wore it on the way home in the car, miles too big for me but I wore it with pride, still have that 91-92 jersey, slept in the bloody thing as well !! Got the tracksuit from Santa few months later, still have that too!!

Went to my first match in 2001 when I could afford to, Leicester at home, went with my gf at the time. I was a student so couldnt afford the flight. Got the bus from Cork City to Liverpool. Left Cork at 12 on the Friday morning and got into Liverpool at 4 in the morning (Saturday). I remember the game so well and the ground, 11 years of dreaming of going to Goodison and walked up the Park End and saw the staduim for the first time, WOW. I just remembered all the years supporting Everton through the bad times standing on the steps of the Park End and thinking iv made it now. Was a massive thing for me in 2001. We won that game, Campbell and Franny. Mancini came on as a sub and Robbie Savage got a roasting from the Everton fans.

Since then I've been over maybe 35 times spent £500 on my Cup Final ticket. brought my dad once, my aunt and sister and my brother twice to Goodison. Most of my mates as well have been.

When I started supporting Everton in 1991, they were on the way down as far as being successful and I didnt know their unreal history but it was like a magnet for some reason, the jersey, the name Goodison Park, Tony Cottee, NEC, Umbro, Kendall. Everton has been a major part of my life ever since and believe me its true when people say that once Everton has touched in some way it can take over your life. Its not a football club but a religion. I've got so sick of watching football these days but Everton has kept all its traditions and im still that kid wearing that massive NEC jersey with the slicked hair of my hero Tony Cottee!!!

Devonian by birth....Mid 60's and able to kick a ball where I wanted it to go....used to sit with my 'ol fella in front of the Radio Rental TV which seemed to work best with a good smack on the side. I recall watching a game with Everon playing and a lunatic ran on the pitch, got tackled by a Policeman. My dad was laughing really loudly, cheered when the copper rugby tackled him......but cheered even louder when the final whisle blew and he started shouting about FA Cup Winners, Plymouth Argyle and Mike Trebilcock!

Twas good enough for him so it was good enough for me and its been the way ever since. My daughter has follwed suit, she tells me I deafened her when Rideout scored against Man U in 95..but she loves the Blues......infact she is at this very moment away with Boyfriend who is Royal Navy, and has just returned home. They have booked into a hotel for a week and the only message I have had was a smiley on Monday night about 9.45....I know it could mean anything...........but I hope and believe it was celebrating a great win!!!!!!!

We come up when I can as I am often abroad working with the Westcountry Blues.

Everton of course!!

I was born in London into a family of Spurs supporters. It has always been Everton for me I think possibly because of Ed Stewart on the radio in the 70s. I now live in Cambridgeshire and make the 360-mile round trip to all home games. I would be interested to hear from Sean Roe (528) or any other Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire Blues re car sharing.

It's all Hitler's fault! If my link to Liverpool hadn't been evacuated to West Wales during the War and if my mum hadn't kept in touch with him in the intervening years then I would never have suffered the abject misery that comes with supporting Everton.

Watched my first game on 6th August 1977, friendly at home to Nijmegen. Remember sitting on top of the tunnel and Dai Davies getting so bored that he was up by the half way line at times.....less chance of him dropping the bloody ball up there!

Haven't looked back once, even when the piss was well and truly getting taken by glory hunting, band wagon jumping reds and mancs. No safety in numbers in the back of beyond.

Onwards and Upwards!

My dad was from Slough, Berkshire and chose Everton whilst watching the '66 Cup final when he was 14 years old. When I popped out 10 years later I was only ever going to be a blue. I grew up in Germany as dad was in the British Army over there.

It wasn't easy to get to games but everytime we came back to England to visit family my dad would try to take me to a game. After he left the Army and we moved back over here we managed to get up to Goodison 2-3 times a year and a few away games. Great memories of seeing my normally calm dad lose the plot completely when at matches or watching on tv.

Although my dad was not from Liverpool there was no denying his passion for the blues. It certainly rubbed off on me and I wouldn't change being blue for anything. I live in Reading, Berkshire and am hoping to get to a match again this season after many years away.

Some of my Reading mates keep trying to get me to go along and adopt Reading as my second team but there's only ever been one club for me. Thank god the season has started again. COYB!

Trev, a lot of use will laugh at this. It's Kerry from Liverpool... I've been trying to find you for about a year now. I don't know whether you want to hear from me but please get in touch! Sorry to interrupt ya footy talk guys! :-/