Phil Roberts 16/09/2026 6comments  |  Jump to last

There is an article somewhere in ToffeeWeb from about a year ago – but I can’t put up the link as Fan Articles are now an Error 404. A bit like a second striker – “not found”.
 
It was a sorry tale of my 5 years of season tickets with my dad from 1967 until 1972, when he said – “I’m not paying any more money to watch that rubbish”. He would have been 100 next February. He was married to a woman who knew the cost of everything and the value of nothing. My mother threw all the programmes in the bin after I left home.
 
At the Roma friendly in 2024, I reminisced with my youngest about my memories of Goodison Park (and that could be an article in its own right) and the loss of the programmes. Three months later I had one of those birthdays with a 0 in it, and he had purchased 81 of the 128 programmes as my present. In summer 2025, I found 42 more on a reselling site and bought them. Royal Mail left them in a safe place – the paper recycling bin, which was then collected 2 days later.
 
I contacted Gaz Jones at the Everton Heritage Society (EFCHS) and went to meet him. He had left for the match, but I did find the Fulham programme from 11 May 1963. I know I was at that match. Back Row of Upper Gwladys. I was 8, but even at my size, standing up meant I could not see the Stanley Park goal as the roof came down so far.
 
We won 4-1, and the team stood in the Directors Box to receive the Football League Championship trophy. It is only now I realise it had been 24 years since our last trophy, and it must have meant so much to my dad. He was 11 the last time we had won anything, and he would not have been there.
 
(We won the title as Wolves drawing meant we could not be caught, even though we were losing at Charlton). At last, he had seen his beloved Everton lift a trophy. (He did get to see them lift 7 more, 2 in person.)
 
I finally met Gaz at the Lille match and he had found 34 of the missing programmes. Thank you EFCHS, you do great work.  It was now just 13 to get. The guy whose delivery had landed in the paper recycling still had 10, so they were ordered.
 
This time I made sure I was home and checked the doorstep and the recycling bin daily. Three more to go – and we had lost each match. Do I bother? Derby 71-72 I found on eBay. That left just the ’68 Final and the ’69 Semi-Final. They were on another programme-selling site that sent the WBA one and the City League match from 68-69. Was I destined not to get there? He found the right one, and I sent back the wrong one.
 
I had made it. Mission Accomplished. All 128 programmes and now in a box from the sons with the club crest and “and if you know your history” stencilled on the top. The next task is to re-read them all and re-live those half times at Goodison Park.
​
But it set me off to collect a few other memorable programmes for games I did not attend but have memories. ‘66 Cup Final programme, which we had bought at the local newsagent in the week before the final. An eBay search showed somebody selling a few from 1984-85 for under £5, and it included the Bayern Munich game.
 
What a result, and I am not talking just about the game – someone in Neston has it on eBay at the moment for £975.70! And I have just bought (for £6) the Rapid Vienna programme. Oh, the memories of re-watching that match 3 weeks later, having got home from the hospital after being at the birth of our eldest and now sitting at home with tears in my eyes, knowing I am now a dad with a son who will support the best team in Europe.
 
What was my most expensive? Paying almost £20 for Everton v Bolton on 27 November 1954. What was so special about this one? It was the first match played after I was born. My dad should have realised the pain his son was to have; it was a 0-0 draw – but would I swap this club for any other? Not a hope!
 

Reader Comments (6)

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Chris James
1 Posted 16/09/2026 at 10:01:17
Lovely story, glad it has a happy ending!

Naturally we all sympathise with your dad's emotion, especially as it has now been 31 years since we won a trophy... and there are generations of Evertonians who haven't seen us achieve much beyond a top 7 finish and a few shortish European adventures, but still somehow have the weight of historical expectation.

As a 42-year fan, I'm lucky enough to have seen the late 80s teams, and also witnessed the 1995 cup final... sadly not in person... along with multiple last ditch relegation escapes [some in person].
Dave Abrahams
2 Posted 16/09/2026 at 11:32:31
Chris (1)

Are you a reporter? Did you ever write for the Liverpool Echo?
Andy Meighan
3 Posted 16/09/2026 at 12:13:25
Dave 2.

I think the Chris James you are thinking about would be well into his late seventies now, if not a bit older.

Anyway, brilliant story, Phil.
Kevin Naylor
4 Posted 16/09/2026 at 14:10:31
If memory serves me well, I think Chris James wrote the RS reports as well.
Chris James
5 Posted 16/09/2026 at 16:30:21
LOL, I am not yet in my late 70s, and I have not written for the RS.

Am in the media and was a journalist previously, I did write some articles for Total Football in my youth and do match reports for my son's team. Also cofounded Fantasy Football Scout and a few other bits and pieces.

Oh, we did do this, which is kind of cool if you're into FPL:
https://www.evertonfc.com/news/2026/august/27/Top-Toffee-Tips-For-Your-FPL-Team/
Ron Morgan
6 Posted 16/09/2026 at 17:59:07
Fulham was my very first match - remember it well. I was 8 and went with a school friend and others for his birthday treat. We were all sat in the Main stand.

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