December 2001
If it happened and it was Everton-related, it's right here in the comprehensive Season Diary.
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December 2001 |
Dec 31 - The
Gravesen Saga The Echo is claiming that Tommy Gravesen
is staying in Denmark with his sick grandfather until
Wednesday, when Smith told him to be back in training today
even though he is injured for tomorrow's game. All
building up nicely for the much-needed mid-season injection
of cash to bolster Everton's yawning coffers...
Dec 31 - Win
or be sacked? According to The Sun, the Everton Board have
told Walter Smith that he must beat Middlesbrough on
Wednesday and secure victory in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup
against Stoke on Saturday or face the sack.
Doesn't say where Everton will find the £2M needed to pay
off him and Knox!
Dec 31 - Cup
tie on TV overseas The distinct possibility of an FA Cup 3rd
Round upset has the TV cameras travelling to Stoke next
Saturday for the visit of Everton. The cup-tie will be
broadcast live in most parts of the world (but not the UK);
check your local listings.
Dec 30 - Royal
Blue Mersey Another of our columnists, Ian Mills is not
too impressed with much he has seen from Everton over the
Christmas period...
Dec 30: Another
fine mess? Everton's current on-field crisis of
confidence has its roots in endemic mismanagement that has
dogged Everton off the field for the best part of the past
decade. Colm Kavanagh reckons it's time some action was
taken to get the Club back on the right track... and no, he is
not talking about Kings Dock.
Dec
30: Viewpoint:
Let's go down A Swedish Everton fan, Thomas Green, has written
to us summing up some of the many frustrations Evertonians the
world over must feel following yesterday's woeful
performance. He thinks relegation may actually be a good
thing, but for many, that would surely be too painful to
stomach.
Dec
29: Everton
0 - 3 Charlton Athletic An utterly dismal day at Goodison
Park. Radzinski lasted for just one decent shot on goal
before a groin injury forced his replacement by an unfit
Ferguson. Graham Stuart scored in a very poor first
half. The second half was no better, with Jason Euell
scoring Charlton's second. And for good measure,
Stuart's substitute Konchesky added the third.
Charlton's first win at Goodison since 1949!
Dec 29 - Gravesen
fuels the fire More comments from Mad Dog in another Danish
newspaper may well seal his fate with Everton, where such
blatant honesty cannot be tolerated.
Dec 28 - Club
reply on store closure Everton have replied to a fan's e.mail request for
an explanation of why the store was closed for the two days
before Christmas.
Dec 28 - Gravesen
given a smack If Ananova are to be believed, Walter Smith is
upset about Tommy Gravesen's truth-telling to a Danish
newspaper. Phil
McNulty makes some big-picture observations... but
somehow, this all
seems a little bit too contrived...
Dec 27 - Gravesen's
frustration Tommy Mad Dog Gravesen moans that Everton
will be unable to build a decent team because they have no
money. Somebody should tell him Everton are surviving
only by selling their best players and replacing them with
aging crocks.
Dec
26: Everton
0 - 2 Manchester United Toil and effort versus quality and skill.
It is only right which one should win out in the end, and that
was down to two moments of magic from United. They tore
through Everton's previously resilient defence (commanded
masterfully by Abel Xavier) with two superb goals to take all
the honours. That makes it three defeats on the trot,
dropping Everton down four places to 13th.
Dec 26 - Smith
still here in 2005? In this interview at the Electronic Telegraph, Walter
Smith reveals his desire to be the Everton Manager leading
the Club into the new pastures of the Kings Dock.
Dec 25 -
Megastore Holiday No-one would expect Everton's Club store to
be open on Christmas Day, but what about the two days before
Christmas? Peak shopping days? Apparently not
for Everton's megastore... unless they simply ran out of
stock?
Dec 24 - Pistone
now crocked Alessandro Pistone has suffered
knee ligament and is expected to be out of action for the
next six weeks.
Dec
22: Sunderland
1 - 0 Everton The game went ahead despite heavy snow in the
Northeast and the Black Cats' new signing Claudio Reyna scored
the only goal to see off a typically inept Everton. Gravesen
started but was withdrawn for Alexandersson after just 22 minutes
following a hot-headed performance and a very early yellow card.
Moore and Tal were surprise inclusions in the starting line-up,
but the American couldn't find his third successive goal.
Dec 21 - Boa
Morte Card rescinded Boa Morte's red card
picked up after the fracas he initiated with Davey Weir has
been rescinded on appeal to the FA. Davey Weir's
second yellow in the same incident remains and Davey serves
his sentence against Sunderland
Dec
20:
Feature: What does he have to do? Despite taking just 30 minutes to score the winner against
Derby, Joe-Max Moore only made it onto the pitch at Leeds last
night because of an injury to Allessandro Pistone. Will his sweet
left-foot consolation volley that sparked an unlikely comeback
convince "Tictac" that to score goals you need strikers irrespective
of how they're built and that Goodison's resident Yank can
score goals.
Dec 20 - Paul
Gregg's new focus Everton Director Paul Gregg is leaving Clear Channel
(previously SFX) to concentrate on other things, including his role
at Everton in the Kings Waterfront Development.
Dec
19: Leeds
United 3 - 2 Everton Joe-Max Moore made further mockery of Walter Smith's
insistence on omitting him from the start with a cracking volleyed
left-footer late on and David Weir struck in stoppage time from
an Idan Tal corner to set up an exciting finish at Elland Road.
Mark Viduka (18') and two from, yes, you guessed it, Robbie Fowler
(25' and 70') had Blues fans wondering how many (particularly
after Smith had to withdraw Pembridge for Gascoigne and Pistone for
Moore because of injury) but the late rally restored some respectability
to the scoreline. Report
by Rob Burns
Dec
19: At
the risk of seeming ungrateful.. The cat-calls for Walter Smith have died down since
mid-table mediocrity become the established norm for Everton this
season. So it is a little disconcerting to read that Thor
Martinsson (an Evertonian in the Faeroe Isles) thinks the time is
now to act on the manager's demonstrated lack of ability.
Dec 19 - Player
Status update As the injury crisis deepens after the Leeds
game, keep track of the current status of players in the
Everton Squad with our updated index
page.
Dec 18 - Campbell
back when? Campbell will return 'next month' or 'in the
New Year' after a presumably miraculous cure of his back
problem some time between now and then...
Dec 17 - Reserves
draw Mini-Derby Everton Reserves drew 1-1 with Liverpool,
Nick Chadwick getting on the scoresheet yet again, and
hopefully nudging Walter with a little reminder that he is a
striker, perhaps ready for his debut... Reserves
Apps & Stats you can't get this anywhere else!
Dec 17 - No
justice for Weir It must surprise no-one that Everton's appeal today for referee Phil Dowd to review
video evidence of Fulham's fracas ( where David Weir
was unfairly given his marching orders for a second yellow card) fell
on typically deaf FA ears. Davie's dismissal stands and
he will miss Saturday's match at Sunderland.
Dec
17: Undercover
action by Everton It is good to see that the Club is planning to
take direct and more meaningful action against the racist element,
by bringing in undercover police officers and stewards (and
Bill Kenwright?) to sit amongst the fans for the next away
games.
Dec 17 - Danny
Cad on trial again? No, not that kind of trial... he's gone to
Barnsley so they can size him up for a possible transfer
when his £10k/week Goodison pay packet ceases at the end of
the season... or before?
Dec 16 - POTM November
There really was only one choice for ToffeeWeb
Player of the Month last month and he swept the voting. Take a
bow, Steve Simonsen. Do Everton finally have a safe pair of hands?
Dec 15: Everton 1 - 0 Derby County
Everton toiled their way to a deserved
victory over Derby, but the solitary goal by half-time substitute
Joe-Max Moore was not indicative of the Blues' dominance.
Bad
luck and profligacy in front of goal Pistone twice headed
against the woodwork in the first half continued into the
second as Gravesen (later withdrawn with a horrific head injury),
Alexandersson, Gemmill and Radzinski missed good chances.
Moore,
finally given his chance, tucked home the crucial goal with
15 mins to go. New
Report
by Richard Marland
Dec 15 - EiFC
5 - 0 ToffeeWeb Teams of Everton fans from internet mailing
lists and our discussion forum took each other on for
charity on Saturday, and to make a statement against
racism. The EiFC won again, that's 2 out of three in
this continuing series.
Dec 14 - Xavier
stalling? This Daily Mail story at Soccernet makes it
sound like something has changed regarding Xavier's
deliberations about his future... but the facts of the story
remain the same: his is not going to decide until the New
Year. Are they just running a little behind the times?
Dec 14 - Bill
the Boss Bill Kenwright says that he will sit
with the Everton fans at Sunderland to help weed out the
racists.
Dec
13: Being
positive on Kings Dock With Arsenal setting the pace by securing
planning permission for their Ashburton Grove stadium, Ken
Rogers of the Echo compares and contrasts their optimism with
our doubters who think that Everton should be putting aside
the dream and concentrating on strengthening the team.
Dec 12 - FA
Cup: Stoke City v Everton Everton will travel to
Stoke's Britannia Stadium for the 3rd Round of the FA
Cup on Saturday 5 January 2002 (KO: 3pm
All Ticket). Stoke beat Halifax
3-0 in tonight's 2nd Round replay after
drawing the initial tie 1-1 on Saturday.
Dec 12 - Willing investors
We asked ToffeeWeb's readers if they would buy shares
in Everton if the board initiated a Share Issue. Click
here for the not altogether surprising result.
Dec 11 - Cut-price match tickets A cold December afternoon at Goodison against
lowly Derby County hardly ranks as a Category A game... so
Everton are cutting ticket prices substantially (£10 for adults;
£5 for kids and OAPs) in an effort to get a few more people
in through the turnstiles on Saturday.
Dec
11: The
wrong approach Everton's management have made a strong statement
against the racist element, but the only threatened action
banning all fans from away games promises to punish the innocent
while letting the guilty go free. Prosecuting racists
is notoriously difficult; but is this blanket approach
appropriate? Or does it represents
an easy option that avoids tackling the real
problem: the individual racists? Vote in the December
Poll
Dec
10: More
non-news about Kings Dock Our old friend, Mickey Blue Eyes has provided
Phil Pellow at the From The Terrace website with more direct
non-news from Sir Joe Dwyer about the latest developments at
Kings Dock. But we can't tell you anything more due to
"commercial confidentiality"...
Dec 10 - Club seeks justice for Weir
Everton will appeal today for referee Phil Dowd to review
video evidence of Saturday's fracas at Craven Cottage where David Weir
was unfairly given his marching orders for a second yellow.
Dec 9 - FA
Cup: Halifax or Stoke Everton will travel to either Halifax or
Stoke in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. Ties will be
played during the first weekend of 2002. Halifax and
Stoke drew 1-1 on Saturday, and replay on Wednesday 12
December.
Dec 9 - Zamora
Rumours continue Rumours persist that Everton will close a deal
with Bobby Zamora, Brighton's goalscoring sensation.
But don't be surprised if he actually joins West Ham...
Dec
9: Viewpoint:
Our Shame Mindless racism and hatred from a section of the
Everton support at Leicester two weeks ago was not an aberration.
Our match reporter describes a sickening continuation of this
pathetic and cowardly behaviour that marred yesterday's game
against Fulham, and poses a serious threat to the Club's
future.
Dec 8 - Disciplinary
Woes In one game, Everton's much-improved
disciplinary record this season takes a knock, with Weir and
Pistone now facing one-match suspensions. "I
thought the decision to send David Weir off was disgraceful
- he's the only player that has ever been sent off for
clearing the ball, being pulled down and stamped on by the
opposition." Walter Smith.
Dec
8: Fulham
2 - 0 Everton Paul Gascoigne started
the game, but Everton were toothless as Fulham took control, Hayles
scoring with a simple header before the break. No changes at
half-time, and Everton conceded a second to Hayles from a
corner. So much for 11 defending our corners! Weir and
Boa Morte were later dismissed after an ugly brawl caused by Boa
Mote's dreadful challenge.
Dec
7: Devil's
Advocate Bill Kenwright wants everyone to talk
up the wonderful project that is Kings Dock.
But Paul Holmes has scratched below the surface and
taken a closer look at the Money Trail... In
the continuing silence from Goodison Park he has
more questions than answers about how it is all
really going to work out.
Dec 7 - McNulty
Rant Journalist Phil McNulty ignores the pleas to
avoid negative press about Everton, pointing up the Club's
abject failure to strive for anything other than mediocrity
on the field until Kings Dock becomes a real money spinner.
Dec 6 - Xavier
looking elsewhere? Fears that Abel Xavier will simply walk away
for free at the end of the season have been strengthened by
this less-than encouraging piece at the Sky website.
Everton feel Xavier is only worthy of a pay-as-you-play
deal, so you can hardly blame him...
Dec 5 - Player
of the Month A not too surprising winner, Thomas Gravesen was your
choice for October. Now vote
for your November POTM by clicking here.
Dec
5: Communication
is the key The Independent Supporters Association are an important
bridge between the Everton Board and the general fanbase and,
as usual, they were represented at this week's AGM. Their main
plea was for better communication, especially between the club
and fans, but also in the local press. Read
their presentation.
Dec 5 - Bid on a signed football UCL Hospitals Charitable Foundation is running
an auction of footballing memorabilia to benefit its cancer appeal
and they have a football signed by the Everton team up for bidding.
Check
it out if you're interested.
Dec
4: Cash crisis deepens striker worries
With Duncan Ferguson injured again and rumours
surfacing that Kevin Campbell could be facing another lengthy
lay-off or even that his career could be over, thoughts turn to
who Everton can acquire as replacements. Attempts to draft in
a loan striker have yielded little success but media reports suggest
that the club are looking to squeeze some cash out from somewhere
to buy Brighton's Bobby Zamora.
Dec 4 - Reserves
draw with Bantams 1-1 after 90 seconds... Everton went on to
draw this Reserves match 2-2, with Jesper Blomqvist playing
for the first half. Read the excellent coverage now
available (finally!) at the new Official Website.
Dec
4: The return of Gazza fever
Paul Gascoigne is back in the Premiership spotlight
after his introduction in the second half against Southampton
inspired Everton to a hitherto unlikely 2-0 victory. His dreams
of representing England in the Far East next year may be far-fetched
but Walter could offer him another
year at Goodison.
Dec 4 - Transfer windows are coming
Europe's 11 leading football leagues have agreed in principal to restricting player transfers to two calendar windows, one in the summer close season, one during January.
Dec 3: Everton
AGM Everton FC Co Ltd held their Annual General Meeting this
evening, in the positive atmosphere created by a much-needed win. Little
of any substance was really discussed or revealed, which has become the norm
for these meetings, as this report
confirms.
Dec 3 - Kings
Dock Developer Everton have signed up prestigious developers
Bovis
Lend Lease as construction partners for advancing
project planning as part of their preferred bid that will
include a new stadium for Everton.
Dec 3 - Goal
of the Week Tomasz Radzinski's excellent strike against
Southampton has been chosen as Goal of the Week by the BBC.
Dec 3 - Bela
Lugosi? The 27-year-old Argentinian midfielder
Gonzalo Belloso has been handed a four-day trial at Goodison
Park. Belloso joined Strasbourg in 1999, and was on
loan with Mexican club Cruz Azul earlier this year.
Dec
2: Everton
2 - 0 Southampton Following another turgid 45 minutes, Everton
burst out of the starting gates at the beginning of the second
half and took the lead when Radzinski latched onto a Watson
flick on and buried the ball past the 'keeper. Lively substitute
Gascoigne was denied a penalty, Gravesen missed two complete
sitters and cleared the ball off the line at the other end before
Pembinho made the game safe late on.
Dec
2: Put
the fans in charge! Defenders playing up front is all well and good
in a dire emergency but with two fit strikers available for
selection in form of Cadamarteri and Moore, Walter Smith is
persisting with Watson up front and the recent goal drought
(today's result aside) has been testament to the success of
that tactic. The latest ToffeeWeb Quick Poll shows how much
the fans agree with the manager's strategy!
Dec 1 - Belt
stays just as tight Another searching analysis of Everton's
dismal corporate finances this one by Paul Walker of the
Press Association concludes that Smith must continue to
operate frugally in the transfer market, with the likelihood
that more players will be sold to finance modest squad
restructuring for the foreseeable future.