If you know your History...

1878?: First game as Everton was actually on 23 Dec 1879

It was 125 years ago, on this date, that Everton played their first match, right?  At least, that's what the Club seems to be celebrating as fans attend today's match against Leicester City and receive a special certificate to commemorate the event:

"This is our 125th anniversary season and we felt it was right to mark this game because of its timing.

On December 20, 1879 we played our first game against St Peter's at Stanley Park and, wearing blue and white striped shirts, won the game 6-0." — Michael Dunford

Well, for starters, it is clearly not 125 years to the day since Everton's first match.  Do the maths: 1879 + 125 = 2004 — not 2003!  The explanation is that we've actually only been Everton for 124 years.  These are the facts:

• In 1878, the Methodist (then New Connection) Chapel at the top of St Domingo Vale added a St Domingo Football Club to the cricket club they had formed earlier.
• In 1879, a decision was taken to alter the name of the club to that of the local district — Everton.
• The first game to be played under the new name was a 6-0 whipping of St Peters.  But the date given in most history books was 23 December 1879 — not 20 December 1879.

It makes you wonder if this is another example of poetic license wheeled out to assist in marketing the Everton "Brand" to the punters.  As for the niceties of historical accuracy, does anyone really care any more?   (Remember how we were required to celebrate 100 years in the top flight, because — although it was annoyingly incorrect — the Board decided it sounded better than saying 100 seasons?)

But what about that date?  The date of the first match played under the Everton name is given in most sources as 23 Dec 1879 (Keates 1928; Hodgson 1979; France & Prentice 2002; Onslow 2002; Corbett 2003).  However, there are two books that list the date of that first Everton game as 20 Dec 1879:

• Everton, by Matthew Graham (1986)
• The Official Centenary History, by John Roberts (1988)  

Interestingly, 23 Dec 1879 was a Tuesday, whereas 20 Dec 1879 was actually a Saturday — the day most (all?) early games were played.

Hmmm... the plot thickens.  Maybe the Club is right after all!

Michael Kenrick

Addendum: David Prentice, Liverpool Echo chief writer and Everton historian, has trawled Daily Post and Echo microfilm this week and found reference in the edition of the Post on Monday December 22, 1879 to Everton's match played the previous Saturday, December 20th. So it seems as though the club were right on this occasion.

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