If you know your History...
20 December 2003
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1878?:
First game as Everton was actually on 23 Dec 1879
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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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