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Andy 

Reasons to be Cheerful
25 March 2005

In case it matters, I’ve been going the match since I was three. Despite being a Smiths fan in my younger days, I too am sick of the depressives who poison my happiness. It’s time the optimists stood up. So here are ten Reasons to be Cheerful:

• 1. If you table results since Moyes took over, Everton would be sixth, behind the obvious five.  Of course, these have all invested crazy amounts of money, even Arsenal.  Isn’t that a surprise?  Imagine where we’d be if the players had turned up in April last season.
• 2. We might actually make some money this season.  TV income and final league placing ‘reward’ alone will lead to a dramatic increase in revenue.  The club retail activity has also clearly improved.
• 3. I live and work in London (I travel up for all the games on the appalling Virgin service – now that is something to gripe about).  All of my local mates are jealous: either because we are doing so well and they are not or because they are fans of what they see as clubs that have become corporate monsters – something they feel we are not.
• 4. We have a wonderful history.  Come stand at the William Dean statue before a game and see away fans praise him, let alone ours.  It leaves a tear in my eye.
• 5. I love the shouting, the anger, the laugh, the fact that we don’t do songs very well but make all sorts of cave man noise.
• 6. I love the fact that we fill every - and I mean every - away end we go to.  We do it at Soton on a Sunday, Charlton at Xmas, Stockport midweek in the League Cup, wherever.  I’ve got a season ticket and yet I can’t get tickets to some of them.
• 7. As a group if fans we have a name, in fact we have two: we are ‘Evertonians’ or ‘Toffeemen’.  Other fans don’t generally.  The just follow a club.
• 8. We’re so proud of being Evertonians.  Having lived away for 18 years, amongst fans of other loads of other clubs, I honestly don’t think other fans feel the same way.  And the ex-players are proud.
• 9. My dad was an Evertonian.  His dad was an Evertonian.  And his dad was an Evertonian.
• 10. It’s Spring and Goodison is the most beautiful place in the world in the sun.

We’re fourth and we’re having a laugh.  Even if I am a little nervous.  And the Uefa Cup would still be a dream come true for us.  Have faith, fellow blues — and enjoy the ride!

Andy 

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