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ToffeeWeb Season Diary
Season 2005-06

Navigate to previous months and seasons using the calendar (right).

 

 August 2005



News Headlines & Features

Van der Meyde and no more
31 Aug - Andy van der Meyde is finally an Everton player after officially signing for the club this afternoon following a protracted medical. The Dutch winger arrives from Inter Milan for an undisclosed fee but despite fevered anticipation among Evertonians that he would be followed by the striker we so desperately need, the midnight deadline passed without further signings.  Robbie Keane held talks with the manager yesterday but the writing was on the wall when it emerged that David Moyes spent most of the day at a charity golf tournament before heading to Haig Avenue to watch the reserves.  So, despite having over three months, Everton have failed to address the most pressing need in their squad.  We've been here before.

On tenterhooks
30 Aug - Expectant Evertonians face more nail-biting waiting as the club's medical staff seek a second opinion on Andy van der Meyde's second medical before David Moyes decides whether to proceed with the £2m transfer. Reports in the Echo today suggest he would be out for three to four weeks with a groin problem (which surely won't be a problem in the grand scheme of a four-year contract), but the manager will obviously want to make sure there are no longer-term issues there with the Dutch winger's injury. The player's agent seems confident he'll sign a 4-year contract tomorrow.

Collina Quits!
29 Aug - Pierluigi Collina, the self-proclaimed "best referee in the world", has announced that he is quiting football... but not for the reason most Evertonians would expect.  The shame he must have realised after making that dreadful mistake to dissallow Duncan Ferguson's go-ahead goal at Villarreal is nothing to the shame of accecpting €800k from Opel, who also sponsor Real Madrid.

WANTED: Goalscorer, urgently
28 Aug - The transfer window closes in three and a a half days' time but while David Moyes is smartly adding some much-needed reinforcements to defence and midfield, the most urgent need — that of a consistent goalscorer — was brought into sharp focus at Fulham yesterday but remains frustratingly unaddressed. Moyes's admission of failed bids for Owen and Kuyt hopefully indicates a vastly bigger budget than we're used to; from Makaay to Mintal, McCarthy to Miccoli, Everton need to get into the market for a big name if they want to compete once more with the big boys.

Turning three points into nothing
27 Aug - Everton suffered a European hangover on the ground on which they haven't won for almost 40 years as they were hit by Fulham's second-half sucker-punch. David Moyes's side dominated the first half but just one striker — an injured one at that — meant the cutting edge simply wasn't there. Then, after 57 minutes, the home side demonstrated how it's done: an incisive pass to an overlapping full-back, a sweet finish by former Blue, Brian McBride and 1-0. Everton fell to pieces after that and although they finished with McFadden, Vaughan, Ferguson and Osman as attacking options, only a late saved header from the Scot and a Mikel Arteta free kick threatened to bring the Blues level. Tomasz Radzinski capped a miserable afternoon by engineering a second yellow card for Phil Neville in the dying minutes. Match report

It's Dinamo Bucharest
26 Aug - Everton have been drawn to play Dinamo Bucharest in the first round of the UEFA Cup following the draw in Monaco this afternoon, arguably one of the more difficult ties that was on offer. Presumably the Blues will be away in the first leg because of the order in which the clubs were drawn out of the pot. The first leg ties will be played on 15th September 15th with the return fixtures on 29th September. Premiership rivals Middlesbrough drew Zante and Bolton have been pitted against Lokomotiv Plovdiv.

The Reckoning, by Rob Fox
25 Aug - If you are left exhausted and deflated after going through the full range of emotions during last night's crucial Champions League game, you probably aren't fit to do much other than collapse in front of the computer and work your way diligently through another massive dissertation containing the soothing and resiliently optimistic thoughts of ToffeeWeb columnist Rob Fox.

Blues' late revival killed by Collina
24 Aug - Everton's Champions League adventure is over after a valient — albeit belated — effort that brought them to within a goal of saving the tie but a scandalous decision by Pierluigi "I am God" Collina robbed the Blues of a perfectly valid goal and Diego Forlan caught them on the break in injury time to seal it. A wicked deflection off David Weir had put Villarreal 1-0 up through Sorin but when Everton eventually started pressing in the last half hour, Mike Mikel Arteta stroked a beautiful free kick past Barbosa to make it 1-1 on the night. Then, Duncan Ferguson rose to power home an Arteta corner but Collina ruled it out for a foul by Bent at the back post when, in actual fact, it was the striker whose shirt was being tugged. The next chapter begins on Friday with the UEFA Cup draw. Reports: Lyndon Lloyd | Guy McEvoy

Introducing the ToffeeWeb Forum
24 Aug - It's been some time since we had an official forum attached to ToffeeWeb but the popularity of the MailBag prompted us to take another look at providing a discussion forum where our readers can discuss all things Everton. The ToffeeWeb Forum is our new message board and while it is open for anyone to read, you will have to be a registered user in order to post messages. So, there you have it — an online community waiting to be built...

Vaughan signs professional contract
22 Aug - James Vaughan, who leapt onto the Goodison scene with a bang last season when he scored that great poacher's goal against Crystal Palace, has agreed a three-year professional playing contract with Everton. Vaughan holds a number of "youngest" records for Everton and the Premiership: youngest player, youngest scorer, youngest player to score on his debut, etc. David Moyes has not seen the need to use him much so far this season but could the deepening injury crisis see him thrown into the cauldron of El Madrigal on Wednesday night...???

Everton plunder three points at The Reebok
21 Aug - David Moyes's Everton survived the predictable Bolton onslaught and stole all three points by converting what must have been their only chance of the game seven minutes into the second half. The home side carried all the threat and had all the chances in a typically physical encounter at The Reebok but when Cahill's sliding cross fell perfectly to Bent in the six-yard box he made no mistake to tuck home the only goal of the game. The win came at a cost to David Moyes's small squad, though: Pistone was stretchered off after half-an-hour with a strained knee and Bent limped off with what looked like the same complaint after an hour. Neverthless, a first win earned against all probability and secured when El Hadji Diouf's thundering shot cannoned off the bar late on. Match report

Never mind the Quality...
19 Aug - A number of contributors have commented on the need for more width in the Everton attack, but none have captured as well as Martin Doherty what this really means on the field.  Simon Davies, whom the press thought had a good league debut for Everton against Man Utd, was a particluar culprit for taking the inside track instead of getting down to the byline, where accurate crosses can do the most damage.  Responses

Panic by Rob Fox
18 Aug - Picking up on a theme proffered earlier by Colm Kavanagh, Rob Fox utilizes some recognizable song titles to encapsulate his typically wide-ranging and in-depth analysis of our first two matches.  By providing some thorough reasoning, backed up with a number of solid examples, he goes a long way to counter the recent Panic that appears to have gripped a good portion of the Everton fanbase.

Wake up and smell the coffee
16 Aug - The increasingly outspoken kopite-loving Alan Green used to be a well-respected and incisive football commentator but he is now seemingly going out of his way (literally — to yesterday's Irish Examiner) in order to deliver his own brand of venomous disdain, with David Moyes the primary object of this piece after he targeted a top-three finish for Everton this year.  And Evertonians don't fair any better as he pours plenty of cold water over our pipedreams. Read this excellent reply — from a Tranmere supporter!

Beattie out for 'some weeks'
15 Aug - Everton's difficult start to the season was dealt another blow with the news that James Beattie will be out of action for some weeks, giving David Moyes something of an injury crisis with four senior players now out of action.  It was also feared he may have fractured a bone in his foot when he hobbled off after just 19 mins against Man Utd, but that is not the case.  It gives Marcus Bent, who was nominated the Man of the Match on Saturday, the opportunity he has been waiting for to prove to David Moyes that he is the one who should be leading the line in the 4-5-1 formation.

Normal Service Resumed
13 Aug - After the massive expectations placed upon Everton in this first week of an exciting new season, the kick-off turned into a damp squib with a poor opening game at Goodison Park against Manchester United. Everton looked to control the game for periods during the first half but lacked the guile needed to penetrate and score. When Beattie walked off with a foot injury, the script was written — although Bent did liven things up briefly. But van Nistelrooy did his usual just before half-time with a very good final touch. Then, straight after the restart a catastrophic Yobo moment gifted the ball to who else? Wayne Rooney. He will never score an easier or more sickening goal. Everton never recovered, never looked like recovering. Reports: Lyndon Lloyd | Paul Traill

Blowing the European Money Myth
11 Aug - This will do ToffeeWeb's reputation for negativity no good whatsoever, but Jamie Rowland's research puts some much-needed perspective behind the widely held presumption that Everton getting into the group stage of the Champions League will automatically provide a huge financial bonus to the club.... it won't! That conclusion is based on information from Uefa's own website, where the numbers show that the perennially successful clubs who play in the competiton year after year are the ones who reap the massive financial rewards.

Gutsy Everton come up short against Villarreal
9 Aug - Everton kicked off the new season at home to Villarreal in the Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round with Marcus Bent and Per Krøldrup on the bench, the manager sticking with the 4-5-1 formation and Beattie up front. A fantastic atmosphere as Everton tore into the Spaniards and really set the tone, not giving them any time on the ball in the first 10 mins. But Villarreal, in their first real attack on the half-hour, had Figueroa fire the ball cruelly into the Everton net for a critical away goal to stun the Evertonians. James Beattie eventually steered the ball home before half-time on a great Neville cross but cheers turned to jeers in seconds as a well-worked goal from Josico gave the Spaniards the lead again. Bent, Ferguson and McFadden came on in the second half but Villarreal were intent on keeping their spoils. Reports: Lyndon Lloyd | Paul Traill

Tunnel Vision
8 Aug - Tomorrow is the Big Day.... and Rob Fox is the writer of the Big Column which, by way of a far-reaching match preview, sets the context for the first leg in terms of a longer and more contemplative progression that is — you guessed it — all part of David Moyes's long-term plan for Everton. Rob has little time for those who see this Champions League qualifier as some sort of litmus test for the mixed results of transfer proceedings that have generally seen many fans frustrated over the close season.

The Truth about Rooney?
7 Aug - The reaction of Everton fans to this new book published last week from tabloid journalist Frank Worrall is likely to be very mixed — from those who will be put off by the horrible title: Wayne Rooney – Simply Red  — to those who may still be searching for "the truth" about the events preceding his controversial transfer from Everton a year ago.  Whether Worrall provides some much-needed enlightenment, dispels any myths, or simply fills this book with more tabloid sensationalism is not known at this time...  Reviews will be welcome from anyone who does read it.
Also this long article on Rooney in today's Observer, for those interested.

The David France Collection finds a home
6 Aug - Great news for Evertonians who make a song and dance about 'knowing your history' - Lord Grantchester, speaking on national radio this morning, has confirmed that the David France Collection, an unequalled collection of Everton Memorabilia, has secured a permanent home and will be housed at the Liverpool Record Office in William Brown Street, which is a few minutes walk from Lime Street Railway Station. Lord Grantchester urged Evertonians to continue supporting the Everton Collection Charitable Trust.

Cahill set to agree 5-year deal
5 Aug - There is no official confirmation yet from Everton but the Daily Post boldly claims that Tim Cahill will accept a whopping £27k/wk salary that goes with a new five-year deal being negotiated with Everton as a "reward" for his wonderful efforts last season. It was believed he was asking for £30k/wk — but Tiny Tim is not greedy! Oh no... if he was greedy, he would have asked for a transfer!!!
Now, now, Mr Editor

Neville deal finalised
4 Aug - Everton have completed the signing of utility man Philip Neville before the deadline for registrations for the Champions League third qualifying round. Bill Kenwright brokered the deal with the player's father on Wednesday evening and formalities were completed today on the transfer believed to involve a hefty £3.5m fee. The 28 year-old signs a five-year contract, will wear the no. 18 shirt and brings both versatility and Champions League experience to an Everton squad still worryingly short on numbers and firepower. He should go straight into the squad to face Villarreal next Tuesday and then make his Premiership debut the following Saturday against his brother.

Opportunity knocked
3 Aug - We started the close season with dreams of a revamped squad stripped of its dead wood and stuffed full of quality players to take the Champions League challenge head on. A succession of failed transfer bids later and less than 24 hours away from the registration deadline, Everton will likely face Villarreal with the same size squad as that which finished last season and with just three notable additions. Time will tell if it's enough, but you can't help feeling that when opportunity came knocking, we failed to answer the door.

Everton 1 - 0 Udinese Calcio
3 Aug - Everton gave themselves a lift in their final pre-season game before things kick off in earnest against Villarreal in six days' time with a narrow 1-0 win against fellow Champions Leaguers, Udinese. Things didn't go to plan in the first half, however; Mikel Arteta — arguably our most important player for Tuesday's first leg — had to be withdrawn from the action as a precautionary measure after hurting his ankle after 25 minutes. After a goalless first half, Udinese pressed in the second but it was Everton who broke both the deadlock and the Blues' recent goal drrought three minutes from time through (unofficial) home debutant Simon Davies. Report from Paul Traill

Everton confirm Baros interest
2 Aug - Everton have publicly announced that Milan Baros is on their list of potential transfer targets following mounting speculation that Baros could become the first Liverpool player to make the switch to Goodison since Gary Ablett 13 years ago. If The Independent are to be believed, the Blues, who are running out of time before Thursday's deadline for registrations before the Villarreal fixture, will need to break their transfer record again with a £7m bid after Liverpool failed to accept £6.5m. Not only that, but the unreliable Mirror suggest that Baros fears a backlash from Liverpool fans and wants an increase on his current £35k-a-week salary. Psssst, Moyesey... Robbie Keane.

 

Snippets & Rumours

Ferrari on target for Reserves
31 Aug - Watched by David Moyes, Matteo Ferrari helped Everton Reseves to a 1-1 draw at Leeds with a nice volley.

Murinho key to Valente deal
31 Aug - Nuno Valente has revealed the key role played by Chelsea manager Jose Murinho in convincing the Portuguese star defender what a good club Everton would be for him to join.

Moyes made one last Owen pitch
31 Aug - In an article for The Times explaining why he made the move to Newcastle United (could it be money, Ickle Mickey?), Michael Owen reveals that David Moyes telephoned him late on Monday evening "to see if there was a chance of getting me to Goodison Park and to wish me luck if not."

Preston act to keep Nugent
31 Aug - David Nugent has been offered a £10k-a-week deal by Preston in a last-ditch attempt to stop a £1M deadline day move to Everton.

Planning for Bucharest
30 Aug - CFW Tailor Made Travel are putting together packages for the Blues' away leg against Dinamo Bucuresti, so if you haven't made your arrangements yet, check 'em out.

Cahill running on empty
30 Aug - An ever-present for Everton so far this season, Tim Cahill isn't shirking his responsibilities to Australia. He is back in his native country to prepare for the Socceroos' match against the Soloman Islands, but after another 22-hour flight from England, he can barely stand up due to fatigue.

Season Comparison
30 Aug - Despite what seems to be a poor start to the season, if you compare the results with the same fixtures last season, we are still on track to finish with the same points total!

The Shortest Straw
30 Aug - Nick Armitage is in firmly in the Collina Conspiracy Camp as he views the dubious circumstances surrounding the referee's retirement.

Nuno Valente signs on
28 Aug - Normally the arrival of a new player fills us with hope and excitement... but another defender? 30 years old?? Digruntled with his club??? And he get's a three-year deal???? Davie, he'd better be very, very good! [Speak for yerself, Ed.]

Groin issue threatens AvdM move
27 Aug - The Guardian report that Everton will assess further a groin complaint uncovered during Andy van der Meyde's medical yesterday. The quotes from David Moyes, who confirms that he is looking for a left back in addition to Matteo Ferrari, seem to suggest that the injury will not be a show-stopper... but you never know.

Ferrari deal done
26 Aug - Everton have completed the loan acquisition of Matteo Ferrari from AS Roma. The 25 year-old defender passed a medical on Wednesday and signed on the dotted line at Bellefield today. The club are awaiting international clearance for the Italian before knowing whether he will be eligible for tomorrow's game at Fulham.

Van der Meyde move close
26 Aug - Andy van der Meyde is finally on the verge of signing for Everton after a £2m fee was agreed by officials from Goodison in Milan this morning and the Dutch winger agreed personal terms this afternoon. He will undergo a medical over the weekend with a view to sealing the transfer move from Internazionale by Tuesday.

Pistone KO'd for much of season
26 Aug - David Moyes has been dealt a hammer blow with the news that the Italian will miss most of the season after suffering a cruciate knee ligament in his late challenge on Henrik Pedersen at Bolton last Sunday. With Gary Naysmith also a long-term absentee, even the imminent arrival of Matteo Ferrari isn't sufficient cover at left back.

Another bad injustice
25 Aug - Guy McEvoy, whose match reports have been sorely missed at ToffeeWeb in recent years, was in Villarreal last night to enjoy Everton's return to the Continent. Read his account of what was a bitterly disappointing but simultaneously pride-instilling evening.

Ambassadors for the Blues
25 Aug - Everton fans have been praised by Merseyside police's match commander for the way in which they conducted themselves in Villarreal last night despite hundreds of Blues ending up scattered throughout the home supporters' seating. Once again, our fans have done the club and country proud on the Continent.

Dashed Dreams
25 Aug - On the Football World website, Matthew Day thinks things are looking up for Everton despite the drama of last night's exit from the Champions League.

Moyes furious with Collina
25 Aug - David Moyes speaks out about the ludicrous refereeing decision that cost Everton parity with Vilarreal in last night's crucial match.

Ferrari agrees Everton switch
23 Aug - The agent of Italian defender Matteo Ferrari says that the 25 year-old has agreed to join Everton on a one-year loan with a view to making a permanent £3.7m switch from Roma next summer.

Kuyt & Owen approached
23 Aug - David Moyes has stated that Everton made a £10M bid for Dutch striker Dirk Kuyt three weeks ago, but Feyenoord wanted £12M.  Also, Micheal Owen was approached but he was not interested. Everton are chasing the big names, but will not pay over the odds.

More on the Animals theme...
23 Aug - Villarreal keeper Barbosa gets more covergae for his moans about Everton players rough-housing with him a bit too much at Goodison Park.

The Beauty of Winning Ugly
23 Aug - Colm Kavanagh took his lad to the Reebok to watch the Blues plunder three precious points from Bolton, and went back to Ireland with a smile on his face.

Bet on the miracle
22 Aug - There are lots of permutations to whet your betting appetite for Wednesday's game. Like Tim Cahill to score first and Everton to win 2-0 at 150/1 or David Weir to score first in a 3-1 Blues victory at 1700/1! Just a plain old 3-1 Everton win is currently 66-1 at BlueSq.

No ticket, no go
22 Aug - Everton supporters who don't have tickets for Wednesday's match against Villarreal are being urged not to travel to Spain. Based on the experiences of Middlesbrough fans at a friendly against the Spaniards, that is probably sage advice.

Unsworth joins Sheffield Utd
22 Aug - Former Everton defender David Unsworth, accomplished proponent of the angled hoof-ball, has joined Sheffield United after Portsmouth wrote off the rest of his contract, worth £½M.

Ian Ross responds to Stubbsy
22 Aug - Ian Ross has spoken out, reiterating Everton's view of the real reasons why Alan Stubbs left Everton: he wanted a two-year extension.

Collina's the man in the middle
22 Aug - The vastly experienced Pierluigi Collina will referee the second leg of our Champions League do-or-die clash with Villarreal this coming Wednesday evening. We remain hopeful that the aerial threat of Duncan Ferguson meets with Collina's approval!

'Cancer clause' turned Stubbs away
22 Aug - After initially blaming the length of contract offered for his decision not to re-sign with Everton, Alan Stubbs now reveals that the club wanted a clause inserted in any new contract stipulating that they could tear it up if he suffered a relapse of his testicular cancer. The Club issues a quick response.

Pistone out; Bent doubtful
21 Aug - Alessandro Pistone will need a scan to figure out the extent of damage to his knee, and will miss the Villarreal game. while Bent's similar injury is less serious.

Cahill — True Blue
21 Aug - Tim Cahill is featured in this Sunday Times story building up to Everton's games against Bolton and Villarreal.  Tiny Tim is also the central figure in this article from The Independent.

Moyes's real challenge
21 Aug - Speaking to the Sunday Mirror, David Moyes is becoming more bullish about the Villarreal challenge as Wednesday approaches: "This tie is still alive. We are capable of going to Spain and getting the result we need."

Green, Schmeen...
20 Aug - We've had plenty of angry feedback in our Mailbag regarding the obnoxious Alan Green, but this calmly reasoned response from Paul Appleyard stood out.

Davies another case for treatment?
19 Aug - More worrying injury news with the statement from Moyes that "Simon [Davies] has had a few problems with his shins since he came here."  Oh brother!

Li Tie still 'terrified'!!!
19 Aug - Although he has being playing friendlies and reserve games, and gets to be named on the seven-man Euro bench, Li Tie clearly has some way to go before he can be risked in the rigours of a Premiership match.

Truth hurts
18 Aug - We don't usually highlight things that aren't directly about Everton but this article in The Guardian by sports editor Sean Ingle reinforces some uncomfortable truths for fans of the 'beautiful game'.

Villarreal match ticket up for grabs!
17 Aug - Over on The People's Forum there's one match ticket up for grabs - via auction, with all proceeds going towards Zöe's Place. A worthy cause that will hopefully benefit from some Evertonian generosity. Get your bids in if you're travelling to Spain and are currently ticketless!

Mixed fortunes on world stage
17 Aug - Kevin Kilbane and Joseph Yobo were in international action today for their respective countries (Eire lost 2-1 to Italy; Nigeria beat Libya) while Phil Neville was, probably to his relief, an un-used sub in England's 4-1 drubbing at the hands of Denmark.

Bent unsettled by speculation
17 Aug - Marcus Bent has admitted that he is surprised by the recent talk linking him with a move to the likes of Wigan Athletic and Charlton Athletic and wonders if he figures in David Moyes's long-term plans.  It is not known whether the quotes attributed to him were made before or after Everton's rejection of the speculation.

Naysmith facing further surgery
17 Aug - Gary Naysmith will undergo a second operation to remove a piece of bone from the ankle on which he had surgery earlier in the summer. That should, theoretically, clear up any lingering problems in that area.

Moyes dismisses Bent speculation
17 Aug - David Moyes has moved to dampen speculation that Marcus Bent is to be sold to Charlton Athletic. "How could we think of selling" him? We've got no strikers.

Blues triumph in mini-derby
16 Aug - Everton edged local rivals Liverpool in a five-goal thriller despite finishing the game with 10 men. Rising Icelandic star Bjarni Vidarsson scored twice with Victor Anichebe also on the mark as the Blues won 3-2 away.

Blues need more firepower
16 Aug - Former Goodison hotshot Andy Gray believes that a lack of striking options up front could hinder Everton's hopes of building on last season's achievements.

Davies pulls out of Welsh squad
16 Aug - Simon Davies has withdrawn from Wales' friendly with Slovenia on Wednesday because of a "shin complaint" according to Sky Sports.

Bolton v Everton tickets
16 Aug - Tickets for Everton's match at Bolton on Saturday are available to season ticket holders upon production of voucher No 32, together with at least eight away match ticket stubs from last season. More...

The Man with the Plan
15 Aug - David Moyes arrived with a five-year plan for Everton.  Three years in and fan Steve Guy is convinced that Everton are well ahead of that plan, and moving forward to consolidate the Club's rightful position in the top part of the table and competing in Europe on a regualr basis.

Match Report from Paul Traill
14 Aug - Overall I’m not too down.  We’ve played two quality teams in five days.  Yes we’ve lost them both but have given them a good game.  I feel that if we can play to that standard week-in, week-out then we’ll have fourth place again. We certainly would if we had a striker who could score goals.  

Kroldrup out until late September
14 Aug - Per Kroldrup goes in for hernia repair surgery on Tuesday and will not be available until the end of September.

Beattie injury 'not serious'
13 Aug - Everton will wait for the foot injury that forced James Beattie out of today's defeat to Manchester United to settle down but the initial prognosis is that there is no serious damage.

Neville gets England call-up
13 Aug - Phil Neville has been included in the England squad for next week's friendly with Denmark. Sven Goran Eriksson was at Goodison Park to watch the midfielder make his Premiership debut for Everton. Neville played in only two games for England last season.

Yobo error compounds Blues' deficiencies
13 Aug - The expectations were great. The reality turned out to be far more dispiriting and depressingly familiar as Manchester United departed Goodison Park with another comfortable victory that, coming on the heels of the defeat to Villarreal, made a mockery of Everton's Champions League pretensions... both in terms of participation in this year's group stage and qualilfication for next year's competition. More...

Kroldrup itching to play
12 Aug - Per Kroldrup is adamant that the niggling groin problem that flared up last week and will likely require surgery "at some point" won't stop him from making his Everton debut tomorrow if he is selected by David Moyes.

Market Pool Money and more...
12 Aug - Following on from Jamie Rowland's concern about the dubious financial rewards of playing in the Champions League, we are immensly indebted to Carlos Donald of St Louis, Missouri, for this much more detailed explanation supporing a minimum figure closer to £15M for participation in the Group Stages...   All we need do now is qualify!

Ledgers capture our history
12 Aug - The Daily Post has discovered the wonders of The David France Collection, which is being bought on behalf of Everton fans by the Everton Collection Charitable Trust, who need all Evertonians to contribute to the cause.

They don't like it up 'em
12 Aug - Villarreal keeper Barbosa has been crying about the tough Everton players, whom he calls animals! And Tiny Tim gave him a big blow, which hurt a lot.

Villarreal ticket announcement
11 Aug - Everton are finally able to publish details for obtaining tickets for the away leg in Villarreal which go on sale at 10am tomorrow. Supporters presenting season ticket voucher no. 62 and 20 away match stubs will qualify for the 1,600 ticket allocation that the club have been handed. Construction work at El Madrigal Stadium has reduced capacity to 21,000.

Houston is still calling
11 Aug - Everton are still getting a good press in Houston, TX, thanks to Glen Davis of the Houston Chronicle, who is keeping American fans of the Premiership well updated.

Beattie talking the talk
11 Aug - It seems the journos can't get enough quotes and promises from James Beattie, who is oozing confidence ahead of Man Utd and the return match in Villarreal.

Wolves undo Reserves late on
10 Aug - An 89th minute goal from a Wolves defender gave Everton Reserves an unfortunate home defeat in their first league game of the new season, although Li Tie clocked another 90 mins.

Still half a tie to play for
10 Aug - David Moyes will take his players to Spain in a fortnight believing they can get the two-goal advantage needed to turn this one around.

Krøldrup may need surgery
10 Aug - Per Krøldrup was not fit for last night's game — despite sitting on the bench — because of a groin strain that may need surgery to fix. No estimate as to how long it may be before we see him making his debut for the Blues.

Everton's European Legacy
9 Aug - Henry Winter ends his excellent piece in The Telegraph with this: "Moyes's side have a tradition to live up to.  Giving up is not in the Goodison dressing-room code of conduct bequeathed by Reid and Gray."

Pie & Bovril
9 Aug - David Moyes is looking for the Goodsion faithful to get fuelled up and really let the opposition know where they are tonight.

Squad Numbers confirmed
9 Aug - Big Dunc regains the Number 9 shirt for the season, with Beattie wearing 8, Naysmith 3, and Pistone 23.

Everton's day finally dawns
9 Aug - Not a wiff of 'London-centric' jourrnalism in this excellent piece by Dominic Field from today's Guardian, talking up Moyes and his achievement in bringing European football back to Goodison Park.

Like Christmas Eve
9 Aug - David Moyes is definitely excited about the challenge ahead this week as he relishes the opportunity of squaring up to Villarreal in tonight's massive game, followed by the visit of Man Utd on Saturday.

Blond Ambition
9 Aug - Everton's return to the European stage offers James Beattie the perfect chance for a fresh start.

Villarreal [A] ticket details
8 Aug - Everton had hoped to be able to announce details for obtaining tickets to the CL3QR away leg at Villarreal today but have had to delay publishing details until Wednesday.

Cahill contract boost
8 Aug - As expected, the club have confirmed that Tim Cahill has signed a new contract that will keep him at Goodison until 2010. Although not confirmed, it is believed to be worth around £27,000 a week.

Myhre back in the Premiership
8 Aug - One-time Everton No. 1, Thomas Myhre, has made a return to the Premiership by signing a one-year contract with Charlton Athletic.

Calling all Stockholm Blues
8 Aug - Two enterprising Evertonians in Stockholm, Ian Taylor and Paul Collyer, are starting up a Stockholm Supporters Club for local and displaced Blues in Sweden — just in time to watch Tuesday's big game at the Dubliner on Smålandsgatan in the City Centre.

Riquelme the big threat
7 Aug - The journos have picked playmaker Riquelme as the biggest threat to Everton as the build-up to Tuesday's massive game against Villarreal at Goodison Park on Tuesday continues to build. Tickets are still available!

Howie still hurts for Everton
7 Aug - Howard Kendall reopens old wounds regarding Uefa's poor treatment of then Champions Everton after all English clubs were banned from Eurpoe due to Liverpool's role in the Heysel disaster 20 years ago.

Captain Weir defiant!
7 Aug - David Weir talks to the Sunday Times about a now familiar pre-season scenario: Everton written off before a ball is kicked in earnst.

Is Everbody Excited?
6 Aug - Bob Roberts has written in from Dublin, asking some probing questions and making some strong points about how well things are shaping up for the new season.  But the ToffeeWeb Editor is not counting the chickens just yet...

Vaughan in contract talks
6 Aug - Everton have announced that talks are under way with Jamie Vaughan's agent to set up the lad's first professional contract, now that he has turned 17.

Nice welcome for Neville
6 Aug - Both The Times  and The Independent  carry this nice story about Phil Neville's transition to Everton.

Everton vs Villarreal on TV
6 Aug - Correction: The first leg of Everton's CL3QR tie with Villarreal will be screened live on ITV2 in the UK, on four-hour tape delay on Setanta Sports USA (now available to DirecTV subscribers for $11.99 a month) and live on ESPN in Australia. More TV details

'Barcelona' T-shirts available
6 Aug - Still haven't ordered your limited-edition ToffeeWeb European Tour T-Shirt? The "Is this the way to Barcelona?" design is now in stock. Order yours here.

Wasted opportunity?
5 Aug - Jonathan Fruin takes TW columnist Lyndon Lloyd to task over his recent article that lamented the missed opportunity this summer and suggests that the cup is very much half full.

Get down to Goodison Park!
5 Aug - Everton kick off what is, financially, the most important game in the club's recent history on Tuesday and it is essential that Goodison is sold out! The general consensus amongst Evertonians is that this game is already sold out. It isn’t and a full house is required on Tuesday night folks! Tickets are back on general sale and available in person at the box office or at tickets.evertonfc.com. We repeat: This game is far from sold out

Stay Positive!
5 Aug - Some fans like to perpetuate the myth that ToffeeWeb is a hive of negativity, and they persistently ignore contributions like this from Jamie Rowland, who has nowt but good things to say about the Club, the Board, the manager, the team, our chances in the Prem, etc.

Bread
5 Aug - The summer has obviously taken its toll on Kieran Kinsella as he compares some familiar characters at Goodison Park to the dysfunctional Boswell family of the 80s Liverpool-based sitcom, Bread :-)

Carsley will miss a month
5 Aug - The knee injury Lee Carsley picked up in the last minutes of last season's last game were exacerbted in Istanbul, and he will now miss all Everton's games in August.

No more additions
4 Aug - Barring any major surprises in the morning, it looks very much as though Phil Neville is the sum total of Everton's scramble to add bodies to the squad ahead of tonight's 23h00 BST deadline. Any interest in Milan Baros would seem to be on hold and the Freddie Kanoute rumour looks like paper nonsense.

Moyes talks to World Soccer
4 Aug - This interview with David Moyes in World Soccer magazine is featured on Kenny Fogarty's long silent ToffeeBlog.

Fresh talks with Cahill
4 Aug - Everton have proudly announced that a new round of talks has taken place with Tim Cahill, who is looking for parity with the club's top earners.

Stubbs hurt by Everton decision
4 Aug - Alan Stubbs talks at some length to the Daily Post about his difficult and painful decision to leave Everton.

Arteta substitution precautionary
3 Aug - Everton report that Mikel Arteta was withdrawn from today's friendly with Udinese as a precaution after he rolled the ankle that was causing him problems last season. He should be fit to play against Villarreal on Tuesday.

Villarreal away date confirmed
3 Aug - The second leg of Everton's CL3QR tie against Villarreal in Spain has been confirmed for Wednesday 24 August, kick off time to be decided.

Villarreal ticket update
2 Aug - Following outcry by fans over the decision to put the Villarreal game on general sale, Everton have announced a 48-hour "period of exclusivity" for season ticket holders to buy tickets for the CL3QR home leg. Details

Stubbs signs for Sunderland
2 Aug - Alan Stubbs, who rejected the offer of another year at Goodison, has signed a 12-month contract with Sunderland... go figure!

Another fine ticketing mess
2 Aug - Everton shareholders and season-ticket holders will not be impressed with a pathetic line of excuses from CEO Keith Wyness justifying the latest ticketing fiasco at Goodison Park. There was ample time to set up a priority sceme: there was obviously no will or competence to do it. No, we'll blame the terrorists instead... More in our Mailbag.

Shake that Stick
2 Aug - Lots of Evertonians have lots to say at the moment, as our Mailbag testifies. Also these longer pieces: a letter to Keith Wyness; a medical analysis of EDD; Concern over Dithering Dave... and a potted Summary of The Trouble with Everton, especially for those of you who may not have been paying much attention (but note that Home Farm is ancient history...).

Bet on the Blues
2 Aug - The new season is just 11 days away so it's time to translate footy fever into some well considered bets with our betting partner, BlueSq. Sign up via this link as a new member and they'll give you a free £25 bet when you place a wager of the same amount. See some of the latest prices.

What does Everton mean to you?
2 Aug - As fans, we are sometimes ignored by the club and its directors. Research is being currently undertaken across all Premiership clubs to assess what values fans associate with their team. The results of this research will allow clubs to better support the wishes of their fans. If you're interested, this survey takes about 3 minutes to complete.

ToffeeWeb RSS Dashboard widget
2 Aug - If you're a Mac user who has upgraded to OS X 10.4 Tiger, you can add our news to your Dashboard with the ToffeeWeb RSS widget. This smart looking interface was designed for us by James Hanna, purveyor of fine Everton goodies for your Mac.

Villarreal ticket details
1 Aug - Tickets for the home leg against Villarreal go on general sale at the box office tomorrow (2 Aug) at 11am. There is no priority for season ticket holders and you'll get shafted for £3 if you opt for the convenience of booking on-line.

Villarreal date confirmed
1 Aug - The home leg of the Champions League third round qualifier with Villarreal has been confirmed for Tuesday 9 August, KO 8:05pm.   That would normally mean the reverse fixture would be held on Wednesday 24th August but further discussions between officials and police are apparently needed.

The Knives Are Out
1 Aug - Even Bill Kenwright sounded exasperated with the lack of new players, but Paul Carroll reckons we are close to the spending limit he set already...

Purpose of the Fener game
1 Aug - David Moyes talks about the rationale behind the game against Fenerbahçe; "The game was played exactly the way we wanted it to be, but we didn't want the result to be the way it was."
     
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