Season 2011-12 Fan Articles

They Say Travel Broadens the Mind?

? so I?m probably off to Sunderland on a free. But before I go:

I first came to ToffeeWeb to learn more about Everton, the club I have supported all my life. I live abroad now and virtually never get to a game any more, but I follow the fortunes of the club and often discuss developments with my father over the phone. I enjoy that (talking to my dad, not current developments).

I haven?t been disappointed by the site. I?ve learnt a lot ? from you.

Later, the staff put me in touch with the ? in my opinion ? excellent EDSA (Everton Disabled Supporters? Association) and EDSA helped me take both my elderly parents to a match last season. Incidentally, I don?t know EDSA?s stock on ToffeeWeb, but the story of the association?s birth and the progress it has made over the years in some way made me prouder still to be an Evertonian.

This site has taught me about more, though, than just Everton. Intelligent, well-researched posts have provided me with a great deal of information and of food for thought concerning football finance and governance, for example.

I?m not an unconditional fan of the site and of each individual poster, of course. For every ?I believe what is true? poster, there appears to be a ?What I believe is true? poster. There is ? to my mind ? a great deal of opinion and less discussion. I appreciate ToffeeWebers that engage in dialogue and ? of course ? those that make me laugh: I appreciate less those who try to strangle debate and drown out potentially valid, if minority, views. I?m still surprised by how many of ?us? post comments without, apparently, reading the original post or any of the replies. I thought that?s what blogs ? not forums ? are for.

I offered to give some of my time to Trust Everton and asked for some fellow-posters to be patient with the people attempting to set it up. I?ve been looking forward to an update for a while. I think that Evertonians for Change have their hearts in the right place. I can?t come down in favour, or not, of The People?s Group. I?m sorry, but I can?t. And while I?m in favour of freedom of speech and debate, I think that many of the comments under their post on themerseyjuror.co.uk do their credibility more harm than good. I think that posting a reply to Dominic King?s article that says that ?90% of Evertonians voting on surveys on Everton forums want Bill Kenwright out? isn?t credible unless I missed ?all those other results? of ?all those other polls?, that is...

But I come back to ToffeeWeb on a regular basis because I don?t have to read comments like those posted by Norwegian Northender (The People?s Group on themerseyjuror).

It?s irrelevant to me whether or not Barcelona is the greatest team ever to have played the game and whether the last Champions? League final was the greatest game ever played (just so you know what football means to me). This is football and my enjoyment of it is subjective. One of the most memorable matches I ever saw was between an Everton XI and Caernarfon Town, back in the days when Martin Murray was going to be Everton?s George Best (on the football, not the liver, front). The game wasn?t up to much. But I never forgot it. When I watch a match, that?s what I want to see ? a ?match?.

I was happy when Man Utd started winning a few things. Happy for them. I thought, at the time, that they had a fair number of loyal fans and that it was ?their turn?. I wish, now, of course, that they?d stopped a long time ago.

I don?t even care if City win trophies. They, too, have a lot of genuine die-hard fans. Something in me thinks that they deserve it (opinions concerning how it will be done aside).

Truth be told, I couldn?t bear Liverpool winning things. Kathy (from Kent) who posted in response to Dominic King?s article sums many Liverpool fans up for me. Personally, I think ?her? post fails the Turing test and ?she?s? being beta-tested?

I can?t say if Everton is a big club. I can say it?s a great club. But I?m over forty, and ? to me ? Wolves are a great club.

Yes, I?ll get to the point now.

There are two things that strike me about ToffeeWeb. Firstly, just how many Evertonians (on here) truly believe that the club is unique. Often, I think that this gets in the way of discussion that tries to examine the club?s current predicament. Of course it?s unique. It?s Everton. But it doesn?t mean that laws constraints and tendencies which apply to other clubs don?t apply to ?us?.

Secondly, with some very notable exceptions, I?m struck by how little ?we? all seem to know about other clubs. About ? in fact ? the competition. Or, if you believe in the forthcoming Premier League apocalypse or the emergence of a European Super League, those in the same boat as ?us?. I don?t mean what we know about the players, where they are in the league, etc (although, of course, these are the most important things), but about the clubs, their finances, and about what their fans are thinking.

They say travel broadens the mind. I would like to invite 18 ToffeeWebers to adopt a club for the forthcoming season. Spend a bit of time (I know many of us don?t have a lot?), ?hang-out? in their fans? forums. Talk to them. Come back. Tell us what on-line Villa fans really think of Mr Lerner, how Sunderland fans feel about their club?s situation, if Spurs fans think Everton is a big club, what City fans think of ?the money? (I already tried to find that one out and learnt a lot in the process).

If you?re up for it, I?ve got a hat and 19 bits of paper ready. If I draw Liverpool, I promise ? with my hand on my heart ? I?ll accept that.

Anyone up for it?

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