From Montreal Canadiens to Everton FC

Patrick Fennell 23/11/2015 10comments  |  Jump to last

I enjoy most sports but being Canadian I’m a huge hockey fan. The Montreal Canadiens are my team win or lose and always will be. They have been the most successful team in the National Hockey League since it's inception and have a long and glorious history. In recent years though they haven't been a serious contender for the Stanley Cup (for those not familiar that’s the League championship trophy named after Lord Stanley of Preston) but I won't let that dampen my spirits nor change my allegiance to another club.

My father taught me at a young age a true fan always remains loyal to his club in the good times and the bad. Now back in 1999 I met a young lady from Liverpool, England. I took her to her first ice hockey game which I’m glad to say she enjoyed very much. On the way home from that game, we started talking about sports in England and the conversation of course led to football. I used to call it soccer and I hope you‘ll forgive me for that!

Now with her originally being from Manchester she said she was a Manchester United fan but since moving to Liverpool she had followed the Reds. She then mentioned that Liverpool had two local teams and that the other was called Everton. I'll be quite honest I had never heard of Everton before living here in Canada. Now while I always enjoyed watching Canada's national team, I hadn't really watched much football besides a little of the defunct Canadian Soccer League. I don't know what it was but Man Utd and Liverpool didn't attract my interest whatsoever on the ride home that night. I wanted to know more about the other club she mentioned. I wanted to know more about Everton.

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Now sadly there was very little British football news to be found here in Canada back then. There would be a little now and then in the newspapers and only the odd game on television. From time to time during the early 2000s I’d catch a game of the week on TSN (our version of Sky Sports) but rarely see an Everton match on unless they were playing Man Utd, Chelsea, or Liverpool. I’d still always watch online though to see how Everton were doing. And thankfully, as the cable sports channels looked for content, we began to get more and more televised matches on TV here in Canada. I remember how excited I was one weekend when Everton’s match was on TV and Tomaz Radzinski was playing. Seeing a Canadian (born in Poland but a Canadian National team member nonetheless) playing for Everton made me very proud and piqued my interest even more.

I think the reason I was drawn to Everton is they are very much like my favourite hockey team the Montreal Canadiens. Both have a rich history and a glorious past but haven’t won a championship in a long time. I love when fellow Blues talk about the past years and tell of the team's glory days. You can get this from books and such but it’s always nice to have that personal perspective. Even more I love watching on TV and hearing the crowd cheer on their team. The atmosphere in Goodison seems electric and I pray to God I can see a match there live someday. Hopefully before we get a new stadium which by the looks of it I should have some time yet. I really wish they could renovate Goodison but if it will lead to more revenue and a stronger future for Everton then I’m all for it. If I do make it to Liverpool someday I hope you Blues will teach me some of the songs. Coleman’s is a personal favourite of mine.

I’m happy to say we get almost every Everton match on TV now and thanks to sites online like ToffeeWeb it’s very easy to follow the club’s news. I just wish it was easier to get Everton merchandise here in Canada. My wife has bought me the 2014-15 away kit (off the Everton FC site) for Christmas this year and you don’t want to know what that came to in Canadian dollars! I hate to think how much revenue Everton is missing out on here in North America. With Howard ( and to a lesser extent with Donovan when he played on loan) I am sure we could have sold tons of merchandise.

In closing I’d like to thank ToffeeWeb for running such a great site and thank those who post and comment on this site for teaching me about our club. On that fateful car ride home in 1999 a Toffee fan was born and while being so far away each weekend you make me feel like I’m right there with you cheering on our club. COYB!

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Reader Comments (10)

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Ciaran Duff
1 Posted 24/11/2015 at 23:00:55
Hi Patrick,

I think that your story and support mirrors that of many (non-Scouse) overseas Everton supporters. The fact that you chose to follow and stick with Everton, rather than the much easier option of Man Utd or the Red Shite, shows a sense of character and understanding which I believe makes our supporters special.

Mike Gaynes
2 Posted 24/11/2015 at 23:20:12
Bravo, Patrick. Those of us in North America who "chose" Everton as our side to support, rather than being born to the Blue, come in for a bit of stick once in a while on these pages, but Ciaran's right about us being characters. (That is what you said, isn't it, Ciaran?)

Hockey fans have much in common with footy fans... particularly the need for patience. I grew up in the '60s watching Les Canadiens trounce my Blackhawks (and everybody else), and when Henri Richard beat us in the '71 Stanley Cup finale I couldn't have imagined it would be nearly 45 years before we got back up. Three Cups have finally eased that pain, but I know many lifelong Blues look back over recent decades with the same sadness and disbelief. May that patience be rewarded as well.

Patrick Fennell
3 Posted 25/11/2015 at 20:09:00
I’m hoping our patience will be rewarded this season, Mike. I think Roberto should select the strongest squad possible for the Capital Cup match with Middlesbrough next week.

Win that game and we’re oh so close to a trophy. It’s not the FA Cup but I’ll take it!
Anthony Dwyer
4 Posted 26/11/2015 at 01:06:06
I myself am a scouse blue and often give shite to the reds for having fans from other cities / countries etc, but that’s just because they're red shite. ;-)

Being a blue from another country is great as far as I’m concerned. I recently bumped into a dad and lad from Toronto in our souvenir shop and spent £20 on a ball, shin pads and boot bag for the kid simply for being a good blue!

It only really bothers me when Londoners, Mancs etc support Liverpool when they have so many other teams to back.

That said I’d still like them if they were Blues. Hahha!

John Hands
5 Posted 26/11/2015 at 02:02:01
Patrick, a great article!

Even though you are a Habs supporter! Being a life long Evertonian you may have some sympathy for long suffering Toronto Maple Leafs fan - at least they play in blue and white!

If you are ever in the Toronto area feel free to look me up and may be we can hoist a couple of beers.

Pat Finegan
6 Posted 26/11/2015 at 05:25:29
As a Flyers fan, I really enjoyed this. I see a lot a parallels between the Flyers and Everton, as well as the cities Philly and Liverpool. Blue collar, rich in history, a bit of a mean streak, passionate about sports, etc. Scousers may stop short of throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, though.

A few months ago, The owner of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Flyers rivals, stated the he would be open to selling the club. Flyers fans started a go fund me page with the goal of buying the Penguins, giving their best players to the Flyers, and folding the organization. That seems like something Evertonians would try with the RS.

Jim Lloyd
7 Posted 26/11/2015 at 09:32:40
The paths that many Blues take to becoming a "Bluenose", eh Patrick!

"We are chosen" seems to fit the bill. I hope you can make it over to Goodison one day. (I don’t think we’ll have moved!)

A good post, mate.

Dave Abrahams
8 Posted 26/11/2015 at 09:50:07
Glad you support us Patrick, sat next to a Norwegian Blue last Saturday making his second visit to Goodison Park, what enthusiasm he showed for the Blues, clapping fervently as every member of the Everton team was announced, beaming smile with every goal, he enjoyed every second he was inside the ground.

I asked him how he became a Blue, he said he didn't know, Both his parents were natural born Norwegians and they didn't know why he supported Everton, they told Everton came on the TV when he was about four and he just fell in love with the team dancing around the room, I told him he was born lucky and he had been chosen to be one of us, he liked that. He was a very happy man or maybe he was just nuts like most Bluenoses, it was great to meet him, I think he loved Everton more than me.

Patrick Fennell
10 Posted 28/11/2015 at 00:44:16
Thanks so much for the nice comments everyone. I’m from Nova Scotia, Jim, and we’re known as ’Bluenosers’ so it’s fate I think that I’ve become an Everton fan!

And I may take you up on your offer John one of these times I’m travelling through Toronto. We’ll talk hockey and football and I promise not to make fun of you for being a Maple Leafs fan! Cheers everyone.

Jamie Crowley
11 Posted 02/12/2015 at 18:49:32
Patrick,

Welcome aboard to the red-headed step-child world of being a non-cradle-born Blue!

For me, almost a decade... and it’s a great, great journey and "thing" to be a part of.

It will, unequivocally, consume you. Beware...

Your hockey team sucks. ;0) Bruins sir, Bruins.

But I know you’re made of good stuff when you choose, er... were chosen for.... Everton Football Club.

Cheers, snap one off in the five hole, check em hard, drop the gloves, and enjoy the ride.

From a man who grew up playing hockey the only frustrating thing you’ll find is the shot-in-the-back roll-around-forgetting-you-have-male-parts scenes you see in footy. As they say in England it "does my head in"! Bear in mind that only happens with Continental players and South Americans! ;0)

Welcome friend! Great story.


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