Old Memories

Eric Owen 02/01/2018 7comments | Jump to last

Christmas Day is my Dad's birthday, a day when I always think about him.

While this Festive Season was no exception, I decided to go through some reminders I keep about family memories and I came across a note I had written to myself just after he passed away.

Silly me; it brought tears to my eyes so to wish everyone Season's Greetings from Canada. I thought other Blues might like to see it too, here it is:

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"I wasn't at Wembley in ‘66 but my Dad was. I was in Canada.

He was 72 at the time and while he had never ever been to London, he also had never ever set foot inside Liverpool's ground.

He had always watched our lads since around 1910, the first team one week, the reserves the next week; ‘Under the Clock' as he later used to say to me.

His philosophy was you had to support the younger lads as they were our future.

I emigrated to Canada in 1957 and before I left England I made sure he had a permanent season ticket in the Bullens Road Stand. Then came the '66 Cup Final and as a surprise I got two Wembley tickets and sent one to him with the train fare to London.

He was awestruck. My Mam told me he started worrying how he would get to Wembley; but little did he know he was going there with a friend who had the second ticket. So off they went.

My Dad talked about that game for the rest of his life and sad as it may seem it was the last game he ever saw, but obviously for him, it was enough as he replayed it time after time; both to me over the telephone and in his head. I still have the Cup Final program he sent to me.

It was him who took me, a little boy, to see Dixie bringing home the Cup in 1933.

Thanks Dad for introducing me to Everton and the Old Lady."

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Reader Comments (7)

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Mike Galley
1 Posted 03/01/2018 at 00:25:42

What a fantastic story. A very warm, feel-good story and thanks so much for sharing with us Eric.

My Dad also went to Wembley in 1966, although I'm lucky enough to still have him around. And as he's only 75 he still gets to old lady every now and then.

As a footnote, Dad went to Wembley with my uncle Billy (sadly, no longer with us) who was at Wembley in 1933.

Once again, thanks for sharing.

Steve Barr
2 Posted 03/01/2018 at 00:43:28

Eric,

Thanks for posting this memory.

I know us Evertonians are sometimes criticised for focusing on the past (not too much to warm the heart looking forward at the moment!) but these kind of memories are what make the club so special, particularly passing them on through the generations.They never leave us.

Happy New Year to you and all our fellow blues.

Stan Schofield
3 Posted 03/01/2018 at 11:05:24

Eric, thanks for posting this memory of your Dad. It strikes a big chord with me with regard to my own Dad. He first took me to Goodison in 1961 when I was 7, and of course I was suddenly an Evertonian. But one of the biggest memories is us watching the '66 FA Cup Final on the TV, and being 0-2 down. The fight back was unbelievable, and when we scored that third goal, I remember my Dad nearly hit the ceiling, it was just fantastic. It must have been a truly great experience for your Dad actually being at Wembley.

Happy New Year.

Brent Stephens
4 Posted 03/01/2018 at 11:22:49

Cracking piece, Eric. My dad was a red. Used to work for Belling and Lee, Aintree, as a long-distance lorry driver, often delivering to the company's Enfield site. In 1965 he got a ticket for himself for Liverpool's FA Cup final, from somebody at the Enfield site who knew a Spurs director. In 1966 he got two tickets, from the same source, for our final, for me and a mate. He told me he bought it at face value – I wondered years later whether he did actually pay only face value.

If you're watching over me now, dad, I'll pay you back when I see you up there – but I still hope you lose Friday, mate!

Dave Abrahams
5 Posted 03/01/2018 at 16:06:49

Great story Eric, what great memories you have from long ago, and what lovely priceless memories you gave to your dad and his mate in 1966. I went to Wembley in 1966 and can replay that day in my head every time I want but my best memories came from "me mam" that day, she was a barra girl and pushed her handcart of fruit and veg from the market in Great Homer Street to Paddington and all around there.

That cup final day in '66 she was half way through her day when she got to Moon Street, a customer told her

Everton were getting beat 1-0, her faced dropped, an hour later she was told the score was now 2-0, she carried on and thinking of me cursed Everton under her breath.

It was in Sun Street when a smile appeared on her face after being told we had pulled one back, did a little jig not long after when we scored again,then pure joy when we scored the winner.

I asked what she did with the fruit and the barra at the final whistle, oh she said the fruit was sold as cheaply and as quickly as I could and the barra got left 'til Monday morning, I drank plenty of Guiness and drank and sang the rest of Saturday night and enjoyed myself with the rest of the Evertonians around Soho Street.

John G Davies
6 Posted 03/01/2018 at 16:13:26

Wonderful memories from the posts above. Scouse dads our heroes. Took us the game and give us our outlook on life. Instilled good working class principles in us.

But equal heroes are the scouse women. That story about your mother Dave is so typical of the way they got on with it to look after their families. Salt of the earth.

Kev Johnson
7 Posted 13/01/2018 at 19:15:27

Beautiful story, Eric – what a story book all us blues would have to tell. I love reading these collections of fans' memories. And your dad witnessed Everton's greatest ever come back in a cup final.

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