Mugs Away 2

Who could have foreseen that eleven years later or just over half of Messi's Barcelona career, we'd be in a far worse situation, both as a club and with football in general?

The Toffees have spent a king's ransom on not very much at all and us older mugs will still be there on Saturday, match-day routines slightly varied due to Covid, but there nevertheless, hoping beyond reason that the team might excite us, but deep down knowing our fate will be a mix of very occasional highs and far too many lows.

I think our age group does use football as an excuse to get out and about, meet up with our friends and over imbibe for the duration. There are worse things in life, but Everton won't let go and we should all be very philosophical about the results and performances of the team. People of a certain age, shouldn't let the deficiencies of millionaire youngsters spoil their day.

If there's any good (financial) statto out there, it'd be interesting to know how much that side cost (cost adjusted for inflation etc).

I really get the impression that Everton players bought in recent years have been bought with the same care and consideration as the favours of golden hearted wantons of the night, purchased by drunken sailors in foreign ports.

That its from one of the sites more skilled writers doesnt matter this time. He's kept it simple...But he's gonna provoke an awful lot of soul searching among the TW community.

What the fuck is the matter with us ?

That I understand.

England losing in the final of the euros meant not a tIny jot to me - nothing.

Everton losing a pre-season 0-4 to Utd on the other hand did affect me.

Ok I wasn't like Gordon Ottershaw when Barnstoneworth lost 8-1, but because it was Everton, it did mean something in a way that no other team ever will.

"FOUR NIL! FOUR BLOODY NIL!!"

Link

But my priority as a 60 year old is to see my mates, soak in the atmosphere of the match, have a fucking good moan, and - very occasionally - feel the joy of a great win or performance from the Blues.

Football in general? I've no real interest in the European competitions, except maybe from the quarter finals onwards, when I'll watch the odd game in the hope of a thriller. Internationals - I connect more with the current bunch than I have for a long time, and I still think the beauty of playing for your country is that you can't ask for a transfer.

The FA missed a fucking big trick by not punishing the breakaway 6.

They should have been relegated, fined an astronomical fee or thrown out of English football.

Can you imagine how level the playing field would have been this season.

It would have been exciting as hell.

I swore I'd never watch the Blues again if Rafa signed - now I can't wait! It's incurable.

On saying that, how do I get a ticket for the Brighton game under the new system? Will the away to let and travel thread be resurrected on ToffeeWeb??
UTFT!!

It was interesting to see the names of the commenters on your old article. No doubt you recall many others; Dave Wilson, Alan Kirwan, Richard Dodd etc.

What astonishes me is how angry I used to get. I mean true, gut-churning rage and disbelief at the "Moyes Boys".

Now, it is mainly, morose, bitter resignation. Or perhaps being more mellow. Somewhere, there is pleasure, I suppose... Of course there is. New dawn, new day, bring on Southampton!

I will listen to other games just for the hell of it, knowing full well it's a three-horse race this season and the Blues, like other Premier League sides, are just making up the numbers.

The only footy I intend to watch is the Championship highlights on Quest and live matches from the JD Welsh Premier League (which I love).

I still fully intend to read and keep abreast of news on this hallowed site to see what my fellow Blues think, but this season the Premier League will just kinda wash all over me... sadly.

Clearly that's not happening... we are diseased, Mr Ruane... diseased.

I wasn’t on ToffeeWeb then, didn’t even know it existed, but me and my mate Mick, sadly up above, I think, when things got dark with the Blues, would look for the funny things and the ridiculous in Everton’s game, and there was, unfortunately, fuckin’ loads to laugh at, kept us sane that laughter. We got to know plenty of good genuine Everton fans in The Upper Bullens Stand and a lot of them are still there, or they were before this lockdown, be nice to see them when I go back, don’t know if they’ll think the same about me, I miss Mick and he’s funny ways so I sit on my own and moan to myself at the mediocre players who can’t find a player, with a pass, to another player wearing the same coloured shirt as himself and getting £50,000 a week, at least, to prove how shite they are.

Then I come out at full time and meet four lads I know, sorry three, one passed away during the lockdown, and we discuss the game, there hasn’t been many happy discussions the last few years. I think it was a lot better when me and Mick just laughed at the fuckers, kept our blood pressure down!!

4 of the group are Blues, 3 of whom are season ticket holders, 1 an occasional visitor to Goodison. The 2 reds no longer go to Anfield.

The reds are happy with their lot, they enjoy watching their team on the telly. They accept that they no longer go to the game, and are not worried about it. The one occasional Everton fan doesn’t really like modern football. Nor do the 3 season ticket holders, but we go anyway. We are disillusioned with Everton and the supposed top level game, but enjoy meeting mates and going for a pint. We also carry on attending just in case something good happens, despite all the evidence to the contrary.

We also agreed there is a certain solidarity amongst Evertonians because of the shared misery of following them. We still love the club, which heightens the angst. There was also a grudging acceptance that having the facility for a communal moan is therapeutic.

Personally, I now also attend some Marine games, home or away, and really enjoy watching a fast game with tackles and goal-mouth incidents.

So we'll all be there, feeling sick about Everton's performance until things improve.

Moving forward to 2031, Eugene Ruane on TW: "Ten years ago I wrote the following on TW. "

Still crazy, after all those years.

So I have to judge the pleasures of being a Blue on the football alone.

Talk about a pathetic situation.

One sentence written by Peter M, about watching Marine, and a fast game with tackles, got me thinking about yesteryear. But if I could just change one word Peter, I’d change fast, for “honest” mate, and would even take a guess that this is the real reason you enjoy watching Marine so much now?

I would still say if we got a team of hardworking and honest players, that the crowd would take care of the rest, but the fact is, we haven’t had a team that seem to really care for an eternity, and this probably creates the biggest disconnect for most of us right now.

Nice piece Eugene and hits home to many of certain generations.

In the summer of 2010 heading into that season, I was not long home from a pretty tough tour of Afghanistan. I came back quite intolerant and, I'll admit, a bit angry. But that's another thing, and I don't want to go dark, it's just experience.

I was 38 going on 39. Prior to that I'd taken my son to Wembley twice in 2009, sacrificing my place so he and my younger brother would get the opportunity to witness what I witnessed in that glorious May of 1984. Not to be. I was gutted for them more than me.

Football and Everton have always been an escape, so as always, I went into the next season you mention with optimism and hope. But I also think that was around the time I started losing patience with Moyes having supported him and stood up for him for years. Maybe that was my newfound intolerance kicking in. I kind of understood what he needed to do initially and backed him for longer than I probably should have done. But that was when my patience started snapping.

This is no logic with us and Everton, so to Darren's point I don't think there is an answer to the question "what is the matter with us"! We just are. Sorry, but that's about all I can come up with! But our generations "are" because we've tasted it and seen it with our own eyes.

I foolishly believe that before my days are done, they're going to make me feel like that 12 year old at Wembley in 1984. Like that 13 year old in 1985 and the 15 year old in 1987 again. I refuse to go to the Lord until they do. And he's had many opportunities to take me. I make half a century next month and will be at Goodison and the TW meet up at Bramley Moore a week not long after. Regardless of the pain they put me through, Everton make me happy. Always have done, always will.

Football will always matter to me. Especially when it comes to Everton. I can't and won't stop caring.

With you on the Goodison Supper Bar, but tomorrow, it's chips, peas & onion gravy. Salt and just a little bit of vinegar!

How true! We didn't even make it to the station! Since the Demise of Sir John, we've wallowed in the troughs a bloody long time, brightened gloriously by the lads of 84-88, then slipped down again and brought some dire times, some mediocre times and a time I think might be relevant now.

When Joe Royle became manager and we escaped relegation, won the cup and just missed out on Europe! Then back down the slippery slope again.

When I look back at Moysie's years, we had some really good (and even great) but usually ended up having to sell them. Then the dire dejection seeing us crumble at Wembley against Chelsea! and through all this time seeing Man U win 55 Leagues! Cups and the RS doing the European Cup bonanza, yet still turning up and looking forward to the start of each season. Going in the old Supporters club on City road before the match and meeting up with friends and fellow blues, lovely!

I think we lost our chance during Kenwright's years in charge, especially the King's dock, and lost the plot with him advising Moshiri for the last five
bought for now, I go along with Tony Abrahams, and want to see a team who will put an honest shift in; and never give in.

It's the comradeship, the friendship and the hope that we'll see a better season. Well for this season, The dogs of war would do me.

Unfortunately those passes are often short, and sideways or backwards, which is not very thrilling for those of us wanting to see something out of the ordinary.

In the lower leagues, the technique is not up to the same standard, so ball retention is not the be-all and end-all. Therefore players are less afraid of taking a chance, and generally want to move the ball forward to try and create the opportunity to score a goal. Which is better to watch.

The older I get, the more I realize how important hard work really matters, because nothing creates more energy than players working hard, and it’s why I now believe, that the name of the game is creating as much energy as possible!

"..occasionally Goodison can provide moments of euphoria and community that can make a 62-year-old feel 16 again."

On Saturday, on 76 mins, Abdoulaye Doucouré provided such a moment.

Up the Toffees!

Life is changing, some things for the better, but a lot of things for the worse, and my mind went back to Eddie Kavanagh, then Highbury when Heath scored, and then hopefully to Wembley next may, because sometimes Evertonians love the team that much, they just can’t control themselves!

We're going to Wembley Tony.

It reminded me a little bit of the goal Thomas Radzinski scored against Southampton a few years back, only because of the sheer power in the shot and into exactly the same top corner of the Gwladys Street goal.