Everton to return to America for pre-season

I am all over that second game. Close friend of mine is a Minnesota United season ticket holder, and his kid plays in their Academy system.

Clicking in to check for flights right now.

This week can only get better when we take 3 points tomorrow. Can't believe they're coming to Minnesota!

Mike, I live 5 blocks from the stadium so anyone and everyone is welcome at my place for a huge pre-match party. Who is your friend out here?

Jonathan, let's party!! Do your place up to look like the Winslow and save me a Guinness.

My buddy is a med tech executive who has been supporting MinnU since it launched five years ago. Knows Adrian pretty well. Can't wait!

It's hard to compare your favourite places in the States as it's so vast and different, but if anyone hasn't been there, Annapolis is close to my heart and I totally recommend it as the place to stay for the Baltimore fixture.

Colonial America, full of history, heritage and great music bars all down by the main drag towards the harbour. Once the capital of the fledgling nation.

See you there, Blues.

Not sure I can make the Winslow happen but surely there will be a big Everton flag flying and Guinness (and other beverages) being consumed. Although I like the challenge, Mike.

Sounds like a great trip for any fans travelling. Was in Minneapolis a few years ago when my Prince-mad wife took me to his home and studios at Paisley Park. A great music city with lots of history.

This is great news.

Baltimore is a bit of an industrial city, with some tough neighborhoods. The inner harbor is great. I'd highly suggest also trying to fit in a game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It's one of baseball's best stadiums. As Danny says, Annapolis is fantastic. The Mid-Atlantic is a great area. Also, you have to have a crab cake while you're there. Sin not to.

Minneapolis is the hidden jewel of the midwest. I lived there as a young man. It's fantastic. Very liberal, cosmopolitan city. An absolute must for Brits coming over is to go to, yes, Brits! It's on Nicollet right downtown. Great area of the city, great pub.

You'll enjoy those two cities. Minneapolis is by far the more cleaner and friendly city in my opinion. But the landscape around the Mid-Atlantic is insanely beautiful in and around Annapolis.

Enjoy.

Baltimore is nicknamed "Charm City" which seems about as appropriate as calling Anfield "The House of Humility".

I'm a Wavertree lad originally, and had plenty of mates around Toxteth way growing up. Baltimore was one place in America I went to that in parts looked every bit as ugly as Thatcher era Granby Street.
I am a bit of a history buff and wanted to see Fort McHenry - which was definitely the highlight of my time there - but we took a wrong turn on our way back to our hotel in DC so ended up in Mosher and Rosemount. Very very grim - if you were filming a Boys From The Black Stuff remake it'd be a pretty much perfect setting.

Happily, Minny-St Paul is vastly different. I stayed in St Paul, the smaller of the twin cities but it's only a twenty minute drive from Minny proper. (And where Everton are going to play is pretty much equidistant to both cities). St Paul has a terrific historical quarter, including a beautiful cathedral, Summit Avenue - I believe the longest stretch of Victorian houses in the entire US - and the truly magnificent James J. Hill mansion.
If I were able to catch one of the two games, I'd be definitely aiming for the MSP one. And that's even before you take into account a ToffeeWeb tinged Evertonian do only a few blocks away to get warmed up! Even in the heart of the upper Midwest, you can still find tangible proof on the Evertonian to Liverpudlian exchange rate. Although with inflation it's probably more like a few hundred Liverpudlians for every Evertonian these days...

Mr Oppenheimer you are a prince among men sir!

Such great news for our American contingent of fans, and of course for any other blues going over to have a look at the former colonies as well.
Looking forward to a Mike Gaynes match report! His report of his first visit to Goodison is something I still occasionally read from time to time. I've even shared it once or twice when people ask me about Liverpool, what it's like and (especially) what the people are like.
I understand that both King and Cleverley have been scratched from our game versus the Hornets. Indeed, roughly half their squad are out injured or suspended so this really is a terrific opportunity to keep our run going and move even closer to safety.
Three points against the Hornets would be the icing on the cake - a cake many thought would never even be baked. COYB!

I'll stay in Annapolis. It's convenient for Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWA), which you can get cheap flights to and a great little city. BWA and Annapolis are on the right side. Washington Dulles is about 40 miles northwest of DC itself.

Interesting you mention Baltimore in that 1980s Liverpool context Derek. On one of my many trips over there, a mate of mine insisted we done a drive around the area where the TV series "The Wire" was set.

I've seen some rough and deprived areas in many cities throughout the world, but that takes some beating.

Mr Crowley, I'll get you a pint in Baltimore! Definitely doing that game as it's about a 5-hour drive from me in North Carolina and will probably stay up for a couple of days for the festivities. Speaking with other local Blues, there's already a good number that have tickets and will be making their way up there. Still undecided on the Minnesota match.

Kristian -

I can definitively say I will not travel to Minnesota. Even though it would be wonderful to go back and relive my young 20s when I got my first big professional "break" and moved to Minneapolis, it's like a 22-23 hour drive, and the only time I get on planes is when someone dies. I'm not a good flyer.

Baltimore possibly. If I go I will reach out to you for sure. I think we might be the only two TWers outside of England to hang out and have a few pops in two different venues? The family planned a vacation in June, so I'm thinking it might just be the Mrs. and I? I leave details to m'lady. I'll reach out and let you know if we're going.

Cheers.

Kristian, Danny, and anyone else for that matter -

I'm pretty confident the Crowley's will travel to see the game in Baltimore after chatting with the wife. It'll be myself, the Mrs. and my 13 year old youngest son.

We'll be looking to stay in Annapolis on Marriott points. 😂

Lyndon has my email and is welcome to give it out to anyone looking to meet up in July.

Personally, I have to say usually the "main" fan events don't live up to the hype. In Orlando the night before the game, there was a fun event at a local Irish Pub. BUT... it was SO crowded, and miserably hot. You had to wait like 10 minutes to get a beer, and if you even felt a twinge of pee-pee coming on, you bolted for the bathroom because it would take you 10 minutes to hit the urinal!

Would anyone be in favor of setting a TW meeting place where there weren't so many people / crowdedness / difficulties in getting a beer? I'd prefer to sit with 5-6 TWers in a quaint pub and get hammered drunk, as opposed to the controlled chaos of the "official pre-night Evertonian meeting place". I have comfort in doing so, I've met Kristian personally and have zero "internet fear" of the man. 😂 I've no doubt Danny is "good shit". Lyndon isn't a nutty, loud bar type of dude, maybe he'd do something like this?

I'm old. If anyone wants to weigh in, let me know. Or again, reach out via email - Lyndon has the email / a few on this thread already have it.

Also, Jay Harris, if you're out there, are you heading to Baltimore??

Might go to the Minneapolis game depending on work with it being on a Wed

I'm guessing it would be prudent to meet in Baltimore for the match Jamie, but if you're staying in Annapolis, Stan and Joe's is a good watering hole. Not quite in the centre but walking distance and a good atmosphere. I watched the Ravens win the Super Bowl in there in 2013.

Ya Danny. At the match obviously meet up. It's the night before the game I was thinking.

I won't do a pre-night Everton pub thing. It's just too crowded and chaotic. But if TW people were willing, I'd meet up for brews the night before at a specified watering hole. Probably a lot of brews.

Hi Kieran [14] I trust that you have recovered from your recent accident, and I hope that it will be a considerably different Everton in both personnel and performance, if you are able to attend the Minneapolis game.
I also hope that you have recovered from the ramblings of an 'Old Man' following our telephone chat on Wednesday, and that you managed to glean something of interest in the twenty or so minutes that we conversed.

John

It was an absolute pleasure. God willing I can get home for a game before too long and have a longer chat face to face.

I know this is an old thread, but wanted to just throw this out there.

We bought tickets for the game (nosebleeds, weren't cheap!) in Baltimore and will be staying in Annapolis. My wife will be visiting a friend during the game, so it will be myself and my Everton-rabid 13 year-old, Quintin, attending the game.

If anyone wants to meet for a pop in Annapolis (Stan and Joe's at Danny's recommendation, or Galway Bay Irish Pub, or Castlebay Irish Pub, or any place where beer is cold and wet), or meet up at the game, please reach out. Lyndon has my contact info and can provide my email address.

Hope to see some TWers in Baltimore in a month or so.

Cheers.