Everton Village and the Birth of Everton Football Club

Thanks to Mike and Lewis for the production and the fascinating historical insights from Ken aided by Rob.

That shot of Bramley Moore Dock with Prince Rupert's Tower in the foreground looking over the new stadium could be iconic and should be used by the club.

Our history overlooking our future.

The badge debate is interesting. Some get emotive about it, but as the alluded to, we didn't really adopt it on the shirt until the late 70s / early 80s and even after that there were a few different interpretations of it. I actually quite like the new simplified version used on the grey kit. I'd like to go retro with the 70s diagonal EFC.

The crest will always be the crest, but we haven't always worn it on the shirt.

Not that anyone will listen, but if I had a say, I'd be naming those stands after our heritage rather than former players.

St Domingo
Prince Rupert
Goodison
Not sure about the 4th. Can't think of one.

Just a few thoughts.

Great work. Great watch.

I'll give myself the cane and lines for not thinking of that!!

Hopefully see you Sunday.

Regarding the Toffee Lady at the top of the pink Echo, my recollection was that she was:-

A. Waving a rattle if we won.

B. Bursting a balloon if we drew - this baffled me for years, then I realised she was bursting it with a point (a point for a draw).

C. Crying into her handkerchief if we lost.

Can anyone confirm, or correct me, please?

Looking at the door to the lock up when Ken Rogers opened it up it didn’t look as heavy as I remember it when I was about ten, it had been vandalised and the door was open and you could go inside and the door seemed to weigh a ton as you pushed it open one closed it over.

I was surprised Ken never mentioned the “ Forty Steps’ just to the left of the lock up as you looked up at it, it was a notable landmark to everyone who lived around there and Ken lived not far away along Netherfield Road, the Everton Palace picture house ( cinema) was at the top of the street.

The Toffee shop mentioned in London Road was later taken over by Sammy Lee’s dad and was a well known shop that sold cooked meats.

A lovely film that brought great memories from my childhood, by the way Peter (4) I know Rob is your relation he resembles you as well.

I suspect you are confusing Rob with another Everton historian, James Corbett, who is my nephew.

I hope you are well, and that you might let me buy you a pint when Mike G is over.

Yes I made the same mistake a few months ago when there was a discussion about an Everton book coming into print, but it's not poor Rob, I did him a favour by saying he resembled you.

Yes it will great to see you and Mike when he comes over, it's pretty soon isn't it?

Mike is due over on 27 September and will be going to the 2 home games against Luton and Bournemouth. If we don't meet elsewhere, I'll make sure he gets to the Harlech before one or both of the matches.

Peter M – you are correct about how the Toffee Lady marked a win, draw and loss in the Football Echo (I said it incorrectly in the video – mixing up the draw with the loss depiction).

I was born 3 streets away, top of (Hartnup Street), moved later to the next street to the Vale (Salisbury Road). Anyway, I played football for St Domingo's in the Anfield Junior Soccer League in the '70s so basically I played for Everton (in my head).

My elder sister got married in St Domingo's in 1970, all the family (including in-laws) were massive Blues so big deal having a family wedding at the birthplace of EFC. Also, I remember a fantastic garden next to the church where they had annual garden parties (the only garden in the area).

Demolished in the mid-70s to make way for an OAP centre, much like Everton Village, The Cavern etc. Nobody in Liverpool had any foresight about heritage in this city, it seems even in the '70s the Aldermen and Mayors and councillors were as corrupt then as their children and grandchildren are today.

The island of St Domingo was a major staging post in the conquest of the Americas and to the slave trade in the Caribbean. On that picturesque landscape in Everton, the St Domingo estate and St Domingo Hall were built by George Campbell on the proceeds of privateering from the island and from slavery.

Campbell went on to be a mayor of Liverpool and St Domingo Hall was later rebuilt by John Sparling, who also made money from the proceeds of slavery. The original St Domingo chapel, which subsequently became the Methodist church, was built between two streets named after Campbell's estate.

Although the club's name change did not reflect the awareness of the slave trade that we in hindsight have, the link is part of our club history. How we acknowledge these connections is part of a wider conversation about how our links to slavery in the past relate to the present.

Are you related to Freddie Armstrong?

There was no bigger Blue than Freddie and a crackin' fella as well. Gone but not forgotten, Freddie!