When was the last time something really good happened to Everton?

Initial news of Kings Dock (but we know how that ended).

The first signings of Roberto Martinez era.

Can't think of much else unfortunately.

In my lifetime, that all too brief period in the mid-80s when we dominated English football and were a joy to watch.

Not my favourite, but Joe Royle's Dogs of War and winning the FA Cup in 1995.

As much as I've criticised my relative, Moyes's team that came close in 2009. When I watch back, they were like the "nearly men" of the 70s.

We have to keep going. Never give in.

Show us what you are made of.

Let's talk about “Dyche-ball and the Dinosaurs!”

The last time I felt really good about Everton, was sitting in a little restaurant outside Swansea's ground, thinking I'm going to watch my team play proper football in a minute. The weather was awful, but that didn't matter, especially when Barkley won us the game late on with a great goal.

It's been doom and gloom, for years, but surely the sun is going to shine on us soon🤞

Other than that was Dukes goal against Bournemouth and Doms against Palace.

But other than specific matches probably the ‘95 cup final and as Danny says, the mud 80's.

Beating United in 2009 in the semi. Beating Utd at their place - Oviedo...Beating United a few times at Goodison.
Some great Europa nights at home and away Germany, Holland, Norway, and France.

Plenty of so close and if onlys; getting robbed in the 3-3, v The RS in 2013. And many more.

Some great potential seasons didnt quite get there.

Moyses was knocking on the door so many times. But it didn't open.

I didn't go to Brighton away last season, but that was brilliant display by Everton.

Truly thankful for the 19.05.2022 v Palace, staying up confirmed.
That was glorious...

Bournemouth last season was great, but Palace, for me, the greatest night since beating Bayern Munich in 1985.

UTFTs!

Finishing 4th under Moyes…

Finishing three times above Liverpool under Moyes…

Roberto's first season.

Beating Liverpool under Carlo.

Seamus Coleman, Tim Cahill, Leighton Baines et al.

ToffeeWeb!

Last week's result against Burnley was very important. Results today were not bad.

We are in dire straits. The only positive thing we can do is support the team on the pitch, and the players must play their hearts out. Earn enough points to stay up, then re-group.

When the final whistle went, I was on my toes and on the way out, couldn't stomach that farewell, just thinking to myself “Free at last, Free at last… fuckin Free at last!!!”

The joy of escaping relegation doesn't resonate with me.

BTW, I am not a Moyes apologist (or whatever the TW nom de guerre was for anyone who had a view that we were at that time doing quite well, given available resources).

I also don't (and never have) wanted him back, but I do think the revisionism of his tenure (here and elsewhere) sometimes beggars belief.

Andy King.

To the banner people, get the green "Everton are Magic" one draping from the Upper Gwladys!!

I can see where you're coming from but sad all the same.

Yes, we all hold different opinions and plenty will agree with your point of view. In my case, what I think beggars belief is he won one away game against the top four clubs, at the time, in the twelve seasons he managed Everton and the amount of times playing away he went to those games playing not to lose instead of going trying to win.

One game stood out for many fans was the semi-final at Wembley versus a very poor Liverpool team when we went in at half-time leading 1-0. he shut up shop in the second half and we had one weak shot against a very poor Liverpool goalkeeper, Jones, I think, an Australian, who fumbled the save.

He wasn't tested after that and we lost. One of many many games a lot of us could have written the script for because of the losing mentality of the manager.

Even now though, to add strength to your post, many fans would have him back tomorrow, I'm happy to say I'm not one of them.

Maybe because he'd rather pull a door shut and defend than push it open and go forward, the same guy who stated... "(He) never saw a draw he didn't like."

And yes, I am aware of the irony of all those '7th-ish trophy' finishes and apparent stability that we'd sell our souls for now... and if West Ham get rid of him for a trendy 'Foreign Freddy' they too will, eventually, yearn for those good old days with Moyes.

His good points got him to where he is, but his bad points will always stop him going to where he could be.

Can we get an owner and board who will turn this club into a Winning club again!!

What is mentioned became the frustration for a lot of supporters. We often set up not to lose.

I finally snapped at the Wigan FA Cup match.

Dave, you only had to go and drop the semi-final bomb.

Set up to win, but we came out with fear and threw it away. A long walk back to Wembley Park station having to endure them celebrating. And when I got home as my local is often full of London reds who know what I am.

Anyway, happier times and for the younger generation. Although in difficult circumstances, that didn't result in success, the atmosphere at Goodison as we came back against Palace. And that night at Brighton when McNeil showed what he is capable of.

Going retro, aside from seeing Kevin Ratcliffe lift our first trophy in my lifetime, I have fond memories of clinching the title at Carrow Road. I don't think many were watching the match after that early goal!

I always remember the Norwich supporters trying to throw presumably sharpened coins at us, but there were nets between the away section and surrounding home fans. Those were the days. What a journey home. Champions.

Maybe what he actually said was that he never saw a drawer he didn't like.

This would seem to fit better for me with the dour Presbyterian outlook on personal domestic arrangements that he and Morag would have taken such pride in, to ensure the orderly arrangement of all his socks, kilts, sporens and warm wolly underwear.

Division 1 Champions in 1970

Mid-80s, the Golden era. Charley Nicolas apologizing for the soft penalty that got Arsenal an undeserved win and Charley one of his rare goals. Everton won two League titles after that. Everton come back from the Spurs attacks to score at White Hart Lane. First game with my future wife behind the barrier to the left of the goal in the away end. Any doubt vanished.

FA Cup 1995

Just flashes of hope after that as Kenwright's gloss flaked off.

Early Moyes, until the glass ceiling became apparent. I coined the phase.

Martinez's first season Plan A until no Plan B became apparent.

End of Silva's penultimate season only to disappear in the Saha Summer.

Ancelotti's great management, only to be spoilt by the wee empires of Goodison and Finch Farm, combined with not wanting to come under FFP Rules, knowing they were up the sprout already with PSR.Later found there was an FFP section in PSR anyway. I doubt those numpties even know that now.

Just bugger off and leave us alone next season, and pick on the likes of Man City and the other so-called big clubs who are cheating their way through season after season, collecting trophies on false pretences, and that the Premier League fail to act against.

We were going to Wembley for the first time since 95 and grown men had tears in their eyes (well the old geezer next to me did).

Unfortunately after the joy of the semi (which was great too although a bit tense) and the first 10 minutes of the final, it all came crashing down.

Three points at Chelsea (they are due a big red capital L).
Three points against Nottm Forest.

That will do for next week and should convince MSP to bite the bullet.

Yes, those two victories would suit me down to the ground and most fans I imagine.

That would end the worrying and fretting for this season and a nice summer free from all that. Then the future will be whatever it will be. In an upwards direction hopefully.

I just got a flashback of Peter Reid harrying Kevin Brock when I read your post, Peter, but I was already smiling after reading Laurie's post above. Laurie might live a very long way from Everton now, but he has always known that We Shall Not Be Moved!

Most go on about Kevin Brock's back pass, but it was Peter Reid's pressing that forced the error that led to the goal.

Another flashback, for those present, when we battered Arsenal 6-1 at Goodison, 1985-86.

I think though, our most memorable moment, for me, remains Rotterdam and lifting a European trophy.

"glass ceiling... I coined the phrase"

What?

Then the buggers bottled it and we missed out on the Top 4. Martinez knew it and stated he needed seven players. He never got them and was left with a squad who knew what he (rightly) thought. It was never the same after that.

I sometimes wonder if that's the last season that I'll genuinely, thoroughly enjoy being a Blue.

Diminishing returns and not a lot to get excited about.

Is there a club that has gone longer without some tangible success than Everton? Serious question.

I think Moyes did it on the lowest. Was it 54 points?

And that summer would have been a perfect opportunity for a chairman who really cared about Everton to sell to someone with more nous and finance. That opportunity wasn't taken.

I think the cup match v Coventry was the match we started becoming a very good team, that was the round before the Oxford game, we were struggling until Kendall brought Peter Reid on as sub and he took over the game and urged us on to that win,

Kendall had hardly used Peter before that game, only God knows why, but we finished going to Wembley twice that season ( Tell me Mar, me Mar) won one of those cups, got beat in the replay of the other and the following season won the league and The European Cup Winners Cup, and lost in the final of The FA Cup a few days after that memorable night in Rotterdam.

We never knew then and another league title two years later that that would be that apart from Joe Royle's FA cup win we wouldn't even sniff anymore Silverware.

Here we are now 2024 up to our eyes in depth, a threadbare squad, fighting another relegation battle, striving to stay as as a football club and business with only us fans behind the club but we will survive and little apples will grow again.

Yes, I did on ToffeeWeb. First and only time I gave a short explanation.

The football was a joy to watch and we were fearless. This isn't a dig at Moyes btw, I'd just become tired of him after 11 years.

And, the first season under Silva left me feeling like we were onto something. We ended the season on a great run of form with a young, ambitious manager and we will had money to spend. I really thought he could take us somewhere.

I was never convinced by Ancellotti, he didn't fit the club. But, in honesty, there were a couple of moments during his 1 full season with us where I dared to dream. I should know better by now.

The thing about football is, you can never tell what's going to happen and things change very quickly.

Look at Villa, worried about relegation under Gerrard and now on the brink of CL football.

West Ham were in relegation trouble then Suddenly have 3 seasons on the bounce in Europe and win their first major trophy in 40 years!

Newcastle another, Brighton even. No matter how shit things are now, there is always the hope/chance that things can quickly turn around.

His accomplishment of creating a challenging, entertaining team in 5 minutes flat is what all managers here have to achieve or the fans will turn regardless of circumstance.

Progression has to be continued again regardless of circumstance or the fans will get stuck in

He inherited a well-drilled Moyes side then dismantled it with his tippy tappy football.

I still maintain that season was great and for a short time made us believe a genuine change in our fortunes was possible. We know how in unraveled but I don't believe Martinez would have wasted the money his successors were allowed to spend.

I wasn't a fan of Martinez – we chose a manager who took Wigan down, albeit with a cup – it was always going to be hard.

Also, please don't forget Burnley were relegated twice with Dyche and Moyes relegated Sunderland.

Moyes got us a Champions League place with 61 points and a negative goal difference; Martinez just missed out after getting 72 points and a goal difference of +22.

Yes, it's true: Martinez's first season really was a pleasure, especially after watching 11 seasons under Dour Dave.

But you can't just leave Martinez's time after one season – you have to explain the next two seasons when he went from bad to worse along with his squad.

He too wouldn't change his ‘ philosophy' and it cost him his job, although his bank balance jumped up immensely.

Of all the managers that have come and gone since Moyes, the only one that makes me wonder "what if?" is Marco Silva. If our midfield hadn't been decimated with injuries, then he could still possibly be our manager now.

I know opinions vary on him, but I always liked him and he's done a more than decent job at Fulham. Saying that, we were pretty awful under him for that last spell... so what's new?

Groundhog Day.

Yes, that season under Martinez was really very good and so you answered the question in the right way.

Silva I wasn't sure about but he has done a good job with Fulham although they are a bit inconsistent.

Peter Reid questioning why he was sat deep. Colin's response? Well don't leave that to the back four and get up the pitch.

The rest was history as he made the press, forced the error and gave Adrian Heath the chance, which he took.

We're 15th in the table just below Villa who won the League Cup in 96.

Of the current Premier League teams Forest, Newcastle, Burnley, Luton and Sheffield Utd can shut the fuck up whilst Brighton, Palace, Fulham, Brentford and Bournemouth aren't even on that table having never won a “major” trophy. Strangely West Ham's conference trophy of last year counts. WTF?

In fact we're 9th in the current Premier League based on that – the shite being top as they won the last trophy – the League Cup.

Samuelson was exposed by a savvy one of us at that AGM who simply asked him to name the player who scored our cup-winning goal in 1966. He couldn't, despite having been nearly 20 at the time.

Samuelson was exposed in a one-hour TV documentary, a mere snippet of which is on https://youtu.be/a2WTv_aDN84?feature=shared.

Kenwright in 2004 eh? Who'da thought it!

Kenwright really was a magnificent player, and played a large part of the crowd like a violin for many years, unfortunately.