A Personal Note

Our idea is not to let you down guys. This site is all about you : the fans. You are the guys that can help us create the best version of ToffeeWeb.
If there is any kind of article you'd like to see more often here, please let us know.

Charles Taudin, who's the global editorial Chief, has one mission : Keep the high standards Lyndon has created here.

transition is a bit longer than we expected but be sure we are going to make this special !

Thank you again for your much needed support !

Lyndon thanks for your post also is there any chance of joining Evertonia — I tried to enlist last week but still waiting for you to reply to me as promised, you will be missed on here as will Michael and many thanks for the years you both provided many Everton fans with that brilliant platform.

ps Get me on Evertonia as soon as possible!

Good luck to you, Khalid, and the rest of your editorial team.
Enjoy

Thank you so much for your support ! Let's go get the W tomorrow !

I can only echo what has already been said.

A big thank you for building and developing this platform, where so many of us were able to express our views, swap opinions and build friendships.

Not having the dynamic of you and Michael will take some getting used to, but I'm sure many will follow you both in your new ventures.

You have that to look forward to.. after 20 years on this site, the one thing I never expected was to see Michael and Lyndon go, but the baton has been passed to you now, good luck!

I know what it's like to have those kind of shoes to fill in. The challenge is huge for me and my team. But with you guys, i'm sure we'll do great stuff.

The "fan-written" articles will of course remain as you POV is also really important for us. So don't hesitate to summit your content as well.

Best of luck in whatever you do next Lyndon, and thank you.

Thank you so much for your message, means a lot. You highlight one or two things that seems important. Yes, opinions are the core of this website. If there's not such thing, all of us would go to BBC or ESPN or whatever haha.
So we'll keep having these on the site.
Second, "New ownership", doesn't necessarily mean "changing everything". I'm not a big fan of this method ! We'll try new stuff but live forum will remain 'of course !) and all the content you are use too.

Finally, no, we are not as Blue as you are. For sure. But let me re-use something i've see on #13 Christine's post : "Once Everton has touched you.. you are never the same, you fall in love"

So let's see !

Compliments at the end Lyndon, and once again best wishes with your new venture, and welcomes to both Khalid, and Charles, who have a very hard act to follow.

The best of luck to our new owners, who I’m sure will already know that Evertonians, are known for being very loyal, which means I’m sure that most people will stick around and wait to see what is on offer🍀

Thank you so much for your message, means a lot ! Shoes are massive to fill in, but challenge accepted and with all your support that's going to be much easier.

Thank you for being great Evertonians

Good luck to the new owners and let's wait and see.

If only the reticent Michael K. would post a few words that would be greatly appreciated.

MK, apparently Jerome misses you mate! So C'mon and say summat.

Thank you so much for your message and support !

Apologies if this has already been asked but are you actual Everton fans who have been offered this unique opportunity? I assume you are not involved with any other fansites.

Anyway good luck again. I shall be switching between the two sites so as to maximise my daily Everton fixes, lol!

One thing is sure, we're not involved in any other fansites in England (so no worries we're not Liverpool's spys ahah).

The group has in charge Netflu, fansite for Fluminense in Brazil, but i'm not in charge of it.

I'm personally in charge of theplayoffs.news, a dedicated site for US Sports

I don't underestimate the amount of time spent developing the website, not just creating, editing and moderating content, but also the myriad technical issues that will have cropped up from time to time. I think I can recall one hosting migration as well as various capacity and technical upgrades that gave you sleepless nights, and the rest of us with withdrawal symptoms.

I look forward to seeing how the "new" site goes, and also how ToffeeWeb evolves. I suspect they will sit well alongside each other.

Really?

Are you serious?

Wtf has any of what you've asked got to do with you?

Charles, Khalid, welcome to TW and the blue family.
Hopefully as promised sweeping changes won't be made and users will notice the positives.
As an initial glance at NetFlu I do hope as an individual we don't get the same number of betting advertising on the homepage but we can only see wait and see what is planned for the site.
Good to hear that the live forum will remain as it was a bit of a shock to log in and find a message saying it had permanently closed on Saturday afternoon.

Slightly neglectful of me not to extend my welcome to you and the new Editorial team.

I am sure that you will seek to evolve and develop the site with your own ideas, whilst remaining mindful of what TW has been to many Evertonians for many years.

I don't say this with blue tinted glasses on or through bias, but it is the best supporters forum out there, and I read quite a few. Apart from Liverpool ones.

So, welcome to the family. I hope you look forward to the knowledge and words of wisdom imparted by contributors, either through well-written articles or comments.

Standby for the virtual sparring as fellow Evertonians disagree. Sometimes it can get heated, but entertaining and they often end with the word "mate"!! As I say, it's like a family.

And enjoy epic tales of our travels to watch the blues. They are often eventful. And the dedication of those scattered around the globe, getting up in the early ours to watch on TV or a stream.

Kahlid you have a very hard act to follow, I have to say I'm dubious that you can match the personal contact that existed with Michael and Lyndon.

I hope you pull it off, good luck.

They completely answer your questions. Take it slowly.

Start as you mean to go on include an "ignore" button on the posts and save yourself a lot of moderation time.

The site has been decent for historical information but mostly a place to vent and screech entrenched views leading to drama queens aplenty - not good.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions with good and bad times, but positivity has always shone through.

Let’s finish the era with a win at Goodisons final Derby game tomorrow, and good luck to the new administrators.

Whilst I wish the new owners/editors of the website all the very best for the future, and intend to give them an opportunity to show me that the website will be worth coming back to, I really should point out that one of the things that made ToffeeWeb stand out (apart from the quality of its material, and the wit amid the cut and thrust of the comments ) is the fact that it was created and curated by two people who are Royal Blue through and through. Sadly, it appears that the new overlords aren't Evertonians. Accordingly, the website would appear to have lost its soul, so to say. There are any number of media sources (not to mention fan sites) where I can get my EFC fix. This place is no longer “special” among them.

Evertonia, a site I once visited before the creation of ToffeeWeb, is now back on my bookmarks bar, alongside BBC News, The Guardian football pages, and Google Translate, among others.

Best of luck to everyone still here - writers, and readers thereof - but I don't think I shall be visiting anything like as often as I have for oh so many years past.

UTFT!

P.S. I might point out that the look of the website’s front page is not enhanced by the big, blank, bland, blue backings to headlines. It's almost as if no one can be bothered looking for an appropriate image depicting anything actually linked to Everton Football Club?!

It's beginning to feel a lot like ToffeeWeb...

Like everyone, I look forward to seeing ToffeeWeb go from strength to strength.

I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m concerned at the prospect of non-Blues administering the site.

For all I often didn’t see eye-to-eye with the editorial stance on certain matters (step forward MK’s recent article on Moyes’ appointment), both Michael and Lyndon knew in infinitisemal detail the history of our great club and how that connected to what is happening today. Sometimes I guess that was a hindrance but, on the whole, it gave the site real gravitas.

I have no doubt that you guys will bring professionalism and a new energy to the site. My fear is that, as non-Evertonians, if you don’t know something then… you don’t know it. After all, you can’t Google for facts that you didn’t know existed and you can’t include personal anecdotes if you don’t have any.

Anyway, reservations aside, best of luck. I will keep ToffeeWeb as my preferred site (for now!) and see how things go from there…

I want to add my thanks to those already proffered.

For me, ToffeeWeb was an oasis of sense in a sea of mediocrity as far as most fan sites were concerned. Not all, but a vast majority of the contributors seemed more astute, erudite and articulate than the average poster on many other sites and that, for me, set ToffeeWeb apart.

Hopefully, Khalid and Charles, you, and other colleagues in your editotiral team will, as the new guardians of this site, maintain it in the spirit and form that I found so attractive when I first found the site many years ago.

The baton has been passed.

Cherish it and nurture it with the same care as your predecessors.

Khalid and Charles. Welcome and UTFT

Hugh,
Thanks so much for your support ! We will try our best !

Charles & Khalid, Orright lah...
Get used to a bit of Scouse and if anyone asks what you are looking at just ignore them,
Terrah for now.

I'll say thanks and goodbye now, as I'd rather be part of one of the other sites that are run by Evertonians, for Evertonians, and are clearly labours of love. Not sure what the point is of this place now, but good luck to all of you, though I'm guessing I'll see most of you on Lyndon's new site, or on GOT.

UTFT!

I’ve already wished Lyndon and Michael well (still hoping MK will post something / give us a sign he is okay) so now it’s welcome to Khalid and Charles. It looks like Evertonia will remain quite different to ToffeeWeb so you will get adherents if you are able to keep key elements of the site rolling along.
Long live ToffeeWeb and Evertonia! Vive la difference!

Charles and Khalid, I also wish you both success in maintaining something that is an essential component of being an Evertonian. As others have said I will also give you every chance to do that and hope I will be a ToffeeWeb reader for many years to come.

Let's not use this phrase ever again pls

'Let's go get the W tomorrow !'

ToffeeWeb has been my browser's home page for at least 10 years now, but from the way it's going it will no longer be a place I'd consider visiting.

And welcome to Khalid and Charles who I hope will continue to enhance the lives of all ToffeeWebbers with first class contributions and content.

Onwards and upwards.

New guy: "Cheers. Let's go get the W tomorrow!"

"Sorry did you just say 'the W'?"

"Yes."

- comedy pause -

Link

I would much prefer a local fan site run by Evertonians who understand the nuances of being a blue, know their history, felt the decades of pain, but somehow live in hope!

I hope it works out for the new owners, but I think they have a hard job ahead to emulate what we have had.

Best wishes.

Not one of Wu Tang Clan's finest imo.

Now let's see if we can turn you Blue! Welcome to the madhouse.

Yea, you and me both mate.

If you can't see that it's your failing not mine.

Doesn't matter what you did or didn't perceive.

You joined a fansite, you read, you contributed.

Where's the part where it's "normal" for you to know the ins and outs of the sale?

You're just another poster, same as all of us.

Now becoming popular with Gen Z or whatever they are called this week, especially on t'internet.

Probably the same but you never envisaged it?

Seems I'm not the one having difficulty seeing things here.

When catching Everton games on US TV was a rare and unpredictable privilege and news coverage was almost unknown, TW was a way to keep in intimate touch with the club, the news and fellow Blues.

I've always seemed to know less (and have experienced less) Everton history than almost anyone here, but TW has been a fantastic source of learning and vicarious enjoyment, both from posters and from distinguished historians like David France and Rob Sawyer and Becky Tallentire.

When I was sick, TW was a lifeline. I vividly remember tapping out posts from a hospital bed one late night, literally under the covers like a kid, trying not to wake my wife in the chair alongside. (I'm pretty sure the debate was about Rom and Mirallas.)

When I wanted to get over and see Goodison while I still could, TW people helped make it happen, and arranged a welcome that still blows my mind. I have lifetime memories and lifetime friendships to cherish and grow now, on my return trips as a survivor.

Through the recent grinding years of ugly football and ongoing stress, TW has been a source of pressure release, entertainment and outright laughter when most needed.

And throughout, the site has remained essentially the same -- a virtual pub populated with a cross-section of humanity with intense viewpoints and odd perspectives and absolutely nothing in common except our mutual adoration of Everton.

ToffeeWeb has profoundly impacted my life, and I hope it continues to do so, but at this inflection point I wanted to make sure I properly expressed my gratitude for this place while Lyndon and my friends (many still here, some long ago moved on) might still have the chance to read it.

Thank you.

Although ToffeeWeb is effectively a commercial venture because of its few advertising affiliations, the site only makes a small profit. Most of the proceeds from the display of advertising banners on ToffeeWeb go towards the maintenance and upkeep of the site (e.g. virtual hosting, broadband charges, ISP subscription, labour etc).

Beautiful post

I little tear just fell in my beer !!!.

My first post was over 20 years ago and was ripped apart by some and I was comforted at the same time by others that's TW, not for the faint of heart.

Thank-you Lyndon and Michael for your labour of love and welcome Khalid and Charles - it seems the French are having a moment with AI and now TW.

I can't get on to Evertonia under my TW login so have signed up under my Mother's maiden name - Batty.

Change is inevitable.

Are they like normal toffees but with more paprika?!

As long as you're not calling yourself Nora

Welcome aboard Khalid, Charles and co.

If it's not broken, don't fix it!

Lyndon, Michael - ToffeeWeb has been a constant part of my life since it's inception. Bookmarked on every phone, laptop and desktop I've ever owned, pored over in internet cafés while living and travelling abroad and hungry for Everton news, badly missed on the very rare occasions the site had hiccups and, although I wish it needn't have been this way but perhaps above all, a crutch and brilliant supply of counter arguments in 2023-24 to all those lazy fans of other teams, who didn't read beyond the headlines, and thought Everton deserved the disgraceful treatment meted out to them last season by the Premier League.

There are no words that can really do justice to the debt I, and all Evertonians everywhere, owe you for the colossal amounts of time, effort and, in the recent dark times, sheer willpower it must have taken you to run this place. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I will be signing up at Evertonia for sure.

That's not to say I won't give the new ToffeeWeb a look too - I will, of course, and I hope that Charles and Khalid you will be straining every sinew to live up to what has gone before, because by God the shoes are big ones to fill.

You’ve seen the stunning new waterfront stadium, you’ve seen the return of Moyes with a steely glint in his eyes, you’ve seen the silky skills of Iliman Ndiaye, and you’ve heard about a summer squad rebuild that is going to be so transformational that in no time at all we’re going to be dining at the top table – and you’ve said to yourselves “Everton are going to be absolutely massive again, we need to get a piece of that”.

You then dug a bit deeper and discovered a fan base that is more passionate, educated, witty and wonderful than any other, and found that they all congregate in the same place. And here we are, and now here you are too.

Welcome, and enjoy the ride!

I could write a whole monologue about the global replacing the local, the banal replacing the inspired etc but what's the point. Swimming against the tide.

Welcome to the new editorial team - just a word of caution - this lot can smell insincerity a mile off - or trying to curry favour - keep it honest and sincere - and all should be smooth!

Did he have a Tune called "getting the w " ?

Or a hit tune "zero - zero "

As the great Kris Kristofferson put it 'And if you don't like Hank Williams, honey, you can kiss my ass'

I was holding off, hoping that this article Lyndon had written explaining the change of ownership would be published and I could offer my thoughts.

It’s out with the old and in with the new. I had hoped that, with time on my hands after moving back to the UK a few years ago and no longer working full time, I could do more to contribute to the site.

But it really has grown into a monster undertaking — thanks in large part to your fantastic support!

To backtrack a little, it was back in December when Lyndon informed me he was exploring options for finding new owners. I can’t say I wasn’t both disappointed and saddened… but I’d noticed a change in his involvement with the site and it became clear that he wanted out.

Not being a web designer myself, Lyndon deserves all the credit for his incredible creative technical skills behind the scenes in terms of page structure, layout, architecture and database functionality that enabled the main day-to-day content creation and management of the site through a brilliant Dashboard.

It is a challenging idea to think that such a highly committed fansite management approach can be successfully supplanted by a global sports media entity that lacks a genuine connection to our club and its highly discerning fans, so I will watch the transition with interest as it unfolds.

Thanks again for all your great messages.

All the best with whatever you do going forward Michael.

Thanks to Lyndon and Michael for all their hard work and commitment over the years.

Michael's comments are heartfelt and have real feeling. Which is what this place was all about.

Fair play, and thanks for all the hard work and the funny headlines.
Good luck with everything, and of course, COYB’s.

Thanks.

Good to hear from you back where you belong.

Make sure when you are next back in the homeland that you get in touch. Come and join us and realise what a diverse and mad but great set of Evertonians we are, just like you.

Stay in touch Michael. Like us all, you are part of this club that we devote so much of our time to, wherever we may be on the planet.

Though thick and thin, or 'till death us do part as the traditional wedding vows go.

I am glad to hear from you. As you says it would have been a tough job for both of you to keep going.ToffeeWeb was moving on to the next stage of it's development and it appears both of you had realised that.Hope you join in on the forum and let the New Owners find out who I am themselves.

I doubt that I will feel that I am progressing up the pitch again, only to find myself tackled and fouled by the referee, only to find myself red carded , which was quite often the case under your Editorship.I do think that in some cases I was proved right, but my determination was instilled by you, to keep going.

Good Luck and best wishes.Thank you for all the corrections.Very much appreciated.

I do wonder whether Lyndon might reflect on whether a transition to new Evertonian ownership might have been explored. In the same way that I'm assuming the baton was once passed to Lyndon (from Marko?).

In any case, he's entitled to do what he wants. And we have what we have. And we can choose from this point on.

For me the writing so far has gone from generic to trying a bit too hard to be passionate. That's not a criticism of their intent, but authenticity really can't be feigned. Especially not on a topic like this where their readership have lived and breathed the club for most of our lives.

Adieu

During lows, I have visited other fan sites to see if the grass is greener but always return as it seems to just get the balance right between local and global (for a start, not full of 'lids' and 'las'). Everyone is welcomed.

It is the best out there, and that is to Michael and Lyndon's credit.

Thank you!

Much like losing Woolworths pick & mix and tins of Quality Street, things move on.

ToffeeWebs moving on too, a win tomorrow and a competitive EFC should give the new editors a chance to shine.

And long may the comments continue. UTFT!

Good luck to the new owners, nonetheless.

It's good to have received some clarification and thanks to Khalid and Charles for your input.

Also a big thank you to everyone who contributes and comments on this site, I really enjoy reading them and all the discussions that take place. Cheers!

it's a DSO to you both!

I like the format and layout of Evertonia, and it's content.
Well done!

Hopefully DSOs, will be issued after tonight's game for the Everton squad after our game with Old Nick.

Everton, are on the up!

"What's Our Name?"

UTFTs!

Thanks for everything that you have done for us. You should have been banned on multiple occasions but I valued your passion and it was a perfect fit with LL's more phlegmatic voice. You two bounced off each other like Mike and Bernie Winters - 'eeeeehhh' - and I always enjoyed LL's salutary posts after you went electric.

I truly hope that you become one of us MK, the posters, and I can't wait for your first ban.

Raising a glass of red to you as I type.

Kevin Edward 130 - Much like losing Woolworths pick & mix

Ah, Kevin, it came flooding back, with my mum in Woolworths on South Rd next to Waterloo Station, a bag and pick and mix. I got double when I passed the 11 Plus and St. Mary's entrance exam!

I wonder if he ever met Claude le clochard? Could you imagine a textbook nowadays having a local tramp as a character?

We have some great historical work on vagrancy in England, but you’re right, Le Clochard as guide to language is pretty unique.

Pepe the Skunk?

New owners, new stadium and now new folk running ToffeeWeb!

Might be too much for a Luddite like me to handle!

Good luck to our new team and a sincere thank you to Michael and Lyndon, who now might become plebs like us and be frequent contributors to the site and give and get stick in equal measure?

Good luck good health and I hope you find something that suits your ability and makes you as happy as you always seemed to be on ToffeeWeb, nice knowing you Michael, and Lyndon, even though we never met.

I can't remember when I joined, it was so long ago but especially in recent years when the team has been poor and crazy changes have undermined everythng Evertonian, this site has helped my mental state.

The people from all around the world, their perspectives and the inside knowledge shared by trusted contributors have all helped to make this my go-to site .

Lyndon and Michael good luck with your next ventures.

I am already on Evertonia and I know it is going to be very different .

Everything changes and i will continue to touch base with Toffeeweb and wish the new Frenchmen well.

It will never be the same though. How could it?

But like a local pub that gets taken over -it's the people that make the place special. I will always be grateful for the service from the old landlords.

I was never short-changed but did have a few headaches the next morning.

Cheers Michael and lyndon.

I cant believe I have gone on T/W at 9.23 on the day of the Derby and the new editors haven't ran a post on it, I think unless they get up to speed very quickly posters will exit this site.

Maybe it was a perfect way of communicating with teens.

Charles, j'espère que vos efforts ici sur Toffeeweb vous apporteront du plaisir et du rire. Bienvenue chez nous !

I was hospitalised with it and still have health problems as a result. It's a nuanced issue with plenty of shades of grey. Everyone has there own subjective view, but all it'll do is rile people on either side.

Charles and Khalistan, welcome to ToffeeWeb, wit and passion will be aplenty on here, tough act to follow but I am sure you will both pull it off.

The two main things that fans come to is pre match analysts where you give a bit of a run down on the match coming up, then stand well back before the posts from posters start adding their thoughts to the game, as long as there is something on there with an add your comments after the article, then you will both be fine.

Although I rarely venture into it a live forum when a match is on will be another you get asked about.

So try and find a pre match story to put up today if possible, then just sit back and watch the comments come in, but like a say a pre match comments will win people over right away.

Best of luck and welcome Charles and Khalid.

P.s whatever you avoid an article about Bill Kenwright:-)

During the first year of a Covid flu deaths for the first and only time ever, dropped to below 500, any long term illnesses or sudden deaths were also put down as Covid in that first year.

I am not dismissing this, just mearly pointing out of a sudden drop in flu deaths.

Over 30 years and still nothing found to cure cancer, yet a magic vaccine is found in less than a year.

If you want to cause a panic then Charles future king of England, and the prime minester Boris, are one of the first to catch it, what are the odds on both getting it and causing people to panic even more.

There is no denying this was an awful outbreak, but it attacked the very people the old and vulnerable, few years before big outcry on being able to pay pension funds out, remember that about 3 year before.

The very thing that helps you vitamin from the sunshine, they warned people to stay indoors and with the fine summer we had people avoided getting the Natural sunlight.

People will have lost loved ones and I in no way dishonour their memories, but if there is an ounce of a chance that the vaccine was already at hand, then the people at the top have a lot to answer for.

By virtue of education and work experience I am far from the level of the standard Joe Public on flu and vaccines.

Flu is a notifiable disease and would be easy to determine if present at death.

One of the reason flu deaths plummeted was because the spread of flu was massively curtailed by all those measures introduced to reduce the spread of covid. For context, the number of flu cases was massively reduced in countries that didn’t mandate such things - because they were after ‘herd immunity’ - because a lot of people voluntarily adopted better hygiene practices.

So if you are credibly educated in the field make that know; if you are simply ‘pissing in the wind’, please don’t.

Nothing magic about vaccines but it is a much easier thing to co-opt the immune system to fight an outsider than get the system to differentiate cells that have the same genetic make up.

I've signed up for Evertonia and will be folllowing that as well as TW.

You will be a very difficult act to follow on these pages!

No more Covid from me mate, I promise.

Up the Toffees.

P.S. hopefully you will continue to publish podcasts on evertonia.com

Just seeing this now.

TY for all the hours and frankly years of enjoyment. My best to you both.

I'm sitting here as a cancer cure, okay?

Having read the thread, I was getting a bit depressed at the tone which seemed to be one of resignation that ToffeeWeb would decline and collapse.

But then I got the the bit about Covid. Uninformed opinions thrown around, allegations of stupidity and naivety, half digested (and mis remembered) statistics. and I thought TOFFEEWEB LIVES!

Whether its fish or cheese jokes, passionate discussion of the conversion of one of the Old Swan pubs being converted into a Costa being taken as definite evidence of the End of Days, the spirit of ToffeeWeb is certainly not dead. Let us hope that once more people separated by oceans, by half the planet, by a dozen time zones will be able to call one another wankers, fuckwits, RS supporters in disguise, threaten visits to the car park to sort things out (with one car park in California and the other in Surrey).

We will once again learn of the mystical threads of the universe which link the (retrospectively described in excessive detail) bowel movements of members of the Live Forums to Everton goals, that members sneaking out for a fag at half time have a direct causal relationship to Everton wins (unless we all learn about it, when it stops working).

I've read ToffeeWeb, and commented on the Live Forum from at least 25 countries in Europe, Africa, North America and Asia, and remain astonished that there are still people who will get up in California (which has included me), Australia, Japan (me too) and Zambia (me again) to watch a badly run football club, which has bought some of the worst crocks in sporting history disappoint us all season after season.

Here's hoping TWeb makes it into the next millennium...

I still think back occasionally to the banter of Richard (Doddy) Dodd and Tony Marsh. Maybe they are sharing a beer in the Freshy?

I will (eventually) move to Blue sky, but I just added you on twitter/x. (I'm the one who also likes loud music!)

Lets hope for a new beginning in a fantastic new stadium, this club needs to be wide awake and roaring again!

I do hope you keep us in the loop as to your next destination as your articles are the only ones I read to the end. You feel like an old friend and I'm sad to see you go. All the best to both of you, you are Everton legends in my book

Welcome and best of luck to the new TW preservation society, Khalid and Charles, if you succeed we'll all still be here. If you fail we won't.

Strike another match, go start anew.

Let's beat the shite tonight and strike the last Goodison derby off the list with a victory! COYB 💙

Peace n respect !

All the best to the new guys.

I’m sure there’s a few managers and players over the years secretly checked out the forum to check the pulse of the fanbase ;-)

Thanks for everything LL!

You've brought Evertonians from all over the country, and the world together. I've met people I would never otherwise have met because of TW, been to games I wouldn't have been able to get a ticket for, and wasted numerous hours talking mostly nonsense to strangers because of you.

As someone who doesn't use social media, TW has been such an outlet and I thank you both from the heart for all your hard work in making TW my 'go-to' site for all things Everton.

Sometimes the new manager takes a while to settle in, other times the manger takes his old customers with him.

Most of the time the same locals gather and have the same conversation regardless of manager.

I have always enjoyed the variety of opinions on here as there isn't much debate if your in an echo chamber of similar opinions. I hope the eds try to keep the tone to a similar level as before.

A welcome to the new team also, hope you keep it going nicely.

#3 Khalid one of the best blog I have ever read on Everton is here https://theexecutionersbong.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/201112-statistical-tactical-deconstruction/

It would be great to get some more in-depth tactical articles.

Lyndon with his professionalism and informative approach.

Michael with his passion and his opinionated style never afraid to cross the parapet.

At first I really enjoyed Lyndons outlook and thought Michael was a little unprofessional at times. But as I grew more familiar with their styles I grew to appreciate Michaels ballsy approach and his ability to cause mayhem.

I will never forget spending an age writing up an article a bit nervous because it was such an opinionated inflammable piece which I knew would be open to a lot of hostility. What I didn't expect was the moderator MK posting the first comment tearing me to shreds for having to wade through such drivel and causing him to lose the will to live.

Mk brilliant, funny and so unique.

You complemented each other so well.

Sincere thanks and best wishes to you both

N.B. I may not have been quite as respectful, and definitely didn't agree with many of the more strident 'glass half-full' folks on the forum, (although I do now recall my verbal battles with Tony Marsh, Victor and others with some nostalgic fondness - even the temporary 'yellow card' I received from the forum!).

As someone who runs editorial sites myself, I know very well how much goes into the creation, management, policing and upkeep. To keep this passion project not just alive, but thriving for so many years is something that deserves an incredible amount of credit. I also hope the exit was decent for you, although I know this was never about the money.

I've been with the site since the earliest days, (at the time I'd alternate between here and the transfer gossip and irreverence of Blue Kipper), and whilst I'm certainly going to stay around and give the new owners a chance, I will also make sure to frequent Evertonia too and keep in touch with your insights and work.

Nothing last forever though, as I keenly felt when I said my goodbyes to the Old Lady on Wednesday night - what a game, what an atmosphere! Indeed, it is a huge year of change all round when it comes to the Toffees - new stadium, new owners, new (old) manager and, I'm sensing, a new spirit of optimism bubbling under the surface, hopefully with professionalism and better financial management too!

Hopefully it'll be the start of a great period for blues everywhere and this incredible club we all love, after some very miserable times...
I was lucky enough to start my fandom in the 80s, when we generally were the best in the country (if not the world), and as we all know the Premier League years have not been the best. Nonetheless, 'IF...y'know yer history...' you'll know that ToffeeWeb was always an important and much-loved part of the fabric of this club and the Everton community.

You'll probably not get a statue outside Bramley Moore, but you do deserve our heartfelt thanks!
Best of luck to you both and, of course, COYBB!!!!

Thank you both so much for all the work you've put into this website which has become such a massive part of my life. The time and effort you've put into it is second to none and has been so greatly aporeciated.

Have a tremendous future, you both deserve it.

These days I run Fantasy Football Scout, and also a videogames business (Steel Media/Pocket Gamer), so maybe its from there? I do some podcast stuff and have been on the radio and FPL show a couple of times. And I've been commenting on here for years.

Also, its a pretty common name I think! So there's likely a few more famous footballing Chris James knocking around somewhere ;-p

You've done a super job over the years and your written contributions have been superbly crafted, sensible, emotional, amusing, balanced and just plain quality.

I hope you will still appear with articles and comments.

Good luck in your respective endeavours.

I just wanted to say well done.

Bill

March 1978, my uncle Tony and me nan took 10 year old me on my first away trip, to Old Trafford. Looking it up now, Manure had battered us 2-6 at Goodison earlier in the season. I grew up in a red family but had declared blue a couple of years earlier, Tony was the only other Blue. Me nan just hated United, like all good hearted people, and fancied a day out.

We got to our seats near the halfway line and the steward took one look at (2 of) us in our Everton gear and said "you can't sit here". He then led us down through a gate and along the side of the pitch to the away end, opened that gate, and up we went. Was all standing there, our Tony sat me up on a railing about halfway up and when Latchford scored his first I must have got surged forward about 20 rows. It was absolutely terrifying and completely exhilarating in equal measure.

Super Latch ended up scoring 2 on his way to 30 that season, and we beat the pricks 2-1. When we tried to leave they had these big roll down warehouse/garage type doors locked and made us wait, then we had to run a gauntlet of gobbing, shoving, angry Manures on the way out. I was flying my scarf out the car window on the way home and it blew away, funny the things you remember.

Was already blue to the core but that day just cemented it, thanks to our Toe and me nan for taking me. Got word today that Tony passed away, it's always heartbreaking when we lose a blue but this hits extra hard for me.

RIP Tony, I love you and will never forget that day in 1978 as long as I live 💙💙💙

ETA: Tony Daly in case any old timers knew him

Condolences on Tony's departure.

Great story Neil and condolences for your loss.

Lovely post Neil (217). Love that your nan came along for the ride.

(Boxing Day 2-6: ouch, remember that one well)

I'm sure that you have many precious memories of your uncle and it will not be long before smiles help with your sadness.

Take care.

If you were 10 in 1978, we're roughly of the same generation, although you've got a few years on me!! Like me, you'll have witnessed those 4 great players who will receive their accolades on the pitch at Goodison today.

Here is to the younger generation having their own heroes to idolise as they bring home a trophy or two. They deserve it, if only to stop having to listen to the likes of me!!