Everton Full Season Diary, 1997-98

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EVERTON FULL SEASON DIARY, 1997-98

This ToffeeWeb page records key events of Everton's 1997-98 season, starting in July 1997.
Items are in reverse chronological order (more recent first).

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JUNE 1998

29th: Everton advertise for the Manger's position in the Daily Mail. Latest hot tip: Gordon Strachan!
28th: Add Walter Smith; remove Danny Wilson and Brian Kidd.
27th: The list of potential replacements for Howard Kendall includes: Martin O'Neill, Brian Kidd, Danny Wilson, Wim Jansen, Ron Atkinson, Dave Jones, Gerard Houlier, and Kevin Keegan!
26th: The serious daily papers in England all have Manchester United rebuffing Everton's overtures to Brian Kidd as the main choice for replacing Kendall.
June 25th: Howard Kendall is finally informed that his services as Everton Manager are no longer required, 2 days short of the 1st Anniversary of his third stint in the Goodison hot-seat. Adrian Heath assumes charge as caretaker-manager.
24th: Daniel Amokachi is rested for Nigeria's 3rd Group D match, against Paraguay, which they lose 1-3.
23rd: Scotland crash 0-3 to Morocco, producing the inevitable "What if...?" questions about the impact of Duncan Ferguson's decision not to play for his country.
21st: Ex-Blue Pedrag "Preki" Radosavijevic comes on as sub to save the ailing United States but they go down anyway 2-1 to Iran in the Ayatollah's Revenge, otherwise known as the World Cup. The loss means USA are eliminated.
June 20th: Slaven Bilic is again solid at the back for Croatia as they beat a plucky Japan side 1-0 in their second Group H match to go through to the 2nd Round of World Cup 98.
19th:
- Everton FC have acknowledged an "informal" bid of £70M bid has been made for Peter Johnson's 68% stake, by the Wiggins Group. Johnson's response was that a successful bid needs a willing seller – which he is not!
- Daniel Amokachi returned to the Nigerian front line and set up the excellent sole match-winning goal for Ipkeba against Bulgaria at the World Cup today.
18th: Everton's Shareholder's Association have been very successful in mobilising their members and forcing an Extraordinary General Meeting to pressure Peter Johnson and the Board. They needed support of 20% – 132 out of 660 shareholders – to validate the request; they got 272 positive responses. Now we just have to wait 4 to 6 weeks...
17th: Everton have backed out of the deal for Neil Alexander, the young keeper from Stenhousemuir. Apparently, he is not young enough to play in the U-19's (as they had hoped) and would not get many games for the reserves...
16th:
- Keith Newton, Everton defender and 1970 World Cup star, died of cancer today after a long illness.
- Everton acknowledge that season ticket sales are 20% below last year's level. Other sources suggest the shortfall may be closer to 40%...
June 15th:
- Martin O'Neill has resolved his problems at Leicester City, bringing to an end the rabid press speculation that he was to replace Howard Kendall.
- Next season's Fixtures are published: Everton kick off at home to Aston Villa on 15 August.
14th: Slaven Bilic puts in a solid performance for Croatia in their first World Cup match against Jamaica, which they win 3-1.
13th: Nigeria upset Spain in a great 3-2 win but without ex-Everton favourite, Daniel Amokachi, who is injured.
12th: The last day for renewing existing season ticket reserved seats is tomorrow, and reports suggest that sales are well down as Everton fans protest against the current state of affairs by staying away in droves.
11th: Everton are apparently one of three clubs to approach Italian defender Moreno Torricelli, who is with Juventus.
June 10th: Scotland open the World Cup in France without Duncan Ferguson, and fall 2-1 to Brazil. Thomas Myhre spends Norway's World Cup opener on the bench watching Grodas let in 2 goals against Morocco.
9th: Dave Watson's bid to move into management at Carrow Road has been thwarted as another ex-Blue, Bruce Rioch, is appointed manager of Norwich City.
8th: Howard Kendall returns from a holiday in Spain to intense and unrelenting media speculation that the decision to sack him has already been taken by Peter Johnson. Kendall's predicament is believed to rest on the position of Martin O'Neill, who continues to spin out the uncertainty over his future at Leicester.
June 5th:
- Everton's board hold a special meeting, but Howard Kendall remains the manager of Everton despite rabid levels of speculation that Martin O'Neill of Leicester would replace him.
- Everton transfer target, Alan Thompson, has joined Aston Villa from Bolton Wanderers for £4.5M. Meanwhile, Liverpool have completed the signing of Evertonian Sean Dundee from Karlsruhe.
4th: Season ticket sales at Everton are reportedly way down on last season, with only 20% of the paying customers coming pack for more punishment so far, and reserved seats ending on June 13th.
3rd: Neville Southall is applying for the manager's position at his first club, Bury.
2nd: Everton's Shareholder's Association are trying to gather enough support for an Extraordinary General Meeting at which they plan to confront Peter Johnson with concerns over his mismanagement of the club.
1st: The speculation bandwagon is on a roll, with names like Carsley, Thompson, Irwin, Stubbs, Collins, Hässler, even Roberto Baggio coming in; Barmby, Bilic, Short, Cadamarteri and Gerrard leaving. Perm any 1 from 12.

MAY 1998

May 29th: Everton have been censured by the FA for failing to control the crowd when one lone fan wandered onto the pitch versus Aston Villa. Everton must pay the costs of the inquiry.
28th: Slaven Bilic may have played in the Croatia vs Slovenia. Goalkeeping coach, Mervyn Day, has accepted a post as Assistant Manger to Alan Curbishley at newly promoted Charlton Athletic, following the resignation of Les Reed.
27th: Thomas Myhre is in the Norway squad to play Saudi Arabia. Everton have agreed a fee of £40,000 for Stenhousemuir's Scotland Under-21 goalkeeper, Neil Alexander.
May 25th: A campaign is gathering momentum amongst Everton fans to send a provocative fax to the club. Each fax asks the same simple question: "WHAT IS THE CLUB DOING TODAY?"
23rd: Gareth Farrelly plays for Ireland who are held 0-0 by Mexico.
22nd: It appears that Howard Kendall may have put in a firm bid for Derby County's tough midfielder, Lee Carsley.
21st: John Oster has been de-selected for the Wales matches against Malta and Tunisa next month as punishment for his rash behaviour in Modena, when he was sent off in an Under-21 friendly for swearing at the ref.
May 20th: Thomas Myhre was in the Norway squad that beat Mexico 4-1, but he did not get to play.
19th: Alex Cleland was signed by Everton on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. The Rangers full-back will join Everton when his contract expires on 30 June.
18th: Richard Dunne and Gareth Farrelly played for a Republic of Ireland team at Paul McGrath's testimonial, with Carl Tiler playing the 2nd half for the 'National Lottery International XI', who won 3-2 despite another 20-yd Farrelly screamer.
17th: Dave Watson is being considered for the manager's position at Norwich City, following Mike Walker's sacking.
16th: Neville Southall's first run in management ends abruptly as he is dumped by Stoke City.
May 15th: The "pitch invasion" that followed Everton's miraculous escape from relegation last Saturday is to be investigated by the FA.
13th: Speculation and rumour over Howard Kendall's future reach silly levels but there are no real signs that he will be going anywhere.
12th: Two reserve players, John O'Toole and Chris Lane, have been released by the club. Junior player Padraig Drew has also been released, and Peter Beagrie has returned to Bradford City after is rather ineffective loan spell.
11th: After yesterday's traumatic escape from the jaws of Premiership death, Everton Chairman Peter Johnson issued a statement reaffirming his committment to "the club he loves", despite the "divisive" opposition of so many fans. Rumours appear that Lord Grantchester of the Moores family has offered Johnson £50M for his 68% stake in the club. At a secret board meeting, Kendall was either (a) asked to present his plan for future success, (b) threatened with the sack, or (c) both.
May 10th: Everton miraculously survive the last day of the season, finally scraping a 1-1 draw at home to Coventry City while Bolton lose at Chelsea. An early 30-yd stunner from Gareth Farrelly set them on their way, but it couldn't be that simple: With 5 mins to go, Nick Barmby has a penalty saved. Then Dion Dublin (Yes, him!) equalizes for Coventry and Everton are one goal away from relegation... But Chelsea seal Bolton's fate with a last-minute goal at Stamford Bridge and Everton are safe! Safety that is worth far more than Carling's £650,000 in prize money... At half-time Neville Southall is given a long standing ovation as he says goodbye to Goodison Park with a lap of honour.
9th: Two famous First Division clubs with Everton connections are relegated. Joe Royle's Manchester City beat Neville Southall's Stoke City 5-2 at The Britannia Stadium, but both clubs slide ignominiously into the Second Division.
7th: Everton's Youth Team defend their 3-1 lead over Blackburn Rovers in the second leg of The Times FA Youth Cup Final, with Francis Jeffers scoring in the first minute. The 2-2 scoreline means Everton's gallant lads win 5-3 on aggregate, and lift the Youth Cup for the 3rd time in the club's history. A great victory, Lads!
May 5th: The last game of the season for Everton Reserves ends in defeat by a single goal at Leeds United. The FA may charge Don Hutchison over his despicable two-footed tackle on Emmanuel Petit at Arsenal.
3rd: Everton make absolutely no impression at Highbury, as Arsenal win 4-0 and go on to hoist the Premiership trophy, leaving the Blues one point behind Bolton and staring relegation in the face...
2nd: Almost all the Premiership results go against Everton, with massive wins for Spurs, Newcastle, and Bolton pushing Everton down to 18th place in the FA Carling Premiership prior to tomorrow's huge game at Highbury.
1st: Phil Jevons opened the scoring for Everton's Youth team at Ewood Park as they strode to an impressive 3-1 win over Blackburn Rovers in the first leg of The Times FA Youth Cup Final. The transfer of John Spencer from QPR to Everton has finally been confirmed for £1.5M.

APRIL 1998

April 30th: Everton Reserves are beaten 1-0 by Preston North End at Goodison Park. Mike Walker, the Silver Fox, is hounded out of Norwich City after a poor season.
29th: The Goodison for Ever-ton action group are near to releasing an alternative study prepared by stadium architect Terry Ward, showing the phased redevelopment of Goodison Park into a 55,000-seat stadium for £25 to £50M.
28th: Peter Johnson has reportedly put the impending £1.5M John Spencer transfer deal on hold until Everton's league destiny is clearer.
27th: Everton Reserves draw 0-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, with Francis Jeffers being ejected for an alleged head-butt! Crystal Palace are relegated from the Premiership, losing 0-3 to Manchester United.
26th: Everton are Champions! – Everton Ladies, that is. A 0-0 draw with Croydon saw them snatch the FA Ladies Premiership Title.
April 25th: Just when a simple home win was all that was required, Everton (with O'Kane and Spencer suspended) surrender to Di Canio and fall 1-3 at home to Sheffield Wednesday, leaving them 17th, and firmly in danger of relegation just 2 pts above Bolton Wanderers.
24th: Duncan Ferguson is doubtful for tomorrow's encounter, having succumbed to a virus during training. Everton's first "Bosmanite" is expected to be Alex Cleland, Rangers right-back (27), who will join The Royal Blues after May 16.
23rd: Michael Ball and Danny Cadamarteri are in the South of France with the England U-18 team.
22nd: Gareth Farrelly is left out of the Ireland team defeated 0-2 at home to Argentina. Tommy Myhre finally gets a call-up to the Norwegian squad playing the last 20 mins as a sub against Denmark in Copenhagen. Playing for Wales, John Oster gets himself sent off after just 24 mins of their 1-2 loss away to Italy. Slaven Bilic may have got a game for Croatia as they beat Poland 4-1. Everton Reserves are thrashed 7-0 by table-toppers Manchester United in the Pontins Premier Division.
21st: John Spencer's transfer to Everton has been put in doubt by the revelation that he has a heart murmour; a second medical opinion is awaited. Nick Barmby had a great game for England-B, setting up one of the goals that beat Russia-B at Loftus Road.
April 20th: Everton learn that Mitch Ward's ankle injury is actually a bone fracture. He's definitely out till next season. Everton's Youth Team will face Blackburn Rovers in the Final of The Times FA Youth Cup after the Lancashire rivals beat Peterbourgh 1-0 in both legs of their semi-final.
18th: Everton (without Barmby and Cadamarteri – both suspended) are simply unable to wield the killer punch at home to Leicester City after a brilliant early Madar goal only produced a 1-1 draw.
17th: Graham Allen has agreed a 2-yr extension to his Everton contract.
16th: Michael Ball and Tommy Myhre came down with the flu and missed training today.
April 15th: Slaven Bilic got a run out with Everton reserves on their visit to Nottingham Forest, where they stole a 3-2 victory with goals from John Spencer (2) and Phil Jevons.
13th: Everton come away from Wimbledon with a vital point after a 0-0 draw in which Tommy Myhre again excelled, but it could so easily have been all three... Slaven Bilic stayed on the bench.
12th: Defender John O'Kane picked up his 8th booking of the season yesterday, and will now miss the home match against Sheffield Wednesday. Dave Watson has a recurring knee injury that could require surgery.
April 11th: Everton, with Carl Tiler back from suspension, earn a vital 3 pts and move up to 15th place in the Premiership, beating an aggressive Leeds United by 2-0 with goals from Don Hutchison and Duncan Ferguson.
9th: John Spencer's loan period has been extended by one month while Everton and QPR try to sort out payment of a loyalty bonus that is holding up his £1.5M transfer.
8th: Everton have been fined the princely sum of £250 for trying to poach 4 young players from Wolves, none of whom joined the club.
7th: Everton's lads do the club proud in the 2nd leg of The Times FA Youth Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Goodison Park. Goals form Reagan and Jevons send them through to the Final for the first time since 1984.
6th: The Reserves slam Liverpool 3-0 at Anfield with goals from John Oster, John Spencer and Kevin McLeod, but Spencer is red-carded and his future at the club is now in doubt...
April 5th: Nick Barmby's third booking in as many games means he will now miss the match against Leicester City.
4th: A vital "six-pointer" for Everton at Tottenham Hotspur turns into a 1-point apiece stalemate as Everton fail to capitalize on Madar's first-half goal.
3rd: Everton's Matchday Programme has been voted 3rd best in the annual Football Programme Directory Awards.
2nd: Danny Cadamarteri picked up a 5th yellow card in last night's youth match (yes... they all count!), and he will now miss the game against Leicester City.
1st: No, its not April Fools! Everton's youth team make a great start in The Times FA Youth Cup semi-final 1st leg, with Michael O'Brien getting a late goal against Leeds United at Elland Road.

MARCH 1998

31st: A sozzled Les Jones ambled onto the Goodison Park pitch to protest about the Ref's penalty decision last Saturday... and landed Everton in the dock with charges from the FA under their Rule 24.
March 30th: Everton reserves also lose to Aston Villa, by a score of 0-2.
28th: Everton without Ferguson are mauled 1-4 by Aston Villa as they fail badly with 11 other First-teamers unavailable.
26th: Everton's transfer deadline swoops are surprising: Peter Beagrie rejoins the club on loan from Bradford City until the end of the season, and Matt McKay a 17-year-old midfielder from Chester City, signs for £250,000. A bid to sign John Spencer permanently is still being negotiated.
March 25th: Sheffield United tell Howard Kendall that Vasilis Borborkis is not for sale. John Oster and Gareth Farrelly are in their respective Welsh and Irish squads to play friendlies. Danny Cadamarteri and Michael Ball are in the U-18 England squad to play France in the Uefa Championship.
24th: Everton reserves draw 0-0 with Blackburn Rovers reserves at Goodison Park. Ferguson and Spencer are kept out by injury worries. Kendall makes a £1.2M bid for Greek midfielder Vasilis Borborkis of Sheffield United. Nick Barmby played in the England U-21 team defeated 2-0 in Switzerland.
23rd: Everton finally twig that Carl Tiler is suspended. Graham Allen is to be offered a new contract. Everton's kids will play Leeds United (home and away) in The Times FA Youth Cup Semi-Final.
March 20th: Howard Kendall reportedly chases West Ham's Steve Lomas... Harry Redknapp is having none of it!
19th: Everton beat Ipswich Town 3-2 in The Times FA Youth Cup 5th Round, and now move on to the semi-final.
17th: Everton's interest in Jose Luis Sierra apparently cools after Kendall talks with Chairman Peter Johnson...
16th: Carl Tiler received his 8th yellow card of the season against Blackburn, and will now miss matches against Aston Villa and Spurs.
March 15th: Howard Kendall whisked the squad away to Cyprus for a bit of a break after the vital win over Blackburn Rovers.
14th: Not an inspiring performance but a very important win as Everton ride a storm from Blackburn Rovers and hold on as 1-0 winners thanks to a headed goal from Mickael Madar.
13th: Everton are apparently considering the signing of Chilean star Jose Luis Sierra from Colo Colo for anywhere from £1.7M to £3M. Sierra has an EC passport, so no work permit nonsense there...
12th: Everton say a quiet farwell to the legend Neville Southall, who moves to Stoke City on a free transfer as Player/Coach after being on loan there for the last few weeks.
11th: Everton reserves were due to play at Leeds United tonight but it might as well have been on the Marie Celeste for all the interest shown in the local papers...
March 10th: Young Scottish goalie, Neil Alexander of Stenhousemuir, spends a few days training at Bellefield this week.
9th: Everton sign ex-Chelsea front-man John Spencer on a month's loan from Queen's Park Rangers. Slaven Bilic will miss three matches after his red card on Saturday.
7th: Everton press the self-destruct button again, losing 2-1 at Southampton after missing good chances (and a penalty) to then allow 10 men a two-goal lead. Bilic goes for broke with another red card.
6th: Everton reserves lose 2-1 at Birmingham City.
March 5th: Claus Thomsen is on his way back to Denmark, accepting a £500,000 transfer to AB Copenhagen, and bringing to an end a rather lacklustre career at Goodison Park. West Brom have turned down Kendall's request to sign 31-yr-old striker Bob Taylor on loan. Terry Phelan has had a minor knee operation.
4th: Graham Allen's move to Wigan Athletic has been called off. Dave Watson will negotiate a 1-yr extension to his contract, keeping him at Goodison Park. Michael Ball has signed a new 4½-yr contract.
3rd: Mitch Ward could miss the remainder of the season after being told his damaged ankle ligaments will keep him sidelined for up to eight weeks. Midfielder Danny Williamson has had his foot immobilised for a week in a bid to cure a long-standing problem, while Gavin McCann's ankle injury is improving.
2nd: Howard Kendall has turned down Joe Royle's proposed deal involving Dave Watson, midfielder Claus Thomsen PLUS £5M for Manchester City's Georgiou Kinkladze.... Tony Grant is more than a month away from any action. Terry Phelan has exploratory surgery on his troublesome knee tomorrow. A move to bring Tommy Johnson in on loan from Rangers is thwarted when he gets injured...

FEBRUARY 1998

28th: Returning ex-captain and lifelong Evertonian, Gary Speed may have got a roasting from the doubting Everton fans but it did nothing to warm up a dreadful 0-0 draw against Newcastle United played in the blustery cold.
27th The transfer of Don Hutchison from Sheffield United is finally completed. Everton paid £750,000 plus Jon O'Connor for the services of the ex-Red bad boy. Full-back Terry Phelan suffered a reaction to a calf injury while playing for the reserves against Tranmere on Wednesday and is unlikely to be available for Everton's home game against Newcastle tomorrow.
26th: Neville Southall has gone on a month's loan to Stoke City.
February 25th: Everton reserves beat Tranmere Rovers reserves 3-1. Alan Mahon's goal was cancelled by goals from Richard Dunne, Tony Thomas and John Oster. Everton defender Graham Allen is holding talks with Wigan Athletic about a £250,000 move to Springfield Park.
24th: Neville Southall returns from his loan at Southend United with an unenviable record: not a single win. Danny Cadamarteri picked up a leg injury, leaving very few strikers available.
23rd: Its still Roy Evans CBE as Liverpool simply can't beat Everton. The Anfield derby ended 1-1 as Everton and Liverpool both could have grabbed the points in a pulsating match full of missed chances. Gareth Farrelly picks up his 5th yellow card and will miss one match. Earl Barrett finally moves to Sheffield – Wednesday, not United – to replace the injured Ian Nolan.
22nd: Gary Speed reveals in a Sunday Times Interview that he is bound by a confidentiality agreement which prevents him telling his side of the acrimonious end to his Everton career.
February 21st: An excellent interview with Howard Kendall is featured in The Times (see What the Papers Say).
17th: Everton are planning to sign Don Hutchison from Sheffield United next week, after he has finished serving a two-match suspension. Jon O'Connor may move the other way, along with £750,000, putting their respective valuations at around £1.1M and £350,000... A critical review of Everton's Finances has been published on the Web by Tony Lloyd... Joe Royle gets back into management almost a year after leaving Everton: he takes over struggling Manchester City.
16th: Everton are accused of poaching young Wolf cubs! Everton's midland scout, who as since left the club, is charged with (unsuccessfully) enticing 4 Wolves trainees to leave Molineux, in breach of FA regulations.
February 15th: Tony Grant will be out for at least 6 weeks with yet another injury. Madar is in better shape, but Barmby is listed as doubtful for the Anfield derby...
14th: "It never rains but it pours..." Madar gets whacked, Dunc gets held, Grant gets crocked, but its all in vain as Everton crash and burn losing 2-1 at home to Derby County. Captain Duncan Ferguson's annoyance at Wanchope's illegal impedance took just 16 mins to reach boiling point. He was shown the red card for elbowing and will now miss 3 matches from Feb 28.
12th: Into the last eight of The Times FA Youth Cup, Everton have a home tie with Hull or Ipswich.
February 10th: Another player leaves Everton: John Hills returns to Blackpool, for £60,000... so much for Joe Royle's £90,000 investment in the future... Francis Jeffers must rest after a virus infection: he will be out for about 6 weeks! Everton Reserves struggle to a 1-0 home victory over Derby County in the Pontins Central League, Premier Division.
7th: Everton scrape a 2-2 draw at basement-team Barnsley with goals from new team captain Ferguson, and from Tony Grant.
6th: Gary Speed finally completes his long-touted move to Newcastle United, for a fee of around £6M. Jon O'Connor is off to Sheffield United on loan, with a view to a permanent move.
February 5th: Everton play safe for the future by locking in 17-yr-old YTS trainee Francis Jeffers to a 5-yr contract. The stadium debate is set to resurface with strong rumours that the club are pushing for the sale and demolition of Goodison Park so that the site may be used for new shopping facilities...
4th: Howard Kendall wins the Carling Manager of the Month trophy (his 15th!) for January after pulling Everton out of the relegation zone on a shoestring budget... Francis Jeffers missed last night's match with a virus infection.
3rd: Everton's Youth team moved on into the 5th Round of The Times FA Youth Cup when they came from behind at Watford to win 3-2 with the goals coming in an 8-min blitz. Goodison Park come 70th in a Coleman's Football Food Guide survey of the 93 senior grounds (including Wembley): "sub-standard, poor food"... On a much more serious note, the club finally admits that Joe Parkinson is badly crocked: he needs another(!) cartiledge-replacement operation on his knee and is due to fly out to see a Fifa specialist in Sweden; he may be out for another year...
2nd: Nick Barmby is selected for the England B squad to play Chile B at The Hawthorns on 10 February... Gary Speed hints at a deep and unspecified reason for him wanting to leave Everton, but he is telling nothing more...

JANUARY 1998

31st: Everton played to a creditable 2-2 draw at West Ham United, with goals from Barmby and Madar. John O'Kane made a good debut, but picked up a yellow card – his 5th of the season – and will now miss a couple of matches. Internet audio commentary was provided at the West Ham Website. At Old Trafford, Tony Cottee scores the only goal of the match for Leicester City to defeat Champions-elect, Manchester United.
January 30th: Andy Hinchcliffe finally transfers out of Goodison Park. He joins Sheffield Wednesday for £2.75M. The Everton Board reluctantly agree to transfer-list team captain Gary Speed for a non-negotiable fee of £6M.
29th: Apparently in protest at the club's handling of his transfer request, Gary Speed refuses to travel down to London with the first-team squad, and faces a substantial fine. Manchester United reserve John O'Kane signs for the Blues in a deal worth up to £500,000, depending on appearances.
28th: "There's no smoke without fire..." Everton Captain and boyhood fan, Gary Speed, has finally been persuaded by his agent to hand in a written transfer request, bringing to a head the months of speculation over his future at the club he once loved, and precipitating a tirade of vitriolic anger from Evertonians in every quarter... The youthful Reserves are outclassed by an experienced Liverpool team in the Senior Cup Semi-Final replay.
27th "Don't count yer chickens..." Sheffield Wednesday are baulking at the full £3M price-tag placed on Andy "The Chin" Hinchcliffe, putting his imminent move in doubt...
January 26th: John O'Kane, a defender in Manchester United's reserves, is visiting Everton for a trial... Alan Ball returns to Fratton Park for a second stint managing 1st Division Portsmouth... Andy Hinchcliffe is apparently on his way to Sheffield Wednesday...
23rd: A strong Everton side beat Yeovil Town 3-0 in a friendly at Huish Park... Paul Rideout has left Chong Qing (China) to play Major League Soccer for the Kansas City "Wizz" (something to do with urinals?), where he will team up with ex-Blues Preki and Mo Johnston.
22nd: In the The Times FA Youth Cup 3rd Round tie, Everton beat Stoke City 1-0 at Goodison Park.
21st: The Reserves match against Tranmere at Prenton Park has been postponed to 25 February.
January 20th: Neville Southall's loan spell at Southend United is being extended by one month, with Howard Kendall getting a 24-hour release clause should he be needed back at Goodison Park.
19th: Speed may be close to resolving his much rumoured move to Newcastle, after Kendall emphatically says he wants his team captain to stay at Goodison. Everton have turned down three bids escalating from £3.5 M to £5 M over the past two months.
18th: The media have trouble placing the credit where it is due, as Nick Barmby's industry and Ferguson's courage bring Everton a fully justified second-half rout of Championship-chasers Chelsea by 3-1. Goals from Speed, Ferguson, and an excellent 16-touch Everton move that resulted in a desperate own-goal by Duberry.
15th: Everton's Frances Jeffers scores one of England U-16's goals in a 5-1 win over Cyprus... Everton Reserves could only draw 1-1 (after extra time) with Liverpool Reserves in the semi-final of the Liverpool Senior Cup at Halton Stadium.
14th: Earl Barrett teams up with ex-Evertonian Graham Stuart on a month's loan at Sheffield United.
January 10th: Everton gain a second successive away win, 3-1 at Crystal Palace, with goals from Barmby, Ferguson and debut striker Madar, moving Everton up to 15th. Gary Speed returns as captain despite the incessant transfer rumours, and Bilic is back from his 5-match suspension only to give away an unnecessary penalty and get booked.
9th: The FA Youth Cup match at home to Stoke City also falls foul of the weather and is moved to Jan 20th.
8th: Hinchcliffe's transfer to Spurs has been halted by the revelation that he is suffering an Achilles problem... Gary Speed is livid at rumours that he has turned down a new contract at Goodison... The Anfield Derby has been moved to February 23rd to facilitate coverage on Sky's Monday Night Football.
7th: Hinchcliffe's move to Spurs is back on, pending a medical... Everton reserves' match with Preston is postponed due to a water-logged pitch... Joe Royle declines the Northern Ireland manager's job.
6th: Spurs are refusing to pay Hinchcliffe a £0.5M signing bonus, putting the move on hold...
January 5th: Everton are allowing Andy Hinchcliffe to have transfer talks with Spurs, following acceptance of a £3M bid for the English International defender... Neville Southall reveals that he had to PAY for his ticket to watch Everton's Cup tie with Newcastle!!!
4th: Business as usual as a heavily depleted Everton side slip and slide out of the FA Cup at the first attempt, falling to a scrambled goal claimed by Ian Rush in the torrential rain as Newcastle United win this 3rd Round tie in front of the ITV cameras and a small Goodison Crowd.
1st: The rumours of impending departures run deep as both Andy Hinchcliffe and Gary Speed are added to the long list of injured players who will miss the 3rd Round Cup Tie with Newcastle. Could it be true that these players are being "rested" to avoid having them cup-tied at their future clubs?

DECEMBER 1997

31st: Howard Kendall says he has turned down big offers worth around £6M (cash plus players) for Gary Speed from both Sheffield Wednesday and Newcastle United. However, Speed will miss the FA Cup clash with Newcastle, and will thus avoid being cup-tied...
December 30th: Ex-skipper Dave Watson has an exploratory operation on his knee, which gave in at Old Trafford.
29th: Volatile french striker Mickael Madar finally signs for Everton on a free transfer from Deportivo de la Coruña (Spain), but too late to be registered for the FA Cup 3rd Round tie with Newcastle..
28th: Duncan Ferguson returns in triumphant style with a hat-trick of headers as he captains Everton to a 3-2 win over Bolton Wanderers before the day's biggest crowd at Goodison Park.
26th: With at least 11 players missing, Everton offer little competition for a cocky Manchester United side, falling to two first-half goals at Old Trafford; it could have been much, much worse...
December 25th: Adding to Everton's bloated injury list, Michael Branch fractures two bones in his ankle during a training friendly and will now be out of action for at least 10 weeks...
24th: Neville Southall goes for a one-month loan to Southend United of the 2nd Division... Joe Royle is being considered as the next manager of the Northern Ireland team.
23rd: French International, Mickael Madar, flies in from Spain to consider joining Everton on a free transfer from Deportivo de la Coruña... Branch, Allen, and Grant are all back in training after prolonged injuries.
22nd: Danny Cadamarteri signs a new 4½-yr contract that brings him a fat pay-rise from £300 to £5,000 a week!
December 20th: In a dour and niggly match at Filbert Street, Everton beat Leicester City 1-0 with a last-minute penalty taken by captain Gary Speed, ending a run of eight games without a win. Thomas Myhre remains unbeaten in goal in his first three matches, helping Everton to their first away win in over 12 months.
18th: Thomas Myhre has been selected for Norway's preliminary World Cup Squad.
17th: The Everton Reserves match at Nottingham Forest is postponed due to bad weather... Michael Branch finally resumes light training... Joe Parkinson's knee is given the surgeon's blessing and he can start on the long path to recovery...
16th: In the match against Wimbledon, Mitch Ward took two bad blows on the ankle and is doubtful for Leicester.
December 15th: The usual mire of transfer and swap rumours is even deeper than normal as some of the slower newspapers catch on to what might be happening at Goodison Park, but there is still no definite news of squad changes...
13th: Wimbledon play out a dismal 0-0 draw at Goodison Park, in a very poor game watched by less than 30,000.
12th: The Times reports that Peter Johnson has received two separate offers from consortia hoping to buy out his controlling interest in the club. Offered £45 M by the competing groups, Johnson has indicated that he would sell his 68% stake only at the figure of £100 M.
11th: Earl Barrett has been told he is surplus to Howard Kendall's requirements and will be offered for transfer.
December 10th: In the Pontins Premier League, Everton Reserves draw 1-1 with Stoke City Res at Halton Stadium. Viking Stavanger midfielder, Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim – on trial for 2 weeks, sets up John Oster for Everton's equalizer.
9th: In The Times FA Youth Cup 2nd Round, Everton win at Blackpool by 1-0 without young stars Cadamarteri and Ball. A 3rd Round tie at home to Stoke City now beckons... Southall's position has been clarified following the arrival of Thomas Myhre: Big Nev will be offered on loan to First Division clubs... Terry Phelan underwent a cartilage operation yesterday, which will sideline him for up to four weeks.
8th: At the Annual General Meeting of Everton Football Club, more than 400 shareholders hear Peter Johnson fight back at the critics by reaffirming his personal committment to the club, claiming a net investment of £26.7 Million in transfers during his tenure. The spoiling tactics of disgruntled shareholders were more than matched by Johnson who limited the meeting to 2 hrs. He also suspended the meeting for 30 mins to count ballot votes for the re-election of Sir Desmond Pitcher to the Board, after this motion had been defeated by a show of hands — Pitcher was predictably voted in by a massive 26,741 to 1,847 (Peter Johnson holds 23,945 Everton shares...)
7th: Everton are drawn to play Newcastle United at home in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. The game will be played on Sunday 4 January 1998, KO 2pm with live coverage on ITV.
December 6th: Everton play out a scoreless draw at Leeds United, with Gary Speed having a first-half penalty well saved by Nigel Martyn. The result ends a bad run of 5 defeats and takes Everton off the bottom of the Premiership Table, with Thomas Myhre keeping an impressive clean sheet on his debut.
3rd: Everton Reserves lose 2-1 at Preston, despite Danny Cadamarteri giving them the lead. Dave Watson plays for 45 mins but Thomas Myhre does not play due to a slight injury.
2nd: Dean Saunders, often linked with Everton, moves to Sheffield United for around £400,000. Howard Kendall denies that there was ever a serious offer for him on the table.
1st: Howard Kendall has made enquiries about getting Ally McCoist on loan from Rangers as a temporary striker to cover for Ferguson during his upcoming suspension. McCoist is recovering from a hamstring injury.

NOVEMBER 1997

November 30th: Peter Johnson dismisses the demonstrations against him as coming from "less than 1% of the fans", and "unrepresentative of the true Evertonians" — comments guaranteed to further inflame the growing feeling that the Everton Chairman must go, and go soon, in order for there to be any meaningful change of fortune at the club.
29th: In a desperate display of inept football, Everton crashed to their 5th defeat in a row, losing 2-0 against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park. Bookings for bad boys Ferguson and Bilic take them both to 5 yellow cards and automatic 3-match suspensions. Bilic, will now miss FIVE games in succession! After the match, between 1,000 and 3,000 fans in the Gwladys St End stage a sit-in, chanting slogans against Chairman Peter Johnson, until they are forcibly evicted by the police. The demonstration continued in Goodison Road.
28th: Peter Johnson reacts angrily to the accusation that fans are unconvinced about his committment to the club. Another leaflet campaign and a possible mass demonstration are planned for tomorrow's match in an effort to help him understand the depth of feeling and resentment over his succession of broken promises.
27th: The Stuart / Tiler & Ward swap-deal with Sheffield United has been completed. Also, the transfer of Thomas Myhre from Viking Stavanger has finally been agreed for around £800,000 plus appearance incentives. Everton reserves draw 1-1 at Aston Villa.
26th: Mitch Ward debuts as Everton lose 2-0 at Chelsea to two late penalties. Slaven Bilic is sent off for committing a professional foul to give away the second penalty. Jon O'Connor is dropped from the squad.
November 25th: Blades journeymen Carl Tiler and Mitch Ward are part of a swap package Kendall is negotiating, with Graham Stuart going to Bramall Lane along with a £500,000 sweetener. Ward has in any case been taken on loan, so he is available to face Chelsea tomorrow.
24th: Pressure mounts on Peter Johnson as rumours of bids for control of Everton FC do the rounds. Joe Lewis's ENIC group, and Lady Grantchester, the Moores heiress may be interested in rescuing the club.
23th: Howard Kendall is in Denmark but will not confirm he was looking at Brondby striker Ebbe Sand.
22nd: At Aston Villa, Everton crash to their 3rd defeat in a row and drop to the bottom of the Premiership Table. An early lead is again squandered, although Jon O'Connor finally makes a sub appearance in the 2-1 defeat, which turns out to be Graham Stuart's last match for the club..
November 19th: The Thomas Myhre transfer is still a possibility as Everton fax their last offer to Viking Stavanger.
18th: The most inventive and far-fetched Everton story to do the rounds is quashed by none other than the world's richest man: The Sultan of Brunei is NOT about to buy Everton FC!
17th: Former Chairman, Dr David Marsh, has resigned from the Everton Board of Directors, along with Richard Hughes. They will not be seeking re-election to the newly reduced 8-man Board. Strong rumours of Peter Johnson's desire to sell his 68% stake are vehemently denied by EFC.
November 15th: Andy Hinchcliffe plays well in the unfamiliar left centre-back role for England in a 2-0 friendly win against Cameroon at Wembley. Phelan misses Ireland's loss to Belgium through injury, and Bilic is suspended from Croatia's draw with the Ukraine in World Cup Qualifying playoff matches.
14th: Everton FC Co Ltd had an operating loss of £2.9M on a turnover of £18.8M in the last financial year to 31 May 1997, with merchandising showing a downturn, and an overdraft of £4.4M. Four of seven potential sites for the New Goodison Park in Liverpool have been identified – Gillmoss, Kings Dock, Pleasure Island, Speke airfield. Michael Ball (captain) and Danny Cadamarteri (goalscorer) help England to beat Russia 3-2 in European U-18 Championship qualifier at Crewe.
13th: After reviewing his booking of Slaven Bilic at Blackburn, referee Paul Alcock confirms that the foul on Chris Sutton deserved the yellow card, although we all thought Slav was booked for dissent! Terry Phelan's calf injury has forced him to pull out of the Ireland squad for the World Cup playoff in Belgium on the 15th.
12th: Former Blue, Tony Cottee, joins Birmingham City on a month's loan from Leicester City, where he has made only 2 appearances this season. Gary Speed, Welsh captain, gives away one of two free kicks which the Brazilian artisans punish in their 3-0 friendly win over Wales in Brasilia – John Oster also plays in this match.
11th: Everton Reserves lose 1-0 to Pontins League table-toppers Leeds United at the Halton Stadium in Widnes. Michael Branch limps off after only 20 mins with yet another injury – his hamstring.
November 10th: Protracted negotiations for the signature of goalkeeper Thomas Myhre continue...
8th: Despite leading for most of the match, Everton lose 2-3 at Blackburn Rovers, with two goals coming in the last 10 mins. Slaven Bilic is again booked for dissent, despite making a vow of silence before the game.
7th: Andy Hinchcliffe surprisingly retains his place in the England squad for a friendly against Cameroon on the 15th.
6th: In The Times FA Youth Cup 2nd Round, Everton have been drawn away to Blackpool on or before December 13th. The latest in a long line of embarrassing PR/commercial gaffes by the club is revealed to the nation on BBC1's Watchdog: old replica shirts were sold as new, with "one 2 one" logos stuck on top of the old Danka logo.
November 5th: Three possible sites are reported to be under consideration for the New Goodison Park:
- Kirkby Golf Course
- The Garden Festival site in Aigburth
- Cronton Colliery, near the M57/M62 intersection, and almost in Widnes
4th: Mervyn Day joins Everton on a 3-yr contract as goalkeeping coach. Gavin McCann joins Parkinson, Grant, Thomas and Barmby on the mid- to long-term injured list. Farrelly is back in training and Thomas may also be fit.
3rd: Thomas Myhre has returned to Norway as Everton struggle to agree a fee with his club, Viking Stavanger. In a personal hearing with the FA, Slaven Bilic was fined £1,000 for "uncomplimentary remarks" he made to the referee after picking up two yellow cards at Newcastle.
2nd: Everton crash badly at home to Southampton, losing 0-2 in front of the Sky TV Cameras, and slip to 17th in the Premiership.
1st: Nick Barmby is set to miss tomorrow's match. He has a niggling groin problem that could be a hernia.

OCTOBER 1997

29th: Slaven Bilic gets the Croatians' first goal against Ukraine in Kiev as they win 2-0 in the first leg of the World Cup Qualifying Playoffs. Terry Phelan stays on the bench as Ireland draw 1-1 with Belgium. Thomas Myhre, trial goalkeeper with the Everton Reserves at Blackburn, impresses but fails to keep a clean sheet as a reasonably strong team (with Richard Dunne returning) lose 0-2 and slip to 4th in the Pontins Central League Premier Division.
28th: Reserves player, Mark Quayle, is going on trial with Swindon Town.
27th: Publication day for Everton Greats, the book written by ToffeeNet fan, Jon Berman, about what happened to the footballer-heroes who graced Goodison Park after they hung up their boots.
October 25th: Everton fail to extract full revenge at Coventry City but come away with a creditable 0-0 draw. Richard Dunne plays a key role in Ireland's U-18 win in Moldovia. Michael Ball captains the England U-18s to a 2-1 defeat in Russia.
26th: Howard Kendall decides he has no further interest in Dalian Atkinson, who returns to Turkey. Everton FC place an advert in The Sunday Times for a new Chief Executive to revitalise the merchandising and lead the new stadium project.
23rd: Everton Reserves added the scalp of Liverpool's second string at Goodison Park as they triumphed 4-3 after squandering a 3-goal lead. Visit the Everton Reserves page for a match summary. Branch sustained another injury and misses the Coventry match on the 25th.
22nd: The Croatian FA deny Everton's request for Slaven Bilic to play at Coventry as they prepare for their World Cup Qualifying Playoff on the 29th. An X-ray reveals that Tony Grant has a hairline fracture of the shin and could be out for at least 3 weeks.
21st: Howard Kendall reveals the truth about Ince, Ferdinand, and Ravanelli exclusively to ToffeeNet in Joe Banerjee's unique interview with the Everton Manager. Richard Dunne returns to Home Farm for a loan spell to improve his fitness and lose a bit of extra weight.
October 20th: Franz Carr has returned to his Italian club but Dalian Atkinson remains at Bellefield for the time-being as Howard Kendall looks for clearance from Galatasary for him to play in the mini-derby on the 23rd.
19th: Howard Kendall has negotiated the release of Danny Cadamarteri from the England U-18 squad so that he can play for Everton at Coventry on the 25th; Michael Ball will be away for the clash with Russia.
18th: Southall is back in goal as Everton outplay Liverpool in a stirring display at Goodison Park, winning 2-0 with an amusing og from Ruddock and a wonderful solo goal from Danny Cadamarteri, who started in place of Barmby. Slaven Bilic is suspended for this match. Someone chose an inopportune time (pre-match) to distribute 20,000 leaflets demanding the removal of Peter Johnson, the beleaguered Everton Club Chairman.
16th: Howard Kendall makes an unprecedented attack on his players for their lack of committment and poor quality, and threatens to use reserves against Liverpool... Everton Reserves must have impressed Kendall as they hammered Sheffield Wednesday away from home, also by 4 goals to 1, with both Dalian Atkinson and Franz Carr playing.
October 15th: Everton crash out of the Coca-Cola Cup in a disastrous 3rd Round 1-4 defeat at Coventry City, which ends with a bizarre incident in which Kendall claims to have been "warming down" the players on the field...
14th: Neville Southall will be given a free transfer if and when a back-up/replacement for him is lined up.
11th: Of Everton's four full internationals in this weekend's squads, only Terry Phelan starts for Ireland. The others are Gareth Farrelly (Ireland), Neville Southall (Wales), and Andy Hinchcliffe, who is part of the triumphant England squad that secure a place in France 98 with their stultifying 0-0 draw in Italy. John Oster gets a dubious full debut or Wales as a last-minute sub. Welsh captain Gary Speed is suspended. At lower levels, Everton are represented by Danny Cadamarteri and Michael Ball (England U-18), and Richard Dunne (Republic of Ireland U-18).
October 10th: Joe Parkinson has had another operation on his knee and will now be out for at least 4 or 5 months -- probably to the end of the season.
9th: Pat Nevin has written a book entitled In Ma Head, Son! with psychologist Dr George Sik, about the mind of a footballer. More information is available from ToffeeWeb's exclusive listing of Everton Books.
8th: Slaven Bilic has been charged with misconduct by the FA for remarks he allegedly made to referee Graham Poll following his sending off against Newcastle on September 24.
7th: A strong Everton Reserves team beat Manchester United's reserves 3-2 at Goodison Park. Franz Carr runs out for the Blues as a late second-half sub. Commentary was provided *live* on the new #Comms IRC Channel (DALNet) by the excellent ToffeeNet commentary team.
6th: Unfit veterans, Franz Carr and Dalian Atkinson, are joining in with group training at Bellefield this week.
October 5th: Tommy Ring, a famous Everton player and Scottish international from the 1950s, has died aged 67.
4th: Everton visit Sheffield Wednesday but lose 1-3, the Owls' goals coming in the last 12 minutes when Danny Cadamarteri also got the consolation goal -- after missing a golden opportunity earlier...
3rd: John Hills returns from another successful loan period at Swansea City.
2nd: Andy Hinchcliffe has signed a new 3- or 4-yr contract with Everton.
1st: Everton beat Scunthorpe United 5-0 in the return leg of the Coca-Cola Cup 2nd Round tie at Goodison Park, with excellent performances by Oster, Speed and Ball. Goals from Stuart, Oster, Barmby (2) and Cadamarteri, but Grant picks up yet another injury.

SEPTEMBER 1997

September 30th: Parkinson, Branch, Williamson, Short and Farrelly are on the injured list for tomorrow's visit by Scunthorpe.
29th: Andy Hinchcliffe must be considered a surprise inclusion in Glenn Hoddle's England squad for the critical World Cup qualifier in Rome on 11 October.
28th: Eligible to play for no less than five countries, Danny Cadamarteri has committed himself to England, and will join the U-18 squad for the European Championship qualifier in Yugoslavia next month. Duncan Ferguson has sent a letter to Scottish FA, expressing his wish to retire form International football after winning just 7 caps but scoring no goals in an unimpressive career with Scotland
27th: In one of the best games at Goodison Park for a long time, injury-ravaged Everton are hosts to top-of-the-table Arsenal, who lead 2-0 at half-time. But the youngsters strike back to outplay the favourites, with Michael Ball and Danny Cadamarteri scoring to level the game at 2-2. Hinchcliffe is suspended for this match.
26th: The injury list for tomorrow's clash with Arsenal includes Parkinson, Branch, Barmby, Farrelly, Short, Allen, Williamson, and Ferguson.
September 25th: Everton Badboy, Slaven Bilic, will definitely miss the derby against Liverpool on 18 October, as a result of his double yellow card yesterday. Andy Hinchcliffe is still pondering whether to sign a massive 5-yr, £3M contract at Everton, or to do a Bosman when his current contract expires... Fabrizio Ravanelli has finally moved from Middlesbrough... but NOT to Everton. Thankfully, this ridiculous saga of speculation is now over as the White Feather moves to Marseille for £5M and will never again be "linked" with the Royal Blues... or will he?
24th: An Everton team devastated by injuries (10 at the last count) visit Newcastle United and defend stoutly, only to lose by a solitary Rob Lee goal in the 88th minute. Gavin McCann makes his debut (as a sub) but Slaven Bilic is sent off after two innocuous fouls draw yellows from card-happy referee, Graham Poll.
22nd: The injured list now includes: Parkinson, Thomas, Branch, Phelan, Allen, Dunne, and Thomsen, with Williamson, Cadamarteri, Short, and Ferguson classed as "doubtful" for the trip to Newcastle...
September 20th: Everton host newcomers Barnsley, running out 4-2 winners with a (full) debut goal from Danny Cadamarteri, first Everton goal from John Oster, and a brace from from Captain Speedo. Live commentary is provided on the Internet direct from the Press Box in Goodison Park by Rick "Snaky" Brown and Jon "Mollow" Duffy, using the #Everton IRC Channel on DALNet. Web-based access to the #Everton Channel is now possible though the Live Match Commentary Section of the new Official Everton Website.
19th: Joe Parkinson will have what sounds like a major operation on his knee in what may be the last hope to get his lang-term injury problem sorted... he is expected to be out until at least the New Year. Branch and Thomas are still injured and will miss tomorrow's match v Barnsley.
18th: Everton Reserves beat Birmingham City 2-1. The new Official Everton Website goes online. Ex-Blue, Barry Horne is elected Chairman of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), succeeding another ex-Blue, Pat Nevin, who has moved from Tranmere to Kilmarnock.
17th: Umbro add to the replica shirt tales by putting part of the logo ribbing on upside down. Solution: change the first-team shirts to match...
16th: Everton beat 3rd Division Scunthorpe United 1-0 at Glanford Park in the 2nd Round, 1st Leg of the Coca-Cola Cup, under the public scrutiny of Sky TV. Farrelly gets the goal; Southall is on the bench; Barmby, Grant, and O'Connor are not in the squad.
September 15th: Branch's pulled hamstring may keep him out for two weeks. Uwe Rosler fails to accept a new contract at Manchester City, but there is no indication that he will join Everton.
14th: The Sunday Telegraph reports that Peter Johnson is looking to sell a 28% stake in Everton FC, leaving him with 40% of the outstanding shares. Ex-Blue Andrei Kanchelskis scores his first goal for Fiorentina (after 8 months!) in a 3-2 win over Bari.
13th: Everton visit Derby County only to lose 1-3 with a goal from Graham Stuart. Neville Southall becomes the first player to record 200 Premiership appearances, but six Everton Bad Boys are booked and Hinchcliffe is sent off.
12th: Dave Watson is doubtful for the game at Derby; Terry Phelan (calf strain) and Tony Thomas (pulled calf) are out injured.
11th: The new replica shirts are finally delivered, just a month after the start of the season. The delay was caused by the difficulty Everton experienced finding a suitable shirt sponsor.
September 10th: Three Everton players on International duty, with only Bilic playing as Croatia lose 1-3 in Denmark. Phelan and Farrelly were both left on the bench as Ireland beat Lithuania 2-1 in Vilnius. Barmby was not even included in the England squad -- see Barmby left out in the cold.
9th: Everton Reserves draw 1-1 at Derby County. Joe Parkinson denies the rumours that he will not be playing football for the foreseeable future, despite suffering a setback with his injured knee.
8th: Everton have appointed Andy Jones, formerly with Burnley, as the new physiotherapist for the first team. Les Helm will move on to the "development" side, with the youngsters.
7th: Duncan Ferguson is left out of the Scotland squad that defeats Belarus 4-1 in a match rearranged from yesterday in deference to the funeral for Diana, Princess of Wales. Meanwhile Everton lose 1-4 to Greek club Panathinaikos in a friendly played in Athens.
6th: Slaven Bilic scores the first goal in Croatia's 3-2 defeat of Bosnia. Terry Phelan is left out of the Irish side that beats Iceland 4-2 in Reykjavik.
September 5th: A South African midfielder, Bradley Muir of Manning Rangers, has reportedly gone on a 10-day trial with Everton. Gareth Farrelly captains the Irish U-21 team but does not impress as they lose 0-1 in Iceland.
4th: Everton Reserves can only draw 0-0 at home to Tranmere Rovers.
1st: Everton are the first visitors to the futuristic Reebok Stadium, new home of Bolton Wanderers, in the Monday Night Sky TV match, which goes ahead in sombre mood after the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, yesterday. The match fizzles out in a 0-0 draw despite some good football from Everton, with Andy Hinchcliffe returning (as a sub) after a 9-month layoff. Hinchcliffe takes over from Unsworth as the club's new PFA official.

AUGUST 1997

28th: Everton are drawn against 3rd Division Scunthorpe in the Coca-Cola Cup; Sky decide that the first leg (away at Glanford Park) is going to be worth showing *Live* as their Match of the Day on 17 September.
August 27th: Everton huff and puff but they cannot blow away the juggernaut that is Manchester United, falling to two strange goals at Goodison Park. The match is televised in some countries. Andy Hinchcliffe is close to making the first-team squad after a successful run-out against a visiting American college team at Bellefield.
23rd: The second League match of the season brings a home win over West Ham by 2-1, with goals from Speed and Stuart. Debut for Danny Williamson but Oster is the star inspiring the Blues' late comeback.
22nd: John Hills starts a one-month loan with Swansea City in Nationwide Division 3 -- for the second time in his short career.
21th: A move to buy ageing Welsh forward, Dean Saunders, for £600,000 falls through (thankfully!) when Howard Kendall snubs Nottingham Forest over their ridiculous £1M valuation.
August 20th: Cyril Lello, Everton right-half in the early 1950s, has died.
19th: Everton put on a strong performance to blunt the Blades as they beat Sheffield United 4-0 in a friendly arranged as part of the compensation deal releasing Howard Kendall from his managerial contract.
18th: A young Everton Reserves side go down 0-1 to Stoke City at Newcastle Town. The two Italian trialists, Mauro Espostio and Luigi Riccio return home this week, with no further interest from Everton.
August 14th: Danny Williamson completes his transfer from West Ham United, with David Unsworth leaving Everton after 10 years of loyal service as part of the swap deal.
13th: Everton are one of four teams not playing their traditional second match of the season midweek. The original fixture at Chelsea was postponed due to building work at Stamford Bridge.
12th: Everton Reserves open their season in impressive style with a 5-0 hammering of Nottingham Forest. A strong line-up includes Tony Grant, fully fit.
August 9th: Everton start the season pretty much where they left off in May -- with a 1-2 defeat at home to Crystal Palace. Dave Watson willingly relinquishes the captaincy to Gary Speed: "New Manager, New Captain." Debuts for Bilic, Farrelly, Oster and Thomas pale against that of Lombardo for the Premiership new boys.
8th: Duncan Ferguson pledges his future to Everton by finally signing a 5-year contract.
6th: Gary Speed sustains a calf injury in training that could rule him out of the season opener against Crystal Palace.
August 5th: Tranmere finally accept £400,000 in a deal that brings right-back Tony Thomas to Everton.
2nd: Tony Grant may need a third operation on his troublesome ankle.
1st: Everton win their last pre-season friendly 3-0 at Bristol City, Gareth Farrelly scoring his first goal.

JULY 1997

31st: Everton are to pursue the transfer of Tony Thomas, valued by Tranmere at around £500,000.
July 30th: Current injuries are:
- Joe Parkinson -- knee
- Andy Hinchcliffe -- thigh strain
- Tony Grant -- ankle
29th: Everton cruise to a 6-0 win in a pre-season friendly on Guernsey; Tony Thomas plays the first half.
28th: Everton are to give a trial to Tony Thomas, right back at Tranmere. Les Ferdinand finally signs for Spurs, "the only club he considered joining." 300 golfers and locals opposed to Everton's proposed new stadium site on Kirkby Municipal Golf Course formed a human blockade to successfully block a pre-publicised site visit by football chiefs, councillors and local government officials.
27th: Everton lose the Umbro Cup Final to Chelsea after a very impressive performance by a young team. The 3-1 scoreline unfairly flatters Chelsea . Ajax beat Newcastle 3-0 as Shearer badly injured his ankle in the 3rd Place playoff.
26th: Everton make a great start in the 1997 Umbro Cup at Goodison Park, beating a very driven Ajax side by a single well-taken goal from Gary Speed. Also, Chelsea beat Newcastle United on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
July 25th: Sheffield United agree to accept £250,000 compensation, dropping legal action against Everton and Howard Kendall in exchange for a friendly at Bramall Lane on 19 August.
24th: Richard Dunne captains Ireland in a 2-3 defeat by France, in the U-18 Championship in Iceland.
23rd: A tribunal decides that Everton should pay an initial fee of £700,000 to Aston Villa for Gareth Farrelly. Pay-as you-Play could take the final sum toward £1 million. See the Gareth Farrelly FactFile for full details.
22nd: Everton beat Stoke City 2-0 in a testimonial for Ian Cranson at the Victoria Ground.
21st: Ciriaco Sforza decides to join the Bundesliga outfit FC Kaiserslautern (Sforza's old team), despite Everton's higher offer. Everton lose interest in Hungarian goalkeeper, Szab Safar, although he was not to blame for the three goals conceded during his trial match at Prenton Park.
July 20th: AC Milan have accepted a bid of £2.75M from Everton for midfielder and Swiss captain, Ciriaco Sforza.
19th: Everton lost 0-3 in the second pre-season friendly at Tranmere Rovers. The match started badly with Speed's own goal, followed by a great solo effort from John Aldridge.
18th: Howard Kendall decides not to pursue the signing of Danish defender, Thomas Rytter, after he fails to impress in Dave Watson's Testimonial. The much-touted transfer of Ravanelli ends in acrimony when the club refuses to contemplate the White Feather's outrageous wage demands. Everton Reserves defeat Burscough 6-0 in a friendly at Victoria Park.
17th: Everton unveil their new home strip in a controversial shade of metallic "light Royal Blue", together with new shirt sponsor, One 2 One, but announce that replica kits will not be available until the end of August. Hungarian goalkeeper, Szab Safar from Vasas Budapest, will play in goal against Tranmere, as part of a trial.
16th: Everton beat Glasgow Rangers 3-2 with Danish trialist, Thomas Rytter, playing in Dave Watson's Testimonial. Ravanelli visits Bellefield and discusses personal terms for a possible transfer to Everton.
July 15th: The Israeli FA deny permission for Tal Bannin to play on trial in tomorrow's testimonial, thus effectively ending Everton's interest in the Israeli captain.
14th: Kendall swoops to sign Grimsby Town's promising young winger, John Oster, for £1M, plus appearance incentives. Thomas Rytter arrives at Bellefield on trial from Sevilla. The FA decide to simplify the disciplinary system, with suspensions after 5, 8, and 11 yellow cards -- and institute a credit by wiping off a caution for each of 5 complete successive games played without a card.
11th: Sheffield United issue writs against Howard Kendall for breach of contract, and against Everton for failure to provide adequate compensation for Kendall's release from his managerial contract with the Blades.
July 10th: Everton are planning to give a trial to Tal Bannin, Israeli captain and midfielder. A bid of £7.5M has been accepted by Middlesbrough for disaffected striker, Fabrizio Ravanelli.
9th: Everton arrange a trial for Thomas Rytter, the Denmark right back valued at £1.5M by the relegated Spanish club, Sevilla.
8th: After rebuffing Kendall's bid of £5M, Newcastle have priced Les Ferdinand at £6M.
7th: Inter Milan accept Everton's £5M bid for Paul Ince, but the ex-Man Utd midfielder declines talks with Peter Johnson, preferring to join Liverpool on a more complex cash & friendly gate-money / TV rights deal.
July 5th: Commercial Director Cliff Finch addresses the AGM of ESCLA (Everton Supporters Club -- London Area). Finch expresses concern over Parkinson's long-term injury situation.
4th: Two Italian teenagers, Mauro Espostio (18) of Pescara and Luigi Riccio (19) of Perugia, join Everton on trial for two months.
3rd: Players return to Bellefield for pre-season training.
2nd: Andy Holden (ex-Oldham player) is taken on as youth team coach, under Colin Harvey.
July 1st: Howard Kendall's first signing is Gareth Farrelly from Aston Villa. Joe Parkinson undergoes a minor operation on his knee to clear up some debris left behind by the more serious knee operation he underwent last December.