EVERTON SIGN JW DAVIES FROM CHESTER CITY

July 8, 1937. The Liverpool Daily Post

By John Peel

Everton are always willing to pay a good price for a young player of promise, and on signing J.W. Davies, of Chester City they have secured a left back of distinct ability, and the Everton club ,may be depended on to develop the player to the full. The fee is believed to be in the neighbourhood of £2,000. Davies is 20-year-of-age, stands 5ft 9ins, and weighs 11st 4lbs. A native of Wrexham, he went to the Chester Club from schoolboy football, and has been there for the past five seasons. A welsh schoolboys international. His early promise attracted the attention of Mr. Charles Hewitt, who is now manager of Millwall, and he was the youngest player ever to be signed by Chester. He was found a job on the ground staff, until he attained the age of seventeen, when he signed professional forms. He played at outside right, outside left, and left half-back for the Cheshire county league side, and it was in the latter position that he gained a regular place in the first team midway through last season. Davies has been through by several clubs and Chester received an offer of £1,500 early in May, but turned it down as being insufficient.

John Williams Davies

Hull Daily Mail-Thursday 8 July 1937

Chester F.C. yesterday were concerned in a doable transfer deal They John William Davies. a 20-year-old left half-back go Everton at a fee stated be, £2.000, and signed for a- big sum Clement Smith, inside forward, of Halifax Town.

H. Feenan

Chelmsford Chronicle -Friday 23 July 1937

Mr. Charles Jones, manager of the Crittall (Braintree) F.C., has obtained the signature of H. Feenan, a right back from Durham district, who had been given trials by Everton and Hartlepool.

SPORTSMAN'S DAILY LOG

Grimsby Daily Telegraph -Thursday 27 July 1939

Everton Get Their Man A player whom Everton tried to secure two years ago has now joined the club. He Frank Edwards, a centre half. He came under Everton's notice when only 16 years of age, but he became associated with West Bromwich Albion's team of colts After last season he was released by the Albion, and has now been taken On to Everton'g playing staff. Edwards is 18 years of age and is of fine phyique, standing 6ft. and weighing 12st. 41b.

Robert McMurray. Scottish inside right who was on Everron's books last season, has signed for Tranmere Rovers. He formerly played for Glasgow Perthshire.

EVERTON F.C.'S LAY-OUT FOR NEXT SEASON

Liverpool Echo July 28th 1937

Writes “Stork”

Instead of the cheering and the sighing for a goal the only noise I heard at Goodison Park yesterday was that of iron against steel. It was an uncommon experience for me, for my visit to Goodison have usually been on match day when the air has been charged with electric currents . I must tell you of the progress being made with the Gwlady's-street stand although I know you will be much more interested in the building of the Everton team. Everton, however, think that their team of last season needed little strengthing for they have made no important signings. I do know, however, that men have been sought and are still being angled, but until the right man at the right price is available Everton will not do any business. Regarding the stand. It is well on the way. It will not be nearly complete for the opening match –the match of the season by the way –with Arsenal, but half of a will be in use on August 28.

A Grand Sight.

I understand that many applications for transfer from other parts of the ground to the new stand have already been made, but for my part give me a centre line viewpoint. I suppose we will have to find a new name for this new section of Goodison Park, but I will leave that to others more closely concerned. When it is finished the Park will look a grand sight, and the holding capacity increased by a matter of 14,000 people. Many other improvements have been made around the ground. For one thing, I am delighted they have done away with a portion of the spiral staircase leading to the Press Box. This was a distinct nuisance for only one climber at a time could negotiate the heights. Then there is the new Press room. This was badly needed, for to traverse half way down the spiral staircase at the interval took up too much time for those who had work to do, but now the critics are only a matter of a few yards from their seats. Thanks, Everton, this has been a long felt want. A new room has also been built for the players –a dining room for training days. I don't think that the turf has ever looked better. Its texture is like satin and gazing on it from the stand does not give you a true idea as to the “rub of the green.” You have to tread its length and breath to realise just how perfect it is. Tommy Fleetwood, the one-time Everton captain and jack of all positions, was busily engaged, along with others uplifting the weeds. It struck me that a footballer of any account must play well on such a surface. I felt I could knock up a fifty break on what looked a stretch of green baize. J. Smith and Ted Storey are to be congratulated on their work as groundsmen.

Everton's List

Here is Everton's full list of players.

Goal; E. Sagar, H. Morton

Backs; G. Jackson, W. Cook, JE Jones, J. Thomson, R. Lambert

Half-Backs; CS Britton, J. Mercer, CW Gee, TG Watson, TG Jones, RH Lindley, Se Bentham, W. Edwards, , J. Davies

Forwards; A Geldard, JN Cunliffe, WR Dean, CR Webster, AE Stevenson, J Coulter, A Dickinson, T. Gillick, RC Bell, J Cuff, W. Hullett, E. Hurel, F Laidman, J Arthur, D Trentham, H Catterick, T Lawton

What Is In Store?

What is in store for Everton during the season 1937-38. They had anything but a happy time last term, in fact, had it not been for their home record they would have been struggling much harder than they were, and there was some cause, for anxiety during the last few months. The playing staff is made up of thirty-three professionals and eleven amateurs but the followers would have liked to see some new and prominent players in the list but are not so easily found say the clubs. It is the same all round. Every clubs complains that they cannot get the men they want without having to pay through the nose for them. Everton don't mind putting their hands down for players whom they think will blend into the side with success, but it has always been their proud boast that they want nothing but the best in a footballing sense. They have never had eyes for the “kick and rush” player. They favour the scientific player. The policy has amply repaid them in the past, for whatever they went they were voted a clever team, and that is worth more to Everton, apparently than mere results. But this pandering to ultra clench has cost them games before now, for they became such slaves to passing that they forgot the main object of football, the scoring of goals. How we have roused at the chances which had been missed. Then there was a weakness in defence –their goal average was sufficient guarantee that goals were too easily given away. There will have to be a tightening up in this department, for what is good of forward scoring goals if a defence is going to let their opponents through, I cannot give you a better case that that at Tottenham last season when Everton were well set for victory in the replay when a defensive victory in the replay when a defensive lapse cost them the match.

Intriguing Questions

I should say the half-back line was as good as any in the country, and there is some reserve power behind Gee, Britton, and Mercer, with T.G. Jones,, Watson and Bentham ready to pop in should be necessary. There is plenty of time, however, to run the rule over the form of the players, but it would emphasise the need for more shooting by the forwards. Dean scored some great goals with is feet last season, whereas we had all though he had forgotten that his feet were part and parcel of the football game, I hope to see more good goals from Dean's foot before he seizers to be an Everton player. King and White, the two goalkeepers have gone, leaving Sagar and Morton to hold the fort. They are a brilliant pair, and I believe Sagar's cartilage trouble is a thing of the past. He has made a complete recovery, and will be the Ted Sagar of old-which is good news. Morton is good enough for any first team although he was never once on the winning side from the moment he came from Aston Villa, but that was through no fault of his. The most intriguing question is What of Coulter going to do this season. If he could strike his pre-injury form then everything in the garden would be lovely for I don't ever remember a more classical left wing than Stevenson and Coulter. That break at Wrexham took the spike out of Coulter. He has been tender ever since. Gillick must be left on the right. It was said of him when he came that he could play in any position in the forward. He can, put outside-right is undeniably his best position. Tom Lawton is going to make good. He is ideally built for centre forward and should Dean have to be omitted Lawton will not let the side down.

 

EVERTON REPORT; NEW TRAINING IDEAS

July 30, 1937. The Evening Express

By The Pilot.

Everton F.C., 30 professionals reported for duty today at Goodison Park, and within 15 minutes of the signing of the book were out training! The first player to report was Gordon Watson, and all with the exception of the four part-time professionals, Webster, Trentham, Lambert and Catterick were on duty. Everybody reported fit and well, and obviously were delighted to be back in the game. The players were welcomed by Mr. Theo Kelly and Mr. Hunter Hart, assistant secretary. One half of the players began their training with road work under the supervision of Assistant Trainer Andie Tucker, who followed on a bicycle.

New Ideas

The remainder did their work at Goodison Park, where Chief Trainer Harry Cooke introduced some of the novel training ideas which he learned at the F.A. coaching school at Leeds. After a few laps of the ground the players adjourned to the practice round, and Trainer Cooke's ideas –all of them introducing a ball in some respect –were thoroughly enjoyed. Medicine balls were used as an aid to gymnastic work –particularly body bending, while Harry Cooke introduced such games a football-rounders, in which the players cultivate the art of dribbling and head tennis. For the second part of the day's training the parties changed over –the morning's road workers training on the ground while the others went for their walk.