EVERTON GENERAL MEETING
Cricket and Football Field - Saturday 01 July 1893
By Richard Samuel
The Everton annual meeting passed off in a comparatively quiet manner. Mr. Mahon was in the chair, and in moving the adoption of the report, explained the various items in a clear manner. Some of the items are large, and as he explained later on, they would no doubt be reduced in the future. They have had to fight a strong opponent, and this necessitated a bold and vigorous policy, and this had resulted in a marked benefit to the finances of the club. The number of season ticket holders are 810, against 590 the previous season. The club have now a balance in hand of £1,967, and I was pleased to hear that our charities would form a prominent position in the policy of the club in the future. The intelligence that Stewart, of Preston North End, had been secured, gave great satisfaction, and he stated that Groves most probably would be seen in the Everton ranks also. He paid a tribute to the directors, and especially to Mr. W. Jackson, for the arduous services in the past, and then condemned the practice of a section of the shareholders to decide whom they would recommend to fill the vacancies on the directorate. A lot of questions were asked on items in the balance sheet but most of the questioners evidently did not understand the working of a football club or the disposal of its finances. Ultimately the balance sheet was passed unanimously, and Messrs, Kelly and Read elected to the directorate, Mr. Mahon, of course being re-elected.
INTERNATIONAL AT GOODISON
Motherwell Times - Saturday 01 July 1893
At a meeting of the Scottish Football League, held on Tuesday might, the date of the International League match was fixed for 21st April, 1894, it being decided that a representative team from the Scottish League should meet a similar team from the English League, the match to come off at Goodison Park, Everton, Liverpool, the ground of the team of that name.
EVERTON’S ANNUAL MEETING
Athletic News - Monday 03 July 1893
The annual meeting of the shareholders of the Everton Club was held last Wednesday evening, and passed off very quietly. In Mr. Mahon the club possesses an astute chairman, and in dealing with the general position of the club he worked his audience very nicely, appeasing this section and sitting on that. The process of lecturing a particular section for having the audacity to hold a meeting for the directorate in place of these retiring “took on” with the meeting generally. To a lot of people present, however, it must have been amusing, for it is not long since Mr. Mahon himself was guilty of the practice, and filled the chair with as much success as he did on the present occasion. Now those people who received his censure on Monday evening believe Mr. Mahon to be a greater autocrat than his predecessors. It is very funny.
All persons interested in football, not only in Liverpool, but throughout the country, have seen the balance sheet, and I dare say most will agree that it is fairly satisfactory document. A lot of questions, however, were asked about it, but very few seemed to understand the items, and some of the queries were very foolish. When it came to the divided the members were more at home, and despite a proposition that the amount payable should be put on one side to purchase the ground with, the meeting decided nearly unanimously that 5 per cent, should be paid. It was very little the Chairman enlightened them upon, but he raised enthusiasm when he stated that Stewart of Preston North End, has been secured, and that most probably Groves would be seen in the Everton ranks next season. The balance sheet, which shows a surplus of nearly £2,000, was adopted, and Messrs, Kelly, and Read were elected on the directorate, Mr. Mahon consenting to sit thereon as a kind of sleeping partner, owing to indifferent health.
The ground at Goodison-road has been drained, and the directors are anxiously waiting for rain, so that the turf will knit. We are afraid very little improvement will be seen in the condition of the playing pitch next season, but the directors at any rate have done all they could. A list of the players engaged for next season has been published, but with the exception of Stewart, of P.N.E., and Groves, there is only a new goalkeeper from Shankhouse. Of course, there are Lindsay, Walker, and one or two others that appeared at the latter end of last season, and we hear there is a player from Ireland coming over.
MEMORABLE ASSOCIATION MATCHES
Cricket and Football Field - Saturday 08 July 1893
OLD BATTLES RE-FOUGHT
NO 9.- ANOTHER STEP UPWARDS FOR EVERTON
After the matches of which I wrote as being historic in bringing the Everton club into prominence, it may truthfully be said that the Liverpudlians never looked behind. They began to pull up hand over hand, and ere the season of 1886-7 dosed were able to claim a position in that inner circle of Association football which is known as “first-class.” This position was asserted by a series of victories and surprisingly meritorious draws, which left no room for doubt as to their significance, and whilst the general football world was not slow in awarding the rising club its full badge of merit, the public of Liverpool soon made it plain that the Association game had “caught on,” and that the Evertonians had only to do something worthy of the big seaport in order to obtain practically unlimited support. And there was just this good feature about the team at that time—that almost every man in it was intensely in earnest. Those man were perhaps not such brilliant footballers as some who have since stood in their shoes in the service of the club, but they were inspired by the thought that they were doing something more than winning matches. That was satisfactory enough in its way ; but they were firing at higher game. They were building areputation, and I really believe that most of them went on the field with that in their minds. They had tasted the sweets of victory over some of England's best teams and over some of the strongest combinations of Scotland, and they were no longer content to play with second-class men. As is so often the case they often did worse against the second classes than against those of the first rank, for they seemed to think there was no renown to be got against teams of the present Lancashire League type. The same feeling has often stuck to them since, as for instance when they so singularly went down before Bury, but give them a warm lot to play against, and they were to be depended on to make it as hot as it could be made. And they were by no poor lot then. Joliffewas a smart man between the sticks and thoughhe played a game on occasions which showed that at any rate he had nerves, he could at times defy the most deadly shots. Dick and Dobson were a particularly hard working couple of backs, and though the half backs were not such stars as those who now shine in the Goodison firmament, I certainly dare back them against anybody who now plays for dogged determination. The forwards were somewhat uneven. The left wing couple, Farmer and Costley were exceedingly clever, and though they lacked in speed and strength as compared with Milward and Chadwick, they were a very effective couple. Archie Goodall, who was tried at centre forward in the later matches, was one of the erratic ones. Sometimes he was good, oftener indifferent, and occasionally bad; but he had a way of working up enthusiasm like the others and then he could be a clever and awkward (especially the latter) customer to deal with. Fleming was a splendid man in his way, and would fairly have made things hum if he had such a partner as Latta, though Richards, who did play with him, was far from being useless. It was at the end of the season 1886-7 that the Evertonians crowned their previous good work of the seasonby completely routing the Bolton Wanderers. It is true that the Pikes-laners were not at their best, for the forwards, comprising such a string as Brogan, Owen, Davenport (at centre), Howarth, and Struthers, were just then decidedly on the downgrade. But Trainer was in goal, and Kernan and Jim Parkinson (who was then anything but small fry) were at back, whilst Steel, Weir, and Bullough were at half-back. The match was played on the 21st May, at Everton, and the spectators rolled up in the expectation that their men, who had previously been beaten by the Pikes-laners, would put in all they knew to score a victory, and so they did, for though little Kenny Davenport put in two or three brilliant spurts, he found himself bottled by Gibson, who was played at centre half, and played remarkably well, his companions, in addition to those I have already mentioned, being Higgins on one side and McPherson on the other. It did not take Farmer, Flemming and Co, very long to find their feet, and when they once did get off they went with a vengeance. In vain Steel and Weir popped in first here and then there, in vain Parkinson kicked and headed, just as much in vain did Trainer save in his most brillaint style. Goal No,1 came from a shot by McPherson which no man could have stopped. It simply went crashing through like lightning, and I doubt whether Mr. T. saw the ball at all. Then the homesters played more brilliantly than ever, and Farmer and Costley, fairly outwitting the Bolton backs, ran swiftly in. Farmer fainted, and so deceived Trainer that he ran out only to see the ball put quietly past him to his intense chagrin and to the delight of the spectators, who enthusiasm knew no bounds. Of course, the visitors were not allowing the homesters to have it entirely their own way, but the play of the Pikes-lane forwards was about as poor as it could be, and Dobson especially seemed to delight in robbing them. A piece of splendid combination on the part of the homesters won the third goal. The ball was run down by Farmer and Costley, and passed to Goodall. He was tackled by Weir, but turned the ball over to Fleming, who dodged Steel and sent the ball nicely in front where the whole of the five forwards lined up in front of Trainer. He, poor fellow, did not know which was going to shoot, but was not left long in doubt, for Costley sent the ball to its billet with business-like promptitude and despatch. Half-time was now called, and the spectators cheered again and again, for such a thing as three to nil for Everton at half-time had not been dreamt of. The few Boltonians who were present looked gloomy, but still hoped that their men would do better in the next half. Vain hoped Dobson’s men did not intend that any such thing should happen. The Boltonians did try for a few minutes, and Brogan had one or two of his well-known swinging shots, but Joliffe was all there and, truth to tell, Dobson and Dick never let their opponents get close in except once, when Howarth made a sad mess of it. Then Farmer easily got the better of Kernan, who was off colour, and passed to Costley, and again getting the ball from him, he had no difficulty in rounding Bullough and scoring the fourth goal, at which the people were sent into raptures, and Anfield beamed with excessive brightness. It was now clear that Bolton were completely beaten the forwards apparently could not play, and the half backs and backs were rapidly getting hopelessly dispirited. In factual, Trainer and Parkinson seemed to keep up the fight to the last. Once Davenport had a chance, and shot fairly well, too, but Joliffe caught the ball and just cleared as Brogan got at him. Then the homesters went at it once more, and Farmer raised the score to 5 to 0 by a pretty piece of deceptive work which got the better of the visiting backs and really gave Trainer no chance of dealing with the shot. Once or twice it seemed certain that the Everton score must be added to, but Trainer saved, as he had saved many times previously, and Kernan came out of his shell with one fine piece of tackling. So the end came, and the homesters retired amid the plaudits of their friends, who cheered the five to nil victory till it seemed that their throats must burst. The Liverpudlians really deserved their laurels, for they had played splendidly, and they had left such a mark on the record of the closing season that they were bound to start well when 1887-8 was ushered in. as to the Boltonians, little need be said. It was one of their black days. They had not seemed to be in the hunt, and with the exception of those I have already named no man seemed able to do the right thing at the right time. They were fairly collared after the second goal had been put on, and though they made spasmodic attempts they could not shake of the spell of depression.
NUGGETS
Cricket and Football Field - Saturday 08 July 1893
W. STEWART
Athletic News - Monday 10 July 1893
The amount paid Preston North End for the transfer of W. Stewart to Everton was only £25, and the ex-solider is worth all that and more. There was another arrangement which Everton agreed to, but which did not come off. At the present time matters seen to be rather complicated in north end football circles, but in previous years it has been the same, and yet the club has come along all right at the finish. We only hope it will do so again, but the outlook is decidedly black.
EIFFEL TOWER
July 11, 1893.The Huddersfield Chronicle
On Wednesday morning, William Campbell, labourer, of Liverpool, brother to Campbell of Everton football fame, fell from the Eiffel Tower at Blackpool, which has now reached a height of 400ft, and was killed immediately, his neck being broken.
FALL FROM BLACKPOOL TOWER.
Manchester Evening News - Wednesday 12 July 1893
This morning William Campbell, labourer, of Liverpool, brother to Campbell of Everton football fame, fell from the Eiffel Tower at Blackpool, which has now reached a height of 400 feet, and was killed immediately, his neck being broken.
A SHOCKING SIGHT AT BLACKPOOL
July 15, 1893. The Blackburn Standard.
Fatal Fall From The Tower.
The first fatal accident of the Blackpool Tower works occupied on Wednesday. A Liverpool Ironworker named William Campbell was at a height of almost 300 feet when he lost his foothold and fell 140 feet before his body was caught by some Tier rods. These broke his back and flung him onto a platform, where he was found dead. The terrible great was witnessed by a great number of visitors.
NUGGETS
Cricket and Football Field - Saturday 15 July 1893
BLEAKLEY
Ulster Football and Cycling News - Friday 28 July 1893
The latest -Bleakley, the Belfast Celtic goalkeeper has been signed on by Everton, probably for the combination eleven. Our amateurs are fast disappointing at this rate.