MANCHESTER CITY 4 EVERTON 2
May 2 1898. The Liverpool Mercury
The Everton team brought their season to a close with a visit to Manchester but owing to the unfavorable state of the weather, the attendance was much below average. Fortunately the rain had abated when the advertised time for commencing operations had arrived, and before an attendance of about 1,000 spectators the team took up their positions as follows : - Everton: - Mitchell, goal Meechan, and Storrier backs, Wolstenholmes, Boyle (captain), and Taylor halfbacks, Bell (j), Driver, Keeley, Chadwick, and Gee, forwards. Manchester City: - Williams, goal, Bowman and Readbacks, backs, Murr, Smith (b), and Holmes, halfbacks, Meredith, Smith (s), Gillesopie, Whitehead, and Douglas forwards. There was little of interest in the opening stages of play, most of which directed towards the Everton goal, the strong wind, which blew from end to end greatly assistance the City forwards. Occasionally the Everton van got well down, but no great effort was made to open the scoring. In fact there was looseness apparent which robbed the game of much attractiveness. Eventually Meredith forced a corner, and from a partial clearance Whitehead fastened on the ball, and open the scoring with a low well judged shot. Immediately following Gillespie missed a very easy chance of further increasing the lead. However, the same player made amends shortly afterwards on meeting a rebound from the crossbar and three minutes later Dougal headed into the net from a free kick against driver well placed by Read, and though the Rover was Palpably offside, the referee allowed it. Close upon the interval Gee ran the ball down, and eluding the backs, had no difficulty in defeating Williams. At halftime the score stood:- Everton 1 goal Manchester City 3. The visitors showed no better advantage after the resumption, but they could not exact quarter from Williams, and following a well-directed attack by the City forwards. Whitehead added a fourth point, from a partially clearance of a shot by Douglas. For some time the City gaol was under great pressure, but the custodianship of Williams was excellent, and his saved was later in difficulty, which were surmounted by clever fashion. Another Everton attack ended in Keeley heading past Williams. From this point open play was mostly in favour of the Evertonians, Keeley especially putting in good work, but nothing further was scored, and the game ended with victory to Manchester City by 4 goals to 1.
The play rarely reached a high standard and the display of the Evertonians was far removed from what was generally expected. They put forward little effort, and of the attack was directed from the wings. Keeley in the centre was left severely alone, but despite this, the player showed whenever the ball came his way that there is plenty of good football in him. The halfbacks were easily beaten by City quintet and considering that Mitchell was not too well supported by the backs, he got through his work with fair success. It was a disappointing game all through and one thoroughly indecisive of the close of the season.
ClOSE SEASON
TWO NEW BLUES
May 6 1898. The Liverpool Mercury
Directors have justed secured 2 more players, Albert Edward Lewis a full back from Bristol city he is nearly 21 years old and a fine strapper fellow 6ft 1 inch in height and weighs in at 13 stone he is engaged during the summer on the ground staff of the Somersthire cricket club. Second capture is Harley the outside, right of the Worcester rovers, who is one of the fastest sprinkles in the midlands Aston villa have long cast envious eyes upon him. But he has refused to sign for them on the ground that he would be regarded as an understudy to Athersmith it is also reported on excellent authority the D. Storrier, the Everton full back has definitely thrown in his lot with Celtic the famous Glasgow club.
EVERTON SIGN GRAY
May 30, 1988. The Liverpool Mercury
It is announced that the Everton Football Club have just signed Gray, the clever inside left of Patrick Thistle. Gray is only 22 years old, and is stated to be one of the smartest players in Scotland. His inclusion in the Everton team is sure to greatly strengthen the attack. He is tall and well built, and in addition to possessing a singularly deadly shot. The directors are confident that he will prove one of the best captures they have ever made.
BALANCED SHEETS
June 3 1898 . The Liverpool Mercury
Considerable interest has been taken in the report and balance sheets of the Everton football club by shareholders and supporters of the club generally and the annual meeting this evening is being looked forward to with some expectation. The balance sheet will it is expected, be severely criticised and the directors can hardly expect to escape unscathed, already there are remours of secessions from the directorate, and among the gentleman who have been ashed to come forward as candidates is Mr. E.W. bell, a shareholder and an ardent supporter of the club ever since the migration to Goodison-road. Mr. bell is also thoroughly conversant with every point of the play and every qualification of the players, and would be a valuable acquisition to the board
ANNUAL MEETING
June 4 1898. The Liverpool Daily Post
The annual meeting of the Everton Football Club was held last night in the Picton Lecture Hall. Mr. W.R.Clayton, the chairman of the club presided. There was a large number of shareholders present. The Chairman in opening the proceedings said the performance achieved by the club during the past season could only be compared by what had been done by the other large clubs in the country. The Everton club occupied fourth position in the League position, which he thought was a most creditable position, and they had also been prominent competition in the Association cup competition. In his opinion the Everton players had performed with a consistency, which other clubs had not always showed. In the League they had always held an excellent position which could not be said about most of the others clubs. He referred for instance, to Sheffield United (whom he congratulated heartily on their performance this season). West Bromwich Albion, Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Blackburn Rovers. The latter organisation, he said, was supposed to have the cream of management, and yet it was only by the extention of the League that it had been able to hold its place in the body. None of the clubs he had mentioned had shown the same consistency of play as Everton had. (Applause). Was it, not better to asked, to have a uniform consistency o excellence, year in and year out, which showed there was a uniformity of strength in the team, which would compare favorably with any other football organisation in the country (Cheers). As to Sheffield United's performance they were beaten in the cup tries by a comparatively insignificant club. Sunderland were beaten on their own ground, Wolverhampton Wanderers were beaten in the second round of the ties, And Aston Villa in even an earlier stage of the competition. Everton on the other hand, in addition to occupying four places in the League Competition, had also been semi-finalist in the Cup competition (Applause). This he said, spoke well for the excellent management of the club (Cheers). The Chairman next made a passing remark with regard to refereeing. The incompetence of some of these officials he said frequently did damage to the position of clubs. He could point out, if it was worth while now, where Everton had at least 10 points through bad refereeing (Shame). This he thought called for some reform, and he believed Everton would evolve some system by which the present state of things would be altered (hear hear). His experience was that the Everton Club was looked upon at the most dangerous and strongest opponents throughout the country. With regard to finance, not one of the League clubs could show the same result as Everton. They had come out this season with a balance of £736, and this also spoke well for the management of the clubs. He proceeded to remark that last year, there was considerable difficulty in securing players, and this year there was still more on account of the growth of football in the Southern country, were fabulous sums were being effective, for players from 20 to 40 per cent more than what was being paid to Northern clubs. They could notice that there was a decrease of about £500 in gate money, taking all the figures it would be found they were on a normal stay (Hear hear). He showed that they might easily have had a higher balance by including several sums, which were likely to accrue to the club, but the directors preferred rather to under estimate their position than to gloss it over. Referring to the item of £4,106, the cost of erecting the new stand etc, he explained that the original estimate was £3,200, and this had been absolutely adhered to. Mr. Crawshaw, who devoted a great deal of his time to looking after the ground had found, defects in the Goodison road stands, which were most dangerous and the directors had thought it advisable to at once put these stands in order. This had been done and it was this work which absorted the difference. They had now perhaps the best ground in the country (hear hear). It had been stated that the credit balance of the club of £5,677 was not a true one. With this he agreed, and for this reason they have had an offer of £12,000 for the ground, and as it had been put down in the asset of £7,390, a profit of £4,000, which would mean, an increased balance to the amount. Referring to the retiring directors, he said all were elected for re-election, but Mr. Prescott for certain reasons preferred to retire. Referring to the players he said he thorough they had got a good team together. They had been a decision that as far as possible, they should have Englishmen. After period of search, they had secured a team almost pure of English, and some Scotch men, in Taylor, Boyle, and Bell (cheers)
The chairman then read out a list of players engaged as follows:- Goal, Muir, Kitchen, Buxton and Jowett, Backs, Balmer, Molyneux, Eccles (Wolves), Lewis (Bristol City), and two men in the army ready for the position ) halfbacks, Taylor Boyle, Owen (Wolves), Stringfellow (Southport Centre), Turner, Ball (Blackburn Rovers), Hughes, Wolstenholmes,. Forwards. Harley Driver, Bell (L0, Proudfoot (Blackburn Rovers), Chadwick, Clarke, Barlow, Kirwan, Schofield, and Oldham.
KIRWAN CASE
June 9 1898. The Liverpool Mercury
The kirwan case, a commission of F.A. on Wednesday sat in Manchester to consider a case in which the Everton football club, Blackburn and Southport central clubs were confirm, relative to a professional player named Kirwan who on march 2 ND signed a league form, and the following day both league and professional forms for Everton football club, the enquiry occupied over three hours and ottimately the following resolution was adopted, the commissioners are opinion that the course pursued by the clubs was censurable as a matter of practice. There has been no actual infringement of the rules of the F.A and therefore the clubs be left to relieve themselves of the difficulties in which they are placed.
CAMERON TO TOTTENHAM
June 17 1898 The Liverpool Mercury
The Tottenham football club have concluded negotiations with john Cameron the Everton and Scottish international forward, who signed on this week for the southern club, Cameron is secretary of the players' union, and it is stated that the headquarters of the body will now be in London Cameron service were sought after by Sunderland, Bolton. Southampton rangers and other clubs
KIRWAN CASE
July 8 1898 The Liverpool Mercury
The long standing dispute between Everton and Blackburn as to the right to the service of Kirwan of the Southport centre, has at length been settled by mutual agreement, after both English association and the football league had failed to come to a satisfactory decision the net result of the negotiation' is that Everton football club keep the player, while rovers receive £150 for their concert.