What happened in Everton's history this week?
21st March 1953 - Everton faced Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Maine Road. By half-time, Bolton had raced into a four-goal lead, with Nat Lofthouse leading the charge. Everton's cause was not helped by losing Dave Hickson for a 15 minute spell with a head injury, but Bolton looked capable of going on to register the largest ever semi-final defeat. That they didn't said much about Everton's powers of recovery, for in an emotion-packed second half they dug deep into their reserves and clawed their way back into the game, scoring three times through Parker, Farrell and Hickson. With six minutes left Bolton were on the ropes and Everton had hopes of taking the game into extra time, but despite throwing everything at Bolton in a desperate attempt to complete the comeback, the equalising goal just would not come, although Everton also missed a penalty just before half-time. Of course, come the final against Blackpool it would be Bolton's turn to be on the receiving end of a 4-3 scoreline, achieved with one of the finest comebacks ever seen at Wembley. Read the 1953 Semi-Final match programme.
22nd March 1969 - After seeing off Ipswich, Coventry, Bristol City and Manchester United, Everton faced Manchester City at Villa Park. But Joe Royle was unable to better his goalscoring exploits of previous rounds, with Everton going down to the only goal of the game from Neil Young. Read the 1969 Semi-Final match programme.
23rd March 1985 - Everton defeated Arsenal 2-0 at Goodison thanks to goals from Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp. They went on to win the next nine League matches and created a new record of ten consecutive League wins in a single season. Read the match programme.
24th March 1939 - Alex 'Sandy' Brown was born in Glasgow. Sandy began his career with Partick Thistle and was snapped up by Everton for £38,000 in September 1963. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the first team, winning a League championship medal in 1970. Unfortunately, he had to miss the 1966 FA Cup Final owing to injury. He left Everton for Shrewsbury in 1971 and finished his League career with Southport. See all Sandy Brown memorabilia.
25th March 1984 - Liverpool and Everton had been two of the country's top sides for over 90 years, with an abundance of trophies having resided at either Anfield or Goodison Park during that time. However, for all their domination, the two rivals had never met in a major cup final. That was until the Milk Cup Final of 1984, with ticket demand far outweighing supply and the city of Liverpool supplanting itself in London for the day. The match was hardly a classic, not surprisingly given what was at stake, but the behaviour of the fans drew praise from the police and Everton matched their rivals in every department and showed that the balance of power in Liverpool was beginning to swing in their favour. Read the 1984 Milk Cup Final programme.
27th March 1963 - Gary Stevens was born in Barrow. Signed by Everton as a schoolboy he graduated through the ranks and became an integral part of the side that lifted the FA Cup in 1984 and the League and European Cup Winners Cup the following year. He added a second League title in 1987 before joining Glasgow Rangers for £1 million in 1988, adding to his collection of honours north of the border. Indeed, in 1992 he became only the second Englishman to have won winners' medals in both the FA Cup and Scottish Cup and at the same time only the second player to have won both League and Cup medals on both sides of the border, Dave Mackay having been the first. He returned to England to play for Tranmere Rovers for £350,000 in September 1994. A full England international he won 46 caps for his country. See all Gary Stevens memorabilia.
27th March 1997 - After reported clashes with chairman Peter Johnson over transfer deals, Everton manager Joe Royle left the club by mutual consent. He had been in charge since November 1994 and had taken the club to the FA Cup at the end of his first season. For the rest of the current season Dave Watson would be caretaker player-manager.
21st March 1953 - Everton faced Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Maine Road. By half-time, Bolton had raced into a four-goal lead, with Nat Lofthouse leading the charge. Everton's cause was not helped by losing Dave Hickson for a 15 minute spell with a head injury, but Bolton looked capable of going on to register the largest ever semi-final defeat. That they didn't said much about Everton's powers of recovery, for in an emotion-packed second half they dug deep into their reserves and clawed their way back into the game, scoring three times through Parker, Farrell and Hickson. With six minutes left Bolton were on the ropes and Everton had hopes of taking the game into extra time, but despite throwing everything at Bolton in a desperate attempt to complete the comeback, the equalising goal just would not come, although Everton also missed a penalty just before half-time. Of course, come the final against Blackpool it would be Bolton's turn to be on the receiving end of a 4-3 scoreline, achieved with one of the finest comebacks ever seen at Wembley. Read the 1953 Semi-Final match programme.
22nd March 1969 - After seeing off Ipswich, Coventry, Bristol City and Manchester United, Everton faced Manchester City at Villa Park. But Joe Royle was unable to better his goalscoring exploits of previous rounds, with Everton going down to the only goal of the game from Neil Young. Read the 1969 Semi-Final match programme.23rd March 1985 - Everton defeated Arsenal 2-0 at Goodison thanks to goals from Andy Gray and Graeme Sharp. They went on to win the next nine League matches and created a new record of ten consecutive League wins in a single season. Read the match programme.
24th March 1939 - Alex 'Sandy' Brown was born in Glasgow. Sandy began his career with Partick Thistle and was snapped up by Everton for £38,000 in September 1963. He went on to make over 200 appearances for the first team, winning a League championship medal in 1970. Unfortunately, he had to miss the 1966 FA Cup Final owing to injury. He left Everton for Shrewsbury in 1971 and finished his League career with Southport. See all Sandy Brown memorabilia.
25th March 1984 - Liverpool and Everton had been two of the country's top sides for over 90 years, with an abundance of trophies having resided at either Anfield or Goodison Park during that time. However, for all their domination, the two rivals had never met in a major cup final. That was until the Milk Cup Final of 1984, with ticket demand far outweighing supply and the city of Liverpool supplanting itself in London for the day. The match was hardly a classic, not surprisingly given what was at stake, but the behaviour of the fans drew praise from the police and Everton matched their rivals in every department and showed that the balance of power in Liverpool was beginning to swing in their favour. Read the 1984 Milk Cup Final programme.
27th March 1963 - Gary Stevens was born in Barrow. Signed by Everton as a schoolboy he graduated through the ranks and became an integral part of the side that lifted the FA Cup in 1984 and the League and European Cup Winners Cup the following year. He added a second League title in 1987 before joining Glasgow Rangers for £1 million in 1988, adding to his collection of honours north of the border. Indeed, in 1992 he became only the second Englishman to have won winners' medals in both the FA Cup and Scottish Cup and at the same time only the second player to have won both League and Cup medals on both sides of the border, Dave Mackay having been the first. He returned to England to play for Tranmere Rovers for £350,000 in September 1994. A full England international he won 46 caps for his country. See all Gary Stevens memorabilia.
27th March 1997 - After reported clashes with chairman Peter Johnson over transfer deals, Everton manager Joe Royle left the club by mutual consent. He had been in charge since November 1994 and had taken the club to the FA Cup at the end of his first season. For the rest of the current season Dave Watson would be caretaker player-manager.
Sandy Brown's Everton shirt
Gary Stevens