Everton - SAFC Blog

Pure Poyetry on Everton draw: ‘fair result and a prize for Seb’

November 9, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake captures the Bard, with thanks to Owen Lennox

Monsieur Salut writes: Take a look at young Keir Bradwell’s marks out of 10 for Sunderland’s team, and the comments beneath his piece, come back tomorrow to see what old(er) Rob Hutchison made of it and even look at what I had to say at ESPN and you’ll soon accept that everyone views a game differently. Roberto Martinez, a manager I admire hugely, needs to be told that no one who brings Osman back to the stadium where he kicked the ground with no SAFC player in sight, claimed a pen and got one can ever complain about refereeing. But some things stand out and no one seems to dispute that Seb Larsson, so often criticised, had an outstanding game (I’d say another outstanding game). Let Gus Poyet sing his praises in his post-match e-mail …

Keir’s Everton player ratings. Things getting better

November 9, 2014November 9, 2014 by Colin Randall

Keir Bradwell has been quick off the mark today, as has his editor, Nic Wiseman. A good performance has resulted …

Sixer’s Sevens: SAFC 1-1 Everton. The ref does know what he’s doing

November 10, 2014November 9, 2014 by Colin Randall

‘Sunderland ‘Til I Die,’ sings Aaron Neil, playing the Metropolitan police commissioner, as he prepares to be the guinea pig in a trial use of the Taser gun in a silly scene in Great Britain, the West End satire on press, police and politicians. Pete Sixsmith – the king of the seven-word instant verdicts you see below – doesn’t sing that much these days at football games but does shout quite a lot. Like most with a single view of the Everton penalty, he shouted very loud indeed when he saw as a wretched decision the penalty given when Seamus Coleman sprawled under Connor Wickham’s challenge. M Salut had a second view and a third view and ref Lee Mason was right (Wickham was lucky to escape red), as he was to judge at the end that Tim Howard went down on the ball outside his area but without touching the ball with hand or arm. (I take the point, expressed below, about obstruction but still feel the curiously Taliban-bearded keeper did well). A cracking second half, a good point and anything less would have been a travesty …

Sunderland and Everton: more in common than Premier history suggests

November 7, 2014November 7, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake: 'heroics please, Lads' — Jake: ‘heroics please, Lads’

There are clubs we loathe, clubs we quite like and clubs we couldn’t really care less about.

I say “we” but each category necessarily involves a subjective view. Our own Pete Sixsmith has a (deeply negative) thing about Crystal Palace; I have a soft for them even if their ground is a tip and presents a series of spiked logistical hurdles. I quite like Liverpool; Sixer emphatically does not, or at least not post-Shankly and Paisley.

SAFC v Everton ‘Who are you?’: a true blue jogs the memory

November 9, 2014November 6, 2014 by Colin Randall

Jake wants answers ... — Jake wants answers …

John McCormick writes: my friend and ‘Boro exile Alan Easby fixed me up with a lift from Goodison on Boxing Day, when there was no public transport, so who else would I contact in our search for this week’s ‘Who are You?’ guest. I rang Alan on Saturday morning:

‘Alan,’ I said, ‘I need an Evertonian.’

‘I’ll ask at the match,’ he replied, ‘and see if I can get you a true blue.’

Did he succeed? Decide for yourself as Bernard Walker takes us on a stroll down memory lane:

Wrinkly Pete climbs aboard after Palace: thoughts on our coach and some passengers

November 6, 2014November 5, 2014 by Colin Randall

Peter Lynn: old enough for a bus pass, but who is he travelling with?

Peter Lynn appreciates a victory as much as the next fan. But there are times, he feels, when it’s important not to get carried away and instead reflect on the weaknesseses and doubts a winning display reveals, as well as the strengths ….

I’m still on the bus with Gus but there are too many passengers!

A win is a win and that’s all that matters to most of us and so it is with me but I feel the need to strike a note of caution as I enjoy the feelgood factor that the Palace win has created. Our last win, against Stoke, was followed by the Southampton debacle and surely we all want to avoid a repeat of that. So I think an honest appraisal of recent performances, both individual and collectively, may help.

SAFC vs Everton Guess the Score: time to build on Palace coup

November 9, 2014November 5, 2014 by Colin Randall

This week, Monsieur Salut has been granted time off from the ‘Who are You’ feature. Our Liverpool-based associate editor, John McCormick, found and interviewed an Evertonian and the fascinating result of their exchange will appear here tomorrow.

That leaves Guess the Score. David Miller won the Personalised Football Gifts mug as the first – and only – reader to plonk for 3-1 to us at Crystal Palace. So no rollover, just the one mug and you must have it delivered to a UK address.

Letter from Liverpool: colour blind in Hull, Cardiff and Sunderland

October 12, 2014 by Colin Randall

John McCormick:
Once too young to drink. Now too old to stand

It’s not just M Salut and Mr Sixsmith, not to mention MOTD, who are celebrating 50 years of supporting, as you can see from my photo. It really was a different era then, and not just because televised football consisted of an hour of black and white on a Saturday night. The Land of the Prince Bishops was the land of heavy industry and a predominantly male workforce, measured in the tens of thousands, many of whose jobs continued until 12 on Saturdays.

How Dare We? A letter from Liverpool (and Everton, wherever that is)

September 17, 2014September 17, 2014 by Colin Randall

Colin Randall writes: John McCormick supports Sunderland, of course, but lives in Liverpool. Even if he did not, he’d be entitled to a view about Liverpool/Everton stadium plans. After all, we’ve all been, or most of us have, to Anfield and Goodison. Here is what John makes of the interminable ramblings in Scouseland about where the two sides should play …

Are we in the mix for the Money Football League?

July 29, 2014July 25, 2014 by Colin Randall

For the last couple of years I’ve reported on our progress towards the Deloitte Money Football League. I had just about started an update in February when other things took priority – we had a double to celebrate, then a cup final, and then we started digging what we thought was a grave, only it turned out to be a tunnel. I finished my piece around the start of the World Cup, when there was a lot going on and then went off on holiday. Now here we are, in the transfer window with friendlies underway and next season’s fixtures around the corner, and I’m hoping our esteemed editor can find space between Pete’s reports and Borini’s never-ending saga.