History of Everton FC

Everton FC 1881 in white strip

Everton Football Club have a long and interesting history. The club's roots are with St. Domingo's Methodist Church, located on Breckfield Road North, between St. Domingo Vale and St. Domingo Grove. In 1878 Rev. Swift Chambers formed a football team to keep the young men of the church active in the winter months outside of the cricket season. The founding date of the club could be said to be the date the cricket team was formed a number of years previous as the same players largely played in both teams. Many clubs started not playing Association Football, however still retain the original foundation date.

Rev. Swift Chambers could not in his wildest dreams have envisaged what he had created, which would eventually be two of the world's most famous football clubs. The football team played on an open pitch in the south east corner of the newly laid out Stanley Park. The team quickly acquired a large following with people outside the parish requesting to join the football club. It was decided that the name should be changed to Everton F.C. reflecting the wider district. The official name change was cleared in November 1879 at a meeting in the Queen's Head Hotel, Everton. The connection with the church had been partially broken. The first official match under the name Everton F.C. was on December 20, 1879, with St. Peter's beaten 6-0.

St. Domingo's church was demolished in the early 1970's. The open park pitch where Everton played, will have the proposed Liverpool FC Stanley Park Stadium built upon it.

Everton, needing an enclosed ground approached Mr Cruit who agreed to rent them a piece of land next to his home. An enclosed ground was constructed.

Brewer John Houlding, a man to be influential in Everton F.C. and creator of Liverpool F.C., lived adjacent to Stanley Park and was attracted to the club that gathered large noisy crowds. Houlding arranged for Everton F.C. to form their first home ground. In 1882, Houlding negotiated with Mr J. Cruit, who donated land at the corner of Priory Road and Arkle Lane becoming the club's home for two years. Hoardings, changing facilities and turnstiles were erected. The first match was a representative match vs. Walsall ending in a 3-3 draw. The club grew in strength with Everton F.C. beating Earlestown F.C. 1-0 in the Liverpool Cup final at Hawthorne Road Bootle.

However, Everton were not granted home fixtures with leading clubs such as Blackburn and Bolton resulting with the club failing to make a profit. Two years later Mr Cruit asked the club to leave his land as the crowds became far too large and noisy. Everton FC were then ordered off the land by Mr Cruitt who kept the fittings in lieu of the debt. This debt was eventually paid by two members of the Everton Committee.The Priory Road ground now is covered with terraced houses.

Everton at Anfield in 1889. Two pavilions and two stands can clearly be seen. The ground is outside of the city boundary

Everton F.C. moved to nearby Anfield from Priory Road, prompted by president John Houlding. Everton F.C. played at Anfield from 1884 until 1892. The pioneering work that made Everton F.C. into one of England's largest and most successful club's was all done at Anfield.

Everton F.C.:

* Founded Anfield.
* Became a professional club while at Anfield.
* First played in the FA Cup while at Anfield.
* Were founder members of the Football League while at Anfield.
* Hosted an international match while at Anfield - England v Ireland.
* The club's first major achievement, the Football League championship, was at Anfield.

The landowner of the site was the Orrell family who were brewers and builders. Mr Orrell requested a donation to the local hospital rather than rent. On 28 September 1884, Everton F.C. beat Earlestown F.C. 5–0 in the first match played at Anfield. Everton F.C. formed into a professional club in 1885. Proper covered stands were built. During this period the club turned professional, entered teams in the FA Cup and became a founder member of the Football League, winning their first championship at the ground in 1890–91. The ground's capacity reached over 20,000, with facilities considered so good the club hosted an England vs. Ireland international match.

The first seasons of Everton F.C. competing in the FA Cup was marred by withdrawals and disqualifications. The first FA Cup match was to be at Anfield against Glasgow Rangers on 30 Oct 1886. Everton F.C. withdrew from the competition as the only chance of progressing to the next round was to field a number of ineligible players. The teams played a friendly match which Rangers won 1-0. The first FA Cup match played at Anfield was on Sat 29 Oct 1887. A replay against Bolton Wanderers ended 2-2. Everton F.C. were disqualified from the competition for financial inducements to players, after Everton F.C. won 2-1 at Anfield at the third replay. The next season Everton F.C. were not seeded and were drawn at home in the qualifying rounds against Ulster on 6 Oct 1888. Everton F.C. again withdrew from the FA cup competition. On 18 Jan 1890, Everton F.C. beat Derby County 11-2 in the FA Cup, being eliminated by Stoke City away 4-2 in the next round. This was the first season that Everton F.C. contested the FA Cup without a hitch. Sunderland F.C. eliminated Everton F.C. 1-0 away in the FA Cup in the 1891 championship season. The last FA Cup match Everton F.C. played at Anfield was against Burnley on 23 Jan 1892 losing 3-2.

Everton F.C., 1891 Championship team in ruby shirts and light blue trim.

Founder members of the Football League in 1888, on the opening day of the Football League Everton F.C. beat Accrington F.C. 2-1 at Anfield with Everton F.C. finishing 8th in the first season and second the following. The 1890–91 season started in magnificent form with five consecutive victories, with Fred Geary scoring in each of the first six matches. By mid-January, Everton F.C. had completed all but one of their fixtures and had accumulated 29 points, while Preston North End F.C. were eleven points behind with seven matches still to play. Everton F.C. sat out the next two months as Preston North End completed their remaining matches until they were only two points below Everton F.C.. With one remaining match each left to play, both teams played the final matches of the season on 14 March 1891. Everton F.C. lacking match practice lost 3–2 at Burnley F.C. with Geary scoring both goals. Preston North End F.C. lost 3–0 at Sunderland. Everton F.C. were champions for the first time and second club to win the competition, preventing Preston North End F.C., the Invincibles, completing three consecutive championships. Fred Geary had played in all 22 matches being the club's top goal-scorer with 21 goals. The season ended on a sad note, goalkeeper John Angus, died before the season's end.

The internal discord at the club through the 1891-92 season made an impact. Everton F.C. from champions dropped to 5th place. The last match Everton F.C. played at Anfield was on 18 April 1892 with Bolton Wanderers F.C. wining 5-2. Geary and Milward scored for Everton F.C..

A deep dispute emerged on how Everton F.C. was to be owned and run between the Everton F.C. committee and Anfield's land owner and Everton's president, John Houlding. The dispute culminated with Everton F.C. leaving Anfield and the creation of Liverpool FC. The flashpoint for the dispute was when adjacent landowner, Mr Orrell, proposed to legally run a road through the land where a new main stand was erected, to give right of way to his land. In order to prevent demolition of the new stand, initial disagreement emerged on:

1. The club purchasing the land at Anfield from Houlding and the adjacent land owned by Mr Orrell.
   

2. Renting both plots of land.

This snowballed with allegations of personal financial gain by Houlding being expressed. The dispute panned out to a crux of a principled disagreement of how the club was run. Both sides were entrenched in firm political and social ideologies. Tory councillor and brewer Houlding on one side, the Liberal minded anti-alcohol Everton F.C. committee on the other.

After one year of occupation of Anfield, John Houlding bought the land of the Anfield site from fellow brewer and friend Mr Orrell in 1885, with Everton F.C. from then on paying rent to their president, instead of a donation to a local hospital. In 1890 Houlding increased the rent from £100 to £250 after the team finished second in the second Football League season. Houlding was not on the Everton F.C. committee. The committee offered a compromise rent of £180. Although £250 was a small amount to the income of the club, this was the thin end of the wedge between the Everton F.C. committee and president John Houlding.

Flashpoint - Road to Run Through New Main Stand

However, the flashpoint was a covenant in the contract of land purchase by Houlding from Orrell causing further and deep friction. A strip of land at the Anfield ground bordering the adjacent land owned by Mr Orrell, could be used to provide a right of way access road for Orrell's landlocked vacant site. Orrell's land had no direct access from Anfield Road, except via the back of a family builders yard. In early 1891 the club erected a stand on the proposed roadway, which was overlapping Orrell's land. In August 1891 Orrell announced intentions of developing his own land next to the football ground and building an access road on the land owned by Houlding and occupied by Everton F.C.. Orrell had legal right to do so. Everton FC had also built the new mains stand overlapping Orrell's land, unbeknown to the Everton Committee.

The contract of sale of the land was between Houlding and Orrell in 1885, not Everton F.C.. The club rented from Houlding. Everton F.C. stated they knew nothing of the covenant, Houlding stated they did. Many questions are raised:

• Did Houlding inform the club of the covenant?
  

• Was the club aware of this covenant?
  

• Was Houlding knowingly allowing the stand to be built to hold the club to ransom and sell his land at a large profit at a time of depressed land prices?
  

• Did Houlding know the stand was built overlapping onto Orrell's land?
  

• Did Orrel know that the stand was overlapping his land? Such a large structure would alert the landowner to his own boundaries.

This situation created great distrust between Houlding and the Everton F.C. committee. The rift and distrust between the Everton F.C. committee and John Houlding was on three levels: Houlding's personal business intentions, politically and morally. Nevertheless, the club faced a dilemma of having to destroy the new revenue generating stand or compensate Orrell in some manner.
The green line is the proposed road by Mr Orrell through Everton's stand. Suggestions by the committee were put forward to pay Orrell rent and occupy his land, land not particularly wanted by the club, to prevent him building the access road. The club would be paying rent to Houlding and Orrell. Houlding proposed a limited company with floatation of the club creating 12,000 £1 shares, with the money raised used to purchase both Orrell’s and and Houlding's land, creating a very large club owned plot. He wanted a cash payment of £3,000 and the club take out a mortgage from him of £3,000. A cash payment of £1,875 to Orrell and mortgage of £3,000 from Orrell. A total of £6,000 cash to be found and a £4,875 mortgage. Houlding justified this approach by vastly increasing the size of the ground with an athletics track installed promising increased revenue throughout the year to pay the mortgages.

Houlding's involvement was multi-faceted. He stood to make a substantial profit on his land and have a major stake, and control, in a high revenue generating football club. Being president of a high profile, nationally known, successful football club would further enhance Houlding's political and business aspirations.

The club stood to be in debt of £6,000, with a promise of increased revenues via athletics meetings to service the debt. It was also not clear if £12,000 could be raised by floatation. If it could it would not be from the immediate communities of Everton and Anfield, as previous attempts to raise money from the community was abysmal. Shares would more likely be purchased in blocks by rich investors, and almost certainly Houlding amongst them, putting the club in the control of a few rich people.

After initially accepting Houlding's proposal in principle, on 15 September 1891 the Everton committee voted against. The committee proposed renting Orrell's land, however Houlding would need to drop the rent on his land to keep overall rent of the combined rentals down. Houlding and John Orrell considered the Everton F.C. committees offer. On 12 October 1891, at a meeting in the college in Shaw Street, John Houlding and John Orrell offered non-negotiable terms of a combined rent of £370 per year.

The initial rent increase was not a major issue as £250 was a small sum to what the club was earning being a Football League member. The club now facing a hyped rent of £370 per year had to reassess the position. If Anfield was expanded into a year round sports venue and revenues increased accordingly then the £370 rent would not be a problem. Would Houlding and Orrell increase the rent if Everton F.C. became richer? After all, Houlding had already increased rent 150%. Houlding had exclusive rights to sell refreshments at the ground, although no alcohol had ever been sold. The selling of alcohol was opposed by many on the Liberal minded Everton F.C. committee. With many members in temperance societies, a liquor license application by Houlding was feared. In the late 1800's drunkenness was a major problem in the Liverpool area with 10% of the UK's alcohol related crime recorded in the city. The club being financed by a brewer was an uncomfortable situation to be in. Houlding's nearby Sandon Hotel being used both as the club’s unofficial headquarters and a changing area for the team on match-days was also an emotive issue for the Everton F.C. committee. Principles on how the club was to be run was the crux of the matter:

• The Liberal minded Everton F.C. committee wanted a more democratic structure of a wide spread of shares amongst the fans. They saw the club as central to the community and an influence in behavior and sobriety.

• Houlding wanted a small group of owners, owning the majority of the shares giving returns in the corporate model. The control would be in the hands and dictates of a few people.

Timeline of Events

1. 1884: Everton F.C. move into Anfield - Club was asked to pay a donation to a local hospital rather than rent to landowner, builder, brewer and friend of John Houlding, Mr Orrell. Orrell owns the land adjacent to Anfield,
   

2. 1885: John Houlding buys the land of the Anfield ground - Houdling buys land from Mr Orrell, unbeknown to the Everton Committee. Everton F.C. now pay rent to the club president.
   

3. 1890: Houlding increases the rent from £100 to £250 - The Everton F.C. committee offers a compromise rent of £180.
   

4. August 1891: Orrell wants to run road through new stand - Adjacent land owner Mr Orrell invokes a covenant in the sale of the Anfield land to Houlding to build a legal right of way access road to his land through the club's new stand.
   

5. 15 September 1891: Everton F.C. reject Houlding's proposal to buy Anfield and Orrell's land - The Everton F.C. committee voted against Houlding’s proposals to sell the ground to the club and buy the adjacent land owned by Orrell, installing an athletics track. The Everton committee prefers to rent Anfield and Orrell's adjacent land, land they do not need.
   

6. 17 September 1891: Everton FC negotiate a rent with Orrel over new stand overlapping his land - Everton FC send a deputation headed by Dr James Baxter negotiate with John Orrell over the land the new mains stand overlapped Orrell agreed in principle to allow the Club to stay on his land for 10 years at a rent of £120 per year.
   

7. September 1891: Everton F.C. proposes that Houlding drop his part of rent - The Everton committee proposes to Houlding he drops the rent on his land to keep the total rent low.
   

8. 12 October 1891: Houlding and Orrell offer a non-negotiable combined rent of £370 per year - At a meeting in Shaw Street Houlding is rigid on the rent.
   

9. January 1892: Option to acquire Goodison Park site - A plot of land on the north side of Stanley Park had been identified, 25% larger than Anfield, to initially rent prior to purchase if Everton F.C. needed to move due to Houldings intransigence.
   

10. 26 January 1892: Houlding attempts to hijack Everton F.C. - Houlding registered the company, Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd, in an attempt to hijack the club. The Athletic in the title was indicative of a multi-sport club. Houlding attempted to take over Everton's name, colours, fixtures and league position. Two Evertons now exist.
    

11. 4 February 1892: Hijack fails - The Football Council ruled against membership of a new club with the same name as an existing member. Only Everton F.C. are recognised as the vast majority of members were still with the club.
    

12. February 1892: Houlding issues a notice to quit - Failing to hijack the club, Houlding attempts to force the hand of the Everton F.C. committee.
    

13. 12 March 1892: Everton decide to move to Goodison Park - The Everton F.C. committee responded to the attempted hijack and eviction notice by deciding that the club should leave the ground and move to the north side of Stanley Park and be rid of Houlding, expelling him as president.
    

14. March 1892: Moves to construct Goodison Park commenced - Architect and builders approached to construct new ground.
    

15. 18 April 1892: Everton F.C. play their last match at Anfield - Bolton Wanderers F.C. was the last club Everton F.C. play at Anfield.
    

16. 3 June 1892: Houlding creates Liverpool F.C. - After Everton F.C. had moved from Anfield, Houlding changed the name of his company to Liverpool F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd.

The Liverpool Daily Post on 19 March 1892 wrote on the committee's decision to move from Anfield:

Messrs Mahon and Clayton … took upon themselves a big task in trying to rid the Everton Club of an influence that had apparently grown stronger year after year … This independent action of Mr Mahon and his friends might be said to have produced the chaos the club found itself in, but having shaken off the incubus their action is now clear and defined …and it was gratifying to find that neither publicans nor moneylenders had been appealed to for assistance.

Liverpool F.C. Created

Houlding and his new Liverpool F.C. had an international standard ground, but no team. The new club was rejected from competing in the Football League and accepted into the Lancashire League. Players were sourced from Scotland as Houlding managed to poach only three Everton F.C. players by offering higher wages. Houlding's new club initially played in blue and white.

Everton F.C. Create a Democratic People's Club

On moving to Goodison Park Everton F.C. issued 5,000 shares for fans only. The Everton F.C. directors owned only 6% of the club, while at Liverpool F.C. the directors owned 52%. Liverpool F.C. stayed largely owned by a few people in the corporate model and has remained so throughout its history. The difference in the running of the clubs was clearly seen by the mid-1930's, with Goodison Park offering vastly superior spectator facilities brought about by the largely democratic structure of the club. With a similar sized fanbase as Liverpool F.C., Everton F.C. had built four double-decker stands at Goodison Park having returned profits back into the club to provide superior facilities. The contrast with Anfield was marked. Apart from a roof on the Spion Kop goal terrace in 1928, the ground had not been improved since 1906. Only in 1963 when the small Kemlyn Road stand was built was there an attempt to install modern facilities with the ground being outdated and largely Victorian for over 70 years. In the same timeframe Everton F.C. had developed Goodison Park to be the country's finest club ground, hosting a World Cup semi-final three years after Liverpool F.C. built its first modern stand.

Move to Goodsion Park Justified

It must be emphasised that John Houlding did finance Everton F.C. in the very early days propelling the club to a top English football club. Holding Mr Houlding solely responsible for the rise of Everton F.C. would be disingenuous to the Everton F.C. committee, which was not short of respected business acumen amongst members. Were the Everton F.C. committee justified in moving from Anfield at that point in 1892? It appears so. If the committee had accepted John Houlding's proposals, the club would have been £6,000 in debt purchasing all the land for £10,875, and in the control of a few people.

Purchasing Anfield from Houlding and Orrell's adjacent land would have consumed a large percentage of the £12,000 gained in a floatation, as Orrell's land would require developing and merging into the Anfield football ground with most probably demolishing the newly built stand to accommodate the athletics track. Everton F.C. had many wealthy backers during the dispute not relying solely on John Houldings money to finance the club. The Hartley family of Hartley Jam fame was amongst the backers. The backers was the reason why the club easily moved within months creating the world's first purpose built football ground. After the disagreements, Everton F.C. did form a limited company, as Houlding had initially proposed. This was taken up by George Mahon of the Everton F.C. committee and the club moved to Goodison Park, which was 25% larger, at a cost of over £3,000 for the construction plus the rental until purchase of the land in 1895. There was an initial financial benefit in moving.

Importantly, Everton F.C. were totally in control of their own more democratic club. Alcohol was not sold, the team changed at the ground not a pub, the club was headquartered at the ground, profits on refreshments were kept by the club, a large spread of shares was issued to fans, enjoying the facilities of the finest football ground in the world, staging FA Cup finals.

Houlding Recognised by Everton F.C.

Everton F.C. did appreciate and recognise the contribution John Houlding made to the club. At Houlding's funeral in 1902, three players from Everton F.C. and three from Liverpool F.C. carried his coffin.

• Football Grounds of Britain by Simon Inglis
  

• Across the Park by Peter Lupson
  

• Community Politics in Liverpool and the Governance of Professional Football in the late Nineteenth Century by Kennedy & Collins - Link to Cambridge University Press
  

• Association Football in Victorian England - A History of the Game from 1863 to 1900 by Philip Gibbons
  

• Dr. Everton's Magnificent Obsession by David France
  

• The Essential History of Everton FC by Mark Platt
  

• Everton F.C.: The Men from the Hill Country - The Development of Everton Football Club During the Reign of Queen Victoria by Tony Onslow
  

• The History of the Everton Football Club, 1878-1928 by Thomas Keates

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