Everton Football Club History

Everton Football Club History Overview

Name : Everton Football Club

Nickname : The Toffees

Club Origin Date : 1878

Stadium : Goodison Park (39,000)

League : English Premier League

Trophy Count : 24 Trophies (As of 2022)

Last Trophy : 1995 FA Cup & Charity Shield (1995)

All-Time Leading Goalscorer : Dixie Dean (383)

Biggest Rivals : Liverpool FC

Everton History – Intro to Everton Football Club

Everton Football Club is a Premier League side based in Liverpool, England. Everton play their home games at Goodison Park, and their biggest rivals are in-town foes, Liverpool. The Blues of Everton have built a rich history, winning 24 trophies since their inception as a club in 1878. Everton’s trophy collection makes them the 8th most successful club in English football history, with most of the success coming as a result of a golden era in the 1980’s. With 9 First Division titles, Everton have the fourth-most league titles in English Football history.

Everton History – Club Origins

The origins of Everton Football Club date back to 1878, when a church named St. Domingo Methodist New Connexion Chapel formed a sports club for members to participate. The club was located in Liverpool, England, and it was originally named St. Domingo’s FC. Just one year later, the club would change its name to Everton Football Club to expand to the local community, as their following had quickly surpassed the church’s congregation. Everton were among the most competitive footballing sides at the time, which positioned themselves well for the emergence of the English Football League in 1888. Everton were one of the 12 founding teams in the league.

Everton History – First Trophies and War Time

It would not take long for Everton to start filling out their trophy cabinet, as the Toffees won their first League Championship in the 1890-91 season, in just the third season of the English Football League. Everton would capture their second trophy in 1906, when the club would go on to win their first ever FA Cup. Eight seasons later, Everton won the 1914-15 League Championship, which would be the last English Football League season until the conclusion of World War 1 in late 1918.

Everton History – Dixie Dean Era

Everton had a fairly uneventful early 1920’s, but the signing of striker Dixie Dean in 1925 brought a prolific goal scorer to the club. In the 1927-28 season, just his third season with the club, Dean etched his name in the history books by scoring 60 league goals in one season, a record that still stands to this day. Everton won the league that season, marking the third time the club had done so. After just a few years at the club, Dixie Dean had brought Everton their fourth trophy in club history in world class style, making him a club legend instantly.

It was not always happy days at Everton, as they would suffer relegation just two years after their league success in 28’. After being relegated from the First Division after the 1929-30 league season, Everton was promoted the next season, and would follow this up with a First Division League Championship in 1931-32. This represented the first time that an English club had won the league the season after being promoted. Dixie Dean would lead this Everton side to one more trophy during his time as the club’s striker, which came in the form of an FA Cup in 1933. WIth 310 goals from 362 appearances for the club, plus two league titles and an FA Cup, Dixie Dean left Merseyside as a Toffee legend who had led them to their most successful period to that point in their history.

Everton History – WW2 and Trophy Drought

Everton captured their fifth league title during the 1938-39 season. This trophy was the last that the club would obtain for the next few decades, as they fell into a trophy drought after this season. Later that year, professional football would be suspended in England due to the Second World War. When football did return six years later, Everton had taken a step back in quality. Their results soon reflected this, and Everton would be relegated following the 1950-51 season.

Everton History – 1960’s and 70’s

It took the club four seasons to climb out of England’s Second Division, but they were able to pull it off in the 1953-54 season. The trophy drought would continue until the 1962-63 season, when an underrated Everton side shocked the country and won the First Division title. The club would win two more trophies in the 1960’s, including their third-ever FA Cup in 1966, and another First Division title in the 1969-70 season. The 70’s were quiet for the club, as they would not add another piece of hardware to their collection for some time.

Everton History – Everton’s Golden Era of the 1980’s

Everton’s best period as a club came in the 1980’s. The club was in a lull in the league and in domestic cups that stretched from the 70’s to 1983, and they were far from a top team in England. That changed in 1984, when the club won the FA Cup, the fourth in club history. Everton followed this up the next season by winning the 1984-85 First Division title. In the same season, Everton pulled off a double by winning the biggest European Club competition at the time, the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Two years later, Everton won the 1986-87 First Division title. These two titles were the 8th and 9th league titles in Everton history, and the 21st and 22nd trophy the club had collected overall to this point.

Everton History – 1990’s to Present

Since this golden era in the 1980’s, Everton have never reached the heights of their run in the 80’s. The club has only won two trophies since the 80’s, which were the 1995 FA Cup and the FA Charity Shield that followed it. While Everton is still a classic English club that has a ton of history and tradition behind them, they have descended in recent decades from where they once were. Instead of challenging for the country’s top honors each season, and winning one every few years, Everton rarely challenge for the major trophies nowadays, and they haven’t sniffed European competition in years. The club last qualified for European football in 2016, and has remained a mid-table Premier League club since.

Everton History – Top 3 Club Legends

Graeme Sharp – (1980-1991)

Striker Graeme Sharp is a legendary goal scorer who brought a number of trophies home to Everton. Sharp has the second-most goals in club history with 159. In addition to Sharp scoring the first goal in a 2-0 FA Cup Final victory in 1984, he also led Everton in scoring in both of their First Division championship years in 1985 and 1987. His consistency as a goal scorer for the club has made him a legend that will forever be remembered.

Dixie Dean – (1925-1937)

Striker Dixie Dean is not only an Everton legend, but a global footballing legend. Dean is one of the most prolific goal scorers of all time, scoring the third-most goals in English Football history with 310 top flight goals in just 362 appearances. This .88 goal-to-game ratio is the highest in English Football history, making the argument that Dixie Dean is the best goal-scorer in the country’s history. Dean once scored 60 league goals in a season for Everton, the most of any player in English Football history. Dean was known to be an unstoppable force in the air, and his goals led Everton to a number of trophies. These trophies include two First DIvision titles, an FA Cup, and a heroic Second Division title that Dean contributed to despite having the opportunity to leave the club after relegation the season before. All of these accomplishments make Dixie Dean a club legend at Everton Football Club.

Neville Southall – (1981-1998)

Goalie Neville Southall was a hard-working legend who earned his status at the club, and a player that will go down as one of the best goalies in the history of top flight English Football. Southall holds a number of records for Everton Football Club, including the most appearances (751) and clean sheets (269). Southall played a massive part in Everton’s golden era in the 80’s, and the club would go on to win eight trophies during Southall’s time as the starting keeper. With elite shot-stopping ability and a relentless work ethic, Southall is considered the best goalie ever at the club and will always be remembered as a legend.