efcFabric since 86: After the biggest song and dance in living memory, Everton’s new kit was revealed this week and my first reaction was the wait had been worth it.
Umbro have always had an understanding of the fabric of Everton and this is in my opinion a stylish creation that resonates style, class and ambition. In essence Roberto’s revolution and the design go hand in hand.
efcFabric since 86: Sylish Kit Brings Back New Season Memories By @Markthablue
The dark collar in no way looks like, but totally reminds me of the 1995 kit, in which we won the cup. Our last trophy shamefully, let’s hope this a good omen. Above all else this season we need a trophy.
Brown shoes and a dark collar might just be the perfect combination to end this painful trophy drought.
I can’t wait to buy my son the new kit. I have my instructions; Barkley is the name of choice he would like. I’m thrilled my son will be coming of age as an Evertonian in an era when a once in a generation player such as Barkley will be thriving at Goodison.
A wonderful talent I could wax lyrical about all day. An excellent unguided choice (honest) by my little lad.
With so much quality in our team, my sons choices are vast. When I was first getting numbers, names were just a pipe dream then. On the back of my shirt Peter Beardsley was just about the only choice, so poor were Everton then.
With Kendall on the ale, he hadn’t left much for room for choice, with the likes of Ebbrell, Warzycha and Mo-Jo not exactly desirable numbers to have.
The day I felt ten foot tall was at Goodison, September 1991. Having been to the old souvenir shop under the main stand to get my number 8 printed on the back of my ultra heavy Everton shirt that felt more like Army fatigues than a football shirt.
I headed with my step-dad and brother to the family enclosure to watch the blues take on Coventry. Two wins in the first nine games was uninspiring to say the least but Everton turned on the style to beat the Midlanders 3-0 with a hat trick from Beardsley.
Being 12, I somehow thought me having the number 8 printed on my shirt had in someway contributed to his hat-trick. Maybe it was a duel effort from my brother and myself with our Ben having bird shit dropped on his green coat shortly before Everton had taken the lead.
The season was a poor one for Everton, who finished twelfth thanks to Beardsley. Kendall, becoming increasingly inebriated on the job tried in vain to re-create the 86-87 team with players, aside from Beardsley and a few others, who were hopelessly out of their depth. Which brings me nicely onto my next memory.
Mike Walker had arrived in 94 and halfway through his standup comedy act as Everton manager, with the first installment of a solarium at Bellefield safely ensconced – the summer after that nerve shredding (a description that doesn’t do it justice) 3-2 win over Wimbledon had arrived – Evertonians fear and sheer panic had been replaced by optimism.
With the World Cup in America finished it was announced that we had signed Daniel Amokachi from Club Brugge. The guy who scored that worldie for Nigeria v Greece. My excitement was through the roof.
’11 AMOKACHI’ was the easy choice as we headed into the 94-95 season. After 10 minutes against Villa on his debut, I’d began to feel my paper round money would’ve been better spent on someone else.
Amokachi put clean through, skewed horribly wide with his left foot at the Park End. This wasn’t in the brochure.
If only Muller had accepted that next to death, taxes were one of life’s certain guarantees. Muller and Amokachi could have teared the place up – at least in my secondary school state of mind.
Having thought we could have a good season under Walker earlier on (you can see naivety played a big part in my Everton supporting school years) Amo had a nightmare start. He managed one league goal against QPR and when Joe Royle came in he managed an hour in the Duncan derby of 94 and went missing for what seemed like 5 years. Finally emerging in March 95 to come on as sub in a classic away win at QPR with Hinchcliffe doing a Baines to send the travelling blues into orbit.
I had to wait until April 1995 to feel good about my Amokachi name printing decision. With the Nigerian looking Ice cool and more to the point a striker. Scoring a brace to send Newcastle home empty-handed and giving the blues a much-needed 3 points in the fight against relegation.
Amo as we all know, played a memorable part in our run to the 95 cup final. Coming off the bench to score twice against Spurs in front of what seemed 100,000 Evertonians at Elland Road on that balmy April day. Maybe I should get Amokachi on the back of this shirt. I am that desperate to see us lift some silverware. Under Roberto, we have our best chance in a long time this season.
I thought we were destined for big things when Everton pulled off the fantastic signing in attracting Andrei Kanchelskis in July 95. This was amazing. Me and my brother were in Florida at the time with my sister, mum and step-dad.
The transfer was being fought out with Middlesbrough if memory serves me right and each day me and Ben would run up to the English paper stand outside the local Wal-Mart, costing my step-dad a fortune in Fleet Street expenditure to see if he’d signed.
Everton had released the new Danka home shirt for that season while we were away and this served to set up a potentially heart stopping moment when we opened up the paper to see Kanchelskis under the sprinklers posing with a shirt with Danka on it. In black and white print we initially thought he’d signed for Boro.
Horror turned to joy when on closer inspection we could see he was stood in front of the Gwladys Street. The badge wasn’t visible due to poor print and heart attack avoided, I proceeded to tell anyone who would listen at MGM Studios that we’d signed Kanchelskis.
Classic Everton that the transfer was dragged out but for once it wasn’t our fault. As soon as we got home I couldn’t wait to get the flying Russians name on the back of the shirt.
My step-dad must have wished we’d asked for Short on the back and not Kanchelskis 17. A printing cost as impressive as Kanchelskis’ form after his return from injury. This was a no-brainer. Everyone had Kanchelskis on their back. The guy had quality stamped all over him and we knew we were getting a world-class player, no messing.
Once fully fit Kanchelskis went onto to have a world-class season. Easily the most dangerous player I’ve ever seen at Goodison. A brace at the Kop end, his first goals for Everton and guaranteed instant hero-worship from Blues everywhere. We watched in awe as Kanchelskis destroyed teams and opposing defenders bowel control with breathtaking regularity.
A truly underrated Everton side finished 6th in 1996. Beaten to a European position by a last gasp Dennis Bergkamp brace for Arsenal. Heartbreaking stuff on a sun drenched day at Goodison as Joe Parkinson scored the winner in vain against Aston Villa.
Being honest, I haven’t worn an Everton shirt to the match for sometime. Strangely, it’s something I’ve always loved about Evertonians.
Unlike our neighbours and the Barcodes, we don’t feel the need to ram it down anyone’s throat who we are supporting. Typically understated in a classic Everton way.
We know how special it is to support our great club, our passion comes from the soul, it’s fantastically raw. I can’t describe it well and I hope people understand what I’m on about.
I totally acknowledge and love the fact that plenty wear the home/away shirts. It’s part of the match-day experience. A lot don’t and that’s the side I enjoy. I could be talking complete rubbish but from my view in the lower Gwladys, that’s how it looks.
Having said that, the new shirt truly looks impressive, stylish and befitting of a tenth title win! Getting carried away I guess but it sums up my feelings as attention slowly turns to the 2014-15 season.
I have never looked forward to a season so much in my life it feels like it’s all there for us.
I Love Roberto making me feel this dreamy about the Blues. He has awoken the childlike enthusiasm I had getting Beardsley’s number on my shirt all those years ago.
As for the immediate future, let’s hope for a productive summer and that come next May Everton is the name printed on the back of a major trophy.
A memorable season awaits – Umbro made the last Everton kit when we won the league, what a time to come back to the party with Roberto’s revolution in full swing.
’10′ could yet be the defining number of Everton’s progress under our Catalan Genius.
Sin Miedo
Mark Ellis