In Moyes We Trust - 2009 FA Cup Final Guide - Everton FC

★★★★

INMOYESWETRUST

Your free16-pageguide to the FACup final

SPORT Thursday, May 28, 20092 ★★★★

FAN-TASTIC:Chairman BillKenwrighthopes foranother day

of prideand glory

INMOYESWETRUST The2009FACup final guide

All togethernow–

TODAY a Blue army will mobilise.From the moment David Moyes andhis players meet at Finch Farm, itwill be all systems go as Evertontrain their sights on a sixth FA Cup.

Though the beaks in the corridors ofpower at the FA felt compelled to only giveEverton and Chelsea supporters apreposterous 25,109 tickets each forEnglish football’s showpiece game, manymore Toffees are expected to travel south.

Trains will also pull out of Lime Streetwith no seats available, while coaches andcars will head to the M62 packed withsupporters dreaming the club’s 14-yearwait for silverware is about to end.

The lucky ones are guaranteed entry toWembley but many more Evertonians aresure to travel, simply to be there and soakup an atmosphere which – if the semi-finalis anything to go by – should make hairson the back of the neck stand up.

Ever since victory over ManchesterUnited was achieved in dramaticcircumstances, all talk has been centredon Everton’s Big Day Out and now thewait is almost over; a mass exodus fromthe city is guaranteed to see if Phil Nevilleis presented with the trophy.

Neville has been to four FA Cup finalsbut none have captured his imagination asmuch as the build up to this one, mainlydue to the passion that supporters haveshown and he is aching to give thethousands who follow Everton home andaway their just rewards.

“I just want to thank our supporters foreverything they have done this season,” hesaid. “They’ve picked us up when we’veneeded it, kicked us up the backsidewhen we’ve needed it and always worntheir hearts on their sleeves.

“It makes me proud as captain to seethem filling other people’s stadiums withour fans. It’s then that it hits home thatyou’re playing for a big club withsupporters who really care. Let’s hope onSaturday we can repay the fans and givethem all a nice present.”

But it’s not only the captain who is ofthat mindset; Moyes – still bitterlyunhappy about the allocation figurethat was conjured up at Soho Square –knows that opportunity knocks for himto cement his name alongsidemanagerial giants Catterick andKendall.

“I think it’s hard to play a semi-final

KingDominic

where you get 30,000 of your supportersthere but then a final where there are only25,000,” said Moyes. “I can’t see how thatworks. The idea of getting to a final is to getyour supporters there.

“Yet we’re taking less so the whole thingis not correct. They (The FA) want you tobring all your money and people to thesemi-final but come the final they don’t. Idon’t think that’s right.

“We will go there as underdogs. Does itsuit us? I think it does. I think we go in withthe knowledge that the pressure will be onChelsea to perform and show the side theyare and we go into the game with theattitude to show we are capable of playing atthis stage.”

Already idolised for the way he hasdragged a club that was nearly on its kneesback into the upper echelons of the PremierLeague – where Everton rightfully belong –winning the FA Cup would take him on to anew level all together.

I just want to thank ourmagnificent fans for allthey do for us - Neville

Thursday, May 28, 2009 SPORT 3★★★★

EVERTONvCHELSEA WembleyStadium,Saturday,May30

For too long supporters have watchedothers enjoy moments in the spotlight,puzzled and perplexed that a club whichpossesses the kind of honours list that isenvied by many throughout the countrykept tripping up.

Since Joe Royle let loose the Dogs of Warin 1995, nearly every team in the PremierLeague or Championship – a few in LeagueOne – has experienced a game at Wembleyor the Millennium Stadium, be it in the FACup, Carling Cup or play-offs.

That’s why the emotions after Unitedwere beaten on penalties last month wereso raw, why it felt like a final travellingdown; all you could see were vehicles withBlue scarves, flags and banners and it issure to be the same again.

Unfortunately, some will have to staybehind but those who remain have beenurged by one well known website to paintLiverpool Blue - advice that’s clearly beenheeded.

It is impossible to walk down a streetwithout seeing a flag confirming Evertonwill be playing at Wembley this weekend –even the window of a city centre bar, ownedby a certain Liverpool defender, had onepinned up earlier in the week.

Should Everton win, those flags willflutter all summer and if the atmospherearound a training ground is anything to goby, Neville may well be the captain whogoes up the steps to get the Cup.

Every squad member knows their jobinside out, all are playing with maximumconfidence but, if that is not enough to setminds at rest, Everton are staying at theirlucky hotel once more.

The luxurious Grove in Hertfordshirewas the place they called home beforebeating Tottenham in the league lastNovember – a win that seemed to spark arevival after an erratic start to the season –as it was before the semi-final.

Of course, fate won’t have anything to dowith how Everton ultimately fare but thebacking they will receive from the stands issure to play its part; passion and ambitionis this particular army’s weapon of choice– and it might just help them win thebattle.

asdestinybeckons

ALL FOR ONE: The players and the fans (insetabove) celebrate after beating Manchester Unitedon penalties in the semi-final at Wembley


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AsSharpaseverBlues legend wants to see the FA Cup return home

byDOMINIC KING

CENTRE STAGE: GraemeSharp and co with the FACup at Wembley in ’84

THERE is nothing football fanslove to do more than wallowin nostalgia when ananniversary comes along.

Once a significant date comesaround on the calendar, it is onlynatural to take a walk downMemory Lane and relive the dramaof a certain victory and forEvertonians, there have been plentyof chances to do that in recentmonths.

It is, after all, 25 years sinceGraeme Sharp and Andy Grayscored the goals that secured thefirst trophy of the Howard Kendallera, that FA Cup final win overWatford in 1984 was the catalyst forthe most successful period in theclub’s history.

Inevitably, that has meantmembers of Kendall’s great teambeing gathered together forreunions and it has been just likeold times, with the banter ascutting as ever and legendaryanecdotes being retold.

For some, it would leave themmisty-eyed but Sharp has anothertake on events; while he lovesgetting together with his old pals,nothing would give him morepleasure than for supporters to stoptalking about his achievements andinstead focus on the current squad.

So with that in mind, what better

way for nostalgic chatter to stopthan beating Chelsea at Wembleyon Saturday?

“We’ve had a lot of dinnersrecently and the boys have beenmeeting up,” said Sharp, whosetally of 159 goals in 447 appearancesmakes him the second highestscorer in Everton’s history.

“It’s been great to see the likes ofRats, Trevor Steven, KevinRichardson, Big Neville and JohnBailey.

“Reidy is in Thailand and hecouldn’t come over for any of thembut I spoke to him a couple of daysago and I know he’s going to be

there on Saturday, which isfantastic. It brings back memories.

“But that is in the past and I justhope that the present squad go onto feel what we did. We won it in1984 and then again in 1995. Thosegames get brought up all the time.But this is the present day and youhave to remember that these boyshave done remarkably well.

“What I’d like to see is everyonetalking about the current squad’sachievements; their performancesdeserve it. This is a new generationand I hope these lads give me asmuch joy as I had in 1984.”

He may want to move on fromthat beating of Watford but there isno mistaking the pride that a manwho played in four Cup finals for

the Blues still feels about getting onthe scoresheet; Wembley may havechanged since that May day butreturning to the famous stadiumstill gives him goosebumps.

“I used to watch the Scottish CupFinal as a kid – usually Rangers vCeltic – and the best part was whenthe English final came on,” recalledSharp. “I never thought I’d get toplay in one, let alone score in one.

“When you walked out frombehind the goal and you looked upto see the crowd, you hit thisbarrage of noise. It was absolutelyincredible and it will always bethere in the history books.

“Everton versus Watford, scorersSharp and Gray. No one can takethat off me. But we went to

Macclesfield in the third round andthat, to me, was what the FA Cupwas about. It was a welcome to thereal world.”

Sharp will be at Wembley in aprofessional capacity this weekend– he is Radio City’s expert analyser– and is confident the system thatserved Everton so well when theyhad no strikers earlier in thecampaign will do again.

“David (Moyes) stumbled on theformation with Tim Cahill up topand Fellaini behind,” he said.“Earlier in the season we wereplaying 4-4-2 and people were sayingwe were missing Lee Carsley.

“We weren’t; it’s just that wedon’t have the players to play 4-4-2.”

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PRESSURE POINT: Vaughan puts the shackles on Manchester United midfielder Anderson

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BROTHERSIN ARMS:Vaughan(left)celebrates afamoussemi finaltriumphwith PhilJagielka

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Vaughangetssettolive thedream

JAMES VAUGHAN admits he will have topinch himself when he steps on to thehallowed Wembley turf on Saturday.

The Everton striker never misses FACup final day but this time around hewill have one of the best seats in the

house.Vaughan is likely to start on the bench

against Chelsea but he will be ready andwaiting to answer his manager’s call just ashe did in the semi-final victory overManchester United.

And after a campaign dogged by injury, the20-year-old is relishing the opportunity to bepart of the showpiece occasion.

“Growing up as a kid FA Cup final day wasalways a big deal,” he said.

“We would make a day of it in our houseand I’d sit in front of the TV with my mumand dad to watch the game.

“It’s a day I always look forward to and tothink I’m going to be there as part of it thisweekend is just surreal.

“It’s going to be the biggest day of mycareer and I think the same goes for most ofthe lads.

“I was only six when Everton last won theCup in 1995 but I’ve seen all the footage and itwould be amazing to follow in their footsteps.

“I don’t think there is an English playerwho hasn’t dreamed of lifting that trophy. Toget my hands on it really would be a dreamcome true.”

If Vaughan plays his part in a gloriousBlues triumph then nobody could deny hedeserves his moment in the spotlight.

The Birmingham-born frontman, whojoined the Everton Academy at the age ofnine, has had enough bad luck to last alifetime.

Since he burst on to the scene with a goalon his debut against Crystal Palace in April2005, Everton’s youngest ever scorer has hadto deal with numerous setbacks.

Cartilage damage, a dislocated shoulderand severed arteries in his ankle havehampered his hopes of establishing himself atGoodison.

This season brought more misery with aknee injury keeping him out for five months.

When he underwent surgery at Christmasthere were fears he wouldn’t play again thisseason but he surprised medical staff withthe speed of his recovery.

He made his comeback as a substitute inlast month’s semi-final against United andcontributed to a famous victory with asuccessful spot-kick in the shootout.

“The semi-final was massive and I’ve neverfelt emotion like I did at the end,” headmitted.

“It was a special feeling to put away that

penalty. It was an incredible day and so greatfor everyone associated with the club.

“When it went to penalties we always feltthat we could do it and I think that showedwhen we took them. We are a very closesquad with great unity and it showed thatday.

“The fans were amazing and I’m sure theywill give us the same if not more thisweekend. They will have a big role to play.

“They will be giving everything they havegot for us and we’ll be doing the same forthem.”

Since the semi-final Vaughan has had tosettle for three cameo appearances and he ishungry for more action.

“I’ve had some tough times with injuriesbut that’s all behind me now and I feel reallygood in myself,” he said.

“The knee is fine and I feel fully fit.Hopefully I can get some time on the pitchbecause I want to get out there and give my

best for the team.“The side hasn’t been picked yet so

everyone is still in with a shout. I’ll be givingmy all this week to try to give the manager abit of a headache.

“Everyone is looking sharp and you can seein training how much everyone wants it.”

The Blues will go into the contest on a highafter back to back wins over West Ham andFulham secured fifth place in the PremierLeague.

Vaughan admits confidence is surgingthrough their veins as they plot one finalupset in a memorable Cup run.

“Since we beat United in the semi our goalhas been fifth place and only since beatingFulham last weekend has our focus switchedto the final,” he said.

“Chelsea are a great side and everyoneknows we’re going into it as the underdogsbut we’ll thrive on that.

“Nobody gave us a chance against

Liverpool or Manchester United but we camethrough those ties.

“We are confident in our own ability andwhen I look around the dressing room I seequality everywhere.

“The fact that this club is in the FA Cupfinal is a sign of the direction we’re going in.

“We’ve made great progress in the last fewyears but a trophy is long overdue for a clublike Everton. Hopefully this is the first of afew finals for us.

“The gaffer has done a great job here and itwould be fitting for him to get his hands on atrophy.

“He deserves it for what he has done andwe want to repay the management team bylifting the Cup.

“We’ve worked hard all season to get us tothis point and now we’ve got to try to finishthe job. In a one-off occasion you never knowwhat can happen. We’ll give it our all andhopefully that will be enough on the day.”

‘To think I am going to be a part of FA Cup final day is surreal’JamesPearce

SO COOL: James Vaughan scores from the penalty spot againstManchester United in the semi-final at Wembley


EVERTON’S route to Wembley hasbeen packed with thrills and spillsand every supporter is well awarehow Saturday’s date withChelsea was secured.

What they don’t know, though, aresome of the anecdotes that have comeabout on the journey, such as awinning goalscorer being left to chase

after the team bus, the hero who hasbecome a fashion victim or the fit of pique

that ultimately sparked fits of laughter.It would be easy to look back over the

games that Everton have played and recall thecrucial incidents that took place on the pitch,however LEON OSMAN and LEIGHTONBAINES decided to lift the lid and tellDOMINIC KING some dressing room secrets.

ROUND THREE:Macclesfield(a), January 3.Won 1-0(Osman 43)

LO: I remember itwell. We went downthe day before to havea look at the pitchand the stadium. Thepitch was frozen overand the dressingrooms were tiny,which left some of theforeign lads a bitsurprised. It turnedout well, though,because I scored.

LB: It was a greatgoal and it saved us.Everyone remembersthe one Goose (Dan Gosling) scored againstLiverpool but that was just as important. Ialso remember what happened after thegame...

LO: Thought you might. I was doinginterviews on the pitch and you couldactually see over the back of the stand ontothe main road. I looked up at one point andsaw the team bus driving off, so I had to cutthem short and run off.

LB (laughing): You didn’t make it though,did you?

LO: No thanks to you.LB: We did a head count on the bus and

when nobody could see Ossie, I just shouted

from thirdroundMacc


Osman and Baines reveals their alter

RUNNING MAN:Leon Osman hit thewinner againstMacclesfield - but gotleft high and dry!

SmashediPodmyownsouvenir

KingDominic

he was in the toilets, ‘come on let’s go!’ andoff we went!

LO: Fortunately there was only one roadout of Macclesfield and the bus was stuck intraffic, so it was only moving a short distanceat a time. But I ended up chasing after thebus, banging on the side of the door and ourbus driver, Alan, wouldn’t let me on. He

thought I was a fan.And as I was running along,

my iPod fell out of my pocket,the bus ran over it and smashedit to pieces. Not a great way toend the day.

ROUND FOUR:Liverpool (a), January25. Drew 1-1 (Lescott27)

LB: I remember watching thedraw with my Dad and I said tohim before it started: “We’ll getLiverpool.” He said the same andwhen it came out we just burstout laughing. We deserved thedraw at Anfield.

ROUND FOUR REPLAY:Liverpool (h), February 4. Won1-0 (Gosling 118)

LO: I suppose I could have been the ‘hero’again but my shot in the second half hit thepost. I was devastated and never stoppedthinking about it for weeks.

But my disappointment opened the door forGoose and the confidence it gave him is therefor all to see.

LB: Shame he’s a terrible dresser. He’s

going through a dreadful period right now.LO: I know. The other day he came into

training with a mix and match tracksuit on. Itwas awful, like he’s been influenced by toomany people at once.

LB: I know. It’s just not working for him.He’s even got a side part now and he’spersevering with it. He’s getting plenty ofstick.

ROUND FIVE:Aston Villa (h), February 15.

SCORCHER: Leon Osman scoresthe winner at Macclesfield

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Osman and Baines reveals their alternative route to Wembley

iPodmyownsouvenir

CALM DOWN:Leighton Bainesadvised his teammates not toovercelebrate inthe Wembley semifinal. He was dulyignored!

THE BIG ONE: Dan Gosling wheels awaywith Leighton Baines after scoring thewinner against Liverpool in the fourthround replay at Anfield

Won 3-1 (Rodwell 4, Arteta24p, Cahill 76)

LO: We had worked so hard to beatLiverpool and there was never any chance wewere going to let it waste. Villa were flyingwhen they came here but we never gave thema second and turned them over comfortably.

LB: They are a team at the minute that weare always trying to beat because of where weare in the league.

We knew it would be wasteful if we didn’tfollow up the win against Liverpool andthankfully we did it with a bit of style.

ROUND SIX:Middlesbrough (h), March 8.Won 2-1 (Fellaini 50, Saha 56)

LO: That was the game when Steve Roundshocked a few people. Usually he’s the personwho will take you to one side and have a chatif things aren’t going well. He does itconstructively and explains things in a subtleway.

LB: But that day he turned into theIncredible Hulk.

LO: I know. When we got into the dressingroom at half-time he was waiting for us andwent absolutely berserk.

LB: It was crazy. Everyone was shocked byit because it was so out of character but itmade everyone sit up and realise what wecould throw away if we didn’t pull ourfingers out.

It made the difference in the end andwe did what we knew we could.

It was serious when he did but in thedays after the game, everyone who sawhim started banging on desks or smackingwalls when he was near by. To be fair, itstarted straight after the game and everyonewas laughing about. He took it in good spirits.

SEMI-FINAL:Manchester United (n), April19. 0-0 (won 4-2 on penalties)

LO: I never watched the draw take place, asI hadn’t watched any of the previous ones anddidn’t want to put a jinx on us. I left Goodisonstraight away and found out later on.

LB: It was like a final and it was also likeplaying a final at home, such was the noisethat was made. You could tell our fans werethere to enjoy it and let everyone know theywere around.

LO: A few people have said it and I have toagree that when Z-Cars came on it was just anunbelievable moment. It made you appreciatehow many Blues were in there.

LB: We had done well in the game and wewere even relaxed before the shoot-out, moreso than I expected and thankfully TimHoward played a starring role.

LO: You could tell how relaxed we werebefore the shoot-out started as a few of thelads were saying if anyone missed, we’dignore them when they came back. Everyonewas laughing their heads off about it but thenTim missed. Safe to say we never ignoredhim. We ended up ignoring Bainesy, though.

LB: I actually said to Joleon Lescott whenJags scores, remember that it’s only asemi-final and we haven’t won anything, sokeep a lid on the celebrations. You wouldn’tbe able to print what he said back to me butsafe to say he never took my advice!

LO: The feeling at the end wasunbelievable. We were lucky we were able toget that feeling and now it’s great that wehave got to a major final. We are justdetermined to finish the job. We’re underdogsbut let’s see what happens. We won’t letanyone down.

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A Andy Gray. The legendaryScot scored the Toffees’second goal in a 2-0 victoryover Watford in the 1984 FACup final.

B Bill Kenwright. Everton’sChairman is a lifelong Blueand will enjoy the success ofthe team as much as anyone.Everton have not won the cup

while Kenwright has been Chairman,and are looking to change that now.

CWill Cuff. Cuff was one ofEverton’s earliest managersand was responsible fortheir first FA Cup success.The Toffees won the cup in

1906, five years into Cuff ’s 17-yeartenure as manager.

D Dan Gosling. It could havebeen Dave Watson or ‘Dixie’Dean, but D goes toyoungster Dan Gosling whomemorably scored a 118th

minute winner in this year’s fourthround replay against Liverpool.

E Extra Time. Everton equalisedwith the last touch of the gameand went on to defeat Luton 2-1in the 1985 semi-final througha Derek Mountfield header.

F Duncan Ferguson. EvertonTalisman ‘Big Dunc’ was in hisfirst full season and recoveringfrom injury when they won the1995 FA Cup. Despite his cult

hero status, this was the only honourof his career.

G Giant Killers. ShouldEverton beat Chelsea inthe upcoming final, theywill be the first club in thehistory of the competition

to defeat the three leading clubs in thetop division on the way to lifting thetrophy..

H Harry Catterick. One ofEverton’s most successfulmanagers, Catterick led theteam to FA Cup glory in1966 and built two famous

title winning sides.

I “Inchy” Heath. Adrian Heath sentthe Toffees through to the 1984 cupfinal with his goal in a 1-0 win overSouthampton at Highbury.

J Joe Royle. In 1994 Royle wasappointed manager from Oldhamand when relegation loomed, henot only kept Everton up but wonthe FA Cup for good measure.

K King Louis. Saha has wonjust about everything possiblein this country with aChampions League, LeagueCup and two Premier League

winners medals. However, theinjury-plagued striker has yet tofeature in an FA Cup final and will beeager for success against Chelsea.

L Limpar. Swedish star AndersLimpar was an FA Cup winnerwith Everton in 1995 – havingstarted the move which led toPaul Rideout’s headed winner

against United.

MMike Trebilcock.Trebilcock became thefirst black player to scorein an FA Cup final, with abrace in Everton’s 1966

victory over Sheffield Wednesday. TheBlues came back from 2-0 down tospectacularly win 3-2.

N Neville Southall. ‘BigNev’ was the onlyremaining member ofEverton’s 1984 FA Cupwinning side to make it to

the successful 1995 team. TheWelshman played a huge part in thewin over Manchester United, with atop double save from Paul Scholes.

O Oldham. Everton’s run inlast year’s competitionwas ended by League Oneoutfit Oldham Athletic.The 1-0 defeat had

previously been delayed by half anhour due to a fire in a chip shop onGoodison Road.

P Paul Rideout. Rideout is mostremembered for his winningheader in the 1995 FA Cup finalagainst Manchester United, andbecame a hero around

Merseyside for helping Everton winthe trophy against all odds.

Q Quarter-finals. Evertonhave played in more FACup Quarter-finals thanany other side.

R Rounds. Everton haveprogressed through more FACup rounds than any otherteam.

S Super Sub. Midfielder StuartMcCall came on for Everton inthe all Merseyside 1989 finaland became the first ever FACup final substitute to score

twice.

T Thirteen. 13 goals have beenscored by Everton in their latestFA Cup campaign, each by adifferent player, including theirsemi-final penalty shoot-out

against Manchester United.

U Uriah Rennie. Rennie wasthe controversial referee incharge of the match againstOldham which sent Evertonout of the competition last

year.

V James Vaughan. The youngstriker has come back frominjury and was thrust into thethick of it against ManchesterUnited in the semi-final.

Vaughan came on as a substitute andcoolly slotted his penalty away to helpthe Blues progress.

WWinners. The Toffeeshave won more FA Cupgames than any otherteam, and have liftedthe trophy on five

occasions.

X Abel Xavier. Xavier is the onlyplayer to play in Merseysidederbies for both clubs in oneseason, but did not play in theFA Cup for Everton that season

as he was cup-tied.

Y Alex Young. The GoldenVision had a phenomenalspring and ability to meetcrosses with devastatingeffect. Part of the 1966 FA Cup

winning side, Young is renowned asone of the all-time Everton greats.

Z Z-cars. The Goodison themetune has inspired manyEverton teams through theyears and has accompaniedthis side throughout the

competition and into Wembley, whereit was blasted out to the adoring fansbefore their semi-final victory.

BluesA-ZCupGuideFascinating facts and magical

memories of those runs gone by

ChrisBunclark studies the letterof the lore

ALL CONKERING:Duncan Ferguson sportshis blue nose in 1995



Jags joinsplayersleft feelingBlue

EVERTON have performedremarkably well to progressto this year’s FA Cup final.However, it has not all beensmooth sailing for the

Toffees.Injuries have left the squad

depleted this term and the club’sPlayer of the Season, Phil Jagielka,who has been so influential in thecup run, is their latest casualty,cruelly ruled out of the biggestdomestic cup final in the world.

But ‘Jags’ is not the only Blue tomiss the big time though. In thepast many Everton greats havebeen absent from the prized match.

Here is a look at some of thebiggest names missing fromEverton’s FA Cup finals...

GEORGE WILSON (1907)IN the 1907 FA Cup final, holdersEverton lost 2-1 to SheffieldWednesday, a team they had beatenon the way to lifting the trophy theprevious year.

The Blues were put into the finalthrough a winner from GeorgeWilson in a 2-1 victory over WestBromwich Albion. Bizarrely, Wilsonwas dropped from the team for thefinal. Many fans blamed the loss onnot playing Wilson, whosemysterious absence from the sidewas discovered later on.

It was rumoured that the boardhad dropped Wilson over a contractdispute, and when they refused togive him a bonus, he simply packedhis bags and headed back home toScotland. He never played forEverton again.

TED CRITCHLEY (1933)TED Critchley was one of theToffees’ best players in the 1933season, and contributed to their cupsuccess with a goal in the 2-1semi-final victory over West Ham.

Critchley however, was left out ofthe squad for the final by captainDixie Dean (who had a role inselecting the team). Dean insteadopted for winger Albert Geldard. Thedecision left the Goodison faithful

Many tales of final heartache for starsunconvinced. Critchley may havefelt hard done by to have been absentfrom the team, but Dean seeminglygot the selection right, and his sidewent on to beat Manchester City 3-0.At the time it was the largest marginof victory in an FA Cup final.

FRED PICKERING (1966)EVERTON’S most prolific strikeralongside Derek Temple throughoutthe 1966 season, Pickering washeavily responsible for the Bluesprogressing all the way to the final.

He had scored in each round hehad played in the competition, andwas looking to propel HarryCatterick’s side to victory.

When Pickering picked up a kneeinjury before the Cup semi-finalthough, he returned to the line-upunsuccessfully and the Toffees did

not net in three games.“I feel he is not playing with the

confidence he was showing in hisplay before being injured,” saidCatterick, and so the manager optedfor Mike Trebilcock as hisreplacement. Catterick’s choice wasjustified as Trebilcock baggedhimself a brace of goals and led theteam to a 3-2 win.

KEVIN SHEEDY (1984)IN Everton’s 1984 FA Cup glory,future legend Kevin Sheedy wasabsent through injury.

Sheedy became sidelined after thequarter-final match-up against NottsCounty, and to his heartbreak, wouldultimately miss out on the chance toplay at Wembley that season.

Everton went on to win thecompetition without Sheedy, with

victories over Southampton andthen Watford in the final. Sheedy’smisery was compounded over thefollowing two seasons as the Bluesreached Wembley for the 1985 and1986 finals but lost them both.

JOHN EBBRELL (1995)THROUGHOUT the build-up on theway to the FA Cup final in 1995, JoeRoyle kept his cards very close to hischest and decided he was not going toreveal his starting XI, even to hisside, until the day of the game.

John Ebbrell, who had been anunsung hero for the Blues, hadmissed the semi-final, but wasconfident of returning for the big day.Come the day, Royle surprisedeveryone by leaving Ebbrell out ofhis final 14, and opting for the duo ofBarry Horne and Joe Parkinson.INJURED: Kevin Sheedy

LEFT OUT: Fred Pickering

DROPPED: Ted Critchley

SIDELINED: Phil Jagielka, whose penaltybooked Everton a place at Wembley, willmiss Saturday’s final through injury

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AN unforgettable weekendhas just passed but an evenmore memorable onebeckons for David Weir;after all, he is daring to

dream that he could win two cupfinals.

Fresh from ending Celtic’s grip onthe Scottish Premier League title,thanks to a 3-0 win over DundeeUnited, celebrations on the Blue halfof Glasgow have yet to subside but,ever the professional, Weir alreadyhas his mind on the next challenge.

That should come as no surprise,as Rangers are looking to put thegloss on a successful season bybeating Falkirk at Hampden Park toretain the Scottish Cup and theircaptain Weir wants nothing morethan to hoist another piece ofsilverware aloft.

As someone who grew upsupporting Rangers, the lasttwo-and-a-half years have been awonderful footnote to his careerand, as he knows the time to hangup his boots is creeping into view,he has enjoyed every minute.

Weir, however, has taken just asmuch satisfaction from watchingevents unfold at Goodison Park; hemight have been raised on a diet ofall things Ibrox but there willforever be a piece of him that isEverton.

No wonder. Weir cost £250,000when he arrived in these parts inFebruary 1999 but repaid thattransfer fee many times over with astring of classy performances at theheart of the defence and alsoproudly wore the captain’s armbandon countless occasions

When he eventually left inJanuary 2007, the transformationunder David Moyes was well underway and, thrillingly, the prospect ofthat journey being crowned with anFA Cup win on Saturday issomething all Evertonians arepraying for - Weir included.

Events at Hampden Park, ofcourse, will be at the forefront of hismind but that won’t stop Weir’sthoughts from drifting to the homeof English football and he wantsnothing more than to be able to toasta brace of cup wins on Saturdayevening.

“Europe was a big disappointmentbut first and foremost when you arewith a club like Rangers, you havegot to try and win the league andthankfully we did that,” said a manwho made 269 appearances for theBlues, scoring nine goals.

“It was extra special for mebecause Rangers were my boyhoodclub and to lift the trophy like someof the great players have done in thepast, those who I grew up watching,is something I’ll never forget.

“But you don’t spend eight yearsof your life at a club and have noaffection for it; don’t get me wrong, Ilove Rangers but I had a fantastictime with Everton; they were a bigpart of my life and it’s been fantasticto see what they have achieved thisseason.

“It’s been amazing. I would haveloved to have been at Wembley onSaturday and I don’t see any reasonwhy they can’t go on and finish thejob; it’s become the norm that theyare a top five or six team and that’sdown to the fantastic job themanager has done.

“He’s been able to achieve success

KingDominic

BLUE DAYS: Veteran defender David Weir was a £250,00 capture fromHearts and went on to play 269 games for his beloved Everton



Weiroutto celebratetwo cupvictories inadayofdoubledelight

been that destiny is guiding Moyesand Company towards a gloriousfinale, with many feeling that - justas in 1995 - Everton’s name is on theCup.

Weir, on the other hand, has amuch more pragmatic view; as aveteran of 642 career games, heknows success is only achieved byhard work and talent, something hesees in abundance at Goodison.

So while Chelsea will befavourites for this particular battle,Weir knows it would be folly towrite off his old club and believesthe newly-crowned Manager of theYear is poised to get his hands on asecond trophy inside a week

“I don’t think it has got anythingto do with your name being on thecup,” said Weir. “Everton are wherethey are because they have got agood manager and good players;David is keeping the boys at a goodlevel and is getting rewarded forhard work.

“There has been nothing luckyabout what they have done so far;ok, some people say ManchesterUnited played a weakened team inthe semi-final but they did the samelast weekend against a side (Hull)that needed to win and beat themcomfortably.

“You can’t take anything awayfrom Everton; United, Liverpooland Aston Villa are all top sides andI really fancy them; the lads deservetheir day at Wembley and it is goodthat there are players who havebeen there before.

“Tim Cahill has played in a finalwith Millwall and is a specialplayer; he comes alive in thesegames, you can be sure he will riseto the occasion. He will relish thechallenge, as will all the other boys.Fingers crossed they’ll see the jobthrough.”

FormerBluehopes to savour silverwareboth sidesof theborderby the quality of players that he hasbrought in; he’s kept them hungryand is ready to take them up to thenext stage; so, yes, the idealscenario would be for the double atthe weekend and hopefully that willbe the case.”

If Weir’s record in knockoutfootball north of the border isoutstanding - he has played in three

finals since joining Rangers andalso won the Scottish Cup withHearts - the same could not be saidof his time with Everton.

The closest the Blues got tosilverware in his time were FA Cupquarter-finals against Aston Villa(2000) and Middlesbrough (2002);both ended in anti-climax and itrankles Weir that he and his

colleagues couldn’t giveEvertonians the success theycraved.

“The Aston Villa game is the onethat stands out the most,” Weir, whohas just celebrated his 39thbirthday, recalled. “That was a bigdisappointment because they beatus at Goodison Park and we’d reallyfancied ourselves to get through

that day.“Middlesbrough was also a

massive disappointment; we wereall desperate to give the fanssomething to shout about and itwould have been great to play at aneutral ground in the semi-finalswith so much backing butunfortunately it wasn’t to be.”

This year, though, the feeling has

PROUD DAYS: Rangers skipperWeir lifts the SPL trophy

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KingDominic Smilesall the

rollercoasterNEGATIVE starts beingtransformed into positiveendings has been a recurringtheme of Everton’s season - andfew know that better than

Robert Elstone.When taking over the role of chief

executive from Keith Wyness, who had quitunexpectedly last summer, Elstone wasimmediately left to juggle the hot potatothat was the EGM and deal with thecontentious Public Inquiry over theplanned move to Kirkby.

It was, undoubtedly, a stressful time forElstone and one that meant he was unableto divert his focus but since the PublicInquiry ended, there has been a lift aroundthe atmosphere in the corridors of power atGoodison Park – sparked primarily by anoutstanding FA Cup run.

Everton’s charge to Wembleyhas captured the imaginationover the last few months andwhile the men in DavidMoyes’ dressing room

have felt that most, the impact it has had onother areas of the club should not beunderestimated.

Elstone, certainly, is much more relaxedand confident than he was in his first fewmonths and it is no surprise; after all, hehas just successfully negotiated a recordsponsorship deal with retailers Kit Bag thatwill be worth more than £32m to Evertonover 10 years.

There have, however, been othersuccesses, one of which is entirely topical;before Everton played in the FA Cup thirdround, Elstone wanted to generate interestand income from a possible run in thefamous old pot – and so the Road toWembley was launched.

Six months on, that route will reach itsfinal destination on Saturday and Elstone

is hoping the latest trip will be

the best yet –that, of course, willbe guaranteed if PhilNeville ends up hoisting thetrophy aloft.

“There has been an awful lot of progressmade on a number of fronts,” said Elstone,reflecting on the season. “I look back on myfirst year and the first six months werespent handling the EGM and the PublicInquiry. It was very defensive and reactive.

“But since February, after the PublicInquiry finished, it has been much morepositive, progressive and we’ve been on thefront foot. We have got a great new dealwith Kit Bag that is the most exciting withwhich I’ve ever been involved in mysporting career.

“It’s not just pounds, shillings and pence.It’s all to do with what our partner wants to

do. They are a leadingonline sports retailer, wholook after Barcelona,Manchester United, Chelsea; theyknow how to sell but they want toshow the world that they are good attraditional retailing.

“Accordingly, they investing heavilyin the look and feel of our stores. Tohave found a partner that is committedto doing something better than anyoneelse is just fantastic; it’s really excitingand our season ticket sales have beenreally encouraging too.

Elstonedrives theGoodison feelgood factor

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wayonBluesride toglory

“We are always ambitious. We don’t wantto settle at last year’s numbers despite theeconomic position. But coinciding with allthat has been this fantastic FA Cup run; Iremember sitting down with our corporatesales and coming up with a ‘Road toWembley’ campaign.

“I wanted to talk to our corporatemembers about seeing whether they wantedto come on a coach to Macclesfield, having anice meal in a hotel beforehand; it’s a clichebut it was the start of the road to Wembley.

“Did I think we would end up going allthe way at that point? Probably not.Particularly so after we saw the draw forthe next round; but to see everything cometo fruition, from our fans to our board ofdirectors, has been wonderful.

“What it has done is generated thisgreat feeling inside and outside the

club. There have been somebrilliant

Some may perceive him as a rugby leagueman, given his links with Castleford Tigers,but the 45-year-old will savour everymoment of Saturday afternoon as, in manyways, he is living out a dream.

“One of the most obvious strengths of theplaying squad and the management is thelevel of ambition, the will to win and theteam spirit,” said Elstone. “It’s veryevident that the group of players wehave, led by the manager we have,absolutely don’t see this as theendgame.

“It’s the start of the journey. We haveto ensure that the rest of the businesshas the same mentality and I’msure it does. Everything is abouttomorrow being better thanwe were today; thatmight be alittle bit

performances.”Sentiments with which

few would disagree; havingknocked out the Premier League’s

top two teams, come from behind to getthe better of Middlesbrough and

demolish Aston Villa, some of Everton’sbest displays have been reserved for this

competition.Should they see the job through and beat

Chelsea, it would be enormously satisfyingbut not the zenith of their ambitions; themantra coming from Moyes and his playersis very much that this will be the first ofmany big days out.

Similarly, Elstone thinks the same way.

cliched butit’s true.

“This daycaptures our

imagination; everybody ofmy generation grew up on FA

Cups. The FA Cup final was the biggestgame of the year; it was before the PremierLeague was formed and dominatedeverything. It was the absolute highlight,we watched it wall to wall on the day.

“We then went out with our mates andreplayed the game in the streets. So to beinvolved in that at this point in myprofessional career is just fantastic; I knoweveryone here feels the same. The workload,obviously, has been huge.

“But I’ve encouraged everyone to take astep back and make sure they look back onthis period as a highlight; the challengeshave been huge but we need to make surewe enjoy the rewards. This is what footballis all about – it’s the culmination of a lot ofhard work.”

ashe savourseverymoment in club’shot-seat

Historymakers● EVERTON’S Mike Trebilcock wasthe first black player to score in an FACup final. Trebilcock scored a brace ofgoals in the Blues’ memorable 3-2 winover Sheffield Wednesday in 1966.

● NEVILLE SOUTHALL is the only playerto win two FA Cups playing for Everton. TheWelshman kept goal for both the 1984 and1995 triumphs.

● BLUES midfielder Stuart McCallwas the first substitute to score twogoals in an FA Cup final. McCallachieved the feat in 1989, butLiverpool’s Ian Rush levelled it withtwo goals of his own in the same gameto give the Reds the 3-2 win.

● EVERTON’S first-ever FA Cupappearance was due to be in 1886

against Glasgow Rangers, butbefore the match, the Blues

realised they would be fieldingineligible players, so played it as a

friendly.

● JOE ROYLE is the onlyEverton manager to steer

them to a trophy in a firstseason in charge.

● EVERTON’S first actual FA Cup gamewas in 1887 against Bolton Wanderers,which the Trotters won 1-0.

But the game was to be replayed forBolton fielding an ineligible player. Thematch was drawn and replayed three timesbefore Everton triumphed.The tie was eventually given to Boltonhowever, as Everton fielded ineligibleplayers!

● EVERTON’S first-ever FA Cupgoalscorer was George Farmer. Hescored in the first replay againstBolton in 1887, and was also one ofEverton’s first professional players,signing from Oswestry.

● EVERTON’S first FA Cup final came in1893. Everton played against Wolves atFallowfield and lost 1-0, despite beating them4-2 in their previous league game.

● THE first Everton player to score inan FA Cup final was Jack Bell in 1897against Aston Villa.Although Bell equalised to make it 1-1in the 23rd minute, Everton would goon to lose 3-2.

● THE first FA Cup Merseyside derby camein 1902 in the first round at Anfield. Thematch finished a 2-2 draw and Liverpoolwould go on to win the replay.

sport ★★★★

TELLMEMA!TELLMEMA!

Documents

In Moyes We Trust - 2009 FA Cup Final Guide - Everton FC