--- In soccerdatauk@yahoogroups.com, "steve flanagan"

<steve.flanagan@...> wrote:
>
> Looking through my myriad of notes on the history of Everton, I
noticed
> something I wrote regarding the 1880-81 Lancashire Cup.
>
> Everton were drawn away to Great Lever in the first round on 6
November
> 1880, and came away with a 1:1 draw. The replay took place at
Stanley Park
> on 27 November 1880, with Great Lever winning 8:1 (although I have
seen a
> 7:1 scoreline reported in one of the local papers).
>
> However, there have been suggestions that this match was refereed
(or should
> that be umpired?) by a member of the Great Lever committee and
Everton felt
> that Great Lever had many "dodgy" decisions go for them. As a
result, so
> the story goes, the Lancashire FA ruled that the match shoudl be
replayed at
> Great Lever, with them winning 1:0.
>
> The problem is that I can't find any record of this third match in
any of
> the local newspapers. Does anyone have any details (especially the
date) of
> this supposed third match? The suggested events, whereby, the
Lancashire FA
> ruled that a replay should take place was, supposedly made on 13
November
> 1880, however, from what I can ascertain the first replay (the 8:1
match)
> didn't take place until 27 November 1880 so no ruling could have
taken place
> then. A ruling may have been made on 13 December instead which
would mean
> that the earliest this possible third match could have taken place
was 20
> December 1880.
>
> Does anyone know the true version of events.
>
> Many thanks in advance
>
> Steve Flanagan

>Dear Steve,
The Lancashire FA records show that the protest, entered by Everton,
was discussed during a meeting that took place on 15th November 1880,
following their 8-1 defeat in the replay. They decided to replay, for
a second time, the tie at Great Lever and that Mr Yeats, an offical
with the Cheshire FA would be appointed to oversee the
proceedings.The second re-play , it would appear, took place on 27th
November. Everton. in order to fulfil the fixture, were forced to
devide their squad as a fixture against Haydock had already been
arranged.The Everton secertary was, at the time,Frank Brettel who
lived at 91, Gregson Street, Everton. The Queens Arms,the then HQ of
Everton FC,stood at corner of Gregson St and was the favorite howff
of the committee.

The Liverpool newspapers were, at the time, dependant on the local
football club scretaries for their information concerning football
matches and Mr Brettel sent his match reports to the Liverpool
Courier who, on the 4th December 1880, published an account of
Everton,s 2nd visit to Great Lever where they were met by a hostile
crowd,

I have a copy of the article and, if you would like to read it,will e
mail it to you as it clearly indicates that Everton played Great
Lever, in all, 3 times.

yours in sport,

Tony Onslow (Bootle Football Club)