Faith of Our Families

Book excerpt: It is known as The School of Science, a pioneering institute on from the game's inception as a professional sport through to the advent of the Premier League. It is known too as The People's Club, an institution that in football's globalised and money strewn era has managed to retain a distinct local identity and whose fans see themselves as a distinct tribe. It is a club where legends of the game bestrode the hallowed turf of its world famous stadium, Goodison Park: from Fred Geary and Jack Taylor to Dixie Dean and Tommy Lawton; Alex Young, Alan Ball and Howard Kendall to Neville Southall, Graeme Sharp and modern icons, like Romelu Lukaku. It is Everton Football Club: unmistakeable, unique, unforgetable. Yet the inner life of Everton Football Club is veiled in mystique. Only a select few partake in the sensitive discussions of running a club or the casual banter of the training ground or dressing room. While there is a shared experience in the stadium, altered perceptions of a club's highs and lows live on in the hearts and minds of all the protagonists: players, managers, supporters and other witnesses to the team's fortunes. As Everton enter their 140th year, Everton: An Oral History tells the story of the club through the voices of the people who made the institution one of the most revered in world football. Assiduously curated by award winning author, James Corbett, and told in the words of the people who made it great, Everton: An Oral History offers a front row seat to the highs and lows of the club. Featuring more than 100 original interviews with the club's players, managers, fans and administrators, Everton: An Oral History offers an unparalleled and unprecedented insight into the club's story