a couple of snippets :
George Farmer
The first Welshman to make a significant impact for Everton was George Farmer from Oswestry, as it has been difficult to establish who was the first Welsh player to represent the club. He, along with George Dobson became the clubs first ever professional players in 1885. Farmer had previously played for Oswestry White Stars FC and helped the club win the Welsh Cup for the first time in 1884, having joined the club in 1881 as an 18 year old. He won his only two caps for Wales in 1885 before joining Everton in the Easter of that year. He will be forever known as Everton first-ever goal scorer in a recognised competitive match when he scored against Bolton Wanderers in the FA Cup in 1887. He would only stay at the club until 1890, missing out on winning the League title the next season. Farmer would go on to play for non-league clubs Liverpool Caledonians, Liverpool South End and Rock Ferry FC. He would unfortunately pass away in 1905 at the young age of 40, leaving behind his wife Louise and 3 young children. Farmer has been credited with building up Everton in those early days to enjoy the success they would have soon after Farmer left.
The left back is George Farmer, who was born in Oswestry twenty-six years ago, weights 11st , and stands barely 5ft 6in. Geordie is a great favourite with the Everton people, before whom he has been for a long time, being almost a Liverpudlian by right of his seven years’ residence here. Taking into account the tender age of the game he may be fairly called a genuine Liverpool player.
The gentleman who does the sketches for the Football Echo has rather failed to catch Geordie’s charming smile, but for this he has nobly attempted to compensate by giving a fine moustache. Farmer and his smile appeared first to support the fortunes of the Oswestry eleven, and by his qualification there be thrice donned jersey for Wales, look you, as left wing forward. He has played several times for Lancashire, and no district team of Liverpool is complete without him. As a forward he played a dashing game, being as full of tricks as a Waterbury watch, but he has now settled down at half back, where his defensive tackling finds full scope.
efcheritagesociety.com
