monty
Sack Sky and donate to GOT...donations are needed
I wrote this piece for a future section of this forum, inview of developments tonight I feel it is time to air it for one and all, bearing in mind my own experiences with TW and its rulers
Why GOT is the Peoples Site for the Peoples Club
It was back in those dark Victorian days of the mid-nineteenth that our world famous football club was formed, in a dimly lit church hall men gathered to form a team to play this newly regulated sport called football. No nets, no camera’s and very few fans but these pioneers or visionaries, call them what you will, had set out plans to help keep their cricketers fit in winter and play football. St Domingo’s, a name derived from streets in the locality that had in turn been named after the slave trade connections, San Domingo, it was after all 1878, the Americans had only just settled their civil war, parts of the world remained unmapped and Victoria still had nearly a quarter of a century to go before her death
A pitch had been newly opened in Stanley Park and St Domingo played there, oh the irony of that ground based on what we know today. This ground was adjacent to the home of a certain John Houlding, landlord of the Sandon Hotel, later used as a club meeting venue. Houlding was a local big wig, an Alderman, JP and later in life became Lord mayor of Liverpool, his business dealings are recorded as being shady, he took no prisoners in business or any other aspect of his life, he was to all intents and purposes a bully.
St Domingo’s was initially quite successful bring people from far and wide to watch the team. In those days it was not a matter of jump in the car, hop on a bus or get the train, shank’s pony was the norm so some would literally walk miles just to see this team. How many of today’s supporters would walk ten miles to the match then home again? Support grew so fast the team became inter denominational and Everton was born.
Houlding realising that football had potential, offered the club committee land he owned in Anfield, a ground was built and called after its locality and the Sandon Hotel became EFC, HQ our history had truly commenced. However Houlding, being the kind of man he was, tried to milk the new club, driven by pure profit, if you like, or greed as seems far more likely. Rental charges are reported to have increased expedientially year on year until he demanded the then exorbitant sum of £250 pa in 1889. The EFC committee met, enough was enough and a new ground was sort, as you all know that blackmailing bully had his bluff called, the club and its supporters moved away from Anfield and its profiteering bully to build a new ground outside the confines of Liverpool, away from the influence of this robust politician, Goodison Park was built in the satellite area called Everton a place where Houlding had no influence. Note that the club and its supporters moved en bloc, even in those distant days the Peoples club was born. Houlding stayed behind to form a struggling rag tag of a team born out of his Rachmann like business ethics and profit he made out of our teams endeavours.
This time last year odd things started to happen in the Toffee Web forum. A certain avatar eye kept on appearing, pulling rank over all that argued with it and expelling anyone it felt like. That forum had been very well run compared to so many about the net, it was in my, and many others opinion, the best around, so what changed.
Bullying started, for little or no reason people got expelled. Post something that certain someone disagreed with and you were gone, warnings given, no well reasoned appeals listened to because the All Seeing Eye was God. When you consider that all the hard work on the site had been done by the likes of Danny, Dylan, Rob, Micknick and Rodders, their work making the site so attractive to so many this bullying process became all the more extraordinary. Normal quiet, polite and some more comic members ceased posting, went off elsewhere, others who remained and had the temerity to question the objectionable antics of the forum owner received strict tellings off, final warnings and got banned altogether without any warning, I was one such former member who received such a dismissal, for simply asking, Why? The lads who had run that former happy ship decided enough was enough and this place was born, our thanks to Danny and Dylan should always be remembered. At the outset there were only a handful posting in this brave new world but slowly and surely the remainder followed much to the relief of the original hardcore members here.
Whilst going through the birthing process we received visits from our former Toffee Web masters, disdainful comments were made and, like the City council, total backing was given to the bullying party who claimed to have over 3,000 regular members posting in his forum. As far numbers are concerned, we all know the truth behind that salacious claim. Undeterred this place pressed on and our active numbers have since grown and grown, as a sign of our true democracy, only spammers have been thrown from these pages. This forum is now truly the Peoples forum for the Peoples club as evinced by continuing growth, the quality of postings, the humour, which is second to none and the camaraderie between members.
The similarities between this modern cyber site and the humble beginnings of EFC are quite remarkable. I sincerely hope that we continue grow and grow, to be as successful as EFC have been over the years, and on some dark bleak winters evening in 2078 one of you will find this account and remember me, Montyblue honoured to be an Evertonian and a founder member of G O T and long may this place continue because its for the People by the People of the Peoples Club.
As far as Toffee Web is concerned, I just feel sad, look what you missed, hopefully!
Why GOT is the Peoples Site for the Peoples Club
It was back in those dark Victorian days of the mid-nineteenth that our world famous football club was formed, in a dimly lit church hall men gathered to form a team to play this newly regulated sport called football. No nets, no camera’s and very few fans but these pioneers or visionaries, call them what you will, had set out plans to help keep their cricketers fit in winter and play football. St Domingo’s, a name derived from streets in the locality that had in turn been named after the slave trade connections, San Domingo, it was after all 1878, the Americans had only just settled their civil war, parts of the world remained unmapped and Victoria still had nearly a quarter of a century to go before her death
A pitch had been newly opened in Stanley Park and St Domingo played there, oh the irony of that ground based on what we know today. This ground was adjacent to the home of a certain John Houlding, landlord of the Sandon Hotel, later used as a club meeting venue. Houlding was a local big wig, an Alderman, JP and later in life became Lord mayor of Liverpool, his business dealings are recorded as being shady, he took no prisoners in business or any other aspect of his life, he was to all intents and purposes a bully.
St Domingo’s was initially quite successful bring people from far and wide to watch the team. In those days it was not a matter of jump in the car, hop on a bus or get the train, shank’s pony was the norm so some would literally walk miles just to see this team. How many of today’s supporters would walk ten miles to the match then home again? Support grew so fast the team became inter denominational and Everton was born.
Houlding realising that football had potential, offered the club committee land he owned in Anfield, a ground was built and called after its locality and the Sandon Hotel became EFC, HQ our history had truly commenced. However Houlding, being the kind of man he was, tried to milk the new club, driven by pure profit, if you like, or greed as seems far more likely. Rental charges are reported to have increased expedientially year on year until he demanded the then exorbitant sum of £250 pa in 1889. The EFC committee met, enough was enough and a new ground was sort, as you all know that blackmailing bully had his bluff called, the club and its supporters moved away from Anfield and its profiteering bully to build a new ground outside the confines of Liverpool, away from the influence of this robust politician, Goodison Park was built in the satellite area called Everton a place where Houlding had no influence. Note that the club and its supporters moved en bloc, even in those distant days the Peoples club was born. Houlding stayed behind to form a struggling rag tag of a team born out of his Rachmann like business ethics and profit he made out of our teams endeavours.
This time last year odd things started to happen in the Toffee Web forum. A certain avatar eye kept on appearing, pulling rank over all that argued with it and expelling anyone it felt like. That forum had been very well run compared to so many about the net, it was in my, and many others opinion, the best around, so what changed.
Bullying started, for little or no reason people got expelled. Post something that certain someone disagreed with and you were gone, warnings given, no well reasoned appeals listened to because the All Seeing Eye was God. When you consider that all the hard work on the site had been done by the likes of Danny, Dylan, Rob, Micknick and Rodders, their work making the site so attractive to so many this bullying process became all the more extraordinary. Normal quiet, polite and some more comic members ceased posting, went off elsewhere, others who remained and had the temerity to question the objectionable antics of the forum owner received strict tellings off, final warnings and got banned altogether without any warning, I was one such former member who received such a dismissal, for simply asking, Why? The lads who had run that former happy ship decided enough was enough and this place was born, our thanks to Danny and Dylan should always be remembered. At the outset there were only a handful posting in this brave new world but slowly and surely the remainder followed much to the relief of the original hardcore members here.
Whilst going through the birthing process we received visits from our former Toffee Web masters, disdainful comments were made and, like the City council, total backing was given to the bullying party who claimed to have over 3,000 regular members posting in his forum. As far numbers are concerned, we all know the truth behind that salacious claim. Undeterred this place pressed on and our active numbers have since grown and grown, as a sign of our true democracy, only spammers have been thrown from these pages. This forum is now truly the Peoples forum for the Peoples club as evinced by continuing growth, the quality of postings, the humour, which is second to none and the camaraderie between members.
The similarities between this modern cyber site and the humble beginnings of EFC are quite remarkable. I sincerely hope that we continue grow and grow, to be as successful as EFC have been over the years, and on some dark bleak winters evening in 2078 one of you will find this account and remember me, Montyblue honoured to be an Evertonian and a founder member of G O T and long may this place continue because its for the People by the People of the Peoples Club.
As far as Toffee Web is concerned, I just feel sad, look what you missed, hopefully!
