Football

I just love these supporters who claim greatness for their team because their team has never been out of the top flight and who dismiss others as glory hunters.

When Chelsea spent years in the second division, we followed them all over the country. We chased glory. Glory came in winning the second division at Grimsby and if you want to know what glory feels like, watch your team climb out of the mire and ascend like that. That day in Grimsby was worth far more to us all than the day in Bolton 21 years later when we lifted the Premiership for the first time in 50 years. It was touch and go. Only Sheffield Wednesday drawing in (I think) Cardiff, gifted us the title.

We are not a side that has always sat at the top table. Lack of money, unwise building and problems off the pitch saw to that in the 1970s. We used to field teams made up[ entirely of home grown players and if they were any good - like Butch Wilkins - a Big team would snap them up. Even later, Pat Nevin was snapped up by a Big side, Everton and Nigel Spackman by Liverpool. John Hollins to Arsenal was gutting.

In those days, Everton were one of the Big Six. The teams that insisted on breaking away from the league so that they could have more money. Everton were one of the teams that dictated how that was worked out and understandibly are upset that the framework that they put in place is benefitting others and not themselves.

Everton's demise as a big club came with the National Lottery. Everton were mainly funded by the Moores family who got their money from Littlewoods Pools. The lottery saw to that and Everton's hopes. No longer able to buy glory for themselves, Evertonians now bleat about others doing so.

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We've had this convo/debate before. Clive I respect and admire you for following your club through the shite, we all have, that's what real fans do
The fact is Chelsea's success has been bought - FACT!
Matthew Harding set them off on their way though and worked wonders for Cheslea in terms of stability and investment
Everton's success was nurtured like you say with stability and investment from The Moore's. Although they no longer properly own Littlewoods it's a bit off the mark to say The Lottery fucked them up.What really happened is the Mum(old dear, forget her name) was a MASSIVE Blue and funded the club. When she died, the son(Lord Grantchester) got the inheritance - he doesn't like football and could not give two shites about Everton, hence us being fuckin skint since the mid 90's!

Liverpool also fucked us up in '85 by bringing upon the 5yr European ban, causing all our best players to fuck off, when the ban was lifted we found ourselves with no financing and a shit team