5 Worst Moments For Everton Fans
Since its founding in 1878, Everton Football Club has seen a lot of highlight moments that include league and continental trophies. However, there have also been plenty of moments that fans would rather forget. Let’s take a look at Everton’s history and (unfortunately, for some) find the five moments that were the worst for Everton fans.
A String of Poor Managers
Carlo Ancelotti has managed seemingly every major European football team throughout his prestigious career, and that includes Everton. Ancelotti took on the managerial role for Everton in 2019 but left in 2021 to start a second stint with Real Madrid. His departure left Everton in a rough place after finishing with a record of 31 wins, 14 draws, and 22 losses in his 67 matches.
The following two managers would not last for long. Rafael Benitez took over in June 2021 but was fired just six months later after seven wins in 22 matches. Duncan Ferguson lost his only match as caretaker, then Frank Lampard won just 12 of his 43 matches. His firing after just less than a year capped off a string of managers winning under 1/3rd of their matches.
Dropping the Football League Cup
The EFL Cup dates back to 1960 and takes on any club that wants to participate within the top four levels of English football. Everton has been part of the tournament on many occasions but has not won it. The first time that Everton made the final came in 1977, but ultimately lost to Aston Villa on a second replay after 0-0 and 1-1 draws. In 1984, Everton had another chance, and yet again, lost in a replay.
In front of 100,000 people at Wembley Stadium, neither Everton nor Liverpool scored, setting up a replay three days later at Maine Road in front of about half as many people. Graeme Souness scored in the 21st minute for Liverpool, and that would prove to be the only goal in the match. Everton has yet to return to the EFL Cup finals science then.
Last Place Finish
It has been a very long time since Everton was relegated from the First Division/Premier League. The last time came in 1950-51, and the club wasn’t just relegated but finished in last place altogether. What makes things worse, though, is that Everton had a chance to avoid relegation in the final match of the season. Taking on Sheffield Wednesday, Everton needed either a draw or a win to remain in the top division.
Instead, Everton came out completely flat. The club ended up losing 0-6, meaning that they won just one match between the start of March and the end of the season. At the bottom of the standings, Everton finished with 32 points, tying them with Chelsea and the same Sheffield Wednesday team that decimated them. However, Chelsea stayed in the First Division thanks to a better goal differential.
2009 FA Cup Final
Early in the history of the FA Cup, Everton had several successful runs at the title, but those have been few and far between since the mid-1990s. The best chance at the FA Cup came in the 2008-09 season, with Everton entering the tournament in the third round. There, Everton defeated Macclesfield Town 1-0, then pulled off a big win over Liverpool in a replay. They then got through Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, and Manchester United to advance to the final against Chelsea.
It looked like the FA Cup drought for Everton was finally coming to an end as Louis Saha scored in the first minute. Unfortunately, Everton wouldn’t score the rest of the match while Didier Drogba tied things up 20 minutes later. After more than 50 minutes of no scoring, Frank Lampard netted a goal late in the match to give Chelsea the 2-1 lead. That score would hold up, with Chelsea taking the FA Cup.
The Slow Downturn Hits Rock Bottom
Everton won the top division in the 1986-87 season, capping off an incredible climb to the top that had been years in the making. However, there was a slow crawl toward the bottom of the Premier League table that had a couple of low points. The biggest low point came in the 1993-94 season. In the years between then and the First Division title, Everton had dropped to fourth, ninth, 12th, and 13th in the final standings.
In this season, Everton had dropped all the way down to 17th. Attendance was poor as Everton won just 12 matches through the year, losing 22 times en route to a measly 44 points. The worst moment was the penultimate match against Leeds United, which saw Everton lose 3-0. Thankfully, Everton was able to pull off a 3-2 win against Wimbledon in the final match, avoiding relegation.
