History of Everton F.C. facts for kids

Everton Football Club has a long and exciting history! The club started with a church group from the St. Domingo Chapel in Everton, Liverpool. They first called themselves St. Domingo FC. But in 1879, they changed their name to Everton, after the area they played in. Since then, Everton has won many trophies, including the Cup Winners' Cup, nine league titles, and five FA Cups. They were the first team to play over 100 seasons in England's top football league. The 2023–24 season is their 120th!

How Everton Football Club Started

The St. Domingo Methodist New Connexion Chapel opened in 1871 in Everton, Liverpool. In 1877, Reverend Ben Swift Chambers became the Minister. He started a cricket team for young people in the area. But cricket is only played in summer. So, for winter, they decided to form a football club! This club was called St. Domingo's F.C. They played their first game in 1878 and won 1–0 against Everton Church Club.

Many people who didn't go to the chapel wanted to join the football club. So, everyone agreed to change the name. In November 1879, at a meeting in the Queen's Head Hotel, the team became Everton Football Club. They named it after the local area. A sweet company called Barker and Dobson even made "Everton Mints" to celebrate the club! The team's badge also shows the Everton Lock-Up, a famous building in the area.

Everton first played at Stanley Park. This was an open field. The first official match as Everton F.C. was in 1879 against St. Peters. Everton won that game 6–0! A man named John Houlding lived near the park. He liked how many people came to watch the club.

Professional football clubs needed better places to play. In 1882, a Mr. J. Cruit gave the club some land at Priory Road. Everton played there for two years. They even had proper fences and gates for fans. But the crowds got too big and noisy for Mr. Cruit. So, Everton had to move.

In 1884, Everton moved to Anfield. They rented the ground from John Orrell, a friend of John Houlding. They built proper covered stands for the fans. A year later, Houlding bought Anfield. Everton became a very successful club there. They hosted an international match between England and Ireland. They also helped start the Football League and won their first league title at Anfield.

Founding Members of the Football League

In 1888, Everton helped create the Football League. This was a big step for English football! In their first season, Everton finished eighth. The next season, they finished second.

Winning the First League Title

The 1890–91 season started amazingly for Everton. They won their first five games! Fred Geary scored in six matches in a row. By January, Everton had almost finished all their games and were far ahead. Preston North End was eleven points behind. Everton then had to wait two months while Preston caught up. Preston got to within two points of Everton.

Both teams played their last games on March 14. Everton lost 3–2 to Burnley. Preston lost 3–0 to Sunderland. This meant Everton won the Football League Championship for the first time! They won by two points. Fred Geary was their top scorer with 21 goals.

Moving to Goodison Park

After winning their first league title, there was a big disagreement within the club. The Everton Committee and President John Houlding had a conflict. Houlding owned Anfield and rented it to Everton. He increased the rent a lot. The committee members thought Houlding was trying to make too much money from the club. There were also disagreements about selling drinks and snacks, which Houlding controlled.

The committee also found out that a road could be built through the main stand at Anfield. This would force Everton to buy the land or rent even more. The committee believed Houlding knew about this problem. They wanted him to negotiate, but he refused. This led to a big fight about who controlled the club.

In 1892, Houlding tried to start a new company called The Everton Football Club and Athletic Grounds Limited. He wanted it to be the official Everton club. But the Football League said no. So, Houlding changed the name of his new company to Liverpool F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd. This is how Liverpool F.C. was created!

Because of this, Everton left Anfield. They moved to Goodison Park, which was on the other side of Stanley Park. They sold shares to raise money for the new ground. Everton played their last game at Anfield on April 18, 1892. A new company, The Everton Football Club Limited, was officially formed on June 14, 1892.

FA Cup Successes

After moving to Goodison Park, Everton reached four FA Cup finals before the First World War. They lost in 1893 and 1897. But they finally won the FA Cup on April 20, 1906, beating Newcastle United 1–0. They reached the final again in 1907 but lost 2–1 to Sheffield Wednesday.

Champions Again Before the War

The 1914–15 season was the last before football stopped for the First World War. Everton won their second league title! They finished one point ahead of Oldham Athletic. Bobby Parker was the league's top scorer with 35 goals that season.

The Dean Era: A Goal-Scoring Legend

William Ralph Dean, known as "Dixie" Dean, was one of the best goal scorers in English football history! He scored many goals for Tranmere Rovers. Then, Everton brought him to their club. In his first season, 1925–26, Dean scored 32 league goals in 38 games. He scored two goals in his very first match! The next season, he scored 21 goals in 27 games.

Setting a Record: 60 Goals!

In the 1927–28 season, Dean made history. He scored an incredible 60 league goals in just 39 matches! This record still stands today. He almost single-handedly helped Everton win the league title that year.

Strangely, in 1930, Everton finished last in the top division and were relegated. But Dean kept scoring! He netted 39 goals in 37 games in the second division. This helped Everton get promoted back to the top league right away, as champions of the Second Division.

The next season, 1931–32, Dean scored 45 goals. Everton won their fourth league title!

In 1933, Everton won the FA Cup. Dean became Everton's first-ever number 9 in the final. They beat Manchester City 3–0. This was the first time players wore numbers on their shirts. The number 9 became famous for strong, high-scoring strikers, just like Dean.

Dixie Dean played his last game for Everton in December 1937. He sadly passed away at a Merseyside derby game at Goodison Park in 1980. He left behind an amazing record of 383 goals in 433 matches for Everton.

In the 1938–39 season, Everton won the Football League Championship again. Players like Joe Mercer, T. G. Jones, and Tommy Lawton were key. Lawton scored 35 goals that season when he was only 19! The start of World War II stopped football for six years. This meant this great team couldn't achieve even more, just like the team in 1914–15.

Tough Times: The 1940s and 1950s

After the war, the great 1939 championship-winning team quickly broke up. Tommy Lawton was sold to Chelsea. Joe Mercer left for Arsenal. Soon, only Ted Sagar remained from that famous team.

Under manager Cliff Britton, Everton was relegated in the 1950–51 season. This was only the second time in their history. It took three seasons for Everton to get promoted back to the top league in 1954. They finished as runners-up in the Second Division.

Even during these tough years, some great players shone, like Dave Hickson and Bobby Collins. A memorable game was when Everton beat Manchester United 5–2 at Old Trafford in 1956. This ended United's long unbeaten run.

Everton reached the FA Cup semi-finals twice. They lost to Liverpool in 1950 and to Bolton Wanderers in 1953.

The Harry Catterick Era (1961–1974)

Many fans remember the 1960s as Everton's "golden era." During this time, they won the League Championship and Charity Shield twice. They also won the FA Cup once. After a difficult 1950s, Harry Catterick became manager in 1961. His team was soon called the "School of Science." This was because of their smart and flowing style of play. In Catterick's first full season, Everton let in fewer goals than any other team. They finished fourth.

League Champions Again!

The next season, the "Toffees" (Everton's nickname) lost only six of their 42 matches. They won their sixth league title! The amazing partnership of Roy Vernon and Alex Young scored 46 goals together. This was the last time two Everton players scored more than 20 goals each in one season. Other important players included Billy Bingham, Jimmy Gabriel, Derek Temple, Bobby Collins, and Brian Labone.

FA Cup Glory: Trebilcock and Temple

In 1966, the same year England won the World Cup, Everton won the FA Cup! It was a classic final. They were losing 2–0 to Sheffield Wednesday. But they came back to win 3–2! Everton reached the final again in 1968. However, they lost to West Bromwich Albion at Wembley. The next year, they reached the semi-finals but lost to Manchester City.

The "Holy Trinity" Midfield

A year later, in the 1969–70 season, Everton won the Championship again! This was thanks in part to the goal-scoring of Joe Royle. He would later manage the club to FA Cup success in 1995. The team won the league in style. They played a very attacking and creative football. This was led by their amazing midfield: Howard Kendall, Alan Ball, and Colin Harvey. Fans often call them the "Holy Trinity." With Brian Labone as captain and Joe Royle scoring goals, many fans think this was Everton's best team ever.

Harry Catterick's team of 1969–70 seemed set for even more success. But they declined quickly. In 1970–71, Everton didn't do as well in the league. However, they did well in two cup competitions. Everton played in the European Cup for only the second time. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Greek team Panathinaikos. The weekend before, Everton played their rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final and lost 2–1.

Everton finished 14th in 1971. Then 15th, 17th, and seventh in the following seasons. The pressure of the team not performing well affected Harry Catterick's health. He resigned in 1974.

The Billy Bingham and Gordon Lee Years (1974–1981)

Under manager Billy Bingham, Everton almost won the Championship again in the 1974–75 season. But some surprising losses meant they finished fourth. After two average seasons, Bingham left in 1977.

During this time, Everton reached their first League Cup final against Aston Villa. They also reached the FA Cup Semi-final against Liverpool. In the League Cup, Everton and Aston Villa drew twice. Everton then lost in extra time of the second replay. The FA Cup Semi-final was drawn 2–2. But a goal by Bryan Hamilton was wrongly disallowed. Everton lost the replay 3–0.

Under Gordon Lee, Everton finished third in 1977–78. Bob Latchford was the top scorer with 30 goals. They finished fourth in 1978–79. They looked like title contenders for much of these seasons. However, fans had high expectations because of Liverpool's success. Finishing 19th in 1979–80 and 15th in 1980–81 was too close to relegation. This led to Lee leaving. Everton did reach the FA Cup Semi-final in 1980. They drew with West Ham but lost the replay.

The Howard Kendall Golden Era (1981–1987)

Former Everton player Howard Kendall came back as manager for the 1981–82 season. He had done well with Blackburn Rovers. Kendall's time started well with a 3–1 win over Birmingham City. They finished eighth in the First Division. They continued to improve in 1982–83, finishing seventh. They just missed out on a European place. The only big loss was a 0–5 home defeat by Liverpool.

In his first three seasons, Kendall brought in young players. These included Neville Southall, Gary Stevens, Derek Mountfield, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy, and Trevor Steven. Kevin Ratcliffe and Graeme Sharp were already there. The most important signing in late 1983 was Andy Gray. Everton hoped to win trophies after being in Liverpool's shadow for years.

The 1983–84 season was tough in the league. Everton were often in the bottom half. Fans even called for Howard Kendall to be sacked. But a good run at the end saw them finish seventh again. However, Everton did well in two cup competitions. They reached their second League Cup final (then called the Milk Cup). They drew 0–0 with Liverpool but lost the replay. The FA Cup was different! Everton won the final 2–0 against Watford. This ended a 14-year wait for a trophy. It was Everton's fourth FA Cup win.

A Season to Remember: 1984–85

The next season was one of Everton's best ever! This young team started to play brilliantly.

Everton won their eighth league title with five games left to play. They were also doing well in two cup competitions. In Europe, Everton reached their first European final! They beat German giants Bayern Munich 3–1 at Goodison Park in the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final. The first game was 0–0. The win against Bayern is one of the most famous games in the club's history. Everton then won the final 3–1 against Rapid Vienna. This was Everton's first-ever European trophy!

In the FA Cup, Everton reached their second final in a row. They had already won the league and the Cup Winners' Cup. They hoped to win a "treble" (three major trophies). But in the final at Wembley, a tired Everton lost 1–0 to Manchester United. If they had won, Everton would have been only the second English team to win three major trophies in one season.

The 1985 Cup Winners' Cup campaign had a sad event. The Heysel Stadium disaster happened during the European Cup final. This led to English clubs being banned from European competitions by UEFA.

After the 1985 season, Everton bought 24-year-old striker Gary Lineker from Leicester City. This led to the popular Andy Gray leaving the club.

Double Runners-Up in 1985–86

The 1985–86 season was another exciting one for Everton, even without European games. At first, Manchester United looked like they would win the league. But their form dropped, and Everton went top of the league in February 1986. Everton looked set to win the title again. However, losses to Nottingham Forest and Oxford United meant Liverpool took over the top spot. Everton won their last league game 6–1 against Southampton. But Liverpool's win meant the title was out of reach. Everton finished second.

On May 10, 1986, Everton played Liverpool in the first-ever all-Merseyside FA Cup final. Gary Lineker scored for Everton. But two goals from Ian Rush and one from Craig Johnston meant Liverpool won the trophy. Liverpool completed the "double" (winning the league and FA Cup). Everton were left with nothing.

The ban on English teams in European competitions continued. So, Everton could not play in Europe again.

In 1986, Everton sold top scorer Gary Lineker to Barcelona in Spain. They bought defender Dave Watson from Norwich City.

Champions Again in 1986–87

The 1986–87 season started with Everton and Liverpool as top contenders. By Christmas, Everton were fourth. But a 3–1 win over Coventry City in February 1987 sent them to the top of the league. They won the league title on May 4, 1987, with a 1–0 win over Norwich City.

The European ban on English clubs was still in place. So, Everton could not play in the European Cup in 1987–88.

In 1987, Howard Kendall left Everton to manage Athletic Bilbao in Spain. His assistant, Colin Harvey, took over as manager.

The Colin Harvey Era (1987–1990)

Colin Harvey's first season as manager saw Everton finish fourth. In 1988, Everton made a big signing. They bought 23-year-old striker Tony Cottee from West Ham United for £2 million. Harvey also signed midfielder Stuart McCall.

Even with Cottee scoring a hat-trick on his first game, Everton's league form dropped in 1988–89. They finished eighth. Everton did reach Wembley twice. They lost the Full Members Cup final to Nottingham Forest. In May, they lost the FA Cup final 3–2 to Liverpool in extra time. This game was sadly overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster that happened in Liverpool's semi-final.

After that season, Harvey signed Norman Whiteside from Manchester United and Mike Newell. Trevor Steven was sold to Rangers.

The 1989–90 season started well for Everton. They were top of the league for two weeks in autumn. There was hope that the ban on English clubs in Europe would be lifted if England fans behaved well at the World Cup. But Everton never got back to the top of the league. They finished sixth.

By October 1990, Everton were 18th in the league. This was their worst start to a season. Manager Colin Harvey was sacked.

Howard Kendall's Second Return (1990–1993)

Everton had a tough start to the 1990–91 season. So, Colin Harvey was sacked. The club wanted Howard Kendall back as manager. In November, Kendall left Manchester City and returned to Everton. Harvey became his assistant. Things seemed to get better. Everton reached the Zenith Data Systems Cup final at Wembley but lost 4–1 to Crystal Palace. In the league, Kendall guided Everton to a ninth-place finish.

In 1991, Everton hero Graeme Sharp left. But the attack was strengthened by Peter Beardsley from Liverpool and Mo Johnston from Rangers.

Despite these changes, Everton continued to struggle in 1991–92. They finished 12th, their lowest finish in over a decade. The 1992–93 season was the first year of the new FA Premier League. Everton finished 13th, and pressure grew on Howard Kendall.

The start of the 1993–94 season looked promising. Everton topped the Premier League after winning their first three games. But then they had a terrible run of results. Kendall left Everton in early December. They had fallen to mid-table. Caretaker manager Jimmy Gabriel then took over. Everton dropped close to the relegation zone by January.

The Mike Walker Era (1994)

In January 1994, Everton hired Mike Walker from Norwich City. Walker's job was to save Everton from relegation. They had been in the top league for 40 seasons! At first, results were good. But then the team struggled again in March. A strange set of results on the second-to-last matchday put Everton in a relegation spot. They needed to win their last game and hope other results went their way.

The "Great Escape"

On the final day of the season, Everton had to beat Wimbledon at Goodison Park to stay in the league. Wimbledon went 2–0 up! But Everton made an amazing comeback. Graham Stuart scored a penalty. Then Barry Horne scored. And Stuart scored again late in the game to win 3–2! This "Great Escape" meant Sheffield United and Oldham Athletic were relegated instead.

Everton started the 1994–95 season poorly. They were bottom of the league after 14 games, with only one win. Walker was sacked in November 1994.

The Joe Royle Era (1994–1997)

Within days of Walker being sacked, former Everton player Joe Royle returned as manager. He had managed Oldham Athletic for 12 years. His main goal was to save Everton from relegation. He made some changes to the team. He bought striker Duncan Ferguson permanently for a club record £4 million. Everton secured their Premier League safety in the second-to-last game of the season. They won 1–0 at already-relegated Ipswich Town.

But Everton's biggest success that season came on May 20, 1995. A goal from Paul Rideout gave them a 1–0 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup final! This Everton team was not expected to win. They were called the "Dogs of War" because they fought so hard. The brilliant goalkeeping of Neville Southall was also key. This was Everton's first major trophy in eight years!

Royle strengthened the team for the 1995–96 season. He bought Andrei Kanchelskis, a winger from Manchester United, for a club record £5 million. Royle wanted to build on the FA Cup win. But their runs in other cup competitions were short. Everton's league form improved a lot. They finished sixth and just missed out on a European place. Kanchelskis had a great season, scoring 16 goals. But he left for Italian club Fiorentina halfway through the next season.

Everton struggled without Kanchelskis. Manager Joe Royle stepped down on March 27, 1997, due to a disagreement about transfers. The club was facing a relegation battle again. Veteran defender and captain Dave Watson took over as caretaker manager. He helped Everton stay in the league. But he didn't want the job permanently.

Howard Kendall's Third Return (1997–1998)

After the 1996–97 season, Everton asked Howard Kendall to return for a third time as manager. There was a lot of excitement. People wondered if Kendall could make Everton a top team again. However, the 1997–98 season was difficult. Just like in 1994, Everton's survival was not certain until the last game. They stayed up only because of a better goal difference than Bolton Wanderers. Off the field, the club was in serious financial trouble. This wasn't fixed until 1999.

Kendall's third time as manager ended in June 1998 when he was sacked. Walter Smith was then appointed manager.

The Walter Smith Era (1998–2002)

Walter Smith, a successful former Rangers manager, took over in the summer of 1998. Big things were expected, along with some new players. But his first season saw another fight against relegation. A late run of four wins from their last six games helped them finish 14th. During the 1998–99 season, striker Duncan Ferguson was sold to Newcastle United without Smith knowing. Fans were very angry about this sale. This led to chairman Peter Johnson stepping down. Theatrical producer Bill Kenwright bought control of the club.

Smith's chances of success were limited by ongoing money problems. These had also caused the club's decline in previous years. The 1999–2000 season was better. The club looked like they might qualify for the UEFA Cup. But Everton struggled in the final months. They won only two of their last twelve games. They finished 13th. The 2000–01 season was a big step back. The club was again in a relegation battle. Many key players had long-term injuries.

In March 2000, a TV company called NTL wanted to buy a part of the club. Everton expected a deal before the 2000–01 season. But by October 2000, the deal fell through. This left Everton with money problems. They had to sell players, like Francis Jeffers and Michael Ball, to balance their books. The board had already spent £18.4 million on new players, including bringing back Duncan Ferguson, because they thought the deal was happening.

The Everton board finally lost patience with Smith. He was sacked in March 2002 after an FA Cup loss to Middlesbrough. Everton was still in danger of relegation.

The David Moyes Era (2002–2013)

In March 2002, the board hired David Moyes, a promising young manager from Preston North End. His job was to move Everton forward after years of struggling. He managed to keep the club safe from relegation in the last few games of the season, finishing 15th. In Moyes' first full season, Everton finished seventh in the Premiership. They just missed out on a European place. This season was famous for the rise of young striker Wayne Rooney. He became well-known after scoring a spectacular last-minute goal against league champions Arsenal. He was the youngest English league goalscorer ever and Everton's youngest scorer.

The 2002–03 season was Everton's best since 1995–96. For a while, it even looked like they might qualify for the Champions League. In the FA Cup, Everton suffered a "giant-killing" defeat. They lost away to Shrewsbury Town, a team managed by former Everton captain Kevin Ratcliffe. Shrewsbury was almost relegated from the Football League at the time. The next season's league form was very different. The club finished 17th and had their lowest points total ever.

Wayne Rooney asked to leave the club. He was sold to Manchester United in August 2004 for £23 million. Despite losing Rooney, Everton's 2004–05 season was much more successful. They finished fourth in the table! This was their highest position since 1988. They qualified for the Champions League, finishing ahead of rivals Liverpool. They played some of their best football in years. This was thanks to Moyes' tactics and the great form of Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen. He was sold to Real Madrid halfway through the season.

Despite the excitement of the previous season, Everton started the 2005–06 season badly. Their Champions League campaign ended in defeat by Villarreal. A referee controversially disallowed an important Everton goal. They then went into the UEFA Cup but were knocked out by Dinamo București.

Everton were in the relegation zone in October 2005. But they drew 1–1 with Chelsea, ending Chelsea's nine-game winning run. This started a short comeback. However, another bad run followed, including several 4–0 defeats. A 1–0 win at Sunderland on New Year's Eve started a run of five straight wins. This was the club's best run since the Premier League began. It pulled the team away from the relegation zone. But the team remained inconsistent. A disappointing draw on the last day meant an 11th-place finish. Inconsistency and a lack of goals hurt Everton in 2005–06.

Everton started the 2006–07 season well. They had their first league win at White Hart Lane in 20 years. Then they beat Liverpool 3–0. The club broke its transfer record by signing Andrew Johnson. At the end of the season, Everton were sixth. They qualified for the next season's UEFA Cup.

In 2007–08, Everton again broke their transfer record. They signed Yakubu for £11.25 million. The club reached the group stage of the UEFA Cup. They won all their games, even against the eventual winners, Zenit Saint Petersburg. Everton were knocked out in the last 16 by Fiorentina on penalties. In the Carling Cup, Everton reached the semi-final for the first time in 20 years. They lost to Chelsea. Everton spent much of the season in the top four. But they finished fifth, again qualifying for the UEFA Cup.

The next summer was difficult for Everton. Their plan to move to a new stadium was not approved. The Chief Executive left. And David Moyes seemed unsure about signing a new contract. In the last week of the transfer window, the club broke its transfer record again. They signed Marouane Fellaini for £15 million. Everton failed to qualify for the UEFA Cup group stages.

Moyes eventually signed a new five-year contract. Things started to improve. A strong run in November and December helped the club climb the league table.

In February, Everton played Liverpool three times quickly. Once in the league (a 1–1 draw) and twice in the FA Cup. Everton won the FA Cup replay.

Injuries to key players like Yakubu, Mikel Arteta, and Phil Jagielka did not stop Everton. They finished fifth in the league again. They qualified for the Europa League. Everton reached their first FA Cup final since 1995. They beat Manchester United on penalties in the semi-final. But they lost 2–1 to Chelsea in the final.

The 2009–10 season started with losses, including a 1–6 home defeat to Arsenal. Defender Joleon Lescott was sold for £22 million. The club qualified for the group stages of the Europa League. But they struggled in the league. League results improved in December. But Everton were knocked out of Europe by Sporting CP. By the end of March, they set a club record with seven straight home wins. This included victories over Chelsea and Manchester United. Everton finished eighth. They just missed out on a European place for the next season.

The 2010–11 season started with poor form. They didn't win a league game until October. They were knocked out of the League Cup. But by the end of October, things were stable. They were seventh in the table. Their league form was mixed. But a highlight was an FA Cup win at Chelsea. A run of only three defeats in 18 league games meant a strong finish to the season. By mid-April, they were seventh. Everton finished seventh with 54 points. This was their lowest points total in five years.

The 2011–12 season also started slowly. They were 16th in November. But things changed dramatically in the new year. They signed Nikica Jelavić. The club had only two defeats in 17 League and Cup matches. This included wins over Manchester City, Chelsea, and Tottenham. Everton also reached an all-Merseyside FA Cup Semi-final. They took the lead, but Liverpool scored late to win. Jelavić's goals helped secure a seventh-place finish. They finished above Liverpool for the first time in eight seasons.

Everton started the 2012–13 season strongly. They lost only one of their first 11 league games. A derby match at Goodison ended in a 2–2 draw. By the new year, Everton were fifth. They looked like real Champions League contenders. But their form dipped after Christmas. They won only one of six league matches. The club reached the FA Cup quarter-finals. But they were surprisingly beaten by Wigan Athletic at home. League form improved after this. A run of three wins, including against Manchester City, kept their European hopes alive.

However, strong finishes by Tottenham and Arsenal meant Everton missed out on European places. They finished sixth. But they finished above Liverpool for the second season in a row.

The week after the Merseyside derby, David Moyes announced he was leaving. He was going to manage Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Moyes left a strong group of players. They often did better than expected given the club's money situation. He took over when the club was struggling with relegation. He brought stability. But he didn't win any trophies in his 11 seasons.

The Roberto Martínez Era (2013–2016)

Wigan Athletic manager Roberto Martínez was named Everton manager in June 2013. He signed a four-year deal.

Martínez brought in seven new players. Four were his former Wigan players. He also managed to get talented young players Gerard Deulofeu from Barcelona and Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea on loan.

Everton started the season well. They had only one defeat in their first 18 games. This was one of the best records in Europe! On December 4, 2013, Everton beat champions Manchester United 1–0 at Old Trafford. This was their first win there in 21 years!

At Christmas, the club was fifth in the league. They were only two points from the top. It looked like a very close Premier League title race.

The club reached the FA Cup quarter-finals but lost to Arsenal. March and April brought seven wins in a row. This cemented their fifth-place position. They had real hopes of getting a Champions League spot. But a surprising loss at home to Crystal Palace threatened this. Everton then beat Manchester United 2–0 at Goodison Park. This was David Moyes' last game as Manchester United manager.

Any hope of Champions League football ended with losses to Southampton and Manchester City. However, the club did qualify for the next season's Europa League. They finished fifth with 72 points. This was their highest points total since the Premier League started.

In July, the club broke its transfer record again. They signed Romelu Lukaku permanently for £28 million. Bosnian midfielder Muhamed Bešić was also bought for £4 million. Other signings included Christian Atsu (on loan) and Samuel Eto'o (on a free transfer).

Everton started slowly in 2014. They won only one of their first seven league matches. They let in 16 goals in that time. As the season went on, Everton struggled. They were only a few points above relegation around New Year's Day.

However, they did very well in the Europa League. They won their group in five matches. This included big wins over German club Wolfsburg. Everton beat Swiss club Young Boys 7–2 on aggregate. Lukaku scored five goals in those games. In the next round, Everton won 2–1 at home to Dynamo Kyiv. But they lost the return leg 5–2 and were knocked out. Lukaku's eight goals in nine Europa League matches earned him the competition's Golden Boot.

Back in the league, Everton won six of their last ten matches. This included a 3–0 win over Manchester United at Goodison Park. They finished 11th with 47 points. This was 25 points less than the previous season. The loan signing of Aaron Lennon helped. Eto'o left for Sampdoria. This was a largely poor league performance. Lukaku led the team with ten goals.

Domestic cups also brought little success. The club won no cup matches. They lost in the League Cup and FA Cup in the third round.

Despite the poor performance, Roberto Martínez stayed for the 2015–16 season. In the summer, Gerard Deulofeu was bought back permanently. Midfielder Tom Cleverley joined on a free transfer. Two South American players also joined: Ramiro Funes Mori and Leandro Rodríguez. Aaron Lennon was also signed permanently.

Results were still inconsistent. By the New Year, Everton were in mid-table. But the League Cup offered some hope. The club reached the semi-finals but lost to Manchester City. In January, Everton bought striker Oumar Niasse.

On February 27, the club announced a new 49.9% shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, an Iranian billionaire.

On May 12, 2016, Martinez was sacked. This was after fan protests and losses to Liverpool and Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final. The club finished 11th for the second season in a row.

Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce (2016–2018)

In June 2016, Dutchman Ronald Koeman became manager. He signed a three-year contract. Everton stayed in the top half of the league table throughout the 2016–17 season. They finished seventh, qualifying for the Europa League. Romelu Lukaku scored 25 goals. He was the first Everton player to reach 20 league goals in a season since Gary Lineker in 1985–86.

Before the 2017–18 season, the club broke its record for transfer fees. Lukaku was sold for £90m. They also spent £45m on Gylfi Sigurðsson. The club spent around £150m on new players. This included £25m on Jordan Pickford, a record for a goalkeeper. Wayne Rooney also returned to the club. The team started the season by winning their Europa League qualifying games. But their form quickly got worse. A 5–2 defeat to Arsenal in October left them in the relegation zone. Koeman was sacked the next day.

Under-23 coach David Unsworth took temporary charge. But he couldn't stop them from being knocked out of the Europa League or League Cup. He was replaced by Sam Allardyce. Results improved under Allardyce. The club moved away from the relegation zone and finished eighth. He also got draws against Liverpool. But fans didn't like his cautious style of football. He was removed from his position at the end of the season.

Marco Silva and Carlo Ancelotti (2018–2021)

Marco Silva became Everton manager on May 31. He had been the first choice after Koeman was sacked. Silva guided Everton to an eighth-place finish in his first season, 2018–19. During this time, Everton also appointed Marcel Brands as Director of Football. They notably signed Richarlison for £35 million. However, Silva was sacked on December 5, 2019, after a bad run of results. This included a 5–2 loss to Liverpool in the 234th Merseyside Derby. The club was in the relegation zone. Duncan Ferguson took over as interim manager.

On December 21, former Napoli and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti was appointed permanent manager. When he arrived, the club was 15th. He led the club to a 12th-place finish for the 2019–20 season. In the 2020–21 season, Everton finished 10th under Ancelotti. At one point, the club was top of the league after four wins in a row. This was thanks to new signings like James Rodríguez, Allan, and Abdoulaye Doucouré. At the winter break, the club was second. But Everton's form slipped. They had a five-match winless run in March and April. This left them out of the European places. At the end of the season, Ancelotti left the club to return to Real Madrid. This was a shock to fans. He had said he wanted to stay until the new stadium opened. Although the season was disappointing, a highlight was winning the Merseyside derby at Anfield 2–0. This was Everton's first win at Anfield in 22 years! It was also their first derby win since 2010.

Rafael Benitez, Frank Lampard, Sean Dyche (2021–present)

Rafael Benitez was hired in June 2021. He became the second manager to lead both Merseyside clubs. A strong first two months saw the club in fourth place in early October. But Everton slipped down the table. They were just outside the relegation places by the new year. Benitez was sacked after a loss to Norwich on January 15. Ferguson was in charge for one match before Frank Lampard was hired on January 31.

Everton was in a four-team relegation fight for the rest of the season. They dropped to 18th place after a loss to Burnley in April. But home wins over Manchester United and Chelsea kept them safe. On May 19, a late goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin at home against Crystal Palace confirmed their survival.

A run of eight losses in nine matches around the World Cup break led to Moshiri sacking Lampard on January 23. Former Burnley manager Sean Dyche took over a week later. He guided them to safety. They survived a relegation battle against Leicester and Leeds. A narrow 1–0 home win over Bournemouth on the final day, thanks to a goal from Abdoulaye Doucouré, secured their place in the top league.

Club Honours

Everton Football Club has won many trophies throughout its history!

English League Champions (9 times):

• 1890–91
• 1914–15
• 1927–28
• 1931–32
• 1938–39
• 1962–63
• 1969–70
• 1984–85
• 1986–87

Football League Second Division Champions (1 time):

• 1930–31

FA Cup Winners (5 times):

• 1906
• 1933
• 1966
• 1984
• 1995

Charity Shield Winners (9 times):

• 1928
• 1932
• 1963
• 1970
• 1984
• 1985
• 1987
• 1995 (shared)
• 1986

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Winners (1 time):

• 1984–85

FA Youth Cup Winners (3 times):

• 1965
• 1984
• 1998

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