Everton EFL Trophy preview

[Sweden Stag]

For the second time in three seasons, the Stags will face any Everton side in any cup competition. Two seasons ago, it was the U 23 side of the Toffees. This time around, it will be the U 21 outfit of the blue side of Liverpool.

Two seasons ago, a late Zander Diamond strike in front of a sub-1000 crowd, the lowest since 1939, sealed the tie in the Stags’ favour. And out of the Stags’ starting line-up two years ago, only White and Sterling-James have played this season.

Then, a Stags victory was needed to have any chance to progress. Eventually they did, losing to Blackpool on penalties.

The other sides in this season’s group stage of the EFL Trophy are Burton and Crewe.

Just a few notes on the Toffees below.

Everton’s first team have over the decades been stalwarts at England’s highest level, and since the FL was inaugurated in 1888, the Toffees have played at the highest level in all seasons bar four. One in the early 1930’s, when the Toffees first won the Second Division Championship in 1930-31, then went on to win the First Division, following up that feat with winning the FA Cup. The Toffees also had a three-season spell at the second level in the early fifties, getting promoted along with Leicester City in 1953-54, incidentally swapping places with Liverpool.

Everton have been FL champions on nine occasions, latest time out in 1986-87 and have also won the FA Cup five times, the latest in 1994-95. Add to that, winners of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1984-85.

Several top-class players have graced the Everton shirt over the years. To name a few: Brian Labone, Alan Ball, Joe Royle, Bob Latchford, Dixie Dean.

While checking players having appeared for both sides, four have been traced. Here they are, in chronological order:

The first one was Jimmy Gauld, who played 26 games for the Toffees in 1956-57 and ended his playing career at the Stags in the early sixties, playing four games, scoring three times. After that, he became known for the wrong reasons. Enough printed.

Duncan McKenzie had two loan periods at the Stags, in 1969-70 and 1972-73 seasons respectively. A few seasons later, he was signed by Billy Bingham, who later became Stags boss. McKenzie played two seasons for the Toffees before being transferred to Chelsea. His first loan period saw Duncan play ten times, scoring on three occasions. In 1972-73, he played sex games and scored seven goals. Five of those came in two games, 4-1 at home to Bradford City and 4-0 at home to Workington within the space of a few days in March 1973.

Jason Danskin played one first division game for Everton, away to Luton at the very end of the 1984-85 Championship season and played ten Division Three games for the Stags at the end of the 1986-87 campaign.

Imre Varadi played some twenty-odd league games over two seasons before moving around a lot. He played just one Stags League game, a 2-4 defeat at Fulham on the opening day of the 1995-96 season, ending up being subbed.

More recently in preview history, two players having played for the Stags came originally from Everton without making the Toffees’ first team. They are Laurence Wilson (his latest FL club was Morecambe and he played against the Stags in January 2016) and George Pilkington, who played in the Conference winning side of Macclesfield during the 2017-18 season, his last of four campaigns at the Silkmen.

Billy Bingham also played for Everton before starting his managerial career at Southport in 1965 before managing the Stags in the latter stages of their 1977-78 season at second level as well as the following one. Three decades after Bingham’s managerial debut at the Sandgrounders of Southport, another former Everton player bossed the Stags. The late Andy King oversaw the Stags’ League Cup giant-killing of Leeds during the 1994-95 season and was also Stags boss when Imre Varadi played his only Stags game.

This tie, which was moved forward one week, starts the EFL Trophy campaign for the Stags. Expect a couple of line-up changes compared to the latest League Two fixtures. Come on Mansfield!

[BoughtonStag71]

For the second time in three seasons, the Stags will face any Everton side in any cup competition. Two seasons ago, it was the U 23 side of the Toffees. This time around, it will be the U 21 outfit of the blue side of Liverpool.

Two seasons ago, a late Zander Diamond strike in front of a sub-1000 crowd, the lowest since 1939, sealed the tie in the Stags’ favour. And out of the Stags’ starting line-up two years ago, only White and Sterling-James have played this season.

Then, a Stags victory was needed to have any chance to progress. Eventually they did, losing to Blackpool on penalties.

The other sides in this season’s group stage of the EFL Trophy are Burton and Crewe.

Just a few notes on the Toffees below.

Everton’s first team have over the decades been stalwarts at England’s highest level, and since the FL was inaugurated in 1888, the Toffees have played at the highest level in all seasons bar four. One in the early 1930’s, when the Toffees first won the Second Division Championship in 1930-31, then went on to win the First Division, following up that feat with winning the FA Cup. The Toffees also had a three-season spell at the second level in the early fifties, getting promoted along with Leicester City in 1953-54, incidentally swapping places with Liverpool.

Everton have been FL champions on nine occasions, latest time out in 1986-87 and have also won the FA Cup five times, the latest in 1994-95. Add to that, winners of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1984-85.

Several top-class players have graced the Everton shirt over the years. To name a few: Brian Labone, Alan Ball, Joe Royle, Bob Latchford, Dixie Dean.

While checking players having appeared for both sides, four have been traced. Here they are, in chronological order:

The first one was Jimmy Gauld, who played 26 games for the Toffees in 1956-57 and ended his playing career at the Stags in the early sixties, playing four games, scoring three times. After that, he became known for the wrong reasons. Enough printed.

Duncan McKenzie had two loan periods at the Stags, in 1969-70 and 1972-73 seasons respectively. A few seasons later, he was signed by Billy Bingham, who later became Stags boss. McKenzie played two seasons for the Toffees before being transferred to Chelsea. His first loan period saw Duncan play ten times, scoring on three occasions. In 1972-73, he played sex games and scored seven goals. Five of those came in two games, 4-1 at home to Bradford City and 4-0 at home to Workington within the space of a few days in March 1973.

Jason Danskin played one first division game for Everton, away to Luton at the very end of the 1984-85 Championship season and played ten Division Three games for the Stags at the end of the 1986-87 campaign.

Imre Varadi played some twenty-odd league games over two seasons before moving around a lot. He played just one Stags League game, a 2-4 defeat at Fulham on the opening day of the 1995-96 season, ending up being subbed.

More recently in preview history, two players having played for the Stags came originally from Everton without making the Toffees’ first team. They are Laurence Wilson (his latest FL club was Morecambe and he played against the Stags in January 2016) and George Pilkington, who played in the Conference winning side of Macclesfield during the 2017-18 season, his last of four campaigns at the Silkmen.

Billy Bingham also played for Everton before starting his managerial career at Southport in 1965 before managing the Stags in the latter stages of their 1977-78 season at second level as well as the following one. Three decades after Bingham’s managerial debut at the Sandgrounders of Southport, another former Everton player bossed the Stags. The late Andy King oversaw the Stags’ League Cup giant-killing of Leeds during the 1994-95 season and was also Stags boss when Imre Varadi played his only Stags game.

This tie, which was moved forward one week, starts the EFL Trophy campaign for the Stags. Expect a couple of line-up changes compared to the latest League Two fixtures. Come on Mansfield!

Nice to know what Duncan McKenzie got up to during the 1972/73 season

[Hon Sec]

And he scored 7 times.

[Field Mill]

Many thanks Sweden Stag. Impeccable research and always an interesting read.