My Top Ten Everton Aways – Guest article by Tom Martin

So tomorrow we have a trip to London to look forward to, and whilst historically London hasn’t been kind to us, a win would see two away wins on the bounce since Dixie Dean was banging them in. Here’s a bit of light reading reminiscing about the fun we’ve had outside of L4, I’ve included only games I’ve seen and can remember (I wasn’t at all of them, call me a telly clapper, I dare you), and I’ve only included wins because apparently it’s tinpot to celebrate a draw and hahahahaha the Ev. Feel free to comment, there’s no way this list will be met with universal acclaim but it’s a game of opinions innit? Enjoy!

10. West Ham 1-2 Everton, 16/05/2015

Last game of the season, sun shining and a last minute winner; what more do you want? A pretty poor game in truth but the atmosphere was brilliant. I always love us winning after going behind and the right from the concourse to the terraces our fans showed how special they are. Always nice to win in London, too. More of the same tomorrow, blues.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/32670894

9. Burnley 1 – 5 Everton, 26/12/2018

Need I say more? Boxing day, away from home, Everton battering Prince Charles’ favourite team. Probably the best away game under Silva, and two absolute belters from Lucas Digne. Days like this make you remember how fun football can be and showed how good we could be under Silva. Shame it never worked out for him, Ancelotti tho.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46615195

8. Leeds 0-1 Everton, 03/11/2002

Whilst Rooney’s first goal against Arsenal is rightly lauded as his breakout moment – it was the winner here that really cemented his status as one of, if not the most, exciting prospects in world football at the time. It had been 54 years since we’d won at Elland Road (Leeds were still a massive club at the time), and the pitch invasion when a 17-year-old Rooney had just tore apart a top side with one of his best goals in royal blue is a sight to behold. The Toffees were heading to the top of the league and the dark days of Walker and Smith were being left behind in style.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/2373319.stm

7. West Brom 2-3 Everton, 28/09/2015

A rare comeback for the blues and Lukaku at his best, here. When we went 2-0 down in the 54 th minute it really felt like game over, especially against a Pulis side away from home. However, Romelu said no; and three goals in twenty-five minutes turned the game on its head. The winner in particular is a masterpiece in thescrappy-away-from-home-late-winner canon, this was one of the highlights of a poor league season. This is the kind of character we’d love to see more often from Everton.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/34311167

6. Southampton 0-3 Everton, 15/08/2015

Halcyon days. This was really just an example of Everton doing the good football, with Lukaku again at his best, Barkley looking like the player we all hoped he would be, and John Stones showing why Pep Guardiola wanted him so badly. Also, this gets bonus points for Ronald Koeman looking forlorn on the touchline and Sadio Mane not scoring. Bitter? Yes. Funny? Also yes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/33832170

5. Man City 0-2 Everton, 24/03/2010

It was tough to choose from our numerous wins at the Etihad, but this one takes the bacon due to Jack Rodwell leaving Vincent Kompany on his backside and David Moyes offering out Roberto Mancini. This was also just after the Lescott affair, and had the glorious partnership of Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta in the middle and on the scoresheet. This was just as City were starting to gather momentum as a premier league force, but in a rare move for a Moyes Everton side, we were having none of it. Take me back.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8580677.stm

4. Sunderland 0-2 Everton, 27/03/2012

What a night this was, one of the finest victories of the Moyes era, a big game in which Everton actually delivered. This was a time when Fellaini was one of the best players in the league (genuinely), Jelavic was being compared to Suarez (genuinely) and we all genuinely believed this was the year the trophy hunt would end. Morons. The celebrations for the second goal are special.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/17441590

3. VfL Wolfsburg 0-2 Everton, 27/11/2014

Smash. And. Grab. Counter-attacking football at its finest and Everton winning on the continent. Lukaku looked like one of the world’s best on this kind of form, and it was the kind of performance you dream of in European away games. Wolfsburg were a feared side around this time and we showed up and made them look  distinctly average. I’m absolutely desperate for us to get into Europe again so we can enjoy nights like this once more.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/30204400

2. Chelsea 1-1 Everton (Everton win 4-3 on pens), 19/02/2011

When all is said and done, let it be known that Leighton Baines has been the best Everton player of the 21 st century and he deserves all the praise when he steps down, which may be *wells up* this season. When Everton go 1-0 down at a top four side away from home in extra time in the cup, you’d be forgiven for expecting nil satis nisi notgonnawin. However, Jagielka buys a nice cheap foul on the edge of their box in the final minute of injury time and up steps Leighton the Last Shadowpuppet Baines, and with the coolest head in London at the time, he puts it top corner and casually jogs to the rapturous away fans, with his trademark sensible wave celebration. Lovely stuff. Johnny Heitinga makes Ashley Cole shit his kecks and Phil Neville scores the best pen I’ve actually ever seen in an Everton shirt to send us
through to the next round. We then lost to Wigan at home 3-0, lol.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/9401070.stm

1. Manchester United 0-1 Everton, 04/12/2013

This is Manchester United. You know, Man U. The theatre of Dreams. Biggest club in the world. Man U. Manchester United. Or that’s what the pundits say – four months into Roberto Martinez’s reign Everton said no – these are shite, and promptly deserved the three points at Old Trafford for the first time in decades. At this point it felt like anything was possible, we were playing the most attractive, exciting football in the league, and the moniker “sin miedo,” was defining a new, bolder Everton. Gone were the days of taking knives to gunfights, and Oviedo slotted the winner, Martinez wagged his finger in the air and David Moyes watched on, probably realising, for the first time, that professional footballers are allowed to compete with other professional footballers even if you’re at their ground and they’re the current champions. More of these in the future please, Everton.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/25115886

Thoughts on this list? I’ve probably missed a fair few out, but the beauty of football is each person’s experience is unique to that person. Having asked friends for suggestions I’ve been struck how a good away day isn’t just about the result, but how you watched it, who you were with, the experience you had and even your life at the time. Let me know your thoughts. Safe travels to those going to West Ham