We have 5 copies of Football Manager 2009 to give away. Football Manager 2009, the award-winning football management series is back and has been fully updated for the 2008/09 season with revolutionary new features, including a 3D match engine, improved press conferences and a completely new transfer system. You can now watch your matches in 3D from multiple camera angles, customise the stats you see with the new TV View and rewind and fast-forward the match using the new time.

Get pre-match and in-match feedback from your Assistant Manager on your teams’ performance and motivation levels, build up relationships with journalists and experience the completely new and even more realistic transfer system.

There are many more features, so check out www.footballmanager.com and www.youtube.com/sigames for more information. The release date for both Football Manager™ 2009 and Football Manager Handheld™ 2009 is November 14th 2008.

To have a chance of winning a copy answer the following question correctly.

Q. Name Everton's last 3 managers?

Send your answer together with your name and address to: info@bluekipper.com before 12.00 noon Friday 14th November 2008. The winners will be notified by e-mail. (31/10/08)

Winner Of 2 Everton v Fulham Tickets Is..

Danny Rigby from Bootle. We had 734 correct entries.

Q. Name the last 3 Everton strikers to be transferred to Fulham?

ANS: Johnson, Radzinski, McBride

Win 2 Everton v Fulham Tickets

We have a pair of tickets to see Everton v Fulham for this Saturday. All you have to do is answer the following question correctly. The one winner will be picked from all the correct answers.

Q. Name the last 3 Everton strikers to be transferred to Fulham?

E-mail your answers to info@bluekipper.com together with your name and address before 12.00 noon Friday 31st October 2008. The winner will be notified by e-mail. (28/10/08)

To buy tickets for this game click here: http://www.evertonfc.com/eticketing

The Signs Are There

Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger saw enough in the Blues on Saturday to believe that we are about to turn the corner. The Arsenal Gaffer who funnily enough doesn't see much, thinks that Everton will soon be climbing the table. Jesus I hope so Arse !!

Arse of The Arse says: "Everton have had a tough start to the season but they are a good side. They have missed a few players through injury, such as Steven Pienaar, and Tim Cahill has been suspended recently. But when you look at their squad, you always expect that they can cause you a problem and be a dangerous side. They have Louis Saha and Yakubu in attack and Saha is just starting to fit in now. They certainly started well. You would think when everyone is fit for Everton, they have a strong side. I feel they will come back to their normal level and climb the table quickly. David Moyes is the third longest serving manager in the Premier League and I’m happy he’s signed his contract.

Some managers have that responsibility to show that stability is important - he has been there for six-and-a-half years and is signed now until 2013, which would take him over a decade. That is not very easy in our job." (21/10/08)

Blue Kipper has 4 copies of the new to give away. All you have to do to have a chance to win is answer the following 3 questions correctly.

1. Dunc scored 1 hat-trick for Everton against which Club?

2. How many Full Scotland Caps did he win?

3. What number has Big Dunc got tattooed on his arm?

Send your answers to: lavo@bluekipper.com together with your name, address by 5.00pm 21st October 2008.
The winners will be notified by e-mail.

Initially arriving on loan from Glasgow Rangers in 1994 Duncan Ferguson very quickly became an Everton idol. His robust, brave, yet undoubtedly skilful style endeared him to the supporters and a towering header, which found the net against Liverpool just after his arrival, rubber-stamped his reputation as a fan favourite. Now, by way of a tribute to the man known affectionately as ‘Big Dunc’, the story of his footballing career is set for release on DVD.

Telling the whole story of how a gangly youth from the Scottish town of Stirling became one of the most feared and iconic centre-forwards in the Premier League, ‘Big Dunc: The Story of a Goodison Hero’ pays homage to an Everton legend.

Released ahead of the club’s fixture at home to Manchester United on 25th October, this Official Everton DVD covers Ferguson’s career from schoolboy football, through Dundee United, Glasgow Rangers, his two spells at Goodison, as well as a stay at Newcastle United and an all-too brief international career with Scotland.

Described as a comic-book hero, there were ups and downs in equal measure throughout Ferguson’s career. The goals and the glory, the injuries and the red cards, the brushes with the law, the burglaries and the pigeons are all covered in the story!

Packed with fantastic Duncan Ferguson action and including interviews with Joe Royle, Howard Kendall, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Craig Brown and many, many more, the DVD is an important piece of memorabilia cataloguing an important era in Everton’s rich history.

‘Big Dunc: The Story of a Goodison Hero’ also features extended highlights of Everton’s memorable 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Goodison in 2005 in which Duncan spurred the team to victory, along with a special feature chronicling every goal that he scored in his Everton career.

Big Dunc: The Story of a Goodison Hero is an official Everton FC DVD on sale via club channels from 22nd October and is available to pre order now from dvds.evertonfc.com priced £15.99. The DVD will be available from all good DVD retailers from 3rd November 2008. (16/10/08)

Vote For Everton's FanZone Commentator Micky

Blue Kipper regular Micky Houghton has been short listed on Sky Sports for his commentary and goal celebration on the FanZone when Tim Cahill scored the winner against Stoke last month. We ask all fellow Evertonians to vote for Micky. (14/10/08)

Click here to see the action and vote

The Winner of 2 Tickets To See Everton v Newcastle

757 fans answered the question correctly.

Name 3 players who have played for both Everton & Newcastle?

Ans: Pick any 3 from: Pistone, Speed, Ginola, Ferguson, Hottiger, Watson, Sansom, Bracewell, Gascoigne, Beardsley, Sheedy, McDonald, Bailey, Megson, Varadi, Heard, Pearson, Nulty, Keeley, Connolly, Fell, Heslop, Hill, Livingstone, Wilkinson, Wilson, Donnachie, Bolton, Lindsay.

The winner is Peter Richards from Aintree. (04/10/08)

To buy tickets for the match click here

http://www.evertonfc.talent-sport.co.uk

Win 2 Tickets To See Everton v Newcastle

Blue Kipper have 2 main stand tickets for Everton's Premier League game against Newcastle on 5th October 2008. To win the tickets just answer this question.

Name 3 players who have played for both Everton & Newcastle?

Answers together with your name & address to info@bluekipper.com by 5.00pm on Saturday 4th October 2008. The winners will be the first correct answer pulled out of one of Davie Weir's old boots. The winner will be notified by e-mail. The tickets were donated by Everton Football Club.

For Everton ticket information click here

To buy Everton tickets click here (03/10/08)

Sky Sports Fanzone

Blue Kipper regular Micky Houghton is the Everton fan commentator for Sky Sports fanzone on Saturday for the derby game. If you haven't got a ticket for the game then tune in as Mick is full value. He was fantastic at the recent away game at Stoke. Click here to see Mick in action (25/09/08)

Taylor Bradley featuring Jules, (Mike Bradley, Tony Taylor, David Hyland & Jules Burgess- Kennedy) four Liverpool song writers who have written and recorded a song for the Rhys Jones Memorial Cup Trust. (Rhys was an innocent 11 year old boy who was shot and killed on his
way home from football practice last year) The song is fully supported by Rhys Jones parents, Steven and Melanie Jones.

The song came about because Mike's Bradley's son played football in the same team as Rhys and he had watched him play all that season, it was his way of dealing with Rhys terrible and shocking death. He wanted to do something to help the Charity build a sports centre in memory of Rhys. He asked Tony, Dave & Jules to help and the result was Angel Child (Song for Rhys) a sweet and poignant song. All proceeds from the single sales will go to the charity which is aiming to build a sports centre in Rhys name and finance sports events and projects throughout the country. It is hoped it will encourage children to Join a team or take up sport rather than get involved in the gang culture. "Join a team not a gang".

For more information see the links below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7582539.stm      http://www.angelchild.co.uk/

The song was performed live at the concert for Rhys at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

The song will be available through all music retailers and Digital download sites from 1st September, like ITunes, HMV, Napster, Tesco, Amazon and Pinnacle Entertainment will be distributing the song. Please buy the song in memory of Rhys. (29/08/08)

Tributes To Rhys

Walk For Rhys

A 'Walk For Rhys' event has been organised on Sunday 24th August 2008 to mark the first anniversary of young Rhys Jones's death. The event is being supported by a number of high profile organisations including Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs, The Liverpool Echo, 105.4fm Century Radio, Granada Television and 96.7 City fm.

The 'Walk For Rhys' event will start 12:00pm in Liverpool City Centre. Those participating are asked to meet at St. George’s Plateau (opposite Lime Street Station) from 11:00am onwards. Anyone who wishes to participate in the walk are asked to sign up on the events official website which can be found at www.freewebs.com/walkforrhys.

The route will be as follows:

St George's Plateau - London Road - Pembroke Place - Anson Street - London Road - Moss Street - Brunswick Road - Everton Road - Breck Road - Walton Breck Road - Anfield Road - Walton Lane - Spellow Lane and into Goodison Park.

From the city centre, the walk will make its way up to Liverpool Football Club’s Anfield Stadium in recognition of the way in which the blue and red halves of the city united upon news of Rhys’s death. From Anfield, the walk will then proceed on to Goodison Park, the home of Rhys’s beloved Everton Football Club of whom Rhys was not only a fanatical supporter but a season ticket holder, where the event will end with those participating observing a minutes silence in memory of Rhys before the Z Cars ‘Johnny Todd’ theme is played. Ronny Goodlass and Howard Gale, a former player of Liverpool Football Club, will then say a few words to bring the event to a fitting close.

We are asking those attending to wear either their Everton colours or casual clothes - not black.

Rhys’s mum, Melanie says: "Stephen and I are totally overwhelmed by this continued support from the public. It is great that this walk is encompassing both Everton and Liverpool grounds, uniting the city".

Former Everton Football Club player Ronny Goodlass says: “I think this is a great idea. Everton and Liverpool united in grief after the tragic death of young Rhys and I know that both clubs will be side-by-side again when we do this walk. The people of Merseyside respond magnificently at times like this and it’s another chance to show Steve and Melanie that we haven’t forgotten, nor will we ever forget.”

Event organiser, Ste Galloway says: “The Walk For Rhys has to date received a massive amount of support from both the public and a variety of organisations including both of Liverpool’s biggest clubs which we think is testament to how much Rhys meant to the people of our city. More than this, we have received emails from people all over the world wishing us well with the event and sending their thoughts and prayers to Rhys’s family at what will understandably be a very emotional time. We would ask anybody who wants to join us for the walk on 24th August to sign up today on the website as together, we can make this event a fitting tribute to Rhys. Also through the walk, we will make it clear that the people of Liverpool will not sit back and let what happened to Rhys happen to anyone else ever again.” (21/08/08)

www.freewebs.com/walkforrhys       Tributes To Rhys

Blue Kipper Diary

The Golden Vision

In a series of programmes to celebrate Liverpool and the Capital Of Culture, the BBC is showing the the Ken Loach 1968 documentary drama about Everton legend Alex Young. Ken Loach obtained unprecedented access to Everton football club. Footage of matches against Sheffield United, Arsenal and Manchester City is incorporated, as are training sessions and interviews with playing and coaching staff, with Alex Young the star of the show. 'The Golden Vision' is being broadcast on BBC 4 on Monday night 18th August 2008 (tomorrow) at 8.50pm. (17/08/08)

See Alex Young in person at The Blue Kipper ICON night. Full Details here.

Forum Online

The forum is now online. Everyone must re-register. (31/07/08)

I am currently looking to interview blues (or even club staff or players) who met either man, maybe knew them or even drank in Dean's pub/ worked with him at Littlewoods/ bought insurance off Lawton, etc. Indeed I'm particularly keen to hear from people who encountered them in retirement (bear in mind sometimes the most chance or obscure meetings can be the most interesting or revelatory). (I'm not at this stage looking for people who saw them play, as I want to deal with their post-footballing careers)

I wondered if you might be willing to post my appeal on your website in the hope that some of your older readers ­ or maybe their Dads, Grandads or uncles - may be able to help. Everyone I interview will be acknowledged in the book and I'll make sure they receive a copy too (publication is likely to be late ­2009). If you could include a website I have set up -

www.whenthecheeringstops.co.uk ­ which gives further details

- and also my email address - james@whenthecheeringstops.co.uk ­ that would be very helpful. Very much hoping you are able to help. With best wishes. James Corbett. (16/07/08)

Everton Fans Winners

The tournament was played at Jersey Wanderers Football club....In aid of Headway...There were 12 teams and we played 7 matches to win the tournament.

At the back:

James Predagast, Leigh A'Court, Tom McKenna, Jack McKenna

At the Front:

James O'Haire, Joe Murphy, Jimmy Blake

C'mon you blues

Andrew A.K.A Jimmy. (11/07/08)

FC Sion Tickets

Thanks to Terry our man in Geneva, who gave us this information.

Terry says: I live out in Geneva so course, we’re going. The ground is not FC Sion’s itself in Sion, but at the ‘Stade d'Octodure’ in Martigny, where Everton play at 4pm on Sat 12th July.

For tickets, the Sion website says either phone Ernest Ammann on +41 78 625 00 01 (if your french is up to the job) or email Nicolas Voide: mail@nicolasvoide.ch. I emailed him and after wiring 20 swiss francs a ticket to his bank, he’s reserved them at the entrance for us. The ground has a capacity of a max of 4000 supporters for the game (3 swiss and 3997 evertonians). Sion are putting up 2500 seats for it and oh, there’s a large bar next door to the stadium. Great site lads. Really appreciate the shift you’ve put in over the past few years! COYB! Cheers all. T. (07/07/08)

Everton In Masters

Everton ended up third out of four in the Merseyside Masters. Peter Bergrie captained the side and scored a hat-tick in a 4-3 win over Wigan. Unfortunately that was the highlight for the fans at the new Echo arena, as Everton went down 5-2 to the shite and 5-1 to the eventual winners Tranmere. One consolation is that Bergrie won the Golden Boot with 4 goals.

Many Everton fans felt mislead by the organisers, when some literature and info on website's stated that Duncan Ferguson was to play for the blues. In reality Big Dunc new nothing about it and was in his new home in Majorca.

Everton's squad: Kevin O' Brien, Peter Beagrie, Brett Angell, Barry Horne, Craig Short, Neil Pointon, Kevin Langley, Joe McBride, Warren Aspinall.

Beagrie says: “We had a fantastic response to getting drubbed in the first game when we took on Wigan. I don’t get too many goals too often, but I owed the team because I gave the ball away a lot, but you do that when you’re chasing the game and we had to do that when we went down 3-0 early doors against Tranmere. The atmosphere was sensational, it was absolutely fantastic. It was probably the best that I’ve seen generated and I’ve played in these tournaments since I was 35.” (29/06/08)

Free Everton Tickets For Alan Ball Fun Runners

Any Evertonian who runs in the Alan Ball Fun Run and enters the official Alan Ball Website and registers (free of charge), will be automatically put into a raffle for 2 tickets courtesy of Alan Ball Soccer Ltd, for the Everton v Portsmouth game at Goodison Park on Saturday 30th August 2008.

The Joe Mercer Suite at Goodison Park, is the bar-lounge for the football purist. The convivial atmosphere of the 'Joe' means that you can enjoy a pre-match drink before watching the match from the premium vantage point of the Directors Box.

You must inform us of the number you will be running in to be entered in raffle. The distance is 5K, taking place in Walton Hall Park on Sunday, 10th August at 11.00am.

The Draw will take place in The Joe Mercer Suite at Half Time at the Everton v Blackburn game by an Ex Everton Player, the winner will be notified.

To enter the draw for the free tickets log into Alan Ball Soccer with your entry number for the fun run. Click here Alan Ball Soccer

Details to enter The Big Heart Fun Run are below. (03/08/08)

Big Heart 5K in memory of Alan Ball – Sunday 10th Aug 2008 - Stanley Park

The Big Heart 5K Fun Run in memory of Alan Ball has been confirmed to take place on Sunday 10th Aug 2008. at Stanley Park. 9.30am start. The initiative is backed by both Everton and Liverpool football clubs, H.E.A.R.T. UK, The Everton Charitable Trust as well as The Marina Dalglish appeal. The idea for the event came from life-long Evertonian Alan Rothwell who already delivers many of the main road races in the city. The format of the day will see participants run a 5K course between Goodison Park and Anfield. Rothwell chose the title of the Big Heart 5K because he felt it personified the attitude of Alan Ball.

Alan’s son Jimmy and other members of his family will also take part. The theme of the day will be ‘Wear Your Shirt With Pride’ because that is precisely what Alan did when he took to the field. The event will be producing a special race day t-shirt for both sets of fans with the Blues running in a shirt featuring the famous number 8. (The shirts are provided as part of the entry fee). Ex-players of both clubs are competing in the Fun Run. The race route will have the runners starting and finishing in the park passing The Dixie Dean Statue and the Everton Lambanana as the runners pass Goodison Park. (24/06/08)

For more info and application form click here

Vote For Tyson

Evertonian, Tyson Eyo is taken part in a football skills competition sponsored by Pringles and needs as many votes and ratings as possible. Tyson is a season ticket holder in the Lower Gwladys. He has just won a football scholarship in Florida.  Click here to see Tyson In Action  The film of Tyson doing his football skills was taken in Kirkby. (15/06/08)

Vote For Kerry

Congratulations to Kerry on Winning the sexy football league. Thanks to all your votes she walked it. Full result here. (03/07/08)

Update: Kerry says thanks for all the votes. She was 19th and now she is top of the league. The site running the vote, thought that there was some kind of "hacking" or "vote-rigging", so they deducted 4000pts from Kerry, but she still remains in 1st spot. They obviously don't know the power of the Evertonian. Keep on voting. (04/05/08)

Kerry Humphries needs Evertonians to vote for her in the "Sexy Football League" She is representing Everton on UK Football Finder.co.uk and comes up against the rest of the 08/09 English Premiership.

Kerry is a Blue Kipper regular and was recently featured on Jogger's snapshots "pretty in pink" special. So lets give Kerry that famous Everton support.

To vote for Kerry click here (03/06/08)

Mickey Blue Eyes Wins Fanzine Award

The New Football Pools Fanzine Awards 2007/2008 has been good to bluekipper.com