Referee Experiment

Nope its not April so I can't get away with pulling the wool over your eyes on this one, but tonight's Europa Cup Group match at Goodison will have five officials instead of the normal three. Two more refs will be placed behind each goal to spot for goal line incidents and any other infringements in their part of the pitch. It is the brain child of Anglo Saxon lover and UEFA President Michel Platini and it will be trailed in all Europa Cup matches this evening

Moyesy is slightly mystified as he has been given no guidance on how it will work, but like anything he is willing to give it a go.

Moyesy says: "I don't understand it that well, I haven't seen it in practice and we are a little bit in the dark about it. I know the officials will be alongside the goals and they will be allowed to go onto the pitch a little bit. Hopefully it will help. If it helps decision-making, then let's give it a go."

Michel Platini says: "Ah qui, qui it is jobs for ze boys, now were are my onions." (17/09/09)

Times They Are a Changing

Unbelievably Bluekipper.com is 10 years old at the beginning of September and to celebrate that fact a few changes will be made to the website. Yes we will be coming into the 19th century with a slight site re vamp which will offer you more up to date stories, easier navigation and more features to peruse.

Let the countdown begin ……(04/08/09)

Andy King Recovering From A Heart Attack

Andy King is awaiting the results of an angiogram, after suffering a heart attack recently. Andy, 52 is still adored by the Everton fans due to his passion skill and eye for a goal. The boy from Luton quickly become an adopted scouser after his £35,000 move in 1976. One of his best moments in an Everton shirt was when he scored the only goal in the derby game at Goodison in 1978. It was a twenty yard volley giving Everton their first win over the redshite in seven years. It produced this question at many quiz nights over the years.

Q: Where's Kings Drive?
Ans: In the back of Clemence's net.

In all he played 248 games scoring 67 goals in two spells for Everton. He is still a frequent visitor to Goodison and was a guest at a recent Blue Kipper Presentation Night. Get well soon Andy!

Andy says: "It’s humbling that people have been concerned about me and it’s just a question of waiting now for the results of the angiogram. Hopefully everything will be ok in the long run and in time, I’ll make a full recovery; with a bit of luck I’ll be fit enough to give Tim Cahill a run for his money!

I’d just like to thank everyone for all their good wishes and it says everything about the kind of football club Everton is. The first phone call I received when I came into hospital was from Bill Kenwright and that was overwhelming. Financially he might not be able to match Abramovich but he has never made that out to be the case; Bill is a Blue and having a chairman like that means more than having someone with stacks of money who doesn’t care for the club. It’s more than 25 years since I last played for Everton yet the chairman still felt compelled to ring me straight away. That symbolises the kind of care and warmth the club has as a whole." (26/06/09)

Blues Pipped In The Final

Everton's Leg ends came within a whisker of winning the Mersey Masters tonight at The Echo Arena, after Tranmere Rovers pipped them in a closely fought Final. The Blues who had the likes of Craig Short, Tony Grant, Matt Jacko, Diamond Geezer and Dizza Pointin in their ranks started poorly when they were wellied 5-1 by Tranmere in the opening match. They went on to draw against Wigan and thoroughly deserved their 2-1 victory against the shite to set up a Final place, I will say that again, thoroughly deserved their 2-1 victory against the shite to set up their Final place. Blues man of the Tournament Craig Short netted three times, and after taking the lead in the Final, the Blues succumbed to late Tranmere goals to just miss out on the trophy. (27/06/09)

See Everton In The Masters

Everton have added Tony Grant, Neil Pointon and Paul Lodge to the squad with Barry Horne and David Unsworth dropping out. (25/06/09)

Everton have put together one of their strongest ever squads for the Sky Sports Mersey Masters Cup, at the Echo Arena on Sat 27th June 2009. Included in the squad are FA Cup Winners Matt Jackson, Graham Stuart and David Unsworth. They take on Tranmere, Wigan and the redshite in Heat 4 of the tournament. The Doors open at 6.30pm and the first match starts at 8.00pm. (15/06/09)

Mickey Blue Eyes - Fanzine Writer Of The Year 2009

Mickey Accepts His Award From Jenny Danby Of The New Football Pools

Mickey Blue Eyes has won the Best Fanzine Writer award for 2009. This is the second consecutive year that Mickey has won the award, having won it in 2008. The New Football Pools Fanzine Awards 2009 have been great for www.bluekipper.com. We kept the Everton flag flying in all 4 categories. Bluekipper was short listed as Best Overall Fanzine, Best Premiership online fanzine, Best Editor, and Best Writer. (12/06/09)

Leg Ends on The Whistle

Ex Blue leg ends Matt Jackson, Paul Lodge and Joe Parkinson will be helping out with refereeing duties next week as local Junior football side TMS hold their annual fund raising seven a side Soccer Day at St. Georges School in Maghull. With the help of The Great Mogul Pub, they jointly raised £10,000 last year, all of which went to the Walking With Giants Foundation. The Farm's lead singer Peter Hooton will also be on hand to help divvy out the trophies, and generally get in everyone's way.

There are a few places left for any teams (U7's to U10's) who would like to compete. If any interested businesses would like to sponsor the event or place an ad of support in the programme to help along with the purchasing of the trophies, you can call Brendan on 07971 807502, but please don't mention his ginger hair, touchy and all that yer know. Good luck to all.

Event Organiser, Brendan Grant says: "Yep I am a ging, but its never held me back. After last year's success, the Club decided to make this an annual event for the Walking with Giants Foundation however we are aware of other worthy causes in need of funding and support and because of this we will also be making donations to local boy Ryan Noble who suffers from mucular dystrophy and local girl Erin Bridges who was born thirteen weeks prematurely and suffers from cerebral palsy. Health and happiness can be taken for granted by all of us so it is important for all at TMS to show our support for the three children and to build on the fundraising and awareness that the Great Mogul Pub and their customers have shown in the last few years." (08/06/09)

Francis meets Everton Legends

This is my son Francis Turkington collecting his winners trophy off Joe Parkinson and Matt Jackson after his team Frameline won the Alex Connerty football tournament at Ormskirk on 21st June.Could you please post this on your site.

Shaun Turkington. (30/06/09)

Vote For Bainsey

skysports.com have a vote for the stand-out performers in the 2008/09 campaign. Bainsey is shortlisted for the best left back spot. As Evertonians it's our duty to vote for him. Click here to vote. (13/05/09)

Jags The Best Centre Back

Phil Jagielka has been shortlisted for the best centre backon a vote on skysports.com At the moment Upson the beared one, who is the luckiest man alive to be a footballer, is in the lead. Lets vote for Jags here. (13/05/09)

Oliver Newnes Charity Fund Raiser

I am running the Chester Half Marathon on Sunday 17th May in aid of Oliver Newnes, this is a little boy that tragically died at the age of 2. His dad and I played football together.

On behalf of Oliver’s family and me – THANK YOU. Andy Cross

Now Katherine Hughes is a mad Blue (I mean mad), but credit were credit is due as she is Running For Rhys in this weekends 5k Great Purple Run at Croxteth Hall Park. Thousands are expected to enter, with the charity Liverpool Unites benefiting.

Blues fans might remember Katherine at Wembley the other week, when she and her niece made many a fella's day by turning up in a blue tutu, with a few messages on the outfit winding up the Mancs.

I know on bluekipper we do plug a lot of charity events, and once again we are asking you to dig deep. A quid here and there is all we ask, as if a few hundred people do that, it really does start to add up.

So once again our Blue Family, if you can dig deep for the Katherine who will be doing the hard graft in Rhys's memory, the Liverpool Unites Charity will benefit. Good luck Katherine, and good luck to all competing. (28/04/09)

To Sponsor Katherine Click Here

Old Mother Riley Drafted In To Referee The FA Cup Semi Final

Mike 'Old Mother' Riley will now be the referee in Everton’s FA Cup semi-final against Man Utd on Sunday. Steve Bennett was initially set to take charge but was forced to withdraw through illness.

Riley has been his usual card-happy self this season, handing out 112 yellows and six reds in 29 games this season. Moyesy has rarely seen eye-to-eye with the official, since he awarded a controversial penalty to Utd in the final game of the season that cost Everton a place in the UEFA Cup. Riley sent off Tim Cahill in the derby in September. (14/04/09)

What Do You Think? Send your views to: mailbag@bluekipper.com

Help From The Blue Family

If you are at the Wigan match on Sunday and you see a man with a bucket for Bobby Brown please spare a quid and throw it in. You see Bobby is a Blue, his Grandad is a Blue, and Bobby needs an operation to save his sight that will cost in the region of £50k.

On Sunday Bobby's family will hopefully be collecting coins outside the ground after approaching Everton to see if they can do so. We know cash is tight, but one quid for a charitable cause will hopefully go a long way to helping a young Blue keep his sight. Bobby needs the surgery before he is two months old, which is an artificial cornea transplant, so time is against the family.

If you can't make the match, but feel like donating a quid, you can call 09013 600 803. You’ll be billed £1, of which 75p will go to Bobby’s fund. You can donate by cheque by sending your donation to Bobby Brown Fund to Warrington Guardian, The Academy, 138 Bridge Street, Warrington, WA1 2RU. Please dig deep

To read Bobby story, click here.

Win 2 Tickets For Everton v Wigan

We have 2 tickets up for grabs for Everton's home game on Sunday 5th April 2009. Kick-Off: 3.00pm. All you have to do is answer the following question correctly.

Q. Name 5 players who have played for both Everton & Wigan?

Ans: Any 5 from: Sanders, O'Donnell, Bramwell, Llewellyn, King, Temple, O'Keefe, Lodge, Langley, Leyland, Newall, Rimmer, Aspinall, Rioch, Hamilton, Phil Jones, Wilson, Parkinson, Wright, Beagrie, Barlow, Ward, Jackson, Farrelly, Bent, Unsworth, Baines, Kilbane and Nash.

Thanks to the 471 who answered correctly.

The winner is John Bennett from Ellesmere Port.

E-mail your answers to fun@bluekipper.com together with your name and address before 12.00 noon Thursday 2nd April 2009. The winner will be notified by e-mail. Tickets for the game are still available. Log onto http://www.evertonfc.com/eticketing or telephone 0871 663 1878 or simply visit the Goodison Park Box Office. (31/03/09)

Vote For Leighton

We may have lost 2-1 to Pompey on Saturday, but everyone will agree that Leighton Baines first goal for the Blues was a cracker. You can vote for the Blues defender to win gola of the week by clicking on the link below to Sky Sports. Just to entice you to do so, Riera of the shite is currently in the lead. Come on Blues, lets make Leighton's week. (23/03/09)

Click To Vote

Thank You From Young Screech

Hi everyone at Bluekipper,

Thanks to the generosity of Evertonians, and also football fans around the world (even some Reds) you have helped me raise an amazing £4020.63 for comic relief! I even had someone take my photograph at the Stoke game as they had seen me in the papers!

Mum is not happy that I have asked her to braid my wig so I can still look like the Fell! Thank you again for all of your support, I hope to see you all at Wembley!

Lots of love, Lucas Everton Sherratt (19/03/09)