Everton Football Club
Everton F.C. is a football club competing in the English Premier League (EPL). Started in 1878, they were a founding member of the English Football league in 1888. Though they have not won the title since 1987, they are historically one of the most successful clubs in England, with nine league titles and five FA cups. They also won the European Cup Winners Cup in 1985[1], thus far their only international silverware. No other club has spent so long in the top division as Everton, they celebrated their 100th year of top flight football during the 2005/2006 season.
Founding
Everton football club was born out of St. Domingo's school in 1878, when a team bearing its name began to play games in Stanley Park. With a growing reputation that was attracting the best players from neighbouring parishes, the team changed their name to Everton. With rapidly increasing support, it became clear Everton had outgrown Stanley Park and needed a proper ground to call home, they moved to an undeveloped plot which they rented from a local brewer, and over the course a small stadium was erected to accomadate their new fans. The ground was called Anfield, after nearby Anfield Road.
The football league was founded in 1988, and Everton were duly invited to become founding members. They won their first league title in the 1890/1891 season. However, with their new success and fame, came trouble at home. John Houlding, who owned Anfield, demanded a large increase in rent. Everton refused to pay, prefering to leave Anfield for a new ground at Goodison Park, where they remain to this day. Left with a stadium and no team, Houlding decided to found his own football club in 1892, Liverpool F.C.. They became Everton's greatest rivals, and eventually one of the world's top teams.
Success
Everton enjoyed their greatest success during the thirties, sixties and eighties, winning two league titles and an FA cup in each of these decades.