I come from a family of Brummies - my great, great grandfather, John Devey, captained Aston Villa at the end of the 19th century and played cricket for Warwickshire - but I just happened to have been born in Mossley Hill, as my dad (plus family) moved up to Southport to take up a new job.
In 1966, at the age of nearly 3, I was, so I am told, a fledgling RS. But in that year a great thing did happen: Everton won the FA Cup and England also did quite well at something or other. So, even at that tender age, the two events must have made the decision for me (nothing to do with my brother threatening to murder me if I fell under the Shite's evil spell) and an Evertonian was born.
My school years in '70s Southport meant that I was surrounded by idiots falling under the Shankly spell, whilst the Evertonians were definitely in the minority; a great place to be, if you ask me. Needless to say, the hardest, coolest and wittiest lads were all of the Blue persuasion, with the red followers being mainly mouth-breathing half-wits living in a style-free microcosm.
Like all Blues who have followed our team for the last 30 or 40 years, I can't say it's been plain sailing all the way; from taking the champagne bottle out of Sharpy's hands in the stands at Carrow Road after the '87 Championship victory, to some seriously depressing results against the RS; from a fantastic trip to Nuremburg, to being the favoured whipping boys of ManYoo, Arse etc. in the Premiership years.
But I wouldn't change much to be honest. I have no desire for the club to be bailed out by some sheikh, or money laundering oligarch. I now live in Sussex and the blokes stretching their new Arse/Chelss/ManYoo/Shite/Siteh shirts over their beer bellies don't fill me with hate or irritation - it's just real pity. Being an Evertonian for me is so much more than those people will ever understand or experience. The rare peaks are so much sweeter because of their infrequency but the unforgettable days, nights & weekends away at our games have been some of the best of times. I genuinely consider myself an Evertonian, in the same way that I am a European, an Englishman and an atheist; it is what I am. Being an Evertonian is not a choice. Dave Whitehill
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