The society has been formed to celebrate the two Evertons - former champions of Chile and England - and to establish links between supporters of the two clubs.

The Ruleteros Society is now open to anyone who agrees with its aims and promises to abide by its rules. For details of these, see the website www.the-ruleteros-society.org An application form can be downloaded from the website. Alternatively, write to:

The Secretary,
The Ruleteros Society,
17 Cecil Road,
Dronfield.
S18 2GW.

Annual membership in the inaugural year runs until 31st July 2003. Standard annual fee is £5; senior citizens and students, £3; juniors (under-17), free.

Sign up as a Ruletero and you will receive: membership card, a copy of The Society's rules and objectives, a quarterly newsletter, invitations to meetings, plus 5% discount on merchandise from the Everton FC megastore and subscriptions to The Evertonian and the matchday programme.

The society takes its name from the nickname of the Chilean Everton, situated in the Pacific resort city of Vina del Mar, famous for its casinos and roulette wheels. Ruletero is Spanish for a roulette player, or casino-goer.

This brings the history of the clubs full circle because when the Chilean club was formed in 1909, it took its name from the Goodison Park club that had just completed an unbeaten tour of South America.

Everton caused a stir among the growing number of South American football enthusiasts by beating the Argentine League XI, Uruguay League XI and the Argentine club Alumni.

A few weeks later, in the Pacific port of Valparaiso, where ships from Liverpool docked, eight Anglo-Chileans met up. They founded Everton Football Club and decided to play in blue.

After relocating a few miles up the road in 1942 to the resort of Vina el Mar, Everton won the Chilean championship in 1950, 1952 and 1976. Ironically, these were lean years for Everton of Liverpool who won the English championship in 1891, 1915, 1928, 1932, 1939, 1963, 1970, 1985 and 1987.

However, in the space of only four years, both Evertons hosted World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals, in Chile in 1962 and in England in 1966.

The link was dormant for many years until one Merseysider, John Shearon set up a website (www.algorta.demon.co.uk) devoted to "The Other Everton". Interest steadily grew among Evertonians to the extent that when Shearon embarked last summer on a trip to the Everton in Chile, plans were in place for an international friendship society.

The fundamental aim is to develop links between supporters of the two clubs, and to see official links between the two clubs. But the big dream is to see a game between the two Evertons.

Already a bi-lingual newsletter is in production and the Ruleteros in Liverpool are publishing a history of the English Everton in Spanish. Mike Owen. (19/10/02)