EXCLUSIVE: 2010/11 Pre-Season

Blues announce details of summer trip to Australia.

Everton Football Club has confirmed it will travel Down Under this summer and tour Australia.

The trip will be the Club’s first visit to the country since 1987 when the then champions of England participated in a post-season tour, playing two games in Melbourne and Brisbane.

The Blues will return to both Australian cities to face Hyundai A-League sides Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Heart and will complete a three-game tour with an exhibition match against Sydney FC.

David Moyes will prepare his non World Cup participating players for the start of the 2010/11 Premier League campaign by spending almost three weeks in the Southern Hemisphere before ending up his meticulous planning operation back at the Finch Farm training headquarters.

He said: “Our pre-season will start with a trip to Australia and we’re looking forward to seeing all the Evertonians in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne.

“The facilities there are first-class and that’s important to us because the training and the games will be a good part of our pre-season preparations.

“Thanks to Tim Cahill, the Aussies know all about Everton and I am sure we’ll get a typically warm Australian welcome.”

Cahill, who will potentially still be involved with Australia’s World Cup campaign when the Blues make the trip, is looking forward to seeing his Club meet up with the army of Evertonians in the country.
 
He said: “I think it’s fantastic for Australian football and also Everton because Australia’s got a massive following of Everton supporters.
 
“I get together and have a lot of signing sessions with the Everton supporters over there and they come from all corners of Australia. They’re a proud following and I think for a Premier League team like Everton to grace the shores of Australia is absolutely massive.”
 
Everton will face Brisbane Roar at the Suncorp Stadium on Saturday 10 July and then fly to The Etihad Stadium to take on Melbourne Heart five days later on Wednesday 14 July before ending the tour at the ANZ Stadium with a game against Sydney FC on Saturday 17 July. Kick-off times are still to be confirmed alongside ticket details for the matches.

The Club will be looking at an official travel package from the UK to Australia and will announce further details on evertonfc.com as soon as these become available.