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SoCal Blues: It's Always Special To Represent Everton

After the success of the latest Premier League Mornings Live fan fest in LA last weekend, Keven Chavez – founder of Southern California ‘SoCal’ Everton Supporters' Club – writes for evertonfc.com.

I understand the concept of football for breakfast might be alien to many Blues in the UK but it is the norm for Evertonians here in the US. For us in ‘SoCal’ it’s even earlier than breakfast with some of the kick-off times as we are eight hours behind Goodison Park.

NBC has been at the heart of many Saturday and Sunday mornings as games are broadcast in homes and pubs across North America, so having the chance to actually be part of the output last weekend at Premier League Live in LA was awesome.

We’ve seen these fan fests pop up in other cities across the United States over the past few years and for us, in LA, we were envious of every single one. So, when it was announced that NBC were coming to LA, we wanted to make sure SoCal and Everton were properly represented.

In the build-up to Premier League Live coming out to LA, Everton’s Fan Engagement team really went the extra mile with the US Supporters' Club network. We’ve certainly noticed how in the past year Everton has developed its links with the army of supporters, as well as taking the opportunity of going to Orlando for the Florida Cup. We’re seeing more and more Everton on our screens here in the US. Many people reading this in Liverpool or in the UK may take it for granted, but to us, some 5,000 miles away, to have the club we support on the other side of the world come to us, work with us, hear our thoughts and ideas and allow us to help in delivering them, is a really special experience.


On our way into the event we all had the chance to pick up our ‘We are Everton’ scarves which looked great on TV. Ahead of one of the biggest days in the US Premier League calendar, Everton revealed a warm-up t-shirt inspired by and dedicated to us as North American supporters, while also celebrating the Club’s links with the USA.

The warm-up shirt really was a special treat for us.

I understand that’s the first time that any English Premier League club has produced a shirt especially for their American fanbase and not only was it a neat gesture, but it’s a really attractive shirt. It felt like an updated version of the classic American World Cup shirt from 1994 but we obviously eliminated the red from the famous red, white and blue – nobody needs red on an Everton shirt!

It was that popular that the exclusive window for US fans saw it sell out in just a couple of hours.

The icing on the cake for last weekend for many of us was being able to connect with Goodison Park as part of the post-match show. There is no hiding how disappointing the result was and, while many on social media questioned Everton for still going ahead with their Everton USA Live show, it meant the world to us and was a one-of-a-kind opportunity that we were thankful for.

The backdrop of the LA Memorial Coliseum Stadium was perfect, as fans representing most, if not all the Premier League teams gathered for an early morning football festival. NBC, the Premier League and all the organisers did a great job and made everyone feel welcome. We had US Blues fly in from Chicago and New York and we welcomed road trips from Arizona and San Diego. As part of our SoCal welcome to Evertonians, we held an afterparty at the Fox & Hounds our regular hang-out to watch games.

We also met supporters who came on their own from LA and will hopefully become part of our supporters' club. It was really special being able to connect with them and share their passion.

Everton was well represented at Premier League Live and there was a ton of coverage on NBC around the weekend, with Everton’s US Ambassador Tim Howard and Men in Blazers host Roger Bennett a key part of the coverage. Roger even produced a dramatic video promoting Everton’s connections with the US and featured the new warm-up shirt as well as an interview with DCL and Tom Davies. If you haven’t seen it I would recommend looking up on his Twitter account.

Getting to meet Tim and Roger was a great experience for many of us and you can tell how passionate they still are for Everton.


It’s just a shame the result didn’t go our way, but in time that will be forgotten and we will be able to remember a great event and the fact we have something really special in the shirt, which shows that the Club cares about us and appreciates that they have a fanbase that goes beyond the UK.

While the local fans are the true heartbeat of the club, we are eager to be a part of that too.

As Everton fans we always feel that we have that extra little bit of attachment, knowing that about the American connections and seeing Tim and Roger on our screens adds a sense of family and legitimacy.

We get together for most of the games and we learn quickly not to get caught up with individual results. Watford was tough to deal with, but whatever sport you follow, be it NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball, you will have to deal with disappointment. I know the away section at Wolves will be full of travelling Toffees, and as for us…? We’ll be out in force again on Monday, either from pubs, our homes or even our workplaces with the afternoon kick off time, supporting the Blues from across the pond.