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The Story Of The Blues: Chedgzoy’s Game-Changing Corner

New for 2022/23, The Story Of The Blues is a weekly feature taking a closer look at a significant or quirky aspect of Everton’s rich history.

Sam Chedgzoy enjoyed an incredible 16-year career with Everton as an ‘inside-right’ (the equivalent of a right winger in the modern day) between 1910 and 1926, winning one league title and representing England during his time with the Blues.

He cemented his place in Club folklore with an unforgettable moment during a clash with Arsenal at Goodison Park in November 1924.

It began when the sports editor of the Liverpool Echo at the time — a man named Ernest Edwards — had his interest piqued by a recent rule change that permitted players to score directly from corners.

The laws, however, did not stipulate how many touches were allowed by the taker, so, Edwards turned to Chedgzoy to put it to the test.

The local journalist was said to have offered the Ellesmore Port-born attacker a sum of £2 to take part in his experiment.

Chedgzoy obliged and, when Everton won a corner, he opted to dribble the ball into the penalty before firing a shot past the Arsenal goalkeeper and into the net.

It was a moment that staggered everyone in attendance. 

The referee immediately disallowed the effort, despite Chedgzoy’s protests that there was nothing in the rules against it.

That decision would prove costly, too, as the Toffees lost the match 3-2.

Forced to act, the FA subsequently clarified the ruling to give us the one we have today that states another player must make contact with the ball before the corner-taker can touch it again.