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An hour after my birth - on 12 January 1950 - my Uncle Bill, my mum's eldest brother, arrived at the hospital and handed my parents a brown paper bag of clothes.
In the bag was a full set of baby clothes, all in the unmistakable Royal Blue of Everton. He declared me an Evertonian there and then. My dad, an armchair supporter, didn't mind.
Fast-forward 10 years, my Uncle Bill was taking me to my first game. It was 23 January 1960, we played at home to Nottingham Forest and won 6-1. Eddie Thomas (picture above) scored a hat-trick, while Bobby Collins, Alex Parker and Alan Shackleton were also on the scoresheet. It was a truly wonderful day.
Only a few months later, I arrived home from school one day to be told my Uncle Bill had passed away. I cried my eyes out.
My Auntie Jinny came to me a week later to tell me Uncle Bill had left some money for me to buy myself a season ticket. What an incredible thing to do. I wasn't able to get one until the 1963-64 season. The first game was home to Fulham, having won the Charity Shield the week before against Manchester United. The Fulham result was 3-0 - Alex Scott, Derek Temple and an own goal. I still remember these vividly today.
In 1966, I started work so I bought myself a season ticket for the new Main Stand. Work commitments meant I had to give it up but I returned in 1970 and remained consistent until the 1995/96 season, when, after five games, I had to give it up due to ill health.
I moved from Liverpool to Leigh a few years ago to be closer to my family but my feelings for Everton are as a strong as ever. I'm still an Official Member and my one ambition is to one day watch a game from our new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
To this day, more than 71 years since my birth, I have never worn red.
Thanks, Uncle Bill.
By Stephen Kitchener Hughes, Evertonian
