Everton
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Everton
Everton have maintained their place in the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The Toffees claimed a famous 1-0 win over Manchester United in the 1995 FA Cup final courtesy of a goal from Paul Rideout. Everton have often been overshadowed by their Merseyside rivals Liverpool but they have a glorious history of their own.
A fourth place finish under manager David Moyes in the 2004/05 campaign, coupled with sixth and fifth place finishes respectively in the 2006/07 and 07/08 seasons, have cemented the club's status in the upper echelons of English football.
The club have contested more seasons in the top flight than any other and are the fifth most successful English club in terms of trophies won.
In 1878, the club was founded as St. Domingo FC so that the people from the parish of St Domingo's Church could participate in a sport outside of the summer months, when they played cricket. The team began playing on Stanley Park with no dressing rooms, carrying their own goalposts out onto the pitch. When people outside of the parish wanted to participate, the club was renamed Everton a year later.
Players recruited from other clubs were allowed to wear the shirts of their former teams and this caused much confusion. The need for a unified kit led to the dieing of the many different shirts black in order to avoid purchasing a brand new strip. The first league title arrived in the 1890/91 season. Royal Blue was settled on for the 1901/02 campaign.
The signing of Dixie Dean in 1925 prompted the Toffees' first sustained period of success. His 60 goals in 39 league matches in the championship-winning 1927/28 season is still a top flight record.
A subsequent relegation and immediate promotion two years later, was followed by another title triumph on their return to the top flight in 1931/32. A second FA Cup victory was achieved with a 3-0 win over Manchester City a season after and the era ended with a title win in the 1938/39 season.
The appointment of Howard Kendall as manager in 1981 heralded the most successful period in Everton's history. The league title was claimed in the 1984/85 and 1986/87 seasons, while the FA Cup was won in 1984. The Toffees' only European trophy arrived in the form of a Cup Winners' Cup final defeat of Rapid Vienna in 1984/85.
1993/94 - Mike Walker appointed manager
1993/94 - Peter Johnson takes over as chairman
1994/95 - Joe Royle appointed manager
1994/95 - Win FA Cup
1997/98 - Howard Kendall appointed manager
1998/99 - Sir Phillip Carter reappointed chairman after Peter Johnson steps down
1998/99 - Bill Kenwright takes over club and Sir Phillip Carter becomes chairman
1998/99 - Walter Smith appointed manager
2001/02 - David Moyes appointed manager
2004/05 - Bill Kenwright takes over as chairman in 2004, succeeding Sir Phillip Carter
2006/07 - Andy Johnson signs for a then club record £8.6million from Crystal Palace
2007/08 - Yakubu signs from Middlesbrough in the summer transfer window for a new club record of £11.25million
