Why Are Everton Called The Toffees?

By Peter Guest, FootballPredictions.NET, 16:11 28/09/2020

Updated at: 21:27 30/09/2020

Why Are Everton Called The Toffees?

Everton has been one of English football’s most successful clubs since being formed in 1878, winning a total of 25 trophies during their storied history.

The club has several nicknames, but their most well-known moniker is ‘The Toffees’. This nickname comes from a toffee shop located in Everton Village. Mother Noblett’s sold a variety of sweets including the Everton Mint - which is thrown into the crowd before home match days.

The Toffees is not the only nickname that Everton are known by, however, as they have picked up several during their history.

How Everton Came to be Known as The Toffees

The aforementioned Mother Noblett’s toffee shop was located between Everton Brow and Brow Side in the Everton Village - from which the club takes its name. It has since become a tradition for a girl to throw the Everton Mints, that were sold by the shop, into the crowd at Goodison Park before Everton home games. This girl is known as the ‘Toffee Lady’ by supporters. 

A secondary origin for the club’s primary nickname comes in the form of a property called ‘Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House’. This was situated near the Queen’s Head Hotel in Everton where the club’s early meetings were held during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

The Many Nicknames of Everton Football Club

In addition to being known as ‘The Toffees’, Everton also have some other nicknames which supporters of the club and outsiders have bestowed upon them during their time.

During the club’s formative years, Everton played in a black strip up until 1882, which led them to be called ‘The Black Watch’. This name came from a famous Royal Army Regiment of Scotland. 

The club switched to their famous royal blue colours in 1901; This subsequently saw them become ‘The Blues’, which is now the nickname the club is most commonly referred to by after ‘The Toffees’.

Everton’s attractive style of play throughout the years has earned them many admirers, far beyond their fan base. As a result, in 1928, former England international Steve Bloomer called the club’s play ‘scientific’.

This later developed into the club being known as the ‘School of Science’. Fast forward to 1995, and the club’s most recent trophy, the FA Cup-winning side managed by Joe Royle was referred to by fans as the ‘Dogs of War’ as they won every match on the way to beating Manchester United at Wembley. 

After being appointed as manager in 2002, David Moyes declared that Everton was ‘The People’s Club’ and this has since been adopted as a semi-official nickname.

The Blues - Football’s Most Common Moniker?

After ‘The Toffees’, Everton are perhaps most commonly referred to as being ‘The Blues’. This is a nickname that derives from the club’s colours and as a result is common throughout the football world. Staying in the Premier League, five-time winners Chelsea are known as ‘The Blues’, having previously been called ‘The Pensioners’. 

Elsewhere in the Football League, Birmingham City, Cardiff City and Ipswich Town are also referred to as ‘The Blues’ amongst other nicknames. This is also the case for both Shrewsbury Town and Southend United of League One and League Two respectively. 54-time champions of Northern Ireland, Linfield, are another British club whose nickname is ‘The Blues’. 

Italian giants Napoli are known by their fans as ‘Gli Azzurri’, which directly translates to ‘The Blues’, although they play in a lighter shade of blue than the previously mentioned clubs. Meanwhile, dominant Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb are known as ‘Modri’ which has the same meaning when translated into English.

 

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Privacy