Special guests invited to Everton annual team photo

The Everton players, staff and leadership assembled yesterday for their annual team photo, but were joined a pair of very special guests.

Season Ticket holders Peter and Frances Flannery, 81 and 80 respectively, marked their 60th wedding anniversary last weekend after getting married back in 1959. When the club heard about it, manager Marco Silva and the players invited the couple to the training grounds at Finch Farm.

The pair’s day started with breakfast with Club Ambassador and legend Graham Stuart, who then showed them around the facilities while they regaled him with stories about their love for football.

Peter and Frances then stepped outside to meet with Director of Football Marcel Brands and first-team coach Duncan Ferguson before joining the rest of the squad in front of the camera for pictures.

Club captain Seamus Coleman and Silva presented the couple with a bouquet of flowers and this season’s home shirt emblazoned with ‘Flannery 60’ on it.

Later, Stuart told evertontv -

“Having met them I can see exactly why they have been together for so long. They are a fantastic couple and clearly have a lot of love for each other and our football club.

”You could see how much it meant to them, and Peter even got a little bit emotional when all the players were giving them a big round of applause. I think that says it all.”

Everton FC

Peter, who has been a season ticket holder for longer than he can remember, was grateful for the experience.

“You’ve blown us away - it’s been a complete ‘wow factor’ since the moment we got here. We found out after our anniversary party that we’d be coming here but we couldn’t have imagined all this. It’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Frances signed up for her first Season Ticket just four years ago at the age of 76, proving the adage that you’re never too old to know you’re a born Blue. The couple attend every home game and sit in the Paddock.

Everton FC

Off the pitch, Everton continue to live up to the moniker that we are ‘The People’s Club’ with yet another instance of brilliant social engagement.

Hearty congratulations to the Flannerys on their amazing achievement!