On This Day In Everton History: September 2nd

Everton haven’t played on September 2 since way back in 1987, and that was a 1-0 defeat at Queens Park Rangers, so we won’t talk about that.

There was one memorable match worth reliving a year earlier, though, as well as some transfers in and out of the club on this date. Let’s take a look back:

1986 - Oxford win continues stunning home form

Everton wrestled the First Division title back from Liverpool in 1986-87, and much of their success in doing so has to be attributed to their imperious home form.

Howard Kendall’s champions won 16 and lost just one of their 21 home league games that season, and this 3-1 win over Oxford United on September 2, 1986 extended a supreme Goodison Park run.

Goals from Trevor Steven, Alan Harper and Kevin Langley sealed the points for the Blues, marking their 49th consecutive Goodison game (47 of which had been in the league) in which they had netted.

In what is still their best run of this kind to date, it would be 49 and out for Everton, though - they would draw 0-0 with QPR at Goodison the following Saturday.

1999 - Xavier joins the Blues

Today also marks 21 years since Abel Xavier became an Everton player, completing a £1.5 million move from PSV Eindhoven to Goodison Park.

Xavier, now 47, spent two-and-a-half years in royal blue before switching allegiances after just 46 appearances. Crossing to the dark side of Stanley Park, he left for Liverpool in January 2002 for roughly half of the fee Everton had spent on him.

The only player to have represented both red and blue since is Sander Westerveld, who only made two Everton appearances in 2006 as an emergency loan due to a goalkeeping crisis.

Since retiring, Xavier has gone into coaching, and was coach of the Mozambique national team from 2016 to 2019.

2013 - Frantic deadline day sees three in and two out

Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

More recently, September 2, 2013 saw a flurry of activity as Everton’s first transfer window under Roberto Martinez came to a thrilling end.

On the back of three draws to start the 2013-14, the two most recent being 0-0, the Blues added extra fire power in Romelu Lukaku, who initially joined on loan from Chelsea before making the move permanent the following summer.

Gareth Barry also swapped Manchester City for Goodison on loan that day, though he would also commit long-term to Everton after this campaign. His midfield partner for much of that season, James McCarthy, also arrived that day, following Martinez from Wigan in a £13 million deal.

Going the way were Marouane Fellaini and Victor Anichebe; the former finally completing a protacted £27.5 million move to Manchester United, reuniting him with David Moyes, and the latter joining West Brom in a £6 million deal.

In a week which may see Everton sign three players in quick succession again, it seems fitting to look back at when such an integral trio of the 2013-14 campaign climbed aboard. Here’s hoping Allan, Abdoulaye Doucouré and James Rodriguez follow suit in that regard.