Everton have won the top-flight title 9 times. However, they could easily have had another one under their belt. Bad judgement, bad weather and bad luck ended up costing Everton dearly.
On November 26th, 1904, Everton were playing newly-promoted Woolwich Arsenal at the Manor Ground. There was speculation whether the match would go ahead because it was very foggy. The fans and the players could hardly see a thing, and the ground was very slippery. The match, logically, could not be played. But it went ahead regardless.
Around 13,000 fans watched the match (to the best of their ability). Arsenal took the lead thanks to goal from future Everton player Tim Coleman after 10 minutes. Everton bounced back with Sandy Young scoring the equaliser 59 seconds later. Harold Hardman then scored a few minutes later and Everton went into half-time with a 2-1 lead. But the further the game went on, the thicker the fog became.
The game was played in a fog, and though at the commencement the varying stages of the contest could be followed with little difficulty, it soon became doubtful as to whether the game would be finished or not. As matters eventuated, the fog increased in density, so much so that when the last quarter of an hour was reached, it was quite impossible for the spectators to follow the run of the game.
Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury
On the 75th minute, Sandy Young headed in a third for Everton. But after the goal was scored, Arsenal captain Jimmy Jackson approached the referee Frederick Bye and talked about the “increasing darkness”, implying that the match shouldn’t continue. Bye then consulted the linesmen, and they came to mutual decision to abandon the game. Frederick Bye, who in the previous month saved a school pupil from drowning, went from hero to zero.
Everton were, unsurprisingly, furious with the decision.
The Everton players and officials were very indignant at the referee’s action, and the visitors’ secretary [Will Cuff] and a number of their directors walked onto the field and waited until time was up. They complained that the referee stopped the game prematurely, but it was admitted by all that he must have stopped it at least five minutes before full time had expired.
London Daily News
The annoyance with the decision was shown in the club’s programme.
The Everton players and directors were welcomed in London by a special sample of the green log for which the metropolis is noted, and which robbed them of the reward of a well-deserved victory. What is most annoying about the affair, is that the fog did not necessarily interfere with the proceedings at Woolwich, until about fifteen minutes from time, when Everton had their opponents’ guns pretty well spiked. Two points were in their possession as surely as it is possible to be certain about anything in football, and a more tantalising experience it is difficult to imagine. Of course, the game has to be completely replayed; and the gunners really ought to fire a salute in honour of their friend, the fog-fiend.
The Everton and Liverpool Official Match Programme
The London Daily News criticised Bye’s performance in the abandoned match.
Mr Bye, however, might have terminated the game a few minutes after the interval without displeasing an impartial spectator. Many of his decisions were faulty in consequence of his being unable to properly follow the play. On one occasion, he gave [William] McLoughlin, of Everton, offside when he had three opponents in front of him, and more than once he allowed forwards to go on when they were palpably offside to the spectators who happened to be in a line with them.
It was obvious that Frederick Bye’s decision to allow the game to be played was a disastrous decision. But what happened in the replay made it a lot worse.
The two met each other again at the Manor Ground on April 22nd, 1905 – over two weeks after their Goodison meeting, which Everton won 1-0. At that time, Everton were top of the First Division, one point ahead of their nearest rivals, Newcastle United and Manchester City. Everton took the lead after a Jimmy Settle penalty. However, Arsenal bounced back to win 2-1 courtesy of a goal from Andy Ducat and another five minutes from full-time by Charlie Sattherthwaite. Everton ended up with nothing, robbing them of two points. And to make matters worse, Everton eventually lost the First Division title to Newcastle United by ONE point. If the game hadn’t been abandoned, Everton would have been champions.
It just wasn’t meant to be for Everton. However, after what happened a couple of weeks prior to the abandoned match, luck was never on Everton’s side.