The eyes of the nation will descend upon Goodison Park tomorrow night when Everton host National League Boreham Wood in the FA Cup fifth round in front of the ITV cameras.
Despite the action being televised, the match between two sides 78 places apart in the football pyramid is a sell-out and promises to be a special occasion under the lights.
With Everton embroiled in a fight against relegation, Frank Lampard may decide to rest some of his stars ahead of next Monday’s Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
However, the Blues will be hoping for a smoother passage to the quarter-finals than when another non-League team from the edges of the greater London area visited some 31 years ago.
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Back in 1991, Howard Kendall’s Everton – virtually at full-strength having made just two changes to the side that played Arsenal at Highbury the previous weekend – made heavy weather of disposing of their non-League opponents.
Woking had been the toast of the nation in the previous round when they fought back from being 1-0 down at half-time to pull off a huge upset by defeating second tier West Bromwich Albion 4-2 at the Hawthorns with their striker Tim Buzaglo netting a hat-trick.
The giant-killing earned them a plum fourth round tie with Everton and despite being drawn at home, they switched the game from their Kingfield Stadium to Goodison in order to enjoy the financial benefits of a bumper crowd on Merseyside (34,724 turned up – which is more than 30,000 more than the paltry 4,609 at home to Sunderland, the club’s third lowest recorded pre-pandemic gate the previous Tuesday) as well as giving their part-time players the opportunity to take to the field on one of football’s most famous grounds.
As they officially remained the ‘visitors’, Everton had to forgo their home dressing room for the afternoon and with Woking turning out in their usual red shirts, white shorts and red socks, they wore their blue change shorts instead of white.
Before the First World War, when the Football League consisted of only two divisions of mostly northern-based clubs, the Blues would regularly face non-League opponents in FA Cup ties.
Many such clubs would eventually become Football League and indeed top flight outfits themselves such as Southampton, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United and Everton slipped up on a few occasions, perhaps most infamously to minnows Glossop in 1914.
In the post-Second World War era there were no such upsets with Altrincham’s 1-1 draw at Goodison in 1975 before losing an Old Trafford replay 2-0, the only occasion the Blues failed to win against non-League opponents and even concede a goal.
Woking pushed them all the way though as Ken Gaunt explained in the ECHO.
He said: “Woking walked away from Goodison Park with cheers for souvenirs… not to mention a few goodies as well.
“The Vauxhall League side, six divisions and a world apart from Everton and their kind, bowed out of the FA Cup with their pride intact and their bank balance boosted.
“Kevin Sheedy’s goal after 57 minutes took the Blues to a 1-0 victory. But the narrow win did little to humour the fans or ease manager Howard Kendall’s embarrassment.
“And Woking’s skipper Adie Cowler took delight after the game in telling whoever would listen that ‘it was difficult to tell who was the non-League side.’
“Cowler’s comments may have been a bit over the top. But there was only one team knocking the ball about – and it wasn’t Everton.
“Woking keeper Tim Read was rarely tested or put under any pressure. In contrast, Neville Southall was kept on his toes.
“Read was back at the bank today, showing off his Goodison gift. The 19-year-old rookie swapped jerseys with his boyhood hero opposite number after the game. ‘That made my day’, he said.
“His attitude summed up Woking’s spirit. They didn’t kick and didn’t snarl. They just got on with what they do quite well and played the ball to feet.”
Everton had to wait almost an hour for their opening and for once the ready Scouse wit of the Gwladys Street was silenced by nerves.
Gaunt said: “The home fans had to endure taunts of ‘Are you West Brom in disguise?’ You could tell they were hurt for they didn’t answer back.”
However, “Just when it seemed Woking might hang on for a sensational result they finally cracked to a goal of the highest quality.
“Neil McDonald knocked the ball over, Graeme Sharp nodded it down and Sheedy applied the finishing touch. Young Woking keeper Read could only look on in admiration.”
The floodgates didn’t open though and in the end a single-goal margin had to suffice.
Gaunt added: “If Blues fans were expecting a late flurry, they were sadly mistaken. Woking kept their heads, kept playing simple football, and made it difficult for Everton to dictate the pace.
“Woking deserved their marvellous ovation as the players and coaching staff went on a lap of honour while the Everton players as well as the referee and linesmen waited patiently to clap them off.
“Both sides had got what they wanted – Everton a place in the fifth round and Woking a lot of respect.
“And (after their trip to Goodison) Woking are not finished with Walton yet. Their next match is on Tuesday night in the Surrey Senior Cup against Walton and Hersham!”
