The prospect of going out live to the nation might not have the same resonance now as in days gone by but Everton’s FA Cup tie at Manchester United will now be shown on ITV. The game has been moved from its original Saturday slot to an 8pm kick-off on Friday, January 6 and given that it’s an all-Premier League clash in the third round and over a 12-year sequence between 2005-17, 58 consecutive matches in the competition featuring the Red Devils were televised, it probably comes as no surprise.
Over the years, Everton have featured in 62 FA Cup ties televised in the UK and their record is currently finely balanced, reading, won 25, drawn 12 and lost 25. In the past, the game being shown on one of the two main terrestrial channels would have been a really big deal as it would have guaranteed an audience of tens of millions but a saturation of television coverage of football, more diverse viewing habits and loss of lustre for the game’s oldest competition will all conspire to erode those figures here despite the magnitude of the tie.
The Blues’ television debut came in the FA Cup but perhaps surprisingly it wasn’t for a final and was further back than many might realise. Everton made their bow in front of the BBC cameras way back on February 7, 1948 when they featured in a fifth round tie against Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The network showed a smattering of FA Cup games in the years just after the Second World War but all of them were in London grounds. This one finished 1-1 and went to extra time, with Tommy Eglington netting the Blues’ first televised goal and for the record, Everton would lose the replay in a rare Goodison Park defeat to the Cottagers a week later, going down 1-0 on Valentine’s Day in front of a bumper crowd of 71,587.
The Blues next three televised FA Cup appearances were all finals – in 1966, 1968 and 1984 – each of which were shown on both BBC and ITV. For those unaware, Everton beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 in 1966, lost 1-0 after extra time to West Bromwich Albion in 1968 and defeated Watford 2-0 in 1984.
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Everton were back on both channels for their 1985 FA Cup final at Wembley, also a 1-0 defeat after extra time to Manchester United, that denied Howard Kendall’s League Champions a domestic double, but before then they had their first televised tie other than a final against Leeds United. Elland Road has not traditionally been much of a happy hunting ground for the Blues but they kicked off their defence of the trophy there with a 2-0 victory over Second Division Leeds United in the third round in 1985 thanks to a 40 th minute penalty from Graeme Sharp before Kevin Sheedy sealed their passage five minutes from the end.
The two FA Cup final defeats to Liverpool in 1986 and 1989 were both shown on BBC with ITV also broadcasting the former but in between another Merseyside Derby FA Cup tie was shown – Everton’s 1-0 fifth round loss at Goodison in 1988 – along with another couple of matches in the competition, both against Wimbledon, all on the Beeb. Despite taking the lead through Paul Wilkinson, the Blues lost 3-1 in a fifth round tie at Plough Lane in 1987 but triumphed 1-0 in a Goodison Park quarter-final against ‘The Crazy Gang’ in 1989 thanks to Stuart McCall’s goal to knock out the holders.
The BBC cameras were back focusing on Merseyside Derby fare when they showed the goalless FA Cup fifth round clash at Anfield in 1991. Curiously the famous 4-4 draw for the Goodison Park replay was Everton’s first appearance on Sky.
The BBC televised the Blues’ 1-0 fourth round exit at Chelsea the following year when Clive Allen grabbed the only goal of the game and Tony Cottee was denied a late equaliser as Kevin Hitchcock saved his penalty 10 minutes from the end. Everton’s last three matches during their triumphant run to glory in the 1995 FA Cup – the club’s last trophy to date – were all shown on the BBC.
These were the 1-0 quarter-final win at home to Newcastle United when captain Dave Watson netted the only goal; the 4-1 Elland Road thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur as Matt Jackson, Graham Stuart and substitute Daniel Amokachi (2) scored and of course the 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Wembley courtesy of Paul Rideout’s header. FA Cup games had moved over to ITV by the next time the Blues were on the box and the network showed a brace of defeats to Newcastle United.
First there was a 1-0 third round loss at Goodison in 1998 when a Magpies side managed by Kenny Dalglish knocked them out with a goal from another Liverpool legend Ian Rush, by now 36. Then the following year they were hammered 4-1 at St James’ Park in the quarter-finals despite David Unsworth’s goal.
There was more televised disappointment for Everton in the last eight in 2000 when the Sky Sports cameras showed their 2-1 loss at home to Aston Villa. Joe-Max Moore cancelled out Steve Stone’s opener but Benito Carbone’s tap-in just before half-time after Thomas Myhre spilled at Paul Merson shot saw them bow out.
Both the Blues’ fifth round matches against Crewe Alexandra in 2002 were televised with the BBC showing the goalless first game at Goodison while Sky had the Gresty Road replay with the visitors recovering from going behind to a Dean Ashton goal to go through thanks to efforts from Tomasz Radzinski and Kevin Campbell. The result only proved a temporary reprieve for Walter Smith though and with one win in his last 13 Premier League games, the Scot was dismissed after the 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final loss at Middlesbrough on the BBC with the visitors conceding all the goals within a seven-minute spell late in the first half.
Everton’s next TV appearance in the FA Cup was a 3-1 third round win at Plymouth Argyle in 2005 when then-record signing James Beattie made his debut on the BBC and they were back to show the 2-0 fifth round home defeat as Wayne Rooney made a bad-tempered Goodison return with Manchester United. The following season the BBC showed the Blues’ 4-1 defeat at Chelsea in a fourth round replay, a game in which Iain Turner made his debut for the visitors in goal after Richard Wright injured himself shortly before kick-off – falling over a sign warning players not to warm up in that area!
Everton’s run to the final in 2009 included a new player in the broadcasting stakes as Setanta showed their 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield in the fourth round; the 3-1 home win over Aston Villa in the fifth round and 2-1 victory against Middlesbrough at Goodison in the quarter-finals. Among all that there was the 1-0 extra time victory over Benitez’s Reds in their fourth round replay but armchair fans in many regions missed Dan Gosling’s dramatic late match-winner because ITV, who also showed the penalty shoot-out success against Manchester United in the semi-finals, had accidentally cut to a commercial break.
Both ITV and Setanta showed the Wembley final which David Moyes’ side lost 2-1 to Chelsea despite going ahead through Louis Saha after just 25 seconds, the quickest goal in FA Cup final history, as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard struck for the Londoners. A couple of years later and another network had the FA Cup rights with ESPN showing a couple of more clashes against Chelsea.
Meeting in the fourth round, both games, first at Goodison and then Stamford Bridge, finished 1-1 but Everton triumphed in the latter courtesy of a penalty shoot-out success. All their hard work was undone though as they lost 1-0 to at home to Championship Reading in the fifth round with ESPN again broadcasting the game.
The following season’s FA Cup matches were back on ITV and despite drawing 1-1 at home to Sunderland, a huge Blues following travelled up to the Stadium of Light for their quarter-final replay and roared Moyes’ men into a Wembley showdown against Liverpool with a 2-0 success. The semi-final was shown on ESPN and Evertonians won’t need reminding that despite taking the lead through Nikica Jelavic, their side capitulated against Dalglish’s struggled Reds, losing 2-1 as Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll struck.
In 2013, Everton had four FA Cup games televised. First there was the 5-1 stroll at League Two Cheltenham Town in the third round on ESPN and then a far trickier tie with League One Oldham Athletic – who had previously knocked out Liverpool – in the fifth round.
ITV showed both the 2-2 draw at Boundary Park as the hosts grabbed a 94 th minute equaliser and then the Blues’ 3-1 win in the Goodison replay. There were no home comforts against another club nicknamed the Latics in the quarter-finals though as Roberto Martinez’s side – who would go on to lift the trophy despite being relegated from the Premier League – triumphed 3-0 at Goodison with three goals in three first half minutes in what proved to be Moyes’ last cup tie in charge and captain Phil Neville’s final game in professional football.
With Martinez by now in charge of Everton, three of their ties were televised the following season. BT Sport showed the 4-0 fourth round romp at Stevenage which was overshadowed by Bryan Oviedo’s double leg break while ITV had both the 3-1 home win over Swansea City in the fifth round when 6ft 8in striker Lacina Traore scored plus the 4-1 quarter-final loss at Arsenal when Mikel Arteta upset visiting fans by grabbing the badge on his shirt after netting with a twice-taken penalty after his first effort was ruled out for encroachment.
In 2015, both Everton’s third round ties with West Ham United were shown on BT Sport with a 1-1 draw at Goodison followed by a 2-2 draw at the Boleyn Ground with the visitors suffering a 9-8 defeat on penalties. Both Spanish keepers had to step up but while Joel Robles’ effort hit the bar, Adrian netted the match-winner.
Four Blues FA Cup ties were shown in 2016. BT Sport had the 3-0 win at League Two Carlisle United in the fourth round while BBC showed the 2-0 fifth round win at Bournemouth; 2-0 quarter-final success at home to Chelsea – when new majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri came to Goodison for the first time – and the 2-1 semi-final defeat to Manchester United at Wembley. The BBC also broadcast Everton’s FA Cup exits in 2018, 2-1 against Liverpool at Anfield when debutant Virgil van Dijk grabbed a late winner; 2019, when Marco Silva’s side fell in the 94 th minute to go down 3-2 to Championship Millwall in the fourth round and 2020, again to Liverpool at Anfield in the third round when maddeningly for Carlo Ancelotti’s side they suffered a 1-0 loss to a mostly second string line-up from Jurgen Klopp.
With games being played behind closed doors because of the global coronavirus pandemic in 2021, each of the Blues FA Cup matches were broadcast by BT Sport. All at Goodison, there was the 2-1 extra time win against Rotherham United in the third round; the 2-0 success against Sheffield Wednesday in the fourth round; the 5-4 extra time thriller with Tottenham Hotspur in the fifth round and 2-0 quarter-final defeat to Manchester City.
Last season, three Everton FA Cup ties were televised. First there was the 3-2 extra time victory at Hull City on the BBC in the third round which proved to be Rafael Benitez’s last win in charge. Under Frank Lampard, the 2-0 success at home to National League Boreham Wood was shown on ITV who also covered the 4-0 thrashing at Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals, after which the Blues boss asked his team: “Have you got the b****** to play?”
Thanks to the terrific research by evertonresults.com for the source of these matches.
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