In the 1894–95 season, the English football team Everton F.C. finished second in the 1894–95 Football League. It was the team's best result since winning the League in 1891. Everton reached the quarterfinals of the F.A. Challenge Cup where they lost to Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Regular Football League First team
Number of games in which this eleven lined up = 0
Other members of the first team squad
Bob Howarth was the biggest name to leave Goodison Park during the summer as he returned to Preston North End. This gave Charlie Parry the chance to win back the left back shirt that he had lost when Howarth had arrived two years earlier. Reserve goalkeepers, John Whitehead and David Jardine both moved on, to Liverpool and Nelson respectively to seemingly cement Richard Williams' place between the posts. Two other fringe players, defender, Billy Lindsay and half back, Jack Walker left in search of regular first team football at Grimsby and Ardwick respectively. The only major inclusion to the first team squad was the signing of Tom McInnes from Scottish side Third Lanark. He instantly slotted into the inside right birth while Jack Bell moved out to outside left with Alf Milward making way.
Everton got off to a flying start when winning all their opening eight games and talk of the title coming to Goodison Park was high by the time of the ninth game at Blackburn. It was here that Jack Southworth suffered a leg injury that ended his career and without him Everton's air of invincibility slipped. Blackburn came from behind to beat the ten men and Everton then suffered a string of draws before returning to winning ways. Fred Geary took over at centre forward but yet again found himself losing the berth as Abe Hartley proved more potent in front of goal. Despite having seen off two rivals, Richard Williams' place in goal remained one that the selectors aimed to rectify. Reserves William Sutton and Tom Cain each got their chance but both were considered unworthy, which saw the board spend £150 to bring 'Happy' Jack Hillman from Burnley with Williams leaving to join Luton. Hillman was established as the regular keeper by the end of the season.
Despite the loss of Southworth, Everton maintained a strong title challenge and topped the table throughout the remainder of 1894 before dropping to third after a defeat by Wednesday on New Year's Day 1895. Everton never regained top spot and their failure to win the title was put down to their failing to win any of their final three games when victories would have seen them crowned champions. The first of the trio of games was a shock 2–3 reverse against Derby when a draw would have been enough to take them top. It was the penultimate game that proved crucial however.
The destiny of the title was still in Everton's hands going into the final two games but their opponents in the first of those two games were title rivals Sunderland at Newcastle Road in what was effectively a title decider. This was Sunderland's final game and they needed only to draw to clinch the title for themselves. Twenty thousand people saw Sunderland win the match and the championship with a 2–1 scoreline and rendered Everton's final game meaningless. As it was, Everton could only draw that game at Aston Villa 2–2, a result which would have taken the title to Sunderland regardless.
Everton's best season since being crowned champions in 1891 was viewed on Merseyside as a huge disappointment as everyone connected with the club felt that the title had been theirs to win and instead had been gift wrapped for a Sunderland side who, while deserving champions, seemed flattered by their five-point margin of victory. In addition Sunderland had taken three of the four points on offer from their encounters with Everton that season, making claims by Evertonians that the better side had finished second ring a little hollow.
The Football League DateOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance1 September 1894Sheffield WednesdayH3–1Tom McInnes, Edgar Chadwick, Jack Bell19,0003 September 1894Small HeathH5–0Jack Bell {2}, Jack Southworth (3)8,0008 September 1894StokeA3–1Alex Latta, Tom McInnes, Edgar Chadwick5,00015 September 1894Nottingham ForestH6–1Alex Latta, Tom McInnes, Jack Southworth (3), Jack Bell15,00022 September 1894Nottingham ForestA3–2Edgar Chadwick, Jack Southworth, Jack Bell7,00029 September 1894West Bromwich AlbionH4–1Edgar Chadwick, Jack Southworth, Jack Bell, Tom McInnes19,9006 October 1894Bolton WanderersA3–1Edgar Chadwick, Tom McInnes, Alex Latta14,00013 October 1894LiverpoolH3–0Alex Latta, Tom McInnes, Jack Bell44,00020 October 1894Blackburn RoversA3–4Abe Hartley, Jack Southworth, Edgar Chadwick15,00027 October 1894SunderlandH2–2Dickie Boyle, Tom McInnes15,0003 November 1894Small HeathA4–4Alex Latta (3), Jack Bell10,00017 November 1894LiverpoolA2–2Alex Latta, Bob Kelso {penalty}30,00024 November 1894BlackburnH2–1Alf Milward, Jack Bell18,0001 December 1894West Bromwich AlbionA4–1Alf Milward, Alex Latta, Edgar Chadwick, Billy Stewart18,0008 December 1894Bolton WanderersH3–1Alex Latta, Edgar Chadwick, Tom McInnes12,00015 December 1894Preston North EndA2–1Abe Hartley, Alf Milward10,0001 January 1895The WednesdayA0–320,0005 January 1895WolvesA0–16,0007 January 1895StokeH3–0Bill Williams, Fred Geary, Edgar Chadwick6,00012 January 1895Derby CountyA2–2Fred Geary, Charlie Parry1,50017 January 1895Aston VillaH4–2Fred Geary, Alf Milward (2), Jack Bell15,00026 January 1895Sheffield UnitedH1–1Tom McInnes15,00023 February 1895Preston North EndH4–2Alf Milward, Abe Hartley, Edgar Chadwick, Jack Bell20,00026 February 1895Sheffield UnitedA2–4Abe Hartley, Tom McInnes12,00016 March 1895BurnleyA4–2Billy Stewart, Jack Bell, Edgar Chadwick, Alf Milward8,00021 March 1895BurnleyH3–2Jack Bell, Alf Milward, Alex Latta8,0008 April 1895WolvesH2–1Jack Bell, Alf Milward6,00013 April 1895Derby CountyH2–3Alf Milward, Fred Geary10,00020 April 1895SunderlandA1–2Edgar Chadwick20,00024 April 1895Aston VillaA2–2Dickie Boyle, Abe Hartley5,000
First Division final table P WDLFAGAPts1Sunderland30215480372.162472Everton30186682501.640423Aston Villa30175882431.907394Preston North End301551062461.348355Blackburn Rovers301110959491.204326Sheffield United301441257551.036327Nottingham Forest301351250560.893318The Wednesday301241450550.909289Burnley301141544560.7862610Bolton Wanderers30971461620.9842511Wolverhampton Wanderers30971443630.6832512Small Heath30971450740.6762513West Bromwich Albion301041651660.7732414Stoke30961550670.7462415Derby County30791445680.6622316LiverpoolNot re-elected after losing 'Test Match.' Invited to join Second Division30781551700.72922
Football Association Challenge Cup DateRoundOpponentsHome/AwayResultF – AScorersAttendance2 February 1895FirstSouthportA3–0Jack Bell (3)7,00016 February 1895SecondBlackburnH1–1Edgar Chadwick20,00020 February 1895replayBlackburnA3–2Edgar Chadwick (2), Abe Hartley20,0002 March 1895Quarter finalThe WednesdayA0–29,000
Club League records set this season Most points in a season {42} Most home points in a season {26} Most away points in a season {16} Most victories in a season {18} Most victories at home in a season {12} Most drawn games in a season {6} Most games drawn away from home in a season {4} Equalled fewest home defeats in a season {1} Most goal scored away from home in a season {35} Alex Latta scored a club record sixth league hat-trick this season Equalled longest winning sequence in a season {8} Longest home winning sequence in a season {7} Equalled longest unbeaten sequence in a season {8} Longest unbeaten home sequence in a season {14} Longest sequence of drawn games in a season {3} Longest sequence of away drawn games {2}
Negative club records Equalled longest away sequence without a win {4}
References
www.Evertonfc.com www.allfootballers.com www.soccerbase.com