The 1935/36 First Division season was over. The Berlin Olympics was near. After avoiding relegation by 4 points (thanks to a very healthy home record) and thumping Preston 5-0, Everton were set to go to Adolf Hitler-ruled Germany to play five matches against German international trial teams ahead of the Olympics. From May 9th-24th, Everton were about to show Fußballfans what they were made of.
The Voyage
The squad left Liverpool to set sail on the New York for Hamburg on May 8th, however the journey wasn’t plain sailing. On the ship’s way to Hamburg, it collided with a Dutch steamer, Alphard, just outside of Oostende, Netherlands. 26 men were on-board and the steamer sank completely within 20 minutes. Thankfully, all 26 men were saved.
One Everton player said:
There was not much time to spare. Everyone was impressed by the coolness and swift action of the crew of the New York.
A Liverpool Echo reporter was at the Hamburg docks and interviewed three members of the squad about the experience, and here is what they said.
It was about 9:50pm. They said, and we had just gone down to the ballroom for a dance when a heavy tremor ran through the ship. Everybody stopped still for a moment, and we felt the ship listing under our feet. Then everything was quiet again. None of us on board, by the way, had any feeling of danger, although we realised that something serious might have happened. We hurried up on deck, and when we got there, we found a small steamer lying dead ahead with a list of about 43 degrees on her. Fortunately, the sea was clam or the rescue might not have been as successful. In the flash, the New York put boats out, including one motor lifeboat, and started taking the crew of the Dutch vessel – we found that it was named Alphard – off.
The ship was actually so close that eight members of its crew climbed up ladders to the deck of the New York by means of rope ladders. The remaining eighteen members of the crew were brought to the New York by the life boats. There had not been much time to spare, for the Dutch ship then disappeared below the surface of the sea very rapidly. The whole thing had only taken 20 minutes from start to finish.
They were asked whether they were shaken from the incident, and they replied very coolly:
We feel fine and very happy at the prospect of our first match on German soil.
A few days later, the Liverpool Echo published Albert Geldard’s take on the incident:
Most of us have had our baptism of big liner travel. Fortunately for us all, the benefit of being in the larger of the colliding vessels saved any danger of us feeling the dampness of the baptismal waters. But to begin at the beginning. When the tender brought us alongside the magnificent sea home in Southampton Water, we started what turned out to be quite an adventurous trip. The boys were impressed with the splendid arrangement made by the German Football Association for their comfort aboard, and during yesterday, they had made full use of the gymnasium, swimming baths, sports deck &c, in their earnestness to do well against the international elevens opposed to them.
After dinner, most of the party were in the saloon enjoying the music of the ship’s orchestra, when there came a severe cluck in the smooth way of the boat. The jar seemed a slight one in its effect on us sitting there, but naturally, knowing that something serious must have occurred, we wasted no time in making for the promenade deck from whence it was possible to see that we were wielded into the midship of a much smaller boat. Our ship had been proceeding at half speed for some hours owing to the banks of fog that we were running into, and from what we learnt afterwards, our opponents were also only running at a reduced speed. After a time, the ships unlocked from one another, and gradually, the Alphard listed over, and finally begin to settle down.
As we drifted further away from her, two motor boats and one lifeboat were quickly manned and sent away to her assistance. From our decks, little could be seen excepting the lights of the doomed boat. Within half an hour, three explosions heralded the end of her, and the last thing that we could reduce was that the water had reached the dynamos (which on this boat were on the upper deck), for there was a sudden black-out of the navigating lights. It transpired later that eight of the twenty-seven crew claimed aboard the New York by a rope ladder, whilst the boats were still in contact. The remaining were all able to get safely away before the Alphard sank by means of the lifeboats. The passengers here made a collect for the men who had been unable to save their belongings, and the amount realised was in the region of £60.
Well, “Bee,” [Liverpool Echo reporter] I know that this has little to do with soccer, but the experience was a new one for most and not as unpleasant at it might easily have turned out to be for the Alphard was outward bound for a load of pig-iron, and you can well see that had she been laden there might have been rather more damage done to our ship. As it was, there were two huge pieces out of our bows, either of them big enough to have driven a motor through. This damage, naturally meant that throughout the night speed was considerably reduced, and instead of our landing at Cuxhaven today, where Dr. Otto Nerz was to officially receive us, we simply slowed down in the river while the Customs men came aboard and carried out the examination of baggage from 9pm onwards as the ship carried on to Hamburg. The extra eighteen hours on board was quite to the liking of the players and officials, and really preferable to the suggested rail journey from Cuxhaven to Hamburg. This meant that we shall not land until 9am tomorrow, but the match does not start until 5:30pm, there is plenty of time for the boys to settle down.
Just as I wrote the last sentence, I was called to the radiophone and had the new experience of a wireless conversation with our now “old” friend, Otto. He was anxious to know that everything was OK and was delighted to know that we were none the worse after the accident. Cunliffe and Sagar are joining us at Duisburg on Monday evening after the Brussels match [Belgium v England].
By the way, this was the first occasion that the New York had carried a football team, and Captain Warner had a group photograph taken with the full party yesterday afternoon. I hope to keep you posted with any items of interest that crop up during the tour, so leave plenty of space!
It was certainly a maritime experience the Everton players will never forget.
Match 1 – Germany Olympic XI 0-3 Everton
Everton opened their post-season tour of Germany with a 3-0 win over the proposed German Olympic team at the Stadion Hoheluft in Hamburg. Around 25,000 fans witnessed two goals from Bunny Bell and one from Tommy White as Everton were “tactically and physically superior to their opponents.” The German opposition included full German internationals Robert Bernard, Wilhelm Simetsreiter and Josef Gauchel.
Match 2 – West Germany XI 4-1 Everton
Attended by 23,000 fans, Cliff Britton took the lead for Everton after a scoring a penalty and the club went into half-time leading 1-0 in Duisburg. However, the side wholly comprising of Western Germans were too much for them in the second half.
It could have been a lot worse for Everton, had not it been for the ever-reliable, Ted Sagar. The German inside forwards, August Lenz and Karl Hohmann, wanted to boost their chances of making the final Germany Olympic team, but they were continuously frustrated by Sagar.
In a humorous sense of irony, the Germans had a dubious goal allowed after the ball seemingly crossed the line after it hit the underside of the bar.
The Liverpool Daily Post reported:
There was a dispute over the Germans’ equalising goal scored after a quarter of an hour in the second half. Lenz drove the ball hard towards goal, and it struck underneath the bar and then bounced down on to the goal line. The referee awarded a goal despite protests by the Everton players.
The German goalscorers were August Lenz (twice), Wilhelm Simetsreiter and Josef Gauchel (a reported 40-yard screamer). The team included what was considered one of the best full-back partnerships in the 1930s – Paul Janes and Reinhold Muenzenberg.
After the defeat, according to Liverpool Echo reporter “Bee,” Germany’s manager Otto Nerz was in a bit of an exuberant mood:
Otto Nerz has been the life and soul of the officials group, and when we were consoling each other after the second half, that the goal against did not exceed the aggregate of goals for, he chipped in to say that he “would make arrangements to keep down the rate of exchanges!” One of his wise-isms is repeatedly borne out in fact vis; “With the best we are satisfied.” His jujitsu tricks have been freely applied much to the discomfiture of those nearest to him, and he has certainly become entitled to the name of “Peter Pan.”
Match 3 – Germany XI 1-3 Everton
12,000 fans watched Everton recover from their annihilation by winning 3-1 in Frankfurt. Two goals from Torry Gillick and one from Nat Cunliffe gave Everton a 3-0 lead before Josef Gauchel converted a consolation penalty three minutes from time for the Germans.
Like Ted Sagar was Everton’s saviour from further annihilation in the previous game, goalkeeper Willy Juerissen was Germany’s saviour in this game, according to the Liverpool Daily Post.
Everton have now taken control of the tour by leading the Germans two wins to one.
The secretary Theo Kelly had his say on the match, writing to “Bee”:
The score might quite easily have run to double figures, but as it turned out it was as well that it stopped where it did for the 10,000 spectators were not satisfied when they found that substitutes were not allowed. Only after an announcement was made that the teams had mutually agreed to “no substitutes” were they appeased. Gillick got two of the goals and Cunliffe sandwiched one in between. Germany scored from a penalty in the last two minutes after Sagar saved the first kick. The referee Mr. Best of Hocist was reputed to be the “best” in German football. The weather is too glorious hot, but our boys are training and playing with the utmost vigour. What a press they are getting. Things have altered for the better since we were here last. Just all for the present, Everybody is very fit and well, except that Geldard pulled a muscle during the first few minutes of the last game, when he appeared to be for a field day. By the way, our team was; Sagar; Jackson, Jones; Britton, White, Mercer; Geldard, Cunliffe, Bell, Stevenson, and Gillick. Jones had his boots re-studded on the touchline in the second half (quite unique) and the outstanding successes were Gillick, Stevenson, White, Mercer, and Jackson. Sagar had nothing to do. Cheerio.
Match 4 – Germany XI 4-2 Everton
25,000 fans were in Stuttgart as the tour levelled at two wins each after Everton lost to the Germans 4-2. Germany went into a 3-0 lead at half-time, following goals from two goals from Josef Fath and one from Franz Elbern. Everton reduced the lead very shortly after the second half began after a goal by Nat Cunliffe, but they couldn’t find a way to reduce the lead even more before Josef Fath completed his hat-trick over half an hour later. Nat Cunliffe scored his second a few minutes later, and the match ended 4-2 to the Germans.
The match was attended by the Reich Governor of Wuerttemberg and a colleague of Adolf Hitler, Wilhelm Murr.
Here is what Theo Kelly told the Liverpool Echo following the game:
Here we are after a four years’ absence. It only seems like yesterday since we were in the hotel. The weather has broken down at last and while writing, it is raining heavily. Yesterday’s gate at Stuttgart looked like being ruined, for we had very heavy rain with overcast skies in the morning. Possibly this eventually improved the attendance for ascension day being a public holiday, there must have many who might have gone further afield than the stadium, if the weather had been good. How often you find this so at home on a bank holiday?
There must have been 30,000 spectators at the start, and they were treated to another great exhibition by the teams, in the case Germany just about meriting a win. They passed and re-passed rapidly and with precision, and it was no wonder that they had a lead of 3 goals at the interval. With the strong wind in our favour, we had much of the second half and Cunliffe soon got a beauty from a long pass forward by Jackson. This was neutralised when White in passing back to Sagar, played the ball short and found the German outside left an easy opening. Back to the fight again, and a bombardment of the German goal was greeted with shouts from the very porting Stuttgart crowd. It was really wonderful that their goal should escape. Rounds, woodwork, by the international Jakob (who played at Tottenham against England) all conspired to deny us a reasonable chance of a draw. Near the finish Cunliffe got a second goal from close in, and the whistle blew leaving Germany winners by 4 goals to 2.
The position now is that we have each won two, with goals for and against 9, Bell and Cunliffe have scored three, Gillick 2, and Britton one. Otto Nerz is very satisfied with the results, and as his team gets stronger each match – he brings in his most likely Olympians players – you can well see that the last game on Sunday at Nuremberg will be a real snorter. Jack Thomson had the novel experience of speaking from Radio Stuttgart yesterday. After making the record which was broadcast at 7:40pm, when a repeat of the running commentary on the match was given, he heard it over before leaving the studio. His remark on hearing his own voice from the record when it was tested was “I started like Ramsey MacDonald and finished like Harry Lauder.”
In the evening, dinner was not quite over when 7:40pm arrived, but the remainder of the meal was forgotten in the interest to hear the radio in the hotel manager’s room. It was quite a sight to see the boys (dead quiet for the first time on the tour) crowded around the set chairs, tables and floors of the little room were fully occupied and after the final message to our friends in England was heard, it was agreed that the offer of Radio Stuttgart management to give us this facility, was a great idea, and typical of the many kindnesses that have showered on the English tourists.
Match 5 – Germany XI 1-1 Everton
A fair result as 22,000 fans watched the final game of a very evenly-matched tour in Nuremberg. After a goalless first half, Germany took the lead after a penalty from Josef Gauchel. Everton equalised almost immediately after Charlie Leyfield scored directly from a corner due to the German left-back Andreas Munkert interfering with the goalkeeper Hans Jakob as the ball came in. Everton tried to find a winner but they couldn’t find a way past Hans Jakob.
As the tour came to a close, here is what Theo Kelly said about the experience:
The playing side of the Everton tour has now ended, and really I think the boys are to be complimented for the eulogies that they have earned and received. To finish “all squared” against the Germany’s best is a feat of no means value. Consider that the Germans were playing for their place in the national team at the Olympics and you will see that the matches were test matches of the sternest kind. As we know the game, their methods are unorthodox, and rather machine-like. Seldom do you see the cleverness of any individual. They play as a team, which is a good fault in many ways, but yet takes the spice of “stardom,” out of their teams.
With the ball in possession of any one of their men, the others immediately run into the open space to received the expected pass. As soon as a defender goes out to meet any man with the ball, on goes the ball to the next man, and so this goes on until an error of judgement beings the passing bout to an end.
Throughout Germany, all of the coaches appear to be teaching the self same methods and the result is a uniformity of style that makes for machine-like precision that rather tends to monotony. However, we proved our worth I think and there is not the slightest doubt that the German players have appreciated the skill of our side in our general ability. Well, you will all know by now that we drew the last game, and finished: – won 2, lost 2; drew 1; goals for 10, against 10. Goals scorers; Bell and Cunliffe 3, Gillick 2, Leyfield and Britton 1.
Every player who will be chosen to represent Germany in the Olympic Games at Berlin in August has played against our team on this tour. Sagar has come in for some chipping, as the whole of the 10 goals were scored against us while he was in charge of the fort. He is named in the press here as the wonder goalkeeper, and certain his displaying in the first half of our second match at Duisburg, was enough for anyone to earn such a title.
Our many journeys in auto buses here have been enlivened by the music of the Gee party. Many parodies have emanated from the ready wit of those who as you know best, are capable of such atrocities. One arose through the goal scored by Leyfield, which meant a draw after Germany had netted from a very unfair penalty. Officially, we would say that Leyfield scored direct from his corner, but after the Leader of the syndicate had made out a good case in the dressing-room, a vote was taken, and it was agreed that it was quite possible that Gee had more to do with the scoring of the goal than the spectators thought.
Such is the good humour in which the game have been played, and such humour is extremely helpful when touring in a strange country. No matter what the results have been, the players have returned to their various hotels singing many of the popular tunes of their own counties. Even “Steve” has been called on for “A little Dash of Dublin” and no one has shirked the call of duty of the musical side. There can be nothing but praise for the players who have represented the club during a series of matches against the selected men of Germany.
We are having the final dinner of the German Football Association tomorrow evening, and I will send you another line following the ceremony. I am enclosing one or two photos which you may be able to use; Cheerio.