The Emerald Evertonian: The Life and Times of Peter Farrell

From Dalkey to Dalymount and on to Goodison Park, Peter Farrell left an enduring mark on football for both club and country.

With eight minutes remaining at Goodison Park on 21 September 1949, wearing the green of Ireland, Farrell surged towards the Gwladys Street goal and calmly lofted the ball over the England goalkeeper. His strike sealed England’s first-ever home defeat to a foreign nation etched forever into Irish and Merseyside football folklore. That it came on the turf of his beloved Everton made it all the sweeter. It was a defining moment in a distinguished career in blue and green.

Like his modern-day compatriot Séamus Coleman, Farrell is revered as one of Ireland and Everton’s greatest captains - leader of character, courage and sportsmanship through testing times.

In The Emerald Evertonian, Rob Sawyer charts Farrell’s journey from junior football in Dalkey to silverware with Shamrock Rovers and on to post-war England with Everton, where he arrived alongside lifelong friend Tommy Eglington. Drawing on meticulous research and previously unseen sources, Sawyer also explores Farrell’s later life in management - on Merseyside, in North Wales and back home in Ireland - and his dignified 25-year struggle with dementia, sustained by the devotion of his family and community.

This is a compelling portrait of a remarkable footballer and gentleman, and a vivid window into the game during a transformative era.

Rob Sawyer is a founding member of Toffeeopolis and author of several Everton-related books. His biography of TG Jones was shortlisted in the 2018 Sports Book of the Year awards.