CURRENT Everton manager David Moyes knew how to get his new team’s fans onside on his arrival at Goodison in 2002 by declaring they were ‘The People’s Club’.

The Scot probably didn’t realise the future significance of his words that day over seven-and-a-half years ago but the phrase stuck enough for it to be subsequently officially adopted by Everton.

Merseyside fans have always viewed themselves as being special and another famous remark from Goodison legend Brian Labone certainly suggested that Evertonians consider themselves a breed apart.

As arguably the oldest major fanbase in the entire football world – Everton were pulling in the largest gates of any club in the pioneering seasons of the Football League – there’s certainly a strong case.

Despite the success of neighbours Liverpool FC in recent decades and the inevitable global following that has come with it, the enthusiasm or numbers that regularly turn out both home and away to support the Goodison outfit has not been curbed.

It is these supporters and their incredible tales that are celebrated in Jonathan Mumford and David Cregeen’s new book, Tales from the Gwladys Street.

Whether it’s ‘The People’s Club’ or indeed any football club, ultimately it is these people, the fans, who make it what it is.

Players, managers, directors and even grounds are all transient but the supporters remain the one constant.

Divided into bite-sized chunks of individual games and events, TFTGS describes with great humour and human interest the match-day experiences of several generations of Evertonians in the Post-War era from the Dark Ages of the Second Division in the 1950s to the present day.

Often it’s the escapades away from the game itself which prove most entertaining but the prevailing themes suggest that on the whole Evertonians are not just an incredibly loyal set of fans but fun-loving, quick-thinking and resourceful too.

The barcode on the back of this copy of the Daily Post will tell you that recycled paper makes up more than 80% of the raw material for UK newspapers and advises you to ‘Dispose of this newspaper in a responsible manner’.

Back in 1954, Evertonians were using such items to leap over walls into Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park after police had spread tar from large drums to try and prevent bunking in and those who got in saw their side promoted back to the top flight of English football where they have remained – albeit with a couple of last day scares in the 1990s – ever since.

In a 21st century world in which boyhood Blue and ex-Everton player Wayne Rooney seems to delight in any triumph he can bring against his former club in the colours of Manchester United, it’s heart-warming to read a couple of anecdotes concerning true gentleman and Evertonian, Mick Lyons.