Learn English Through Football

This podcast is for those who love football and also want to improve their English. This week, we explain the nickname for Everton FC, The Toffees. You can read the transcript of the show below. It is a great way for learners of English to practice. You can also check out our massive glossary of footballing phrases here. We have hundreds of previous posts and podcasts too on our website. If you are a teacher of English, why don’t you use the audio and transcript to provide practice for their students: Try some true/false questions, pick out some key vocabulary before playing the podcast as an audio quiz, etc. And learners of English can access all resources for free.  Let us know if you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
Learn English Through Football
DB: Hi there everyone. Welcome to the podcast for those who love football and also want to improve their English. My name’s Damon, and I’m based in Tokyo. In a few hours the 243rd derby between Liverpool and Everton will kick off, and I thought it was a good opportunity to talk about the nicknames of the two clubs.
Now, I am sure Damian, the other member of the languagecaster team, knows the nickname for Everton football club, but I wonder if he knows the history behind their nickname. And how about you, do you know why Everton are called the Toffees?
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Persian)
DB: Yes, you are listening to languagecaster and that message was in Persian.
The Toffees
DB: Right, let’s kick off. Now, I’m a Liverpool fan, but we’re going to start with the nickname for Liverpool’s big rivals, Everton. They are often called the Toffees. Now, a toffee is a hard sweet, and its main ingredients are sugar and butter.
Two sweet shops have been connected with the history of Everton FC and both, therefore, influenced the nickname. The first was located closer to Anfield, where Everton originally played. This was  Ye Anciente Everton Toffee House. The second was closer to Goodison Park where Everton moved later. This was Mother Noblett’s Toffee Shop.
The second shop became closely identified with the club as it invented the Everton Mint, toffee surrounded by white and black striped mint. This was similar to the colours worn in the club’s early decades. They wore, for a time, black shirts and white socks.
Even now, a woman, in late nineteenth century dress,  will throw toffees to the crowd at Everton’s home games. They are known as the Toffee-lady Mascot.
I recommend you check out the Everton FC website for much more on this history.
Bluenose
DB: Another nickname you may hear for an Everton fan, is Bluenose. Obviously Everton now play in blue and Bluenose just refers to this fact. It is used for other fans of teams in blue, for example Birmingham City FC  fans in Birmingham may be called bluenoses.
In the city of Liverpool, most fans are either blue, Everton, or red. If you are blue you are an Everton fan. If you’re a red, you’re a Liverpool supporter . So a fan of Everton would be a Toffee, a Bluenose, or a Blue.
Stinger: Your are listening to languagecaster.com (in Cantonese)
Goodbye
DB: Thank you for that message in Cantonese. How about the team you follow? What are their nicknames? Come along to our site at languagecaster.com and leave us a comment or email us directly at admin@languagecaster.com. It would be great to hear the history of other nicknames from clubs around the world.