Everton Super Fan Elston Would Not Mind A Gor Victory At Goodison

LIVERPOOL, England- The true essence of football lies with its fanatical fans. Those supporters- rich or poor- who would give their all and spare no expense to watch their favourite team play in any corner of the earth.

One such super fan is Tony Elston a 53 year-old interior designer based in the football mad city of Liverpool in England and answers to the Everton FC creed so much so he avers he would bleed blue if cut.

Elston and his spouse, Bernice travelled to Tanzania in July last year to watch their club take on record Kenyan league champions, Gor Mahia FC at the National Stadium in Dar in what was a first of its kind fixture.

The appeal of that historic occasion where the Blues edged K’Ogalo 2-1 left an indelible mark in Elston’s life, proving football can shatter barriers between peoples of different worlds.

On Tuesday night, he will be among the tens of thousands who will throng Goodison Park, an acclaimed landmark of British and world football to watch the two sides go at it again in the climax of what has been labelled as ‘Gor in Everton’ tour.

Elston could not disguise his admiration for the initiative piloted by Africa’s gaming giants SportPesa that has seen teams from the continent play against English opposition as a catalyst of developing football.

“After going all the way to Tanzania to watch Everton play with SportPesa, it was an amazing journey to Dar-es-Salaam, with so many people that supported Gor.

“On our doorstep now is this team coming to visit us who have travelled a long way so we are looking forward to see this African team coming to play against a Premier League team, straight 11 v 11,” Elston emphasised on Saturday night in Liverpool, having watched his favourite club turn on a blistering performance to sink Brighton and Hove Albion 3-1 at Goodison hours earlier.

What exactly inspired him to make the long journey from Liverpool to Dar to watch what in essence was a pre-season friendly ahead of the 2017/18 season?

“My team is playing all that way and I have never been to Africa before and I had a wonderful time with African people in Dar, Zanzibar. We had a great time in the schools and children,” he revealed.

Top guns

Besides the football game, the award-winning Everton in Tanzania tour saw the club engage in a variety of community-based projects including touring local schools that left a rich legacy in the East African nation.

Despite his undying devotion to Everton, Elston would not mind Gor coming on top against the Premier League side on Tuesday at a monumental fixture that kicks off at 7pm local time (10pm EAT).

Nevertheless, he does not expect Blues manager, Marco Silva to bring out all his top guns for the fixture but is confident the squad that will be sent out will not be of diminished quality.

“The team will be a little bit less strong than today (Saturday) and also the one that played in Dar because that was a pre-season friendly, getting ready for the start of the Premier League and I hope Gor Mahia give them really a good game,” he forecast.

According to him, a Gor victory would not leave him gnashing his teeth for this reason.

“If it makes the people of Kenya to be proud of their football and their club coming all the way to playing a Premier League team, that’s no problem, if you win, fantastic, if you lose, its still fantastic.

“The two clubs coming close together and making magnificent bond between Everton and Kenya. It needs to happen, it’s the most important thing because when all is said and done, African teams need to progress in world football,” Elston outlined.

He urged Gor to heed lessons offered by the opportunities presented to them to face English opposition and mould their operations based on the professional standards set in the UK that have transformed their football teams into global brands.

“If it makes an African team more professional and learning what goes on in the Premier League, we wish them well, we want them to play Premier League team,” Elston noted.

The Everton super fan is looking forward to following his side to Africa yet again if the chance presents itself in the future. 

“It was probably the greatest experience in my life and I will go back all because of football,” he highlighted.

Gor will be playing Everton yet again after holding on to their SportPesa Cup title they first won last year in Dar. On this occasion, the SportPesa Premier League winners outclassed Tanzanian giants, Simba SC 2-0 at Afraha Stadium, Nakuru on June 10 this year.

In May, the record-extending 17-time Kenyan league winners played Hull City FC of the English second division at a jam-parked 60,000-seater Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

According to Gor head coach, Dylan Kerr, the exposure from such intiatives has galvanised his side to stay ahead of their domestic competition in what should serve as a lesson to fellow SPL clubs.

-Lola Okulo is reporting from Liverpool, UK