Everton Programmes | Everton 1938-39 Season

Everton 1938-39

Everton’s 1938/39 campaign was one of the greatest in the club’s history. After finishing 14th the previous season, the Toffees produced a remarkable transformation to become First Division champions, securing their fifth league title and the final championship completed before the Second World War.

Everton began the season with six consecutive victories and quickly established themselves as title contenders. Although their form briefly faltered around Christmas, a strong finish carried them four points clear of Wolverhampton Wanderers. Memorable results included victories over Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Sunderland.

Tommy Lawton was the outstanding figure in a talented young side. The 19-year-old centre-forward scored 34 league goals and 38 in all competitions, finishing as the division’s leading marksman. He was supported by accomplished players including Joe Mercer, Ted Sagar, Torry Gillick, Alex Stevenson, Stan Bentham and captain Jock Thomson.

Everton also reached the sixth round of the FA Cup. Their run included an emphatic 8–0 victory over Doncaster Rovers, with Lawton scoring four, before Wolves ended their hopes of completing a league and cup double.

The surviving programmes from 1938/39 document Everton’s last pre-war championship season through team line-ups, club notes, fixture details and period advertising. Issues covering matches against Liverpool, Arsenal and other leading clubs are especially evocative. Increasingly scarce, these programmes allow collectors to follow the development of a brilliant side whose full potential was ultimately interrupted by the outbreak of war.