Everton’s best performance of pre-season provided the strongest away following of the summer with plenty of inspiration at Preston North End. The travelling contingent – all 5,275 of them – were in fine voice throughout the friendly as they basked in the warmth of the sunshine and the glow of a good display.
As they dominated the airwaves, Blues fans turned away from the flurry of new signings for their first inspiration on Saturday afternoon, with the attention of the opening minutes focusing on an old favourite – Kevin Campbell.
Chants of ‘Super Kev’, in tribute to the iconic goalscorer who passed away this summer, rang out loud and clear. Hearing the away end in such good voice was one of a series of highlights from the match, and here are some more glimpses of the action for those unable to be among them.
As assistant manager, Steve Stone is often prominent in everything Everton do on a matchday. He is the one hooked up to the analysis team on a matchday as he feeds messages to and from the dugout in real-time.
This pre-season he has been floating in and around the players – stalking down the touchline to have a one-on-one chat with teenager Harrison Armstrong ahead of his first exposure to senior football at Salford City. On Saturday, he was sharing a moment with the defensive unit in their final drills before the match, shaking every members’ hand after they – including new boy Jake O’Brien – practised dealing with long balls.
