Everton trophy drought has stretched to 31 years, but the club’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season and progress in the Carabao Cup have created renewed optimism among supporters.
The mood remains cautious after a difficult transfer window left manager David Moyes with only 18 senior outfield players. The frustration was heightened on deadline day when several planned moves failed to produce the reinforcements Everton had hoped for.
A proposed move for AS Monaco striker Falorin Balogun collapsed after the player walked away following problems with his medical. Everton also lost Iliman Ndiaye, regarded as one of the club’s most important players, to Manchester City in a £65m transfer.
Everton Trophy Drought and a Long Wait for Success
The Everton trophy drought is particularly striking because the club’s last major success came in the 1995 FA Cup final, when they defeated Manchester United at the old Wembley.
Since 2000, Everton have been the only club among the current top four tiers of English football that has neither won a trophy nor been promoted. Promotion, of course, would only have been possible after relegation, something Everton have avoided since returning to the top flight after their last relegation in 1951.
The club came close to dropping out of the Premier League in recent years. Everton secured survival by beating Bournemouth on the final day of the 2022-23 season, having also needed a dramatic comeback against Crystal Palace in their previous campaign to guarantee safety.
Despite those struggles, Everton remain one of only six Premier League originals who have never been relegated from the top division, alongside Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Everton Fans Still Find Reasons to Celebrate
The Everton trophy drought has not erased the loyalty of supporters, many of whom continue to view following the club as something far bigger than winning silverware.
Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman, who made 433 appearances and scored 58 goals between 2003 and 2016, said he would not exchange his identity as an Evertonian for anything. He acknowledged the disappointment of going without trophies but pointed to memorable semi-finals, an FA Cup final and European victories as important moments.
Osman also highlighted Everton’s fourth-place finish in 2004-05, when Moyes guided the club into the Champions League after selling Wayne Rooney to Manchester United. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger described Moyes’ achievement that season as “a miracle”.
That campaign also featured a memorable Goodison Park victory over Manchester United, with Duncan Ferguson scoring from Mikel Arteta’s free-kick. Everton later reached the Champions League qualifying round, although their campaign ended controversially against Villarreal after a late Ferguson header was ruled out.
Everton Trophy Drought Meets Renewed Hope
For Dr David France, one of Everton’s most devoted supporters, loyalty to the club is measured in decades and millions of miles. The 78-year-old, who has lived in Arizona since 1977, estimates that he has travelled two million miles to watch Everton.
France attended his first Everton match on 4 September 1957, when the club drew 3-3 with Manchester United’s Busby Babes. He later established the Everton Former Players’ Foundation in 1999 and became the club’s premier archivist, with more than 20,000 pieces of memorabilia now maintained through the Everton Collection Charitable Trust at the Liverpool Record Office.
France admits Everton have fallen behind clubs such as Aston Villa and Newcastle United in the battle to become the leading challengers outside the established elite. However, he remains hopeful that the club’s fortunes can change.
One of his favourite recent memories came in April 2024, when Everton defeated Liverpool 2-0 at Goodison Park. It was their first victory in 30 Merseyside derbies, excluding the 2-0 behind-closed-doors win at Anfield during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Everton’s recent Carabao Cup progress has added another reason for supporters to believe better days may be ahead. The 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hill Dickinson Stadium set up a last-16 home tie against Newcastle United, while the club’s unbeaten Premier League start has further lifted the atmosphere.
The Everton trophy drought remains an undeniable part of the club’s modern history, but the supporters’ connection with their team has survived years of disappointment. With Moyes back in charge and Everton still competing in the Premier League and Carabao Cup, those fans are once again able to look forward with cautious hope.