A group set up by Everton supporters during the pandemic has developed into an important mental health support network helping people from across Liverpool.
Talking Toffees started as a podcast, providing a platform for Blues to earn a football-inspired release from life when the game moved behind closed doors due to Covid-19.
Once restrictions began to lift it morphed into a social enterprise that encouraged people to exercise and engage with each other, bringing dozens together, regardless of their background - or even, by then, the team they supported.
Now more than 40 regular members take part in football sessions and 11-a-side games, both competitive and friendly, as part of a dynamic set up to raise awareness and funds for good causes.
Talking Toffees was started by Peter Daly and Andy Noon as Covid hit social connections and temporarily removed the escapism and emotional release going to Goodison Park provided to many fans.
Explaining the concept, Peter told the ECHO: “The idea behind it was a consequence of Covid. We noticed that during lockdown, when no-one could go to the match, we lost an important social element - that was when people met up with their family and their friends and it would be a way of letting off steam. When Covid came that opportunity completely disappeared.
"So what we tried to do, by creating the Talking Toffees podcast, was to build a platform where we could have anyone and everyone on to talk. In the early days we got a lot of ex-players on, from Kevin Ratcliffe to Michael Ball, and then we got fans on who would chat before or after a game in the same way you would when you are walking up to the ground or when you are in the pub. That was the idea behind it.”
When the pandemic eased it created the opportunity to take Talking Toffees beyond an online initiative. Peter and Andy seized upon the chance to use it to support physical activity to further boost the mental health of those involved
Peter said: “When the restrictions started to lift one of the first things that you could do was exercise. Andy and I discussed it and thought why don’t we do Talking Toffees football? We started a midweek session at Goals in Speke and said to anyone - not just Evertonians - to come along and get out of the house and just play football. That was it and it worked really well and got really popular - at first we had 10-12 then five or six-a-side became seven aside and then we started to get more than 20.
“The good thing about it is that despite our name and the obvious Everton connection we are inclusive and over time we had Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United supporters get involved. The team people supported didn’t matter, it was about getting people out of the house and playing football and then that snowballed and it became a regular occurrence. We then thought of creating a team that could play others and started the team, joining the Merseyside Inclusion League.
"We began by creating a group of like-minded individuals and we now have about 40 people, so quite often we play among ourselves. It is about getting people out, forming new relationships, and it has just been brilliant. When we play we want to win but there is an understanding we are all amateur, we are all in it together and it is just a great outlet.”
When it comes to matchdays, Peter tends to manage the side rather than play. The 32-year-old dad from Liverpool is immensely proud of the group and said more people are welcome to get involved. Encouraging people to sign up, he said: “Football is just the starting point. You can meet someone for the first time and spend hours talking about football.
"When you are playing, it gets you out of the house, gets you exercising and for that period of time putting the ball in the net is the only thing that is important. Day to day, you don’t know what people are going through and for that period of time you just feel good. We are all friends. The release of football, it is giving people light relief and if there is any adversity in the group we come together. I love it. It’s great to be a part of.”
Peter works for law firm the Fletchers Group, which has offered crucial support - particularly in its efforts to raise money and awareness for good causes through its Colleague Community Fund. In the most recent charity game, Talking Toffees played a team set up by another Everton supporter for similar purposes called Wrexham Police FC in support of Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Fletchers told the InspireFootball: “We are very proud to be working with Talking Toffees, and our colleagues are advocates for their ambition to provide a safe space to talk about mental health while being part of a local football team. With suicide being the largest cause of death for men under the age of 50, local groups like Talking Toffees are key to encouraging men to open up about their mental health and getting that much needed support.”
Talking Toffees hold midweek sessions at St John Bosco. For details of how to get involved, contact them on Twitter via: @talking_toffees
