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Pioneering Everton FC administrator Will Cuff was at the helm of a football club which won four league titles, two FA Cups and rose from the status of Sunday School parks team to the richest and most celebrated in the land.

Scroll down for your essential Will Cuff factfile

He founded the Central League for reserve teams, was the Football League President who introduced shirt numbering, and served the Toffees in numerous capacities for almost 60 years.

But at the rededication of his grave in Anfield Cemetery yesterday, it was his role in bringing together the bitterest of rivals which was hailed as one of his most impressive achievements

Watched by current Blues boss Roberto Martinez, chief executive Robert Elstone and Everton Life President Sir Philip Carter – Vice Chairman of the Everton Heritage Society Peter Lupson delivered a stirring account of Cuff’s life and times, 65 years and one day from the date he was laid to rest.

“Under his inspired leadership Everton became the greatest club in the land,” he said. “It says a lot that the great Dixie Dean simply referred to him as ‘the Master’.

“He established a quality of football that is still the benchmark against which Everton teams have been measured ever since.”

But it is the links he forged with neighbours Liverpool which were most significant.

Lupson, a renowned football historian, declared: “One of the things about Will’s christian character was his capacity to forgive and be reconciled.

“You all know that in 1892 there was a terrible split, out of which Liverpool emerged as a separate club. It was a bitter split.

“It began to slightly thaw by the time John Houlding had died and in 1902 three Everton and three Liverpool players carried his coffin, which was something of a breakthrough.

“But the process of healing accelarated as a result of Will Cuff’s friendship with a man who had a similar status and stature at Liverpool called John McKenna.

“These two men together, through their deep friendship, brought about a unity between Everton and Liverpool that was remarkable when you think about the depth of the split.

“Within two years of Houlding’s death they’d arranged for joint match programmes to be published from 1904 to 1935 – that’s 1,100 joint match programmes.

“In 1906 Everton won the FA Cup, when they knocked Liverpool out in the semi-final 2-0, but when Everton came back with the trophy McKenna and all the Liverpool directors were at the station to welcome them and congratulate them.

“Also, during the 1930s, whenever there were derby matches, if the match was at Goodison all the players and directors would meet at Anfield for a social evening, and if it was Anfield they would all come to Goodison.

“There was a joint Everton/Liverpool cricket team and their big fixture every year was against Bootle.

“These are the sort of things that Will Cuff and John McKenna brought into being.”

In the days long before Sky TV, Lupson also revealed that Cuff was responsible for introducing something he called ‘Football Sundays’.

He added: “Once a year Everton and Liverpool football clubs would worship together at St Domingo’s Church and a director from each club would speak.

“When Will Cuff died on February 6, 1949 his service was conducted by former Liverpool captain Parson Jackson.

“And at his funeral, where a one-mile procession came to pay their respects, the directors of Liverpool were all here and the Liverpool chairman said ‘Will Cuff was a man who set a grand example to everyone in football’.

“I am delighted that Liverpool’s chaplain Bill Bygroves is here today and I see that as a contination of that wonderul gesture.”

Paul Wharton, Chairman of the Everton Heritage Society who arranged the rededication of Cuff’s grave and tracked down Cuff’s surviving family in Australia, added: “Will Cuff was an immense figure not just for Everton, but for the whole of football.

“He commanded such respect that 88 of the Football League teams came to pay their respects at his funeral, as did representatives from all four home nations, Sir Stanley Rous of the FA, Jimmy Guthrie from the PFA and the Lord Mayor of Liverpool.

“He was one of the greatest Evertonians that we will ever have.

“He built Everton up to be the richest and finest club in the country.”

Wharton explained the process which led to the Heritage Society leading the campaign for the grave to be restored.

“He had a small sandstone headstone, with lead lettering and a cross which, in time, had been knocked over,” he said.

“I went to see Robert Elstone and said ‘Robert, can we do something about Will’s grave?

“He was such a great figure in Everton’s history’.

“Robert has always said he would help us if he can and he said ‘Certainly’.

“I got in touch with Kevin Ball, a great Evertonian and stonemason, funeral directors called, quite appropriately, William Charles – and from there we have this today.”

William Charles Cuff’s grandson, Charlie, sent a message to the assembled party at Anfield Cemetery from Down Under.

“Can you please thank Robert Elstone, Kevin Ball and William Charles funeral directors for all their support for today’s rededication of my grandfather’s headstone,” he said.

“I feel so humbled to be related to such a great man. Thank you all.”

Will Cuff - 10 things you need to know

1. Grew up at 34 Spellow Lane and is often described as the last link to St Domingo’s (his father Henry was a trustee of St Domingo Chapel). Will became choirmaster at St Domingo’s.

2. Served the club for almost 60 years in various capacities. Became an Everton Shareholder in 1892, director in 1894, club secretary in 1901 and chairman in 1921. He stood down from chairmanship after title win of 1938 but stayed on the board until his death in 1949.

3. Supported George Mahon’s stand against John Houlding in 1892 which led to the split and the formation of Liverpool.

4. Became President of the Football League in 1938 and was also a vice president of the FA.

5. The club secretary had a major say in team selection in the pre-war eras, so he had a hand in the 1906 and 1933 FA Cup wins, plus 1914, 1928, 1932 and 1938 title wins.

6. Was part of the board which sanctioned the purchase of Dixie Dean from Tranmere Rovers in 1925.

7. A forward thinking man he was behind the decision to send the Blues on the ground-breaking tour of South America in 1909.

8. Professed he didn’t mind defeat as long as the team had played “the Everton way”.

9. He fell ill after making the FA Cup draw in the winter of 1949 and died on February 6, 1949.

10. On his death the ECHO said: “Football has lost a great and gifted legislator. Will Cuff never allowed anything to interfere with his duty to football. He devoted a lifetime’s loyal and invaluable service to the game and lived for nothing but the betterment of it.”

Martinez inspired by great names from the past

Current Everton manager Roberto Martinez says he takes inspiration from great figures in Everton’s history like Will Cuff.

The Blues boss attended yesterday’s rededication service at Anfield Cemetery and afterwards said: “The more I understand about the way that we were born and the way that figures like Will Cuff wanted the game to be played, the more I think it is exactly my beliefs and the way I want the game to be played.

“It's the perfect fit and it's incredible to be able to have that inspiration within our football club.”

Cuff was a passionate advocate of attractive “scientific” football and eschewed “kick and rush” soccer.

“Tradition seems to be lost in the modern game a little bit, but Everton is the opposite,” Martinez said. “We are very proud of our heritage and our history.

“Will Cuff is a fascinating figure. I see him as a similar figure to Sir Philip Carter, in the roles they had at the football club – people with an extra vision who became leaders.

“On top of that, his way of understanding the game is something I admire.

He was a forward thinker for his time and I would declare myself a big follower of his beliefs – certainly the football aspects and the way he wanted the game to be played. The start of the school of science comes from him.

“He is a fascinating figure and the more I find out about him the more I think his name should be more widely known in world football.

“He broke new ground regularly and these figures need to be well known to inspire other generations in other countries.

“He is a big part of what we are this football club and it was a very nice event to show again how privileged we are with our history.”