Royal Blue - Links between Everton and Cheltenham have been few

LINKS between Cheltenham and Everton aren’t numerous – but the Gloucestershire and Mersey clubs have shared three centre-forwards ... of vastly contrasting quality.

Brett Angell managed one goal in his 18 Everton appearances, failed to score in 10 Sunderland appearances and was similarly unsuccessful in front of goal for Queens Park Rangers.

But in the lower leagues he was prolific – and nowhere more so than at Whaddon Road.

Angell burst onto the scene in 1987-88 with 24 goals in 37 appearances for Cheltenham – a flurry which earned him a move to Stockport County where he made his name as a reliable marksman.

Bernie Wright took the opposite path to Cheltenham.

After a league career which embraced Walsall, Port Vale, Bradford City – and a short-lived but memorable spell at Everton in the 1970s – Bernie The Bolt wound his career down in non-League football, including a spell at Whaddon Road.

While Angell and Wright feature only on Everton lists of infamy, Andy Gray is a 24 carat Goodison legend.

And he took his last steps in competitive football for Cheltenham Town in 1990, after leaving Glasgow Rangers.

Predictably he scored, seven times in 20 appearances for the then Conference club.