18-05-2025
Sylvester Stallone sends Goodison Park message as Everton legend delights with return
Following Everton's final Premier League fixture at Goodison Park, a 2-0 win over Southampton, an End of an Era ceremony took place on the pitch as the Blues departed their home for the past 133 years.
It was an emotional tribute to the Grand Old Lady that saw Everton legends from a number of eras paraded on the pitch, live music, interviews and much more.
Here's a look back at some standout moments from the once-in-a-lifetime event.
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Cheer we goWhether it's someone falling over or a referee being hit by the ball, there are some occurrences at football matches that are guaranteed to make crowds roar, but when it comes to Evertonians, 'Operation Goodison,' a stadium security drill always hits the spot. So, it was one of the wittier elements of the post-match entertainment to announce the commencement of 'Operation End of an Era.'The declaration, over the P.A. system, prompted a big belly laugh from seasoned Goodison patrons but while fan favourites like Duncan Ferguson also got big cheers, there was also a rousing reception for an old friend.
While the stages and seating were being set up and the current players had returned to the changing rooms before returning for their post-match lap of appreciation, a number of video messages were displayed over the stadium's big of course were from former Everton favourites who couldn't be present on the day, plus other admirers from the world of football like Ian Wright, Arsene Wenger, Gary Neville and Alan Shearer, but one of the biggest cheers was reserved for Hollywood's biggest Blue Slyvester Stallone, who became an instant hit with the fanbase when he declared he was one of their own at the Grand Old Lady back in gig for RooneyBack in 2004, when he departed Everton for Manchester United while still aged just 18, few could have imagined Wayne Rooney being back on the pitch as part of Goodison Park's End of an Era ceremony, but there has been enough water under the bridge over the subsequent 21 years to fill the Mersey.
Turning 40 later this year, Rooney of course came back for a second stint in a royal blue jersey in the 2017/18 season having won every major honour in the game with the Red Devils and leaving Old Trafford as their all-time leading have forgiven but they haven't forgotten and the lad from Croxteth who once displayed a t-shirt with the slogan 'Once a blue, always a blue,' was reminded of his controversial defection over two decades ago.
As he spoke to address the crowd, Rooney, arguably Everton's most-gifted home-grown talent was drowned out by a chorus of 'Manchester is full of s**t.'To be fair, he took it well and acknowledged that while he'd had his 'ups and downs' with the supporters, he still loves the club.
Game for a laughIt's often said that all Scousers are natural comedians and there will still plenty of light-hearted moments from the ceremony, starting with John Bailey, the joker in the pack among Howard Kendall's side, striding out onto the Goodison Park pitch wearing a replica of his oversized top hat worn on the Wembley turf after the 2-0 win over Watford in the 1984 FA Cup final.
Host Gethin Jones asked Leighton Baines about the unique experience of playing as a full-back at Goodison with the crowd so close to him and the now first team coach admitted it depended on how well he was doing, but he'd passed a lot of messages on from the touchline over the Reid, a player who Kendall described as Everton's most-important since the Second World War and the most fervent example of a local lad who was a Red turned Blue, spoke poignantly about the feeling of moving on and it being a case of 'thank you' to Goodison rather than 'goodbye,' but he also had everyone in stitches when he quipped: 'Sorry about the sunglasses, but I was on the lash last night.'
Strength in numbersIt was also great to see Reid's team-mate Neville Southall, who won the Football Writers Association Footballer of the Year award in 1984/85 when his midfield colleague was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, also out on the pitch with so many former Everton stars.
The former Wales international goalkeeper had confirmed his attendance on Friday but feared his recent health problems would prevent him from taking to the playing Pickford's baby slept through the whole affair while his eldest two children enjoyed some rough and tumble on the grass but joining them all were the following: Tony Kay, Bob Latchford, Billy Wright, Jim Pearson, Dave Jones, Ken McNaught, George Telfer, Steve Seargeant, Mike Pejic, Duncan McKenzie, Roger Kenyon, Ronny Goodlass, Johnny Morrisey, Martin Dobson, Brian Kidd, Derek Temple and Joe Royle. Adrian Heath, Derek Mountfield, Neil Pointon, Neville Southall, John Bailey, Pat van den Hauwe, Ian Snodin, Gary Stevens, Kevin Richardson, Wayne Clarke, Paul Wilkinson, Neil Adams, Paul Bracewell, Trevor Steven, Alan Harper, Mark Higgins, Peter Reid and Andy Limpar, Paul Rideout, Joe Parkinson, Barry Horne, Graham Stuart, Matt Jackson and Dave Watson. Peter Beardsley, Thomas Myhre, John Ebbrell, Michael Ball, Danny Cadamarteri, Tony Cottee, Gareth Farrelly, Stuart Barlow, Mike Newell, Tony Grant, Pat Nevin and Duncan Davies, Mark Pembridge, Gary Naysmith, James McFadden, Tomasz Radzinski, Marcus Bent, Steven Naismith, Jermaine Beckford, Joleon Lescott, Gareth Barry, Victor Anichebe, James Vaughan, Oumar Niasse, Francis Jeffers, Leighton Baines, Leon Osman, Wayne Rooney, David Weir, Alan Stubbs, Phil Jagielka, Tim Cahill.
