19-05-2025
Not a dry eye or glass in sight as Everton say farewell to Goodison
THEY came from far and wide, the great and the good of Everton Football Club past and present, to bid farewell to Goodison Park, the 'Grand Old Lady' of English football, and after 133 years of memories - good and bad - there was not a dry eye in the house, or a dry glass within a five-mile radius of this glorious old ground.
Peter Reid was not alone in admitting before kick-off that he 'had a shandy.' Queues were forming outside local pubs by around 8.30am as the mood vacillated between wild celebration and wake.
There was big Duncan Ferguson, a man who never met a fight he didn't relish and who epitomised their club's grit and working class work ethic for a generation of Evertonians, performing TV duties on the touchline.
And while the Scotsman may not normally be associated with wearing his heart on his sleeve, by the time the traditional 'Z-Cars' anthem was played as the teams walked out before kick-off, there were plenty of grown men openly weeping in the stands.
Goodison had been a hive of activity since 7am, fans queuing outside for a vantage point on Goodison Road. By 9am car parks were nearly full and by 10am, the terraced streets around the stadium were gridlocked, the air thick with blue smoke. Forty minutes before kick-off, most fans were in their seats.
The day had been weeks, months, in the planning, and it showed. David Moyes had told veteran club captain Seamus Coleman a month ago that he would start for the first time since Boxing Day.
It was the Irishman's 430th appearance for the club, and lasted just 17 minutes before injury forced him off, although that was one of the rare events that did not go according to plan on the day.
'Just to step onto this pitch once was a massive achievement for myself,' said Coleman, 16 years on from his arrival from Sligo.
And Southampton were the perfect visitors, their thoughts long since diverted towards the beach. Iliman Ndiaye scored twice, early and late in the first half, and Everton thoughts had long since been diverted towards the post-match festivities well before the final whistle sounded on the last ever men's fixture at the stadium.
It started with an eclectic collection of video messages, ranging from Dame Judi Dench to Gary Neville - no prizes for guessing who received the biggest boos of the day.
And there followed a parade of 80 legends; the likes of Bob Latchford and Joe Royle no longer as robust as they once were, but every bit as beloved. So they should be; Royle is the last manager to win a trophy for the club, the 1995 FA Cup.
From the successful side of the 1980's, out came Trevor Steven, Graeme Sharp and, of course, Andy Gray; goalscorers, all, on that unforgettable night in 1985 when Everton blew aside mighty Bayern Munich 3-1 at this ground, to reach the European Cup Winners' Cup Final.
'That was the greatest night of my life,' said Gray to the fans. 'We may all be leaving Goodison, but Goodison will never leave us.' There were familiar faces of a more recent vintage, too, none more so than a beaming Wayne Rooney, whose defection to Manchester United has long since been forgiven and forgotten, and Ferguson, standing on the stage together.
'I know we're had our ups and downs,' said Rooney as he paid his own tribute to the ground and fans. But that is the thing about families, they may fall out, but the love still runs deep.
Speaking of families, those of the late, great Howard Kendall and Walter Smith were also there - the former forever adored for his efforts as a player in Everton glories in the late 1960's, and as their manager in the mid-1980s.
Those days seem a long time in the distant past, although the prospect of moving to a state-of-the-art new stadium under new owners the Friedkin Group has optimism at an all-time high. The decision to retain Goodison as a home for the women's team has already proved a PR masterstroke.
Much of the positivity is due to David Moyes, who has done such an exceptional job in steering the club out of the relegation zone. His dad, David senior, was at Goodison, enjoying a pint in the Winslow on Goodison Road, as he has done so many times over the 20-plus years his son has been associated with the club.
'I was worried today, everyone had been talking about this for so long,' said Moyes junior.
'The scenes outside the stadium were incredible and it felt like a club which has needed some big days and some big things in the future so let's hope this is the start of it.
'When I got back here, this club looked broken, felt broken. It doesn't feel like that any more.'
