Latest news with #ZCars
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh music legend honoured at Goodison Park
The stadium, packed with 38,000 fans, heard the familiar sound of the Z Cars theme as players from Everton and Southampton emerged onto the pitch. The tune, closely associated with Everton for decades, was arranged by Johnny Keating, a talented musician and composer born in Bakehouse Close, just off Edinburgh's Royal Mile. Keating, who passed away ten years ago this month, brought the theme to life and took it to number five in the UK music charts. Johnny Keating's musical achievements went far beyond football. He taught himself piano, trombone, arranging and composing as a teenager. In the 1960s, he helped shape the career of British pop star Eden Kane, co-writing and producing a string of hits. He also worked with artists such as Adam Faith, Petula Clark, Anthony Newley, and Sammy Davis Jr. Tony Bennett once said Keating's arrangement of The Very Thought of You was the best he had ever sung. Figures like Burt Bacharach and Beatles producer George Martin praised Keating for his talent and called him one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century. His classical compositions, including Overture 100 Pipers and Hebridean Impressions, were performed at the Royal Albert Hall. In 1972, his album Space Experience introduced innovative sound effects that were so unique, the musicians involved were sworn to secrecy. Back in Scotland, Keating was a devoted Hibernian fan. According to his family, he asked to be cremated wearing his Hibs tie. In 1973, he produced two songs for the club, Give Us a Goal, Glory to the Hibees and Turnbull's Tornadoes, which were recorded by the team at the time. I remember attending a small commemoration for Keating at the Stella Maris Club in Leith after his ashes were placed beside his parents' at Mount Vernon. The event was organised by Willie McEwan, now a Midlothian Labour councillor, and John Gibson, late of The Edinburgh Evening News. Gibson shared fond stories about Keating and the Hibs while enjoying the buffet. The room featured simple but meaningful decor, including a soft-glowing LED Crazy Neon sign that added a warm, modern touch to the gathering. Johnny Keating earned international respect and left a legacy that still resonates today. Hearing the Z Cars theme during Everton's final match at Goodison reminded many of his talent and influence. As the club prepares to move into a new stadium next season, Keating's music will likely continue to inspire fans and players alike. Composer Musician and songwriter, John Keating photographed for John Gibson at Edinburgh Evening News Credit PAUL PARKE Used here with permission. Marie Colvin This author does not have any more posts. Like this: Like Related
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'It was unbelievable' - commentator on Goodison's farewell
BBC Radio 5 Live commentator Ali Bruce-Ball discussing Goodison Park's farewell on The Commentators' View podcast: "It was really special. The club did it brilliantly."My favourite memories of the day were before the game got underway. The walk through Liverpool city centre before the game, sun up, fans drifting to their church, Goodison. Walking across Standley Park, the sense of fans trying to linger and draw it out."The singing outside the ground was shaking the ground. It was unbelievable."The bit that will stay with me the most was Z-Cars, the last ever entrance to that tune. They did it so well. Silence fell and that siren rang around an empty stadium three or four times, then the drums and the piercing melody. The roar when they came out. Pat Nevin was really taken aback by the whole thing. He is such a cool customer and when the full time whistle blew, the lump in the throat came."No tifo display, no fireworks, just the Z-Cars theme tune and fans in their blue shirts. That's all it needed. It's such an old school ground Goodison that it was perfect for that occasion."Listen to The Commentators' View
Scotsman
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Edinburgh man's music helps The Toffeemen celebrate end of an era
Everton FC played their last game at their home stadium, Goodison Park, last Sunday against Southampton FC to a full house of 38,000 fans. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Both teams emerged from the tunnel to the strains of the theme tune from the TV programme Z Cars, which ran for 801 episodes from 1962 until 1978. This was a popular series about mobile uniformed police and detectives in the fictional town of Newton, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Johnny Keating's version rang out across Goodison Park for the final time as Everton and Southampton players walked out for kick off on Sunday (Picture: Martin Rickett/PA Wire) The version of this tune, adopted by Everton FC, was arranged by musician and songwriter, Johnny Keating, who took it to number five in the music charts. Johnny was born here, in Bakehouse Close, off The Royal Mile, in 1927 and the 28th of this month will be the tenth anniversary of his death at the age of 87. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Johnny played piano and trombone and taught himself how to arrange and compose when he was in his early teens. In the early 1960s he, and songwriter Johnny Worth, moulded the career of the British pop star, Eden Kane, writing and producing a string of top ten hits for him. They also wrote and produced several hits for Adam Faith, Petula Clark, Anthony Newly and Sammy Davis Jr, among others and Tony Bennet said that Keating's arrangement for his version of The Very Thought of You was the best arrangement he ever sung to. Music heavyweights such as songwriter Burt Bacharach and the Beatles producer, George Martin, were fulsome in their praise, calling him one of the greatest all-round musicians of the 20th century. He wrote a classical piece called Overture 100 Pipers and another called Hebridean Impressions which was first performed at the Royal Albert Hall as he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. One of his futuristic works, the 1972 album Space Experience with its innovative sound techniques led him to get the musicians to swear to secrecy as to how the effects had been realised. Closer to home, he was a lifelong Hibs fan and, according to his family, he wanted to be cremated wearing his Hibs club tie. In 1973 he produced two songs for the club Give us a Goal, Glory to the Hibees on the A-side and Turnbull's Tornadoes on the B-Side, both of which were recorded by the team of the time. I well remember being invited to a small commemoration event in the Stella Maris Club in Leith after his ashes were placed beside his mother and father's ashes at Mount Vernon. The reception was arranged by Willie McEwan, now a Labour Councillor in Midlothian and John Gibson, formerly of this paper, was also there, waxing lyrical about Keating and the Hibs – while filling his plate with mince pies! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad There is no doubt that Johnny Keating had an international reputation of some renown and was recognised by his peers in the music industry as one of the greats. And it was while watching the Everton game on the telly last Sunday and hearing the Theme from Z Cars tune blasting out the sound system in the stadium that I resolved to devote my column today to the works and achievements of Johnny Keating. I have no doubt that when Everton move into their new stadium next season, the teams will still run out on to the pitch with Keating's music ringing in their ears!
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Everton fans celebrate in style to mark end of an era at Goodison Park
The La's song There She Goes captured the mood perfectly, sparking a mass sing along before the second world war siren kicked in and Everton's men emerged to the sound of Z-Cars for one last time at Goodison Park. Then the PA system cut out and Z-Cars spluttered to a halt. Not now, please not now. A sign from the stadium gods? A little reminder that this iconic feature of English football is 133 years old and all the affection in the world can not hide the wrinkles? Perhaps, but it can still say goodbye in style. On a beautiful day in L4 4EL, under pale blue skies darkened by plumes of royal blue smoke from the flares outside, Everton delivered as its history demanded and departed with a win. Iliman Ndiaye danced through the Southampton defence twice and etched his name into Goodison folklore as the final goal scorer in the stadium's Premier League history. Nottingham Forest's Horace Pike has the honour of scoring the first league goal here in 1892. Legends, glory, torment, passion, misery, the School of Science, Dogs of War and so much more have filled the years in-between. The history is inescapable and Everton – club, team and fans alike – staged the perfect send-off on a poignant and emotional afternoon. Ndiaye took the match-ball home after delivering victory for David Moyes's team. He didn't get a hat-trick but no one cared. It was some achievement by the Everton team to get inside the stadium and perform at all. The call to greet the team coach as it made its way along Walton Lane and Goodison Road was answered by tens of thousands of Evertonians. The area around Spellow Lane and Goodison Road, where the statue of Dixie Dean stands, was impassable by 9.30am. On the quieter Bullens Road and Gwladys Street, families stood outside their usual turnstiles to have their photographs taken. Outside 29 Gwladys Street, bedecked in Everton paraphernalia, the elderly owner sat in a deckchair and held court with passersby. A few doors along a brave neighbour had decorated their house in Liverpool flags. They were not sat outside to welcome visitors. Once around the corner at St Luke's Church, Goodison Road was gridlocked with fans waiting to welcome Moyes's men. It was so packed that the coach couldn't get through and had to make a detour to drop the players off in the Bullens Road car park. Hundreds of fans without tickets remained outside for the duration of Everton's 2-0 win. Everton scarfs had been draped over every seat and supporters made their way inside the ground as soon as the gates opened. Just like old times. Moyes broke away from his team's pre-match warm-up to hug Wayne Rooney as the boyhood Evertonian made his way around the pitch with his son. The Gwladys Street ran through its old songbook as Ndiaye ran amok through the Southampton defence. Alan Ball, Super Kevin Campbell, Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill all got a mention. From the current squad, Seamus Coleman and Jordan Pickford were serenaded frequently. Moyes had given Coleman the fitting honour of captaining Everton's men in their final appearance at Goodison. A lovely touch, although it backfired to a degree when the 36-year-old pulled up injured and had to be replaced in the 18th minute by the soon-to-be-released Ashley Young. After the final, final whistle there was a 15-minute delay while club staff put seats and stages in place for 'Operation Farewell Goodison'. It was a moment to reflect on what it has taken for Everton to get to a point where leaving its cherished home for a new stadium at Bramley-Moore dock is met with excitement more than regret. Everton's house move has been more complicated and stressful than most. There was the proposed relocation to a 60,000, £100m super-stadium at an unidentified location under Peter Johnson in the late 1990s. That one never got off the ground. Goodison's final game would have been staged 22 years ago had Everton made the transformative move to a prime waterfront site at King's Dock. Bill Kenwright's refusal to cede boardroom power to the former director Paul Gregg put pay to that scheme. Then came the awful plan to move to Kirkby as part of a giant Tesco retail development. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion 'A glorified cow shed built in a small town outside Liverpool,' as it was described at the time by the former Liverpool city council leader Warren Bradley. That cheap and unambitious project was rejected by the government after a public inquiry prompted by the Keep Everton In Our City campaign. The debt that present and future Evertonians, plus present and future owners, owe the KEIOC founders Dave Kelly, Colin Fitzpatrick, the late Tony Kelly and the late Anthony AJ Clarke among others is immeasurable. But that is the past. Everton's farewell to Goodison could have morphed into a sombre memorial but was pitched perfectly. Goodison would get one last rendition of Z-Cars after all. In the penalty area where Dean scored his record-breaking and still unmatched 60th league goal in 1928, a lone violinist played a heart-wrenching version of the club's adopted anthem. A series of goodbye tributes then appeared on the giant TV screens from Carlo Ancelotti, Sir Alex Ferguson, Thomas Tuchel, Mikel Arteta, Tim Howard and Roberto Martínez. There were also messages from Dame Judi Dench, an Everton fan and honorary patron of the club's charity, Jodie Comer, whose dad, Jimmy, had been the club's masseur for decades, and Sylvester Stallone. Centre stage was eventually and rightly given to former players, many of whom are responsible for Goodison's greatest moments. Joe Royle, Bob Latchford and Johnny Morrissey led the first wave. The great 1980s team followed. The legendary goalkeeper Neville Southall looked resplendent in a floral shirt. Graeme Sharp, who stayed away for two years due to protests against the club's former board, was welcomed home with a fine reception. Peter Reid took to the mic and apologised for his dreadful sunglasses. 'I was on the lash last night,' he said. Next to him stood Andy Gray, who remarked: 'We are all leaving Goodison but Goodison will never leave us.' Bill Ryder-Jones, co-founder of The Coral, closed proceedings with a moving version of In My Life. 'There are places I remember, All my life.' Evertonians could not have loved Goodison more.
The Irish Sun
17-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
I'll shed a tear for Goodison Park, when I walked out at Everton's stadium I knew I had made it
IT will be a sentimental day for the blue half of Merseyside on Sunday when Evertonians say goodbye to Goodison Park after 133 years. And there will be one big Brummie shedding a little tear too because Everton's home is very special to me. Advertisement 2 Troy Deeney ranks Goodison Park in his top five stadiums Credit: Getty 2 The striker made his Premier League debut at the ground Credit: Getty You never forget your first time and, a decade ago, Goodison was the place where I made my Premier League debut for Watford. What a wonderful, historic, atmospheric place to do so. I had played in the lower leagues and the Championship and I had waited so long to play in the top flight. So when I walked down that tight players' tunnel and then rose up the steps to the pitch to the tune of the Z Cars theme — walk-in music which My debut was almost cut short after a matter of seconds, when I smashed into John Stones. Advertisement READ MORE IN FOOTBALL It was my 'Paul Gascoigne in the 1991 Cup final moment', a rush of blood, a case of severe impatience. And I was lucky to escape with a booking and a 'calm down' from the ref. In the VAR age, it would have been a straight red. Having got away with that, we led twice but had to settle for a 2-2. Still it was one of the highlights of my career. I love proper old-school football stadiums, I love it when the fans are so close to the pitch, when the crowd bears down on you — and Goodison Park is one of the absolute best, I'd certainly name it in the top five I've played in. Advertisement Most read in Sport BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS From the moment the team bus heads down those narrow residential streets close to the ground, with those passionate supporters lining the pavement and the Winslow Hotel pub on the corner, you know you are heading for something special. They call Everton the 'People's Club' and Goodison is a salt-of-the-Earth ground, with great architecture . Troy Deeney sent off just minutes into return to football as clash descends into chaos It is a reminder that football was — and should still be — the working man's game. Advertisement So I will miss Goodison Park. Even the press box, where I sat recently, with posts obstructing my view and with barely enough legroom to seat a dwarf. I was talking to some club staff who have worked at the old place for years and they said, 'We will miss it but it will be nice to go somewhere everything works.' It's obvious why Everton are leaving Goodison for their new ultra-modern home at Bramley-Moore Dock — their capacity will increase by more than 13,000, the facilities for supporters will be in a different league and matchday revenues will increase markedly. Everton's players might suffer from leaving Goodison too. The atmosphere can be so intense — as we saw when Advertisement But the timing feels right — with new owners and with 15 players out of contract — it feels like a brand new era for the club. A new stadium doesn't often bring instant success. When I was surprised David Moyes was handed a two-and-a-half-year contract when he returned to Everton in January. While I have huge respect for Moyes, it didn't feel like the exciting appointment needed to lead the club into its brave new world. There will be expectations and demands for Everton to change their style of football now that they are moving home — and I don't know whether Moyes is the ideal man to lead such an overhaul. Advertisement They will give the old place a proper send-off and, with rock-bottom Southampton the visitors for the final men's match at the ground, they will expect to see it off with a resounding win. And to me, it feels rather messy that the But most Evertonians recognise that their new home represents progress and that Goodison Park simply needed too much TLC to make it viable in this day and age. Still, another little piece of English football's soul will disappear when Everton's men take their leave of the place. Advertisement And I, for one, will always treasure my memories of a very special football ground.
