One Last Dance at the Old Lady

Pub at 9am? Well not ordinarily I wouldn't but today was different, of course. The midday kick off for our last ever game at Goodison Park meant an earlier than usual rendezvous at The Denbigh Castle... nicer too for the landlord to treat us to a free pint upon arrival.

We stayed there until about 10.15am before heading onto Moorfields for the train. As we found with the early bus, a lot more Evertonians than usual were making their way over towards Goodison Park, and it was the same for the train, though thankfully we were able to squeeze on. Our last train ride to Kirkdale.

Having arrived at the station with time still in pocket, I felt obliged to make one last visit to The Medlock, a working class local pub that has served us well and looked after us for several years now. It was nice to bid farewell to the bar staff, albeit uneasy knowing a lot of their income from match day will be no more. 

After a quick pint and some food in there I went to meet Adam by the Holy Trinity statue. It wasn't slightly surprising to see what I was greeted with, but the sea of blue smoke amidst noisy and passionate Everton chants was something that will live with me a long time.

In we went. Continuing to tick off my "lasts". The last time I talk through the turnstyle. The last time I say hello to the guy at the end of the row. Most games I turn up with well too many Jakeman's boiled sweets and pass out a couple to Duncan and his son who sit behind us. As a gift I gave them a bag each on this occasion. "Do you want one?", Duncan teased.

The atmosphere was incredible. The stadium packed, more in than should have been I'd wager, beautiful blue skies and Goodison Park rocking for one last dance. Seamus Coleman lead us out one final time, to one final blast of Z-Cars at Goodison Park...well not quite the last time, that came a lot later.

Winning the game was important, though at the same time almost felt academic. Getting off to the best possible start certainly helped keep us in party mode when Iliman Ndiaye elegantly took the ball on and slotted into the goal past Aaron Ramsdale. Great to hug Ste and Gary in celebration  one more time in the Gwladys Street.

Iliman added a second just before the break to really put the icing on the cake going into half time. VAR offside calls denied us more goals, not that there has been any doubt about them, but 2-0 at the break was decent reward for a dominant display.

The second half was very different. We threatened early in the half but faded significantly and had some good saves from Jordan Pickford to thank in preserving the clean sheet.

Abdoulaye Doucoure waved an emotional goodbye as he was substituted off, and regardless of where their future's lie, some final minutes of playing time at Goodison Park was richly deserved for Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Michael Keane, the small number of boos for Dominic unfathomable in my view.

The Gwladys Street urged Everton on for one final goal in the Gwladys Street as the clock really ticked away, but it wasn't to be, we just couldn't get that momentum swing, and when Jordan Pickford took his time over a free kick, presumably wanting to be the last men's player to kick a ball at Goodison Park, you knew that was that. The last men's game at Goodison Park officially done. Some people a bit stunned.

With alcoholic drinks allowed at our seats for post-match entertainment, Gary and I went down to grab a couple of beers. The queue's were huge and only a couple of stalls open which seemed strange. Conscious of maybe missing some of the entertainment, we gave up after about 10 minutes of hardly moving and returned to our seats, at least in time for a brilliant crowd rendition of There She Goes by The La's.

The exquisite violin Z-Cars left lumps in throats all round, and local musician Ellis Murphy got the crowd going with It's A Grand Old Team To Play For, before Elton John's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues.

Though difficult to hear Gethin Jones or Tony Bellew, or their interviewees, it was wonderful to see so many old faces return to Goodison Park. Pinpointing any of them in particular is difficult but I can only go back to my happiest time as an Evertonians, at around 2007-2009 when we had Leighton Baines, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Mikel Arteta, Leon Osman, Phil Neville, Stephen Pienaar, Tim Cahill, Marouane Fellaini, Yakubu and Louis Saha et al. It was great to see many of them there and reminisce about some great times.

And to finish off, I was made up to see Bill Ryder-Jones and his band man the stage with a wonderful rendition of Spirit of the Blues, before finishing us off with In My Life by The Beatles, albeit the fireworks made it difficult to hear. The trumpet intro and outro was something else.

The young lad behind us found it very difficult, as did many around us, not least an older gentleman who said he has been coming to Goodison Park since 1967. There was no hiding his sadness as we said our farewells. Saying goodbye to people you've hugged yet never known their names was pretty hard. I said goodbye to the lad to the right of me. "It's been an absolute pleasure" he said as we shook hands, which nearly made me well up, and I was sad that the fella at the end of the row was nowhere to be seen, though I'm glad I'd caught a word with him earlier. 

With Adam from the Evertonia podcast

Celebrating with long-time mate, Ste

Many Toffees had gotten on the edge of the pitch by this point and we did likewise, and got some nice photos on the turf with Ste, Gary and Adam. And after a few minutes, there wasn't really a lot else to do we felt but to turn around and leave. As I walked back I looked back directly at the lad who I now used to stand next to each game, to get a final wave or nod...but his eyes never caught mine. They all looked so sad.

And after one last look back at Goodison Park and a look around to take it all in, we were in the concourse (after one last piss) and away.

Reminiscing in the pub with Ste afterwards was great. 25 years or so of going to Goodison Park. Many amazing memories and despite so much hardship, you wouldn't change a thing.

I got the bus home and headed for a chippy when I got off the bus. I was wearing my complimentary Everton scarf when a fellow Evertonian stopped me to chat, talking about how he went to Goodison Park loads in the 1970s in the Top Balcony. I got my food.

The whole day, while there were a few moments which got to me, I can't say I was that emotional. I felt OK. And then I got home and it suddenly hit me. That's it. It's over.

And the tears flowed.