One of the magic things about Goodison was the crowd.  

My dad took me to my first match in April 1987, the season when we last won the league (talk about false advertising) and no matter where I sat in the ground since, fellow Evertonians were never slow in sizing up the opposition.  My favourite was when Wenger's invincibles-era team of Henry, Vieira, and Pires kicked off and the guy next to me shouted: "Come on, Blues! These are shite, these!"

Considering some of the home matches I've been to over the years, from Kendall's third spell (I was there at Coventry '98), the nadir of Walter Smith (I went two years without seeing a goal by any side, with Boxing Day '98 against Derby having a special place in my heart), to Benitez's final weeks (shudder), the crowd was sometimes the only thing bringing me back.  

It got to a point when I'd be heading to Goodison with Morgan Freeman's speech at the end of The Shawshank Redemption in my head.

I'm living abroad now but managed to make my first pilgrimage to the new stadium last Saturday.  And as I walked up Regent Road, I wondered if it'd still have the same vibe.  To be honest, I wasn't sure, as I had to get premium seats to guarantee getting tickets to be able to book my flights.  Would it be a prawn sandwich and prosecco version of Goodison Park?

I needn't have worried.  Eight seconds after the referee blew his whistle to kick-off, there it was:

"Shithouse!"

Ahhh.  We may have moved to a new house, but I was home. 

I chose Fulham as my first match because it was the least likely to move for TV and we'd probably win.  But as I got closer to the game, I started to hear Morgan's voice again:

"I hope I can make it by the river.  I hope the ground is as blue as it is in my dreams. I hope Grealish shakes Mykolenko's hand.  I hope."

I was getting nervous.  In recent weeks the team had started to take the same approach to clean sheets as Bonnie Blue, and questions that we whispered during our good start to the season started to really kick in:  

Do we have a striker who knows what a goal looks like?  Is Moyes keeping Alcaraz in Alcatraz?  Would we one day be able to tell our grandkids that we were there when Grealish passed to Mykolenko?

My fears calmed slightly when I walked up to the stadium for the first time.  What a ground! As I sat in the seat and saw the little details brought over from Goodison, it just felt right, like the best of US and European stadiums, all with a blue flavour.

The match itself was perfect.  Barry ran himself into the ground — literally! — at one point falling over his own feet and collapsing in the corner by the South Stand.  Keane continued to show the art world what a real renaissance looks like.  We got more goals than the linesman knew what to do with.  And we cheered when Grealish finally passed to Mykolenko, before realising he'd actually given it to Dewsbury-Hall. 

Oh well, maybe next time.  

Speaking of KDH, he's rapidly becoming Everton's own Claudia Winkleman — someone who's so competently unspectacular, they're virtually undroppable.

Who knows where this season takes us.  After the last few years maybe competently unspectacular is just what we need.  But whatever happens, it's good to see the club hasn't changed.


Reader Responses

Selected thoughts from readers
Certain off-topic comments may be removed to keep the discussion on track

1  James Flynn
15/11/2025    07:49:23

Thanks David.
Any redheads in your branch?

2  Peter Mills
15/11/2025    11:10:47

We have all been critical of the Club many times for many things.

To re-dress the balance a little, I have to say that the transition from the old stadium to the new has been superb.

The final game at Goodison was deeply emotional, a day that could be described by an unusual adjective for a football match - “lovely”.

There was plenty of trepidation around the move. There are still a few issues to be sorted out but on the whole it’s been great. The stadium is magnificent.

A special word for the stewards. There are many of them, I’ve found them to be ultra helpful and very good humoured.

Last Saturday I sat more centrally and closer to the pitch than usual, and the atmosphere was excellent. I’m sure the players can feel it.

3  Darren Hind
15/11/2025    14:12:17

Thoroughly enjoyed that, David. Hope to see more from you.

I loved the "These are shite" shout against the Arsenal invincible's. There's nothing like a bit of barbed Scouse humour to make you feel right at home when you've been away.

My all time favourite came from an arl fella at Stamford Bridge. We were getting hammered four or five nil and Phil Neville, who had been benched that day, decided to let the Evertonians know it wasnt his fault by warming up right in front of us.

This arl fella grabbed Neville's attention by shoutng "Hey Phil go back to the dug out and tell that clueless Ginger fucker that its ok to make a substitution".

Neville was about to trot off when the arl fella stopped him in in his tracks again "Oh and Phil ?... For fucks sake. Tell him to make sure its not you"

Cruel, but everyone around me was pissing themselves

4  Sid Fishes
15/11/2025    14:42:21

Nice piece David. I also worried about the transition to a brand new stadium sanitising or at least diluting crowd humour - I needn’t have.

As an example, at the Spurs game when the 3rd goal went in, a shout from the row behind me in the silence after the Spurs supporters had stopped celebrating shouted:

‘I want me obscured view back!’

The funniest I heard at Goodison was in the 90s at some midweek fixture under the floodlights; turgid would be giving the performance too much credit.

A voice in front of me shouted ‘FFS someone turn the bleedin lights off’

With a reply from the back of the stand ‘Ay…do you mind, I’m trying to read here!’

You can change the building, but the family are still at home.

5  Jack Convery
15/11/2025    16:11:01

Someone needs to put all these tales in a book.

My own favourite, was a guy who shouted at an opposition player who decided to pick up a huge turf and stamp it back into place.

Hey Percy Thrower get on with the effin game !

6  Peter Mills
15/11/2025    22:18:16

Simply because I have nowhere else I want to post this;

I was at Marine today, to watch them advance in the FA Trophy at the expense of Stocksbridge Park Steels (Sheffield).

On-loan left back from the Blues, Idon Samuels-Smith, continues to play well for the Mariners.

George Newell, son of Mike, is in good form up front, following his excellent mid-week brace.

And a late substitution for the opposition was announced as Zac Jagielka, son of Jags. He is on loan from Hull City.

I’m beginning to feel old.

7  richard duff
15/11/2025    22:41:57

The new stadium really is impressive but even more so how quickly we’ve adopted it as “ home”. I was dead set against bringing over Z Cars and the siren and all the old songs as they were just another stick to beat us down as “living in the past”. But the new surroundings have brought them back to life and brought the crowd along with them as something familiar to connect the old to the new.

So it’s already “ our home” and will now be for many years to come. Goodison was great and maybe BMD will be too, the start suggests so.

8  Professor Peach
16/11/2025    15:21:16

Peter Mills (2). Spot on. I’m certainly with you! Stewards are really good and atmosphere is certainly an improvement. Shudder to think what our first “ memorable memory game” will be like - especially if it’s a night game!! UTFT !!

9  Andy Crooks
16/11/2025    17:24:04

So pleased for you, Pete, a day to remember!

10  chris Keher
17/11/2025    12:59:57

There been a few funny shouts from the crowd down the years but the one that immediately sprang to mind was when the smoking ban first came in and it came over the tanoy "You are reminded that smoking in all areas of the ground is now illegal. Anyone smoking will be ejected from the stadium" - someone near me in the Park End screamed - "Quick, someone give Hibbert a fag!"

11  John Fitzgerald
17/11/2025    18:00:28

Sid - good to hear from you. We were GUFF alumni at one stage. You’re much missed on The Graun these days.
I still haven’t been to HD yet and it’s really getting to me.

12  Paul Ferry
17/11/2025    19:27:02

Lovely warm piece of writing David.

I think that I miss County Road and Goodison Road more than I miss The Old Lady, to be honest. That chilly walk up and down the Dock Road and the vicinity is no comparison. Nor am I a fan of being herded inside the walls into the Plaza.

But that must all dissipate after the first step into the ground.

Thanks for the Marine update Peter. Some really nice links there. I miss the magical walk up Coronation Road, not quite County Road but ...

13  Peter Mills
17/11/2025    21:09:08

Paul#12, It wasn’t a Marine update as such - I’m trying to comply with Lyndon’s wish to keep everything Everton related!

14  Professor Peach
17/11/2025    23:22:37

Chris Keher (10) That certainly gave me a ripe old chuckle…. Splendid fun from the terraces!!

15  Paul Washington
19/11/2025    13:52:58

Great article.
I remember a mate telling me years ago at a game v Arsenal, Pat Rice came to touchline and a wag shouted " hey Rice, your a puddin!"

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