Final game at Goodison - confirmed Sunday 18 May, 12PM

Mad that I feel emotional about all this already. The place that me and my Dad have shared moments and lifetime memories, the place where we have been part of a tri-generational visits, the place my Dad had dreamed of earning enough to be a season ticket holder before his day of actually getting one, is singing her last song, shining her last light and accompanying her last moment of memories on the 18th May. There are countless moments I will remember her for, far to many to mention, but this will be a special one. One that will start on Saturday night and end deep into Monday.

The very greatest of them all will close her doors for the last time as the greatest arena in the game. Remembered and revered by so many across the world for her many firsts, we will exclusively be experiencing one of her only lasts.

ffs Jacko you'll have me in tears here with that post. Lovely words mate💙
 

Around 4pm would have been ideal I think but I guess people will have different needs and different perspectives.

We know the details now and we'll embrace it.

I'm sure the fans will do what they can but you can only embrace a 12pm kick off time so much. Not even your typical 12:30pm kick off. The last game at Goodison Park shouldn't have been at this time but it's what the modern game is.
 
I would have preferred Monday, so would plenty of people. You can’t please everyone but 12 on a Sunday is the absolute pits for me. A hell of a lot more people are due to be working at that time than 8pm on a Monday too, despite all the pearl clutching about playing on a weekday.

Monday under the lights would be have been best, say a 7pm kick off.

The argument is mainly for fans who have to travel far - we have one of the most local supporters, and what do they do for mid week games? Never mind if we get into Europe.
 
I'd have liked the 16:30 kick-off that Su allows for the game to be televised for fans wishing to view from afar and also suits the supporters attending the game (it feels like these supporters are the last ones to be considered at times).

Not sure it's at times mate. The match going supporters are always the last ones to be considered.

TV companies are king unfortunately and they know it.
 



So, yeah, the fans influenced this then.

How inconvenienced would people really be if it was a Monday night game compared to this?

Why couldn’t we have the later slot on the Sunday as well?

Fans forum is a joke, what numpty decided it would best for fans, even those who are local to have to leave at 9 30 in morning to properly atmosphere before hand. Then you're going to have thousands of pissed up people drinking round County Road, from 3pm and that's those who have been game. Worse drinkers you can meet are those who only drink on special occasions, because they can't handle their ale. So you're gonna have a load of Park End das, thinking they can handle multiple pints of San Miguel and well as shorts, a recipe for disorder. If it was a later kick off people would have their pints before hand enjoy pre match atmosphere and go home afterwards like RS game.
 
Mad that I feel emotional about all this already. The place that me and my Dad have shared moments and lifetime memories, the place where we have been part of a tri-generational visits, the place my Dad had dreamed of earning enough to be a season ticket holder before his day of actually getting one, is singing her last song, shining her last light and accompanying her last moment of memories on the 18th May. There are countless moments I will remember her for, far to many to mention, but this will be a special one. One that will start on Saturday night and end deep into Monday.

The very greatest of them all will close her doors for the last time as the greatest arena in the game. Remembered and revered by so many across the world for her many firsts, we will exclusively be experiencing one of her only lasts.
Mine is all very similar. When we beat Liverpool 2-0 the other year I was sat in the bullens. My dad was just across from me in the main stand. He said before the game he had never been to a derby at Goodison which we had lost. When we scored and went 2-0 up I pointed to the main stand, to my Dad. My Grandad who was still going at 93 years old in the top balcony may I add, also popped into my head. I still park outside his house, even though he passed of covid and his house now belongs to someone else…..

…. Before the Palace game I parked there. I walked with my mate to the end of his street, and my mate wondered what the hell I was doing as I stopped, abruptly turned and ran back down the street. He stood there as I ran up my old grandads driveway and grabbed his front door handle, I stayed here for about few seconds, closed my eyes and had a moment, the rest.. well… we know the rest.
 

Then you're going to have thousands of pissed up people drinking round County Road, from 3pm and that's those who have been game. Worse drinkers you can meet are those who only drink on special occasions, because they can't handle their ale. So you're gonna have a load of Park End das, thinking they can handle multiple pints of San Miguel and well as shorts, a recipe for disorder.
On the plus side, at least it's one last big payday for the pubs that have served us so well, a few of them will probably shut down after we move. Doubt we'll be able to buy a pint as cheap around Bramley Moore on matchday as we can near Goodison.
 
It's a difficult one this noon kickoff. I've always been against stupid kickoff times and preferred traditional times, but this is not a traditional football day. It's the end of an era and needs to be celebrated by as many people as possible. The privileged 40k who get in might moan about the change to the weekly routine, but many more of us would give their right arm to swap places.

We'll be bringing my old man back to Liverpool where he's been going to Goodison since 1957. I personally have gone since my first home game in 1975. My sister and daughters are traveling back to just be near the ground they first went to aged 4 & 5.

None of us have a hope of getting in but just want to be in the city and as near Goodison as possible on the day. So we booked to be there for the whole weekend. Just soaking up the atmosphere which thankfully will be relaxed due to our great recent resurgence.

Nights at Goodison are incomparable. But as many people as possible sharing a historic moment binds the Everton community and is part of the move that takes the club forward.

Anyone who doesn't want to go to a 12:00 Sunday game, I'll take your ticket for my Dad!
 
29th November, 2017.

My eldest lads 1st game. West Ham at home. We won 4-0 against a David Moyes led opposition.

About a week earlier, Everton had their Irish night at the ground, an opportunity to meet an Irish former player and a bit of a sport memorabilia sale. Myself and my Dad got an invite through some friends and we gladly obliged. The Irish player that night was a certain Gareth Farrelly..

A few days after that, I had completed some gratis work for Steve Binns retirement (volunteer who ran tours of Liverpool landmarks and was blind from birth, a truly remarkable man, look him up) and due to that I was interviewed on BBC Northwest tonight.

Anyway. The morning of the game arrives, and my Dad phoned me. "Listen Son, Im not feeling too great, and not sure about today's game. Im going to walk for the paper, and if I can get there and back, I can do the car to the Anfield Hotel. I'll have a rest, then we'll walk from there. I'll let you know."

He couldn't make it past the corner of his road, so I took my eldest lad on his ticket, to his first ever game.

We'd been drinking at the Anfield Hotel for over a decade at this point, maybe 15 years, and the girls there were absolute Queens, I appreciate every single one of them. Anyway, I walked in with my lad, and they couldnt believe it. This was the thing I missed the Chelsea game for back in December 2012, here he was, they were meeting him. They made such a fuss of him, gave him sandwiches, drinks, crisps and bought him sweets. He couldn't belive his luck.
I walked into the back room and one of the lads tapped me on the shoulder. "Eh. Lad, we're you on the box last night? I said to my missus, I know him". My lad looked at me like, what on earth is going on, but with a huge grin across his face. I felt 10 foot tall. In that moment I felt like I was a rock star to him.

We left the pub and walked to the ground, we bought a programme on the way up. His First ever match needed to be marked with a programme. We watched the game, 4-0 Everton, and fantastic performance, and great atmosphere. Plenty asking where my Dad was by the way.

We made our way home afterwards, a very tired, but happy boy in the back seat, he had spaghetti Bolognese for tea and I put him to bed. His last words to me that night was "Dad, that was the best day ever" and I cant lie, I shed a tear.

It turned out that my Dad couldn't make it, as he was actually experiencing a heart attack. His weakness and inability to walk, or breath really, that morning was due to his heart giving way. He was taken to the heart and chest at Broad Green where they worked their magic. I went to see him the next day and took along the programme ( which I hadn't really looked at). I opened it up to show him and on the first page I opened, there was a picture of my Dad and me, stood with our arms around Gareth Farelly.

The three of us go together these days, and no matter what happens from now until eternity, that single day will never be forgotten by me. A day when all could have been lost, but so much was gained. A day when the kindeness of Liverpool people ingrained itself into my sons heart, and the excellence of others saved my Dads.

Goodison park is a simple bystander in the whole of this story. But it is the place which holds the memory tightly. A place that I will forever attach this experience to.
 

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