got down there about 7pm on Monday, as wanted a bit of time to time to grab a scran in the plaza, and avoid the previous queueing problems I’d had at turnstile 2.
As it turned out the plaza was chocka at that point already, so headed in the ground early, and walked straight in turnstile 2 without any queue at all. Grabbed some scran and a pint from the e bar, no problems, and took the opportunity to have a walk round the concourse, which was good.
Atmosphere was a bit flat, for sure, but honestly no different to goodison. Few moments where it perked up, but no sustained singing. For me, that’s in part down to a poor selection of songs we’ve got. We’ve got nothing that’s the type of low, rhythmic, droning chants that can be sustained for long periods. It’s all short bursts of “Everton”, or the ”Pickford song”.
We’re gonna get the “you sold your soul, For this -hole” chant from away fans every game, but thought it was particularly egregious from West Ham fans, with their abomination of a ground.
Getting back was fine, walked back to town, and took me about an hour to get home, pretty much same as from Goodison.
There’s big floodlights by the bridge, which was good, but think they need some for right outside the wall, as some old timer had missed the step off the kerb on to the road, and gone over, and was being helped up by a few around him. Gonna be a few turned ankles if they don’t light that up a bit.
It’s getting better, I reckon. But let’s have it right about the Goodison atmosphere, it was sound for about 4 or 5 games a season, and the rest was a morgue. A new stadium isn’t gonna change that.
As it turned out the plaza was chocka at that point already, so headed in the ground early, and walked straight in turnstile 2 without any queue at all. Grabbed some scran and a pint from the e bar, no problems, and took the opportunity to have a walk round the concourse, which was good.
Atmosphere was a bit flat, for sure, but honestly no different to goodison. Few moments where it perked up, but no sustained singing. For me, that’s in part down to a poor selection of songs we’ve got. We’ve got nothing that’s the type of low, rhythmic, droning chants that can be sustained for long periods. It’s all short bursts of “Everton”, or the ”Pickford song”.
We’re gonna get the “you sold your soul, For this -hole” chant from away fans every game, but thought it was particularly egregious from West Ham fans, with their abomination of a ground.
Getting back was fine, walked back to town, and took me about an hour to get home, pretty much same as from Goodison.
There’s big floodlights by the bridge, which was good, but think they need some for right outside the wall, as some old timer had missed the step off the kerb on to the road, and gone over, and was being helped up by a few around him. Gonna be a few turned ankles if they don’t light that up a bit.
It’s getting better, I reckon. But let’s have it right about the Goodison atmosphere, it was sound for about 4 or 5 games a season, and the rest was a morgue. A new stadium isn’t gonna change that.
. Then you are shouted at, no other way, to move down the platform, the annoying thing for me the trains are okay but the first one, when we got there was to Central station, hardly anyone got on, the next train 4 minutes later was again to Central, 8 cars, 
only two people got on, the station platform chocka bloc, the eight cars were practically empty. 5 minutes later the train everyone wanted to Hunts Cross arrived, ONLY FOUR CARS ! imagine trains in India ! They were that full.
