ECHO reporter and Everton fan Dan Haygarth
ECHO reporter and Everton fan Dan Haygarth
I often feel like I love Goodison Park a lot more than it loves me. Everton's famous old ground in L4 is my favourite place on earth, despite the stress and disappointment it has caused me in my 27 years of following the Blues.
With two Blue parents, I had no choice in the matter - I was always going to be an Evertonian. I've been going to games since I was eight and I vividly remember the first - watching Everton beat Arsenal 1-0 in 2006, thanks to a goal from James Beattie. I was hooked on Goodison Park, naively expecting the results would always be like that.
To me, the ground represents all that is great about English football. Nestled among the terraces of Walton, it is exactly as any stadium should be - rooted in its community, surrounded by pubs and chippies. Inside it is compact and very noisy. I love it dearly and will miss it greatly when we make the move to Bramley-Moore at the end of this season.
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Among my favourite match-going moments are a 3-0 win over Arsenal in 2014 (still, I think the best performance I've seen from an Everton side), a 2-0 FA Cup win over Chelsea in 2016 and the 3-2 win over Palace to secure survival in 2022. I do see the argument that surviving the scare of relegation should not be celebrated, but that night was Goodison at its best - we willed the club over the line. And the feeling of relief at full time was just something else.
I foolishly gave up my season ticket in the Main Stand when I went to university, convinced I'd easily be able to get it back once I had graduated. When I returned to Liverpool, a waiting list had developed, so I don't get to Goodison as often as I would like these days - it tends to be cup matches or if I can get a spare. But, here is how I like to spend the day when I do manage to get down to Goodison Park.
Best breakfast
If this is a Saturday 3pm kick off, I would venture into town before the game. And for me, there is only really one option for a breakfast to set you up for the day - Bold Street's Café Tabac. If you've had a few too many the night before, a Cafe Tabac breakfast will make everything feel better, happily setting you up for an afternoon on the terraces. It can also offer you a first beer of the day, just to settle the nerves.
Best pre-match pint
Having polished off a breakfast on Bold Street, I would get the Merseyrail from Liverpool Central to Kirkdale. As I walk to Goodison from the station, I try to fit two pub stops in.
The first is The Leigh Arms on Barlow Lane. Drinkers spill out onto the pavement as you enjoy an al-fresco Guinness while you watch the crowds descend on Goodison. It's a good way to get going.
But the real thrust of the action is on County Road. There are two pubs on the main road that I choose between. The Brick, appropriately blue and white, stands out. It is a fantastic looking pub - with more than a touch of Victorian Gothic style to it which has always reminded me of Lark Lane's The Albert.
The Brick pub on County Road, with Goodison Park in the distance (Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Inside, it is appropriately decked out with Everton regalia. There's often a scrum to get to the bar but there is plenty to discuss while you wait to be served.
Predictions are shared, everyone happy to tell you exactly who should be starting and why. It's a hive of Blues - a matchday pub that has a real community feel. It feels like an Everton pub should. Then there is The Royal Oak. On the corner of Spellow Lane and County Road, it looks straight up to the ground's Park End.
The Oak almost feels like an extension of the ground. Its beer garden, which leads out onto Spellow Lane, is my favourite place to drink in the matchday atmosphere, to share the nerves before rushing to finish a pint and head to the turnstiles for kick-off.
Best place to celebrate
If we've won, my first stop is back to the Oak. One celebratory pint will turn into two and maybe three. Before you know it, you are back in town, Everton have three points and the world (well, town) is your oyster.
Best place to commiserate
I'd be lying if I said my first stop after an Everton defeat is anywhere but County Road's KFC - especially if it's an evening match like tonight. There is something completely comforting about a Zinger burger and some wings in a time of turmoil. That shop has taken a lot of money from me in my lifetime.
Score prediction for tonight
I'm going to be positive and go for 1-0 Everton. We really can't afford to lose, so hopefully it is the night our fortunes begin to turn and ensure the final year at Goodison isn't the almighty slog it's threatening to be.