Speed played for both clubs with distinction before he passed away in 2011
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: A general exterior aerial view of the Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United at Hill Dickinson Stadium on September 29, 2025 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
A general exterior aerial view of the Hill Dickinson Stadium ahead of the Premier League match between Everton and West Ham United on September 29, 2025
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Everton have announced they will unveil a Gary Speed Memorial Bench at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, ahead of their clash with Newcastle United.
In what is a meeting of two of Speed's former clubs, the Toffees have aptly confirmed they will unveil a lasting tribute to him before the game in what will be the club’s first-ever talking bench.
Talking benches have been introduced across the UK as a simple but powerful way to encourage conversation, tackle loneliness and isolation, and signpost people to mental health support. They offer a space where individuals can pause, speak openly, or simply sit alongside others without judgement.
The bench, which will be situated on the Budweiser Fan Plaza at the stadium and has the full blessing of Speed's family, reads: "IN MEMORY OF GARY SPEED, EVERTONIAN, CAPTAIN, LEADER 1969–2011. A place for what is often unspoken. A place to sit, share and listen."
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Neville Southall, Speed's former team-mate for club and country, said: "You would never associate Gary with a bench, because he was a fella who seemed to have everything.
"But in many respects it’s very apt. If you sit there and think everybody else’s life is perfect, you can reflect on a man who was a wonderful footballer and a great manager - but still had his own problems."
Dave Wycherley, Vice Chair of the Everton Fans Forum, added: "We wanted to remember Gary Speed in the most constructive way, and we hope this bench becomes a lasting legacy.
"Problems feel lighter when shared, and Everton has always been a club where supporters mix, talk, and escape life’s pressures for a while. Football brings out community at its best, and being outdoors helps those conversations come naturally."
Speed spent 18 months at Goodison Park between 1996 and 1998 before joining Newcastle, where he spent six-and-a-half years on Tyneside.
Thursday marked 14 years since his tragic passing and he still holds a place in the hearts of Newcastle fans to this day.
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