It is a moment that I can still recall to this day. The date was Saturday, September 1, 2019. Everton had just beaten Wolverhampton Wanderers in a five-goal thriller at a sunny Goodison Park. A brace from Richarlison and an Alex Iwobi strike secured a 3-2 win.
And as I left The Old Lady on that Sunday afternoon, I reached into my pocket to do something that had become a post-match ritual. But as I got my mobile phone out, the realisation hit me.
Earlier that summer my world had been turned upside down when my dad passed away suddenly. And here I was now outside Goodison preparing to ring him months after his death to chew the fat about what had just happened.
Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall
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Seamus Coleman during an Everton training session at Finch Farm on May 13, 2025
Only before I went to search for his name in my contacts book, the realisation that there would be no more post-match debriefs had hit me like a tonne of bricks.
A lump in my throat emerged, and I had to take a couple of minutes to compose myself.
If my dad and I were not in the ground together, then whenever I left after the game, the first call I would always make would be to him.
Work commitments had meant that I had missed the opening home game of that season against Watford, so that September afternoon was my first time visiting Goodison since his passing.
Goodbye Goodison Park - Souvenir edition
Everton are soon set to say goodbye to Goodison Park as the Toffees play out their final few matches in their iconic home before moving to their incredible new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
And to celebrate this historic and poignant event, the ECHO has produced this stunning special souvenir edition that no fan can afford to be without as they bid farewell to their iconic and beloved home.
We have delved into the ECHO archives to unearth fascinating stories from the famous ground's past, including how it came to be built in 1892 and where its world-famous name came from.
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Buy now and have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents on Merseyside from April 2, 2025.
You can also purchase Goodison's Greatest, our celebration of an era when Everton ruled English football. If you love Everton, you’ll just love this - order your copy today, simply click here!
And that's not all, also available is ParkLife, a a high quality, 312 page publication showcasing 133-years of Goodison history in pictures. Available here. Then there's Farewell to Goodison, celebrating 100 of the best moments at the Grand Old Lady, available to purchase now.
Over the years we had a typical father/son relationship, and there were many ups and downs, but one thing always brought us together and that was Everton Football Club.
And the one place that brought us closer than any other was Goodison Park.
He was the first person to take me there when I was just four years old, and I was able to experience the power of Goodison in the years to come.
Make no mistake, the power of Goodison exists. It is a tangible, physical, deeply affecting thing. Everton supporters will know what I mean by this.
There aren't many stadiums in world football that can generate a cauldron of noise like it.
It is undoubtedly the beating heart of English football. A special location where football became science.
It is a location where people can come together and forget about their problems and focus on trying to help the Blues to victory.
A place where hopes and dreams can become reality. A place you continue to return to no matter how bad your last experience was.
But above all else, it is a place where friendships and relationships are formed.
Would my dad and I have been as close as we were without Everton and Goodison? Being honest, I’m not too sure we would have.
An exciting future for the men's team beckons on the banks of the Mersey, and now an exciting future awaits the women’s team, too, following Tuesday’s announcement.
It is a decision that makes sense on many levels.
It is fitting that the Old Lady lives on to enable supporters the opportunity to make memories and friendships that many before them have made there.
Birthdays, Christmas' and family celebrations have all come and gone, but I've still never felt grief like I did on that September afternoon nearly six years ago.
And I still think about my dad when I’m at Goodison to this day. I will never forget looking to the sky in the immediate aftermath of the win over Bournemouth on the final day of the season a couple of years ago.
Will I have the same thoughts when I’m at Bramley-Moore Dock? I highly doubt it.
But time moves on, and the Hill Dickinson Stadium will be a fantastic venue, but first, tissues at the ready, because tomorrow is going to be an understandably emotional day.