Tears were out well before the final time a referee’s whistle sounded the end of a Premier League fixture at Goodison Park. For 133 years, the Grand Old Lady has been a site of firsts, but for the 39,201 lucky Evertonians in attendance this afternoon, this was an era-defining last.
1,653 goals have been scored in 633 Premier League games on this ground. Two of those came from Iliman Ndiaye today as the men’s team won 2-0 over Southampton. This was Everton’s 17th Premier League win over the Saints at Goodison - no club has suffered more at this ground.
Seamus Coleman wore the captain’s armband before bringing out his boys in front of several club legends in attendance. For Coleman, joy was short-lived, as he had to be taken off before 20 minutes and received a warm ovation on his way out. The applause continued to ring for his replacement, Ashley Young, after the club announced yesterday that he would be leaving this summer.
Jordan Pickford - Everton’s saviour on so many occasions - led for the remainder of the contest, where match analysis would take a backseat to the wide range of emotions and celebration visible in the stands.
Goodison has hardly been louder than when Ndiaye picked up the ball and drove inside before finishing from outside the box to score a goal worthy of the occasion just after five minutes.
Despite only arriving last summer, the forward ensured that his name would ring synonymous with the history of this ground. Who was the last to score at Goodison Park? Iliman Ndiaye, with a swivel of the hips to beat Aaron Ramsdale.
The second half came in and went by like a flash as the clock ticked on to an inevitable end.
Pele lost his only FIFA World Cup match here and Eusebio called it the “best stadium” of his life. Dixie Dean hit the top-flight record of 60 goals here 97 years ago, and it was here that Wayne Rooney announced himself to the world two decades ago.
The men’s team will head two miles west next season, where Bramley-Moore Dock awaits. The Hill Dickinson Stadium doesn’t roll off the tongue just yet, but it is the beginning of a new chapter in the club's history. The start of a new era that promises optimism.
Rationale will tell you that Goodison has been a relic of the past for some time. And while the new stadium is bigger and better by just about every metric possible, it isn’t quite home yet. Because is it even possible to put a price on a museum of memories, a place where generations have grown and gone, a house of history?
The good news is that Goodison will live on - in a changed state, for a different team - but still bleeding blue nonetheless. Plans for the wrecking ball have been scrapped and the women’s team will add to its legacy.
For Evertonians, this century-old ground will continue to serve as a reminder of Nil Satis Nisi Optimum. We’ve veered away from the motto of “nothing but the best is good enough” in the last decade, but the spirit of this incredible ground will tell us that excellence is attainable and within reach. I’ll drink to that!
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Posted 18/05/2025 at 15:40:04
Good win, thanks guys.
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