After 2,791 games in all competitions played by the Everton Men’s Team at Goodison Park, the curtain finally came down on the Grand Old Lady today with Everton’s 2-0 win over Southampton in their last home game of the 2024-25 Premier League season.
The historic edifice will not be demolished, as was decided earlier this week, but will live on for a few more years at least as the home of the Everton Women’s team, while also hosting a few Everton Academy games.
Built in 1892, Goodison Park checks off a whole list of firsts for the modern game of football. The first purpose-built stadium for football, Goodison has seen over 88 million spectators go through the turnstiles to watch 148 different football teams grace the hallowed turf. Here’s a comprehensive list of all-time facts and figures for Goodison.
Earlier in the week, Sky Sports aired an emotional documentary with a number of people from the world of football and beyond talking about the ground.
While Everton have not enjoyed a cordial relationship with the Premier League in recent years, the league did put out a good recap video of some of the best memories from the Toffees’ home during the Premier League era, which has unfortunately been one of the lowest points for the club’s storied history.
The club had announced that following the final whistle in today’s match against Southampton, there would be an ‘End of an Era’ ceremony with a large number of former players welcomed onto the pitch to receive accolades from the fans, all of whom were adorned in special scarves commissioned for the day. This was a great opportunity for many of those players to say their own farewells to the stadium as well.
Before that though, there was the small matter of the game. As the team coach came down Goodison Road for one last time, the players were serenaded by thousands of fans with blue smoke pouring into the sky. Made famous during the two relegation battles in previous seasons, the bus welcome has quickly become an iconic part of the Goodison matchday experience.
The tears flowed freely when Z-Cars rang out for one final time on the tannoy and club captain Seamus Coleman, possibly for the last time, led the players out of the tiny but iconic tunnel and into the bright sunshine bathing Goodison.
Iliman Ndiaye’s first half brace ensured that the Saints wouldn’t play spoiler for what should be a bittersweet day in Everton history, with Jordan Pickford ensuring the clean sheet with a pair of excellent saves late on. For the club to once again rub shoulders with the game’s elite a move to the ultra-modern and newly-named Hill Dickinson Stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock was mandatory.
While the grounds were being prepared and a stage set-up for the ceremonies, the Blues two matchwinners Pickford and Ndiaye spoke to the media.
Manager David Moyes seemed visibly affected too as he gave his media snippet at the final whistle in the poky corner of the tunnel.
And then it was time for the ceremony to begin, and there were more tears right away with a violin rendition of Z-Cars that would elicit emotion even from the most stone-hearted of us all.
There were more than 70 former players in attendance in various capacities, and they were all invited onto the pitch, starting with the legends from the ‘60s and ‘70s, then the great ‘80s, followed by the ‘90s and the current millenium.
Master of ceremonies Gethin Jones invited a few players to speak to the crowd. Here is the link to the full live telecast broadcast on TNT Sports.
Two of Goodison’s most famous sons in recent years Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson were able say their farewells too.
As is the usual following every last home game of the season, the current playing squad and coaches are able to do a lap of appreciate around the stadium along with their families.
Moyes did grab the microphone one last time to thank the Blues.
There was some time for music too, with a live rendition of one of the most popular recent songs ‘Spirit of the Blues’ that the whole stadium were able to join in on.
For one last time on a televised broadcast, farewell from Goodison Park, and farewell to Goodison Park.