Everton will officially no longer play at Goodison Park after the club played its final game there against Southampton today.
The Toffees won 2-0 against the Saints with Iliman Ndiaye grabbing both goals.
The Senegal international struck early on, firing in from the edge of the box.
He then doubled Everton’s lead shortly before half time, coming out on top in a 50-50 with Aaron Ramsdale.
Emotions have been high all day today with fans gutted to see the back of Goodison Park.
Everton have played there for 132 years, but a new era will soon commence at the Hill Dickinson Stadium – and it has a tough act to follow.
After today’s game, Blues legend Duncan Ferguson made an interesting and emotional claim about Everton’s change to a new stadium.
Everton legend Duncan Ferguson insists Hill Dickinson Stadium will ‘never’ be like Goodison Park
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images
Many Everton fans have been all for moving to the new stadium.
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Those people still are, but today they are obviously finding it difficult to bid farewell to Goodison and all the memories that have been made there.
It truly is one of the most iconic grounds in English football, and it is sad that the men’s first-team will no longer play there.
Thankfully though, it will not be demolished, and the women’s team will play there moving forward.
While there is huge excitement about moving into the world-class Hill Dickinson Stadium, Duncan Ferguson made an emotional claim about Goodison Park that some will agree with.
He said while standing on the pitch during TNT Sports’ coverage of the Goodison Park farewell.
“The new stadium will never be like Goodison. It will never be like this place. This is our heart, and we’re going to lose it unfortunately.”
The former striker also recently stated that he has yet to visit Everton’s new stadium.
His verdict should perhaps come as no surprise, because Ferguson recently suggested he’d have preferred Everton to stay at Goodison.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Hill Dickinson Stadium has huge shoes to fill
Many will share Ferguson’s view of the club leaving Goodison to play at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
But Evertonians made Goodison what it was and they will do the same again with HD.
It is a world-class stadium and has the potential to be extremely intimidating with those steep stands, and potentially the atmosphere could be electric.
Hopefully, we will see many more fantastic memories being made at HD – with The Friedkin Group at the helm, fans are certainly extremely optimistic about the future.