Everton have played their final game at Goodison Park before moving to their new stadium next season.
David Moyes hopes The Friedkin Group (TFG) watched the glorious Goodison Park send-off and see it as the opportunity to built Everton back to ‘where we should be’.
The Toffees brought the curtain down on their 133-year tenure at the Grand Old Lady in perfect fashion. Tens of thousands of supporters lined the streets of the historic stadium hours before kick-off, meaning the pre-planned team bus welcome had to be rerouted.
Everton delivered on the pitch, with Iliman Ndiaye firing a first-half double as relegated Southampton were brushed aside 2-0. After the game, Operation Farewell Goodison was a period of celebration, with former players such as Bob Latchford, Jim Royale, Neville Southall, Wayne Rooney and Tim Cahill all present.
Everton are preparing to their new state-of-the-art Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of next season. The 52,888-seater ground will be regarded as one of the best in the Premier League and increase the club’s commercial value significantly.
It has been a tough few years for Everton having narrowly avoided relegation in 2021-22 and 2022-23, while they were hit with a combined points deduction of 10 points in 2023-24 for breaching profit and sustainability rules.
When Moyes returned as manager in January, the Toffees were just a point above the drop zone. But they steered well clear of the bottom three and are on track to secure a 13th-placed finish. During Moyes’ first spell in charge, Everton regularly challenged for Europe.
And after being purchased by TFG last December, Moyes is hoping Everton can get back to the upper echelons. He told supporters after the Southampton game: “We had unbelievable times here over the years and we need to start rebuilding again,” he said. “This club felt like, to me, one which was a big family, but looked broken, felt broken – and it doesn’t feel like that any more.
“I hope the owners are recognising what they’re seeing today, as well, because this is to be built up, brought back and [we need to] get us back to where we belong and where we believe we should be.
“There are 100 players here today who played in some great games here and have been in some great teams. We have to now try to make that happen again.”
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