Everton FC's men's team played their last game at Goodison Park in May
The Spellow pub in Walton is up for sale
The Spellow pub in Walton is up for sale(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Following the departure of the Everton FC's men's team from Goodison Park at the end of last season, one of the area's popular matchday pubs has been put up for sale. The Blues left Walton in May, bringing an end to 133 years at the ground.
Emotions were high as fans said one last goodbye to the stadium, which is now home to Everton Women. The men have completed their move into the new Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool's northern dockland.
Around 100 metres from the entrance to Goodison Park is The Spellow pub. Now up for sale, its windows are smashed and its sign partially missing. The reasons for its closure is unconfirmed but it does come during a time of worry for pubs in the area.
In May this year, following Everton's last game at Goodison Park, the ECHO spoke to pubs in Walton - one of the most deprived areas in the country - regarding their thoughts on the now-unfamiliar territory of not having 40,000 fans in the area on a regular basis.
Publicans told of their "anxiety" at the "tough" future they now faced.
The Spellow on Goodison Road is listed on ONYX Real Estate's website for £250,000. It describes it as a "versatile property located in close proximity to the iconic Goodison Park and Anfield Football Stadium," adding: "This former pub features a spacious ground floor bar and lounge area.
"The upper level comprises six sizeable bedrooms, complemented by a shower room and an additional bathroom, offering great potential for AirBnB-style rentals or conversion."
The Spellow pub in Walton
The Spellow pub in Walton(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The Spellow made headlines in October 2023 when it was surrounded by armed police for five hours. Officers and dogs were seen going in and out of the premises, with a number being seen searching inside the pub itself. Armed officers were also seen shining torches into a mini-van at the front of the premises.
They were looking for a wanted man but didn't succeed in locating him during the incident.
The Spellow's previous owner Stephen Charlesworth also made the news for all the wrong reasons in 2019 and more recently in April this year.
In December 2019, Charlesworth was fined £20,000 after he “flagrantly breached” fire safety regulations at another of his businesses in Walton: Liverpool Party Pads on County Road.
In April, he admitted he sold a drink to an underage patron at his Wood Street bar, Sotto - which was compared to “an unsupervised youth club”. However, he rejected the suggestion it was a regular occurrence.
Liverpool City Council stripped the city centre premises of its licence and, only hours later, the bar announced it was to shut down with immediate effect.
Only a few months ago, The Spellow was packed with Everton fans marking the club's last match at Goodison Park. Now, its windows are broken and its beer garden is littered with rubbish.