Here’s Will Unwin’s match report:
Key events
Anyroad up, that is me done. Thanks all for your company and comments – enjoy the rest of the weekend and peace out.
Big Dunc does some shouting and rabble-rousing as Rooney smiles, son eating scarf. He then takes the mic, explaining the thrill of growing up a fan and playing for the team as the crowd shares its collective thoughts on Manchester.
“First of all, I am a fucking Scouser by the way,” Rooney playfully chides, as Dunc hangs with his lad. He grew up loving Everton, still loves them, and knows they’ve had ups and downs and he went to United, but the memories he has of the club will last a lifetime. He hopes the new ground will bring new history and he’s looking forward to it.
Gray then talks about arriving at everton aged 29, thinking he’d seen all the game had to offer. He says the night against Bayern was the best of his life and concludes by saying “we’re leaving this place but this place wlil never leave us.”
Peter Reid confesses Andy Gray “had me on the lash last night” so we can understand why he’s feeling extra-emotional. What a man of the people he is, and he congratulates the people for all they’ve done
At West Ham, Morgan Gibbs-White has put Forest in front.
Now it’s Tony Bellew coming out, at which point we’re shown tape of years gone by; how tragic that Kevin Campbell, who features, isn’t here to share the day.
Here he is telling a lovely story about playing with a young Wayne Rooney.
Oh gosh, even Barn-Door Barlow is there, so known because he couldn’t hit one, also known as Jigsaw for going to pieces in the box.
What a team those lads were, the 1995 FA Cup winners who follow them – Big Dunc, the Dogs of War and all – less so.
And of course John Bailey, renowned for his hilarious hilarity, has his hat on.
It’s old player time; Big Bob Latchford looks well choked as the 1969-70 champions take to the pitch. Now here come the 1984-85 lads; so far, Pat van de Hauwe has refrained from two-footing anyone.
Ah, and now I Guess That’s Why Call Us The Blues. Credit where it’s due, Everton’s shade thereof is very good.
Roy, aka PJ Smith, the spoken-word performance poet and storyteller, is on the pitch talking about the memories; now there’s a lad with a guitar and harmonica playing It’s a Grand Old Team. Imagine Bob Dylan supporting the Ev and you’ll have some kind of picture.
The closing ceremony is now under way, a lone violinist playing Z-Cars. Oh man, there’s an elderly woman with head in hands, the lifetime of emotion too much for her to bear.
Here’s Will Unwin’s match report:
This is beautiful.
🥹 “Am I dreaming?”
🔵 After seeing 5-year-old Ava’s reaction to Goodison Park being announced as Everton Women’s new home, Club captain Megan Finnigan sent the young Blue a special message. pic.twitter.com/2cXqcKfGik
— Everton Women (@EvertonWomen) May 16, 2025
An absolute hero of the game.
Moyes thinks Everton were decent in the first half but less so in the second. Coleman felt his thigh, he says, but doesn’t know if Doucoure was saying goodbye – he thinks he was just waving to the fans and deserves it.
Before the game, he told his players they’d be remembered as the last men’s team to play at Goodison, and he was impressed by the atmosphere.
Half-time post-leaning? We got you.
Tell you what, Goodison has seen some absolutely blinding kits.
Jordan Pickford says Everton made it hard for themselves, but they’ve won the last Prem game at Goodison, which was what the manager asked of them; Ndiaye has the match ball despite only scoring twice.
Back to Pickford, he’s proud to have taken the armband when Coleman went off but sad for his captain, who’s a great character. They’ve had a really good season and there’s an exciting challenge ahead of them, but now he wants to enjoy the moment.
The league table:
Also going on:
There’s a ring of stewards around the pitch and no invasion – perhaps yet. I imagine the momentous call to keep Goodison for the women’s team has impacted the atmosphere to significant extent: knowing the old place was getting pulled down would’ve been hard to bear, but it’ll be available for anyone who wants to go and reminisce.
FULL TIME: Everton 2-0 Southampton
Goodison Park is no longer a Premier League venue. Thanks for the memories, old mate.
90+3 min Harrison crosses and Stephens heads clear, then Southampton build again as we pan around the ground, gnarled old punters with tears in their eyes. Collective memory multiplied by personal memory is potent as.
90+2 min Southampton win a corner, it’s easily cleared, and can Everton counter? Not really. It looks like 2-0 is their lot.
90 min Four minutes of added time; four more minutes of Goodison as a Premier League venue.
89 min Ndiaye is player of the match; there wasn’t really any other option.
88 min “You say Wolves and no one else,” says Mark Oliver, “but since Pereira took over their form has been top 8. The problem for promoted clubs is the excellence of the mid pack – Brentford/Fulham/ Palace/Bournemouth/Brighton as shown by the problems of Man U and Spurs. The drop off in level is very fine in the Prem.”
I dunno – Wolves will lose Cunha, and for quite a large chunk of the season, they’d not won without him scoring or assisting. Also, opponents will have a better idea of what Pereira wants to do, so I’d expect them to be close to the bottom again. I agree the mid-rankers are good – and I’d back all those you mention to finish above Wolves next term.
87 min Southampton have suddenly started playing, Smallbone crossing form the right and Stewart heading wide of the near post.
84 min Fernandes wriggles forward, beats Gueye with a lovely drag-away; he feeds Robinson outside him, who goes down the outside of his man, cuts back, and Archer meets well, only to tuck his finish directly into Pickford’s feet, then Smallbone hooks the rebound against the near post. That’s the only time Southampton have looked remotely like scoring
83 min Is the Gwladys going to get its moment? Southampton know all about serendipitous final goals – this is The Dell’s.
82 min Harwood-Bellis is down with, I think, a knee situation; he’s replaced by Sanda.
81 min A bunch for former players leave their seats for the post-match parade. I would not have recognised Danny Cadamarteri.
80 min Downes shoves Beto and is booked.
77 min Southampton win a corner and Everton counter, Gueye charging over halfway and sliding a decent down the line for Beto, who squares into the path of the onrushing Calvert-Lewin … but Archer, who’s tracked him from the other end, grabs an arm on the ref’s blind side and does enough to stop him applying a finish.
75 min How on earth does a team go about staying in the Prem after getting promoted from the Champo? I actually think Leeds have a decent chance – they’ve so much firepower – but it’s hard to see who, other than the promoted sides might go down. Spurs, Man United and West Ham, the three above the relegated three, won’t be close to the bottom this time next year, which leaves Wolves and perhaps no one else.
73 min Robinson looks to cut-back for Bree so Harrison slides in, putting the ball behind. But prior to the corner, Branthwaite is removed – I doubt we see him again this season – with Michael Keane replacing him. And there’ll be no final day hat-trick for Ndiaye, who goes off with Calvert-Lewin coming on.
71 min Branthwwaite looks to have tweaked a hamstring; I’m not sure he’s long for this game.
70 min “Not an Everton fan but glad their last day at Goodison seems to be going well,” writes Terry Nash. “My next door neighbours are season ticket holders. Regarding that famous comeback against Wimbledon in 1994 I’ve always been puzzled that Everton never had a statue of Hans Segers commissioned.”
Super Hans was also in net for one of my favourite goals on the 90s…
68 min Southampton bring on Robinson for the extremely disappointing Dibbling. He’s not done all that much to bump up his price in the last few months, but he’s a talent, make no mistake about that.
66 min We’re about to get going at Wembley. Join Emilia Hawkins for what should be a great final, the league champions v the holders.
64 min McNeil departs the Goodison turn for the final time, likewise Doucoure; they’re replaced by Harrison and Alcaraz. And Doucoure, his contract not sorted, really takes his time, waving to the crowd. It’s unclear if that’s because he’s saying goodbye to the fans or because he’s saying goodbye to the ground.
63 min Now Southampton win a corner and when it’s headed clear, Fernandes leathers closer to the goal at Bramley-Moore than Goodison.
61 min Mykolenko crosses, Wellington flicks away; Garner flicks to Young, again his cross is a goodun, and Garner hurls himself at it but can only head wide.
60 min Changes for Saints: off go Aribo, Wood and Sulemana; on come Smallbone, Archer, and Stewart.
59 min Again, Everton attack down the right, and again, it’s Young swinging out a cross. This time it’s Doucoure attacking it and he really does attack it, but can only bundle wide.
56 min Everton sweep forward, Doucoure sliding to Garner, outside him, and his shot is blocked. They keep the pressure on, though, Young swinging over a cross and Beto’s up early, he well wants a goal today … but can only head over.
55 min Sulemana tries going at Branthwaite, who is far too physical; he’s maturing into a very fine defender.
53 min At full time, we’re told, there’ll be music and a parade of old players; if they can just get Hazel Irvine conducting interviews, we’ll have everyone greeting in nae time.
52 min Meantime, Everton win a corner then another, but play is soon stopped as Harwood-Bellis and Wood clash heads.
50 min The photo at the top of this blog is lovely: the ascent of Ev.
Source From: Premier League | The Guardian
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