Everton 2-0 Southampton: Toffees bid emotional farewell to Goodison Park as they ease past Saints in last home game before moving into new stadium

An azure sky for a blue, blue day and amid the flares, the fireworks and the fervour, there was an unmistakeable sense of loss for many, amid Goodison Park’s drawing down of blinds.

‘Goodbye. Thankyou for your custom over the years’, stated the banner above the tea hut on Gwladys Street run by Eddie and Elaine, for whom life will not be quite the same. The bustling upstairs room at St Luke’s Church, where the matchday programme and memorabilia sale has become its own community, will fall quiet now.

The prevailing mood for the stadium’s last competitive men’s game was triumphant, though, because for a very long time it seemed that this stadium might be needed for a yet another Premier League survival support act, when Southampton‘s visit came round.

David Moyes has delivered, so it was without jeopardy that they could hang up the blue and white bunting on redbrick Oxton Road, remember beloved fans who had never lived to see this day and, 15 minutes before kick-off, deliver a rendition of ‘The Spirit of the Blues’ anthem, the likes of which we have never heard before. ‘We never shone so brightly’ runs one of its lyrics. And some.

They squeezed in their thousands into Goodison Road, where the blue mist of the flares drifted on the faint morning breeze. That street was so packed that the team bus had to deposit the players on Bullens Road instead. How very ‘Everton‘ it would be, to lose to the Premier League’s bottom team, a few reflected. Southampton had already beaten them this season, in the league and Carabao Cup.

But there was no meaningful opposition to send clouds across Everton’s peerless sky. Southampton brought such an aimless passing game that their own fans were chanting ‘olay’ to every pointless ball by half-time.

Thousands of Everton supporters gathered both inside and outside the ground to say goodbye

Iliman Ndiaye scored both goals as the Toffees cruised to a comfortable 2-0 win on the day

Moyes made a far greater contribution, by giving 36-year-old Seamus Coleman, the heartbeat of the club and its longest-serving player, the nominal captaincy. The Irishman ran out to the biggest reception of all and left, injured, after 18 minutes to more acclaim. You didn’t need to be playing here to be remembered.

As the game played out, there were reprises of age-old chants about Kevin Ratcliffe, Kevin Campbell, Tony Hibbert, Barry Horne and Yakubu Aiyegbeni: ‘Feed the Yak.’ It was gratifying to see Graeme Sharp, restored to the club, watching from the stands.

Everton were two goals to the good by the interval, courtesy of the beautiful talent of Iliman Ndiaye, who took on Jarrad Branthwaite’s low pass to despatch the first after barely five minutes. His rapid reaction time took him around Aaron Ramsdale to make it two before the break.

It left Goodison looking for different ways of manufacturing the raw energy which has helped the team through formidable challenges down the years. Departing players were cheered to the rafters as Moyes made his substitutions. Spontaneous renditions of Z Cars and ‘It’s a Grand Old Team’ broke out of temporary moments of silence.

The onlookers included a few who had not even imagined they would be here. In one of the day’s random acts of kindness, an American pressed an envelope into the hands of Dave Kelly, who for years has helped run the foodbank at the top of Goodison Road. Two precious tickets for the game were tucked inside, for volunteers.

It was Kelly who led the fight against Everton’s move to Kirkby a decade back. Without him, the long-anticipated move to a stadium by the banks of the Mersey would not be happening.

At St Luke’s church, there was every conceivable way of holding on to the memories of this place. Framed ‘That’s my Gate’ pictures of specific turnstiles. Old tiles stripped out from the stadium years ago. All going for £10. Those who didn’t make it inside made the best of it. Fans had been preparing a ‘Gwladys-tonbury’, as one of the T-shirt lines put it, including a street party on Oxton Street.

Those attending will have heard the cheers ringing out as some of the club’s great player and managers were introduced onto the pitch for a post-match parting ceremony. The names of Duncan Ferguson, Leighton Baines, Peter Reid and Joe Royle brought the house down.

There were reprises of age-old chants about Kevin Ratcliffe, Kevin Campbell, Tony Hibbert, Barry Horne and Yakubu Aiyegbeni

The onlookers included supporters who had not even imagined they would be here

It was too much for some fans – television cameras caught some breaking down into tears

David Moyes has played his part, ensuring Everton will be a Premier League club when they move grounds

And so off the supporters will go, to Bramley-Moore Dock, in a bit to write more history

‘We may be leaving Goodison but Goodison will never be leaving us,’ Andy Gray told the stadium. As Rooney spoke, declaring it had been a dream for this kid from Croxteth to play for the team, the Gwladys Street struck up a rendition of ‘Manchester is full of shit,’ but he persisted. ‘I know I’ve had my ups and downs and I went to play for Manchester United,’ he said. And they cheered him, then. On an afternoon to forgive and forget, there was applause for the name of Bill Kenwright.

After the sentiment, comes the hard part. Building Everton into a club who don’t just survive but thrive. It will be more complicated for Moyes than it was in the early days of this century. Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, Brighton’s Evan Ferguson and, though 30 now, West Ham’s Tomas Soucek may come into the calculation.

Chelsea’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Burnley’s Maxime Estève would meet a wish to bring the squad age down. Ashley Young is leaving, his career finally over at 39. Moyes hopes to keep Coleman in some capacity.

‘When I came back here, it looked it broken. It felt broken,’ Moyes told the packed stadium. ‘It doesn’t look like that to me any more. Goodison Park will always be remembered for one thing – the people. At the next stadium, we need you all at it right away to help us.’

The lyrics of ‘Spirit of the Blues’, being belted out again at the end of all this, tell: ‘We’re on the move. We’ve got something to prove. So get your coat on and get moving, because we don’t know the meaning of losing.’

The world beyond Goodison won’t be easy, but, as so very often before, Everton have given themselves a fighting chance.