Everton will shut the door on 133 years of historical past on Sunday once they play their closing males’s first-team sport at Goodison Park.
The Grand Outdated Girl has performed host to extra top-flight video games than some other stadium in England for the reason that Toffees moved in there again in 1892, and whereas the membership have introduced that Everton Ladies will turn into the bottom’s new tenants in September, this weekend’s conflict in opposition to Southampton can be an emotional affair.
The lads’s facet will transfer to a brand new 52,000-seat stadium in Bramley-Moore dock for the brand new season, with former Everton hero Duncan Ferguson one of many many who will sorry to see the staff transfer on from the stadium ranked at no.19 in FourFourTwo’s checklist of the very best in Britain.
Duncan Ferguson on saying goodbye to Goodison
Everton’s males will play their closing league sport at Goodison Park on Sunday (Picture credit score: Paul Thomas/Getty Photos)
“I’m unhappy about that,” Ferguson tells FourFourTwo . “I really like Goodison. I’ve not been in that new stadium but. I’ll go in the beginning of subsequent season.
“It gained’t be the identical, nevertheless it’ll be good for income. You’d assume it will push Everton into the highest eight groups within the league.
Duncan Ferguson loved two stints at Goodison as a participant (Picture credit score: Alamy)
“The three groups that come up are all the time going to go down – the factors tally they accumulate now’s stunning,” he continues. “Again in our day, you wanted 40 factors to remain up. Now, 30 factors retains you up, so that you don’t even have to take a position that a lot to remain within the division.
“However if you wish to break into the highest 4, it’s a must to spend. I believe Everton will comfortably be within the high half of the desk without end.”
However will Ferguson be certainly one of many followers and ex-players trying to seize one final memento of Goodison ?
“I want I’d been extra sentimental once I was youthful,” he admits. “I’d have been swapping all of my shirts. I used to assume that was slightly snide, however wouldn’t it have been beautiful to swap shirts with a few of these wonderful gamers? I by no means did that.
Everton have spent 133 years at Goodison Park (Picture credit score: Getty Photos)
“I’ve bought a number of – Shearer , Rooney … it’s a pleasant factor to look again on and provides to your youngsters. Our era didn’t f**king take into consideration that. Maybe stripping the stadium isn’t a foul thought. I’m certain the Scousers can be – I would take a spade and dig up a penalty spot or one thing!”
Everton play Southampton on Sunday in Goodison’s closing males’s first staff sport with kickoff at noon. Forward of the emotional fixture, we spoke to followers and ex-Everton stars about their favorite reminiscences from the Grand Outdated Girl .
Huge Dunc: The Upfront Autobiography, written with Henry Winter, is on the market now in hardback, eBook and audiobook
