Goodbye Goodison

Well, there she goes. One last Everton home game at Goodison to discuss, plus our favorite memories of the grand old lady. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Welcome to episode 85 of the Blues Brothers Everton
podcast.
Full crew's here, including Dad, dad's here.
How are you doing?
I'm okay.
Yeah, I'm very good.
Thank you, great, great, adam'ssat next to you.
Adam, how's life?
I'm all right, thank you,amazing, andy, how are you doing
?
Hey, austin, I'm good, thankyou, yeah, just saying to Ben,

(01:04):
just before we started recording, went to watch the new Mission
Impossible film today.
Oh yeah, any good Great actionsequences, highly recommended.
If you like the others, you'lllike this one similar as that I
do like the others.
Ben, how's DC?
Dc is actually quite nice.
It's slightly cooler.
Today 's been like absurdly hotfor may, but it's now like a

(01:28):
comfortable 17 18 degrees, whichall the americans are like.
What's happened to the weather?
And I'm I'm like this is great.
I feel at home.
So, yeah, it's all good, lovely, all right.
So we're recording this on.
Uh, what day?
Is it thursday?
Is it thursday?
It's wednesday, wednesday,great start the europa league.
Uh, final is is just about.
I think they just started thesecond half.
On what day is it Thursday?
Is it Thursday?
It's Wednesday, wednesday,great start.

(01:48):
The Europa League final is justabout.
I think they've just startedthe second half and Tottenham
are winning 1-0.
And basically we're going to doa podcast about Everton and
we're going to kind of react tothat as we go, because,
hopefully, man United'shumiliation continues.
It's all we can hope for.
So we're mostly going to talkabout goodison, really, uh, so I
guess we'll talk a little bitabout other stuff, and maybe the
newcastle game is coming up ina few days, but, um, we had the

(02:11):
last game of goodison lastweekend.
Uh, adam, I'll start with you,and because you and dad went, so
do you guys want to sort oftalk us through that experience,
what you saw, what you felt,what the whole thing was, what
the whole thing was like?

Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, Dad and I could probably spend the whole
podcast talking about it.

Speaker 2 (02:28):
to be honest, Well, that would reduce our workload,
so please feel free.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
It was, yeah, it was amazing.
It was obviously one of thosethings that you sort of you
count down the days to it andthen it arrives, it sort of hits
you.
So Dad and I left at aboutquarter past seven on sunday
morning, parked up half nine andthen by the time we walked, by
the time we got, you know, gotto the ground, um, it was

(02:54):
obviously already completelyrammed, you know, obviously
around the uh dixie dean statue.
Just, he couldn't, he couldn'tmove.
You know pyro everywherechanting, you know it was, the
atmosphere was incredible.
And then obviously we stayedfor the coach to go by.
Then Dad and I just had a little, you know, we had a walk around

(03:15):
, walk around the stadium, gotabout to the end of Goodison
Road and it got absolutely roundagain.
So we decided to go, decided togo back.
It was that packed and even atthat time in the morning there
was loads of what's great to see, quite a number, quite a good
number of Southampton fans aswell.
Just, uh, you know, in amongst,you know watching it, in

(03:35):
amongst it, um, and it was, theatmosphere was was great, um,
and uh, yeah, like I said to dad, like the game itself, you know
, is a meaningless game on paperfor both teams.
But it almost became like, yes,the players want to win and the
players talked about how theywanted to do well for the final

(03:57):
Goodison game.
But for me personally, I didn'treally see the football as that
much of an event in itself.
It was much more about thesentiment around leaving
Goodisonison and yeah, it was.
It was, uh, it was reallyemotional.
You know that, you know you'regoing, everything was for the
last time, you know.
That's that, that's what tosort of summarize it really like
walking up the steps and seeingthat green pitch which you

(04:19):
remember when I was, you knowwhen I.
One of the earliest games Iremember was, uh, 1997.
Obviously I went before thatbut I can't necessarily remember
them.
But 1997 when we beat, you know, um, southampton 7-1, um and um
, that was the last time.
And you know, talking to PeteLewis possibly you know I'm sure

(04:41):
we'll see it, we'll see himagain, but that the halftime
talk with Pete Lewis andstanding in the in in that area
where we always stood, and dadand I put our, our sandwiches on
the side on the last time andand and then it's the final.
You know it's final whistle andthat's the last time.
And you know just seeing on thebig screen and people around
you, you just see, like you know, people crying, grown men

(05:02):
crying about this.
You know their thing.
That's hosted 2,791 games andhas been there for 133 years and
it's finally.
You know it's finally.
You know that was it.
It's finally gone and it's likesomething that bonds you
together for such a long time issort of over in that sense.

Speaker 2 (05:25):
Dan, what were your?
How was your final dayexperience?

Speaker 1 (05:29):
Well, this grown man didn't cry, I have to say.
Why do you have to say grownman?
I mean, it's one of them, comeput down.

Speaker 2 (05:37):
Why is?

Speaker 1 (05:37):
it gendered in the book.
He's crying.
What's that about?
Men were crying.
I did have a lump in my throata couple of times and I sort of
just thought am I going to cry?
No, I'm not and I didn't, butit was as Adam says.
It was an emotional time and itdoes make you think about.
You know, the first time I wentwas, I think I was 13.

(05:59):
And I remember that because itwas the first day I had long
trousers, because this was the50s, of course.
And then, you know, you woreshorts as a teenager and then
you got long trousers, you know,when you think about it, anyway
, and we played West Brom and Iwas 13.
So that's 65 years ago, whichis a long time, you know.

(06:21):
Reflecting on what I've seen,I've seen, you know, some
wonderful games.
The Bayern Munich game is onethat everybody talks about.
It probably is the best game Ihave seen, although there was a
Borussia Mönchengladbach game,in 1979, I think, where we won
on penalties.
Andy Rankin saved a fantasticpenalty.
What fantastic save for apenalty.

(06:42):
I've seen four leaguechampionships, okay, obviously,
prior to the Premier League,which you know all of football
forgets about.
You know, there's a team that'swon anything.
Well, that's not true.
Am I right in saying there'sonly Liverpool and man U who've

(07:04):
won more league championshipsthan we have?
So people forget the past.
Yeah, it was an emotional time.
It's strange to reflect on itnow, a couple of days later.
I think, if I'm being honest, myoverall sort of feeling is less
of a, you know, a regret aboutGoodison, because it is what it

(07:26):
was.
I mean, it was fantastic.
It was the best stadium in thecountry for a long time.
And when you see those statsabout the first ground with
pylons, the first ground withstands on all four sides, and
you can, you know, roll on androll on, there's no question it
was a fantastic place and it'stime.

(07:48):
But it's time has been and goneand I'm really, really excited
about the new ground and thestart again and the new owners.
I'm really sort of I'mexpecting that it is a new start
and that we can be onwards andupwards from now.
So, yeah, sad about, in onesense, sad about not being a

(08:11):
Goodison anymore.
But you know, reality is moveon, move up.
Fantastic new ground andlooking forward to it.
But you know lots of memoriesof Goodison and it's nice that
you know it'll still be there.
So if I ever feel like going todrive to Liverpool to see a
woman's football match, it'llstill be there if I want to do

(08:32):
that.
But I doubt if I am going to dothat.
Anyway, back to you Oz.

Speaker 2 (08:39):
Yeah, I'm pleased I was thinking about.
You know we'll talk maybe a bitlater about the women's team,
but you know it's nice thatpeople who maybe never had the
opportunity I have lots ofAmerican friends who are big
Evertonians who've never had achance to go to Goodison They'll
still be able to go and seesome games there.
Andy, what are your?

(09:00):
Obviously we've all seen.
I tried to work out the otherday how many matches I'd seen at
Goodison and you know it's inthe obviously hundreds and
hundreds.
You know over the years andwe've all seen hundreds of games
.
Talk to us about either a greatmemory or what you think might
have been your earliest Goodisonmemory.
My earliest Goodison memory iswhen Dad used to bump me into

(09:26):
the top balcony, which I have afeeling.
I was only four or five at thetime, so that's the sort of
seasons around 82 83 and I usedto be lifted over the turnstile
because that was, you know, whatyou could.
You could get away with doingback then and I would have seen
some of the title winning teamsof 85 and 87 and I can vaguely

(09:48):
remember bits because we had aseason down in the family stand
and we were only in the secondor third row and I can remember
Gary Stevens running over totake a throw in right in front
of me on one occasion and he hada cut behind his ear and it was
bleeding and you wouldn't getaway with that now You'd
obviously have to go off thepitch and have it treated, and

(10:10):
that's sort of one little thingthat just sticks in my mind.
And then the 87th season of allthings, the George Harrison song
I Got my Mind Set On you wasplayed every single half time
for the entire season and that'show I sort of pinpoint.
I must have been there everygame for that season because I
heard that song every everySaturday.
And then the earliest game Ican remember in any detail was

(10:35):
the um for all game withLiverpool.
The FA Cup replay I think was1991.
Um, because, as you said,austin, I've been to so many
games and the memories after acertain time all sort of get
mixed up in your head.
But I can remember that beingthere for that game.
And then, obviously only a fewyears later as well, the famous

(10:59):
Great Escape against Wimbledon.
And obviously Barry Horne'sfamous goal, because Barry Horn
hardly ever scored goals, andcertainly when he picked the
ball up at that distance I cansafely say nobody in the ground
other than him was thinking ofshooting.
Nobody wanted him to have ashot.
If he'd have thought about it,he'd have talked himself out of

(11:21):
it Very possibly, yeah.
So what on earth made him shootfrom that distance?
But obviously we all know whathappened and the story around
that game.
And yeah, there's just so manysort of games after that that.
I've got sort of biggermemories of the Fiorentina game
we've spoken about on podsbefore that one's up there.

(11:45):
Then even tarkovsky's goal inthe derby, um, that finished two
all earlier this season, um,the last night game.
That that's up there with, withgreat moments as well, just
because of it, of what itsymbolized in the moment it
stopped liverpool having wonmore, more merseyside derbies at
Goodison than we did, whichwould not have been a great

(12:08):
record to have lost and justobviously just equalising those
circumstances.
So as well, there's just somany really great, fantastic
memories that I'll treasureforever more.
And, of course, the biggestchange there's lots of changes

(12:29):
around move and stages, but thebiggest change for me and it's
already been alluded to is thechange of routine, because
everybody's got the same routinewhere you park, how you travel
to the game, who you're therewith is it the same people?
Does it change?
Where you sit?
Everybody's got.
And all those routines are allgoing to be be changed and you

(12:51):
know they've been the same fordecades and for me, that's of
all the changes, that's arguablythe biggest one of of of them
all.
Yeah, those rituals are, andit'll take us a while, I guess,
to kind of re-establish new onesand and and find those again,
because we all it's unbelievablethat you know that you, adam,

(13:13):
you talked about it likestanding at the top of that
staircase at the upper Gladysstreet with a flask on the shelf
on the window ledge is likethat's kind of a, you know, I I
struggle to remember what myfirst game was.
I remember games around thesort of 92, 93 season.
I'd been going for a couple ofyears before that, but I
remember like vividly thehalftimes, like definitely, like

(13:35):
going back a very, very longtime.
Yeah, you remember thosebecause that was part of our
routine.
Well, that was the happiestpart, you see, because the
football was shite, absolutelyyeah, indeed, yeah, we, we
toddled down, and I can rememberas well I don't know if the
upper gladys has got more fullas time has got gone on well,
it's funny you say that you know, but a lot of the attendances.

(13:56):
You know, if you go back to,like, uh, the 93 94 season,
which are that women again, youand I think we, we were both
there and the, I think theattendance of that game now they
were redoing the park end atthe time, but the attendance of
that game was like 20,000 orsomething.
There were plenty of times whenthe stadium was half full
because the Premier Leaguewasn't what it is now.

(14:17):
No, you know, you could haveshitty attendances in the
Premier League and we did.
There was one game at Goodisonin the night in the around that
time we had an attendance about15 000 or 16 000.
There was an evening gameagainst I think it was coventry
around that time, whereas yousay the attendance was was in
the sort of mid, mid teens.
Yeah, and because the reason thereason I mentioned that is

(14:38):
obviously in the latter yearswe've not been able to get a
space on that shelf yeah, ourflask on, our sandwiches on,
because loads of other peoplehave got there first and that up
to sort of eight or ten yearsago that wasn't a problem and
we'd bimble down and there'dalways be space.
So obviously that stand isclearly now full for every match
where there was a time when itclearly it obviously wasn't Ben,

(15:03):
what are you?

Speaker 3 (15:04):
sorry, go ahead.
Sorry, ben, but this is funny.
You should mention that.
Did you want to do?
You want to explain what?

Speaker 1 (15:13):
at the game, yeah when?
Well, you're right, we hadbutties for the first time in
ages and we'd noticed over thelast couple of seasons well,
more than a couple of seasonsdifferent groups had taken our
place by the window Bastards.

Speaker 2 (15:32):
Outrageous.

Speaker 1 (15:34):
I said to her.
I said I'm just going to popoff.
This was after 45 minutes.
Just going to pop out, get ourspace on the shelf.
Well, put me butt in my bag.
What happens?
We scored.
It was funny.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
It was a game.

Speaker 1 (15:54):
We were watching the television the other week a game
, and I came out twice duringthe game and went to the loo and
on both times there was a goal.
So now, whenever Everton arelosing and they need to score
the goal, I know what to do Offyou go, I'm going to be in the
game Johnny Cash, lose me some.
Anyway.

Speaker 2 (16:12):
Ben, sorry, we will bring you into this in a second.
I promise I'm not going to.
I'm enjoying the observing.
One of my great memories thatisn't that long ago really, I
think it was Moyes was in charge, remember, because he lost the
pot at the end was we were a 3-3draw with man United where we

(16:33):
nearly missed both.
We left twice and nearly missedboth goals at the end.
And that was the one whereafterwards we because the game
ended with Jagielka basically ona break and the referee blew
the final whistle in it we hadlike a two-on-one break and
Moyes and Alan Irving went nuts.
But I don't know if we cameback from 3-0 or 3-1, but we

(16:54):
scored two goals pretty late on.
It was 3-1 and then I thinkArteta scored the 3-3 equaliser
after it had bobbled round inthe box a little bit.
I think, Pienaar scored maybe.

Speaker 3 (17:10):
I think Pienaar got one as well oh.

Speaker 2 (17:12):
Cahill, yes, you guys have a much better memory for
these things than I do, but Iremember we left and we heard
like we were walking on theconcourse and we heard people,
sort of.
So we ran up a staircase andsaw that and then we left again
and the same thing happened.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
So that was when we were going.
We haven't left early since.

Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah, we haven't left early since.
Ben, talk to us about yourGoodison memories, earliest one,
best one, whatever you want.
Yeah, like you, austin, I don'tactually and this sounds really
sacrilegious to austin I don'tactually, and this sounds really
like sacrilegious to say Idon't actually remember what my
first game was, I, I think and Iwas looking at this earlier
because I suspected this wouldcome up because I I remember we

(17:55):
were playing someone in claret,so I was like it's west ham or
um aston villa, and I think paPaul Rideout scored, so which,
thanks to the wonders of chatGPT, I think it was the 20th of
August 1994, when Graham Stewartand Paul Rideout scored in a
2-2 draw against Aston Villa was, I think, in my head is my sort

(18:18):
of my first.
My first good memory, funnilyenough actually, was the
Wimbledon game, which I wasn'tat, but we were all at um our
uncle, marks, and dad's brother,um, while you guys were at the
game.
And I remember you coming homeand I'd seen on the tv, um, I'd
seen on the tv that the fans hadinvaded the pitch and were like
picking up the grass and stuff,and I distinctly remember

(18:40):
asking dad when you got, whenyou got to marks oh, were you
guys on the pitch?
And Because I'd never been toGoodison at that point and they
had to explain to me that ourseats were in the upper tier, so
therefore it would have beenreally difficult to get onto the
pitch from there, but notimpossible, not impossible.
So anyway, I don't actuallyremember what my first game is.

(19:03):
I have a suspicion of which oneit was, but I don't actually
know.
My Goodison memories are muchmore about the, the, the sort of
process and the, you know the,our rituals, rather than the
games itself.
You know, going to the elm treebefore the game and parking in
that little like weird alleything that we dad would always
get pissed off at when we gotthere and someone had got to the
spot first, like, um, you know,because it was our, in the same

(19:26):
way that it was our spot on theon the ledge, it was our, that
was our parking spot, even if itwas, you know, not official in
any way.
That was where we parked.
So it it ruined the process ifwe didn't, if we didn't park
there.
So that was the sort of, thatwas the rich, that was the
ritual for me.
I mean, like andrew, thefiorentina game.
Uh, the Cadamatri Derby, whichis one that I remember being at,

(19:47):
was another big one.
But yeah, I thought the clubdid a really good job of seeing
the ground off, although, asAustin and I will attest, tnt
Sports did a terrible job ofstreaming the thing, because
they just didn't turn the streamon, so we all missed the first

(20:09):
20 minutes of the post-matchlike celebrations, which they
were meant to carry live onYouTube, which was a bummer.
But I thought they did a reallygood job.
It was great to see all thoseplayers, although the funniest
thing, if you listen back to,when they're introducing all the
players from the different erasright, they're introducing all
the players from the differenteras, right.
When they're doing the playersfrom the eighties, it's all big

(20:29):
cheers and then so it's like itwas like seventies.
And then you have the eightiesteams that, as dad said, won all
the league titles and things.
And then you get to thenineties and you can just feel
the energy drop out of the roomwhen they go, when, when they go
from introducing it's NevilleSouthall and Gary Stevens to
like it's John Ebrall and TonyGrant, you can feel everybody

(20:52):
just kind of collectively gofucking hell, we were shit,
weren't we?

Speaker 1 (20:55):
oh my god.

Speaker 2 (20:57):
Stuart Barlow.
Stuart Barlow, that was likeone of the funniest things for
me, was just like the transitionbetween that like really bad
period in the 90s.
But yeah, I mean, look, I'mreally glad we won because it
would have been very evident tolose the last game at Goodison
Park to some you know, goal offsomeone's arse down at the park

(21:19):
end.
I was disappointed you didn'tget to see a goal at the Gladys
Street of the final game,although it sounds like Dad
would have been in the loo oryou know buying a drink or
something if you had anyway, soit doesn't make any difference.
But yeah, I thought it was.
It's wonderful that they'regoing to keep it for the women's
team.
It's great that people will beable to continue to go and visit
.
And yeah, I mean, I said toEllen before we um, like weeks

(21:48):
ahead, I said, look, this isgoing to sound crazy, but I I
need this morning, like the gamekicks off at seven o'clock, I
need to be sat down at 6 50 so Ican watch Zed car, so I can
watch the team come out.
I want to watch the game, Iwant to watch the hour
afterwards and I just need youto.
And she didn't question it atall, she got it.
But I was like you forget howmuch, I think, unless you've
been there and are involved init or a fan, you really forget

(22:09):
how much a core part of yourlife it is and how important to
sort of place it is in all ofour collective memories.
You know that was where we allused to go as kids and that was
probably, like you know, whendad was often, you know, working
a lot during the week.
That was the time on Saturdayswhere we spent like quality time
as as the five of us and mumwould come to liverpool as well.

(22:30):
So, like that was, it wasreally like I found myself
getting emotional at it from thememory perspective.
So really excited that they'rekeeping it really excited for,
um, the stadium, the new stadium.
Less excited for the name of thenew stadium, if I'm being
honest, because it the newstadium, if I'm being honest,
because it's named after a lawfirm and that's kind of boring.
But, you know, excited to gothere.

(22:52):
It looks wonderful, got a greatseat.
So excited for that.
But, yeah, great weekend.
Glad we won Right time to moveon the upside.
Yeah, sorry, go ahead.

Speaker 1 (23:03):
There's a lot of the last time sort of thing.
Last time, this last time thatthere actually was a first time
at the Southampton game the guywho's left every match doesn't
matter what one minute beforethe game.
So the last 20 seasons didn'tAmazing.

(23:24):
For the first time he didn'tneed 10 minutes.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Imagine the traffic.

Speaker 3 (23:30):
He's still there now.

Speaker 2 (23:35):
That guy's like clockwork, isn't he?
We worked out once Dad,remember this, we worked.
He misses games a season orsomething.
Two games a season, yeah,because he leaves like eight
minutes early and the thingabout that is he's missed.
He missed Tarkovsky's goal thisseason One of the most recent
iconic moments.
And you think now.

(23:55):
I mean, I've probably said thisbefore when we spoke about that
particular game but whatevertraffic you normally miss or
whatever babysittingarrangements you need to make,
it's the last night game, thelast derby game.
You know, whatever you need todo to make sure you can stay to
the end of that game, you stayto the end of that game.
I genuinely don't understandwhy you would leave in those

(24:19):
circumstances.
Can I ask a question about notabout that guy and leaving early
, but to Adam and Dad?
What was the vibe like with allthe like?
Did you say goodbye to thepeople that sat around us?
Like what?
What was that like?
Because obviously you knowwe're all.
You assume that most of thosepeople are going to the new
stadium but you're not going tobe sat together and these are
people that you know we've,we've sat with, uh, in some

(24:39):
cases, you know, with thosepeople in front of us and a
couple of guys behind 30, 35years, like.
So what was that like?
Did you you know?
Did they say, did you have achat?
Did you say goodbye?
Wish you to the world?
I saw some people like we'retaking photos of the group of
people that they sat with andputting them on on social media.
Like what was that?
Like?

Speaker 1 (24:57):
well, I had a photograph taken with uh, frank,
next, next, frank k, elizabeth,yeah, yeah, but strangely
enough, you know, there was nogrown men crying because they
won't see them again.
It was, it was.
The reality is is that you knowthey're not your friends.
They just happen to be sittingwith you and, okay, it's 20, 25
years and that.

(25:18):
That.
That that showed itself really.
You know, at the end peoplesaid, well, you know, take care,
that's yeah, and off, off,everybody went that was the case
.

Speaker 3 (25:28):
That was the case around around us and people, I
imagine, maybe because thosepeople possibly see each other
around us, like outside of thegame, like in the people along
the back of us, like the guy,the guy who sits behind us he
wasn't actually, he wasn't there.
Um, he wasn't there, curiously,because I can't remember the
last time he wasn't a game thatI was at.
I was going to say goodbye tohim and I said goodbye to Frank

(25:52):
and, obviously, pete Lewis, butdown below, in the lower Gladys,
there were an awful lot ofpeople who were getting stewards
to take pictures of themtogether and at the end, when
people were starting to file out, um, people were.
You could see people likeembracing each other and hugging
each other and stuff.

(26:13):
So there were obviously a lot.
There was an awful lot of that,uh, that was going on, but I
think it's fair to say like that, we didn't see an awful lot of
that for one reason another,around where we were sat, um,
but we, you know, we said bye tothe people that, to put it
politely, we wanted to saygoodbye to, not the arseholes.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Yeah, yeah.
I was glad to see Umar Niassehad his ultimate final victory
over Ronald Koeman in the.
Who Matters More?
Who Matters More stakes?

Speaker 1 (26:48):
You guys missed out.

Speaker 2 (26:49):
The collection of players was kind of weird,
because when they wereannouncing it was like Thomas.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
Meyra.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
I was like what I think this was.
On fact, some of this stuff waslike Thomas Meyra was.
You know, there's a certainvibe around certain players,
right, like Niasse is therebecause he had this thing with
Coombe and he's kind of likefolkloric.
Right, thomas myra was ourfirst good goalkeeper after
neville southwood.

(27:16):
Yes, that's why he was there,because, yeah, we struggled
after, I mean, south hall had apoor last season, I can't with
season it it was, but the, youknow, he he was, he was, you
know not, he was really nothimself.
And and then we, you know, westruggled to find a goalkeeper
and Thomas Meyer was the firstone where we were like, actually
we've got a goalkeeper now.
And then people like Marcus Bent, jermaine Beckford like weird

(27:39):
choices in a way, but theyscored important goals for us
back in the day.
So well, not that long ago.
You guys did miss out on it.
It's worth finding.
I think it's on YouTube.
The pre-match TNT's pre-matchstuff was brilliant because
Duncan Ferguson kept swearingand they had Peter Reid on and

(28:01):
he was pissed.
I mean absolutely.
At one point all the legendswere like walking behind him.
It was like before the game andthey start saying hello and
then he just left.
He just peter reese, he's justhe's on tv, just walked off, and
so the dunker was there.
It was really, uh, it was uh,it was really, really, really

(28:23):
good.
Um, all right, what else shouldwe talk about?
Should we talk about the newground?
Should we talk about how we'refeeling about that?
Uh.
Should we talk about the, uh,the summer transfer window?
Should we talk about, uh, uh,decoria leaving someone suggest
the topic.
I have no idea.
Just before we get onto thosetopics, the one other dynamic
I'd like to mention regardingthe five of us, and obviously

(28:44):
mum, is all the years we'vespent traveling a fair distance
just to get to Games at GoodisonPark, because obviously we
moved to Buxton in 1987 and thenwent even further away to
Mansfield in 1992.
So I mean, over that course, ofwhat's that?

(29:06):
28 years?
You're talking tens ofthousands of miles.

Speaker 3 (29:11):
Oh yeah, it was a real forward through.

Speaker 2 (29:12):
I mean, I can remember there was one game in
the winter, a midweek game inthe winter, and we were dad and
I were coming back to buxton andwe were sort of really in heavy
snow, sort of on the a6 betweendove holes and buxton, um, and
we got back but it, you know, acouple of times when it was a
bit iffy and you think of allthe bad weather and traffic and

(29:39):
all the things we've enduredover the years to get there to
watch at times was prettyrudimentary, crappy.

Speaker 1 (29:48):
Oh, my God, let's be honest.
And when there was 15,000people there, you just carry on
and do it.

Speaker 2 (29:53):
You remind me of one time I mean it wasn't that long
ago, maybe, god, I say that long, it might be 20 years ago that,
uh, we were driving back from anight game it must have been
and it was snowing and we weregoing over the top through
derbyshire you know where it canall get a bit hairy.
And I remember, dad, you justgot, I think for the first time,
like a four by four, like oneof the bigger kind of SUVs I

(30:16):
don't know which one it was andwe ended up, I think you know
you just lost at some pointwhere the road was and we ended
up sort of off the road havingto stop and, adam, you got out
the car and jumped into the snow.
I remember this the snow went upto his face, it went over the
top top.
Adam nearly disappeared becausewe were actually over the verge

(30:45):
, so he like jumped out and hethought it was like just the
ground was there, but it wasn'tdo you remember the boxing day
time?

Speaker 1 (30:53):
it took us about four .
Yeah, I do.
Do you remember?
Because we would go.

Speaker 2 (30:57):
Yeah, and remember that was the time when we were
stuck in this line of trafficgoing over the top and we were.
We were there for like 40minutes what is going on?
And eventually cars juststarted going, like going on the
wrong side of the road anddriving up and we realized that
the line of traffic was peoplewho had just stopped at the
bottom of this hill because theycouldn't get up it.
And we were in a 4x4 and wereable to do it.
But, yeah, I remember that onetook us about 4 hours to get

(31:18):
home.
That was that is my likedriving in terms of journeys to
Goodison.
That's my Goodison drivingmemory.
Yeah, we always did it, nomatter how crap the team was.
Yeah, do you do you remember the?
Do you remember the stadiumtour we did and getting, um, uh,

(31:40):
dad's getting.
I remember you getting annoyedand it's now.
I'm now embarrassing myselfbecause I can't remember who the
tour guide was, and it was DaveHickson, dave Hickson, thank
you.
I remember dad got annoyedbecause dad was like that's Dave
, it's Dave Hickson, daveHickson's getting the tour.
And all the way around the tour, there was this woman on the
tour who kept going.
Oh so you were you involvedwith Everton then, oh, do you

(32:01):
play?
And dad was like it's DaveHickson, it's the cannonball kid
how do you not know who DaveHickson is?
I had that experience like itwas after you guys had done that
one.
I went with my girlfriend atthe time for a tour this would
have been about 2004, maybesomething like that and I went

(32:21):
to reception you know the mainstand and they were like, oh
yeah, go and wait by the playersentrance, which is just by near
where the church is, you knowon the on it's on, it's in the
main stand, but it's on thatside.
But then and dave will be out,and I was like, okay, some bloke
called dave and he opens thedoor and there was only the two
of us on the tour and it's davehickson and I couldn't fucking

(32:44):
believe it.
I was like, so dave hicksonjust showed us around for an
hour and a half.
It was like it was that was amagic and he was.
He gave a good tour, dave.
But there, yeah, it was, it wasfun.
And then, of course, we wentback last summer, was it last
summer?
We did a tour with Mark Higgins, who was our, you know, once

(33:05):
famously turned up at our houseto pick his son up, who I was
mates with, and you know hebooked and Dad couldn't get his
word out Mark.
Higgins, did he play for manUnited at the time?

Speaker 1 (33:19):
Was that?

Speaker 2 (33:19):
He'd left Everton right.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
He'd finished with man U by then.

Speaker 2 (33:22):
but yeah, I was just totally starstruck, couldn't
speak that happened to me like,as we're talking about
interactions with players, youremember the time I met Leighton
Baines in London yeah this musthave been like 2000 and I don't
know, 2015, 16, and I'd gone.

(33:43):
I'd gone to take a lunch nearEmbankment and I was stood
waiting to get whatever sandwichor whatever.
I was picking up and walking upthe street by the station was
that's leighton baines?
That's leighton baines and I'dlike all I could.
I stopped him.
I said, oh, you know, all Icould get out of my mouth was
I'm a big fan.
I mean, I'm a big fan.

Speaker 1 (34:00):
Can I get a photo.
That was it I.

Speaker 2 (34:03):
I a man who, literally, like has worked for
the deputy prime ministercommunicates for a living.
Literally words on my job.
All I could get out of my mouthwas I'm a big fan.
Could I have a photo?
I?
must have sounded like a totalmoron, um, but yeah, I'm sure.
Yeah, on.
On actually talking aboutbaines and col, it was nice that

(34:24):
colman got to lead the team outand play.
Even though he got in he gotinjured after 20 minutes, it was
.
I thought that was good, foryou know it was.
It was a nice symmetry that hewas able to sort of do that and
wear the captain's armband andlead the team out.
I thought that was good.
Yeah, it was.
You know, all the players gotbecause did Michael Keane came
on, didn't he?
Yeah, he came on for Brad'splay.

(34:44):
Yeah, for Brad's play and Ithink there was a little bit of
a, a little bit of a goodbyetour with.
So, I think coleman, I think weunderstand he's going to stay
for another year, but the youknow, decore and keen, I think
you know, got their opportunityto play for the last time, which
was nice, because I think Imean decore, I think yesterday,
said he was leaving.
I'm sure michael keen will aswell, because I suspect you know

(35:06):
he's right for one of thepromoted teams to pay him too
much money, michael keenane.
So I imagine it will be thelast time we see him.
Any other thoughts on squadstuff for the summer?
I think you know obviouslythere's going to be a lot of
change, but any strong views onwhat we've seen so far, what

(35:26):
we're hearing?
Can I pose a question?
Should we sign Charlie Alcaraz?
Good question Open to the group.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
At 12 million.
I think it's a no-brainer yeah.

Speaker 2 (35:38):
I'd agree with that.
Yeah, because the fee is sorelatively low.
Yeah, because even if itdoesn't work out, you can
probably sell him and get mostof that back.

Speaker 1 (35:48):
I think Doge is another question, though, isn't
he?
What do we think of him?

Speaker 2 (35:52):
I mean he hasn't.
I think he's not If he wasgoing to be signable for the
kind of money Chelsea will needto get for him, because they are
a club without any leeway interms of what they receive in
terms of transfers.
He can't be behind Beto in apecking order.

(36:13):
You know which I think he isand and you know because,
whether I think you know the DCLbetter thing's interesting,
because I think DCL is probablymost people would agree is a
better footballer, but I'm notsure he's a better striker
actually than Beto.
I think he was you know Beto wasreally unlucky against
Southampton because he scoredtwo good goals and he was

(36:34):
rightly offside in both, but notby much.

Speaker 3 (36:37):
You know so.
Yeah we didn't see those on.
He didn't show those on Matchof the Day, so we sort of knew
that he was going to be offside.

Speaker 2 (36:44):
Yeah, the first one half a body offside the second
one, it was even less than that.
He's a good finisher For me.
Brozier, are you signing himwhere he's going to be knocking
around with Beto competing for ateam?
Chelsea will want £50 millionfor him, or something.

Speaker 3 (37:08):
We've got an agreement to sign him for £30
million, so it wouldn't be farthem.
Sorry, adam, go on, but at thesame time I think, unfortunately
he's done his ACL.
He spent a good period of hisloan tenure with us, being out
with injuries as well.
So he's a better player thanPepto and Calvert-Lewin, and

(37:34):
he's obviously 21.
He's a better player thancalvin lewin, um, and he's
obviously, you know, 21, 22, Ithink.
Um.
So you, you're buying an awfullot of potential there, but it's
with the huge risk that he hasthat he, um, you know, stays fit
and I don't think, I don'tthink we're really in a position
to to do that in such animportant position.
Um, it'd be interesting.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
It depends partly I guess what happens with dcl,
which would be interesting,depends partly, I guess, what
happens with DCL, which would beinteresting for people's views
on, and also what happens withthat.
What's that striker fromIpswich who we are, liam Dillat.
Liam Dillat, who has a 30million release clause and
apparently Moyes is veryinterested in.
So you know, brozier might besomewhere on that list, I guess.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
It depends who's top of it.
He's going to go to United aswell.
Apparently, carragher thinks heshould sign first.
Yeah, yeah yeah.
I mean the.
Thing.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
I mean I'd love it if we signed Liam de Lappe.
I don't think it's necessarilythat realistic.
I think he'll go to a biggerteam.
The thing about Brogier is likeI was excited when we signed
him because I've always thoughtmaybe there was something there.
But if you took away the nameand the hype, right, and the
history of being this youngplayer who was potentially this
next big star, if you told mewe'd signed a player on loan

(38:41):
with a release, who spent a lotof the season injured, coming
off an ACL injury, hadn't scoreda goal, and then we had an
option to sign him for £30million, no one would take that
deal.
No one would say that was asmart deal.
And I think if you, it soundssilly.
But if you ignore that he'scome from where he's come from
in Chelsea and the hype, there'sno logical reason why you would

(39:04):
do that deal.
The one that you might do is goOK, we'll take him on loan
again next season and the optionto buy is now £15 million.
If we like him, you might dothat.
There's no way we're signinghim for anything close to the
fee that was built into that way.
Because, to Austin's point, Iactually don't think.
I think he's a better footballer.
I think you know, we've saidthis all along and we've sort of

(39:26):
been proven to be true.
You start Beto for an entirepremier league season.
He'll score you 15 goals.
Because he just gets in theposition to score goals like
yeah, and so like he makesthings happen as well.
He's got a bit of an x factorwhere you can't you know.
Is he the most technicallyaccomplished footballer?
No.
Is he the best finisher?
No.
Is he the best person who canhold the ball up?

(39:47):
No, but stuff happens when he'sat the top of the pitch.
And just going back to whereLiam de Lappe may or may not go,
manchester United are threeminutes plus injury time away
from losing the Europa Leaguefinal.
You've jinxed it, andy.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
Andy, you've done it now, you've done it now.

Speaker 3 (40:07):
Manchester United are so shit.

Speaker 2 (40:08):
They can overcome an Andy jinx Carry on.
So de Lappe and other playersNow, if they don't win this game
, they're obviously, you know,tottenham rescue their season.
Man United are just plungedfurther into crisis.
So I think that is going to bea massive factor in determining
whether De Lappe and any otherplayer goes there this summer,

(40:30):
because they are in such a hole.
If they player goes there thissummer because they are in such
a hole, if they don't win thisfinal, they are in such a hole
that, quite frankly, if it'sbetween a choice between
Manchester United and Everton,if they're your two options, we
will be much more of anattractive option compared to
Manchester United, and we may beable to pay him more as well.
Bizarrely, you know, because Ithink you know, I don't, I mean,

(40:53):
who knows, but I don't thinkman United's financial situation
is conducive to them.
You know, giving someone nutsomoney, yeah, so you know it's, I
think it's.
It may be.
I mean, you're right, I meanwhat?
You know?
Where do man United so far?
I love the fact that man Unitedare shit.

(41:13):
And do you know why I love it?
because we grew up with allthese guys who were like in
school who were man United fansoh yeah, oh yeah and I just I
love the fact that they've gotto take stuff down and there are
so many, so many people so manypeople as well picked them in
the 90s and the nought.
They were winning loads ofstuff and they're stuck with it
now.
Yeah, the other reason is that.
The other reason is that reubenamarin is wearing a blazer over

(41:35):
a t-shirt, which is is is a isa is a reason to not support
someone at the best of times.
On the, on the dcl thing, the Iwould.
I would happily have dcl back,but I think he, I think he will
want more money than he'sactually worth.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
Yes.

Speaker 2 (41:57):
Because the perfectly good striker on his day holds
the ball up well good link-upplay better than Beto in that
sense.
But outside of that one seasonwith Ancelotti, when has he ever
actually been a reliable numbernine that you want to pay
£100,000 a week for, which isprobably what he's like?

(42:17):
The rumor was he turned£130,000 down from Newcastle
last summer when we were tryingto swap him for Minte, because
he thought he was worth more.
If he's asking prices, it's sixfigures, not five figures.
I think it's a non-starterbecause I just don't think he's
worth that money.
I think you could go OK, thanks, dom, we'll have Beto, we'll

(42:39):
have Chimiti, we'll bringsomeone in as a backup to Beto,
we're set.
Actually, we don't need to paythat amount of money for someone
who is injured quite a lot andnot prolific when they are
playing Because he's a badfinisher, like, yeah, all the
plays great, he's a bad finisher.
Beto is an infinitely betterfinisher than Calvert-Lewin is.
Yeah, yeah, and it depends howyou're going to play right,

(42:59):
because I think if you're, ifyou're going to play how Sean
Dyche plays, you can't.
Beto can't work because you'vegot you need a target man who
can hold the ball up.
Beto's not a target man.
He's big but he's not a targetman.
He needs to, he needs chancesto finish or he needs to run
onto the ball, because he'spowerful and scary.
He makes defenders do strangethings, basically, you know,

(43:21):
because I think he just scaresthe crap out of them.
But if you're, if you're notgoing to need that kind of hold
up, play, then what you know,because, right, I think, if you
you said it earlier if you playbetter for a full season, he
gets you 15, 16 goals.
If you play Calvert-Lewin for afull season, he maybe gets you
a few fewer, probably.
You know, maybe he brings moreother things in, but I think

(43:43):
there's kind of a judgment there.
How do people feel aboutRicharlison?
I'd crawl over hot coals to havethat man back too right.

Speaker 3 (43:54):
I think we'd Spurs are likely going to win win the
Europa League, but I don't thinkthat is necessarily indicative
of the chances of him leaving.
I think they're going to havequite a big overhaul over the
summer in multiple ways Spurs,but I'd love to have him back.
I was saying to dad um onsunday, um, that I think he's a

(44:16):
real moise player because moiselikes he likes hard-working we,
he likes hard-working uhattackers at the skillful attack
as we.
Like.
You know he doesn't acceptplayers who will um where their
their work ethic is a sacrifice.
Their work ethic is a sacrificefor the, for being more

(44:37):
skillful.
He wants players to have bothand Richarlison is, you know,
absolutely top of that sort oflist of players.
Um, and we could get him for,you know, I think 30, 40 million
.
I mean we sold him for 60.
I think that wouldn't be um,yeah, out, um, impossible.
And you know, I think 30, 40million.
I mean we sold him for 60.
I think that wouldn't beimpossible.
And you know he's still got.
He's in his prime.

(44:57):
Is he 27?
You know, he's maybe slightlyyounger than that.
I would absolutely love to havea Charlesson back.

Speaker 2 (45:06):
He posts a lot of Everton stuff on his Instagram,
put it that way.
So I think there's, you know,to whatever extent it makes a
difference, I think he'd jump atthe chance to come back and
play for us, especially if we'renot scrapping around at the
bottom, which we, you know,really shouldn't be.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
Well, he was a regular for Brazil when he was
playing for us, and he hasn'tplayed.
He's not even in the squad now.
Yeah, he's got to play.

Speaker 2 (45:31):
He's got to play.
I think he'll want to play.
If you're Spurs and you want torebuild and everyone's got to
think about PSR, he's a saleable.
If you were to think about thecombination of value of asset
and what you can get in terms ofmoney versus how many games
that player's going to play,he's a pretty good sale for them

(45:54):
.
I would say.

Speaker 1 (45:54):
All right, we've got a few minutes left Should we
talk about?
The.

Speaker 2 (45:57):
Newcastle game?
I guess we probably should.
So Everton's players have gottheir flip-flops stapled to
their feet by this point, right,because last game at Goodison's
gone.
We're going to finish 13thNewcastle chasing Champions
League football.
If they beat us, I think I'mright in saying they're
guaranteed to be in theChampions League, so it's a big,

(46:19):
biggest game of their season.
Uh, ben, start with you.
How's this gonna go?
Uh, I think we'll lose, I, butI, I really hope we give them a
game, because I don't want.
I won't use the terms I used onthe WhatsApp group, but I don't
Because this is public, becausethis is public.
I don't want.
You're not a fan of the ownersof Newcastle.

(46:40):
I don't want the people who ownNewcastle United to enjoy a
modicum of success ever, so Ireally hope, because they chop
journalists up, because theychop journalists up precisely.
I think, the nature of it thefact that our flip-flops are on

(47:00):
and it's the biggest game oftheir season, I think means that
they will win and they are abetter team than us.
That's why they're dying forthe Champions League and we're
going to finish 13th.
So I think we will lose,probably 2-0.
But the thing I would like tosee is I'd like to see Chimiti
given a few more minutes,because I think there's
definitely a player there.
I'd like to see how Alcarazworks in that number 10 position

(47:25):
now that we've established thatDecore is leaving.
I don't see any value inplaying Decore there, so I'd
like to see him use it as anopportunity to try a couple of
things out.
But short of that, you know I'mnot overly fussed about the
about, about how we, how weapproach it, andy thoughts, yeah
, I'd um go along with that.
Um.
I have got no liking fornewcastle or any or, or their

(47:50):
owners any more than anybodyelse, but I just and I would
love to see them fall flat ontheir face every single game
they play, but this one, I can'tsee any situation where we get
a victory because, let's behonest, we're going to be the
least arsed about a game thatwe've been for years.
And it's a good position to bein, because how often in recent

(48:13):
years have we had to be veryarsed about a game against
Bournemouth?
It's the last game of theseason, so it's great to be in a
position where we can go upthere and it doesn't matter what
happens.
We couldn't have finished 13th.
It'd be nice to win and youknow sort of you know piss on
their chips in terms of gettinginto the Champions League.

(48:34):
But I just can't see ithappening and I agree with Ben.
I think we might lose, possibly2 or 3-0.
Dad, any optimism that we cando better.

Speaker 1 (48:44):
One thing I'm just pleased that we're not playing
Arsenal away for the last gameof the season.
I can't seem to do every season, for some reason.
No, I mean, I expect them toget beat, because you know form
would say that and everything.
I just want them to turn up andyou know, to give it a go and
to make us feel that they, youknow they're not giving up and

(49:05):
they're still fighting forsomething.
But I do think we'll get beat.
But, as we always, asEvertonians, we live in hope.
You never know.
I'd be surprised if they do win, adam.

Speaker 3 (49:17):
Yeah, I, like Ben, share the same sentiments.
I don't want the under 12s teamto win a throw in.
And also one thing I hope doessort of motivate the players is
that if we were to win, we wouldequal last season's actual
points Tally of 48.

(49:38):
And so I don't want Sean Dyerto be sitting in his armchair
with his cup of gravel and teanext to him going.

Speaker 2 (49:51):
You know I did better last season than this lot did
and yeah, that's another admotivation speaking of Sean
Dyche, if you want to enrageyourself to like a level that I
didn't realise I was capable of,he's on the one of the latest

(50:13):
episodes of the overlap to likea level that I didn't realize I
was capable of.
He's on the one of the latestepisodes of the overlap and it
is honestly the most infuriatingthing to listen to him talk
about his tactics and talk aboutfootball and talk about, like
you know, he goes on this wholerant about teams who are set up
to play a certain way ratherthan trying to win a game.
I'll say that again, sean Dychecomplains about other managers

(50:34):
setting their teams up not towin games.
It is honestly, I don't knowwhat planet he is living on or
what he thinks he's doing, but Imean it's interesting because
it's always that's a good showand it's interesting to listen
to.
But like it is infuriating tolisten to him talk about like
football in the most dinosaurway, like that you could
possibly imagine.

(50:54):
Totally right, I, I watchedthat and it's like, oh, you
actually are exactly what peoplesay.
You are, yeah, like actually hereally is.
He's just really.
He's like you know thatsimpsons meme where man, old man
, shouts at cloud.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
That's basically all right, that's about Dice, though
already today, which surprisedme, he was the longest serving
manager appointed by Moshiri.

Speaker 2 (51:18):
That's nuts, that isn't it.

Speaker 1 (51:20):
That says quite a lot , doesn't it?

Speaker 2 (51:23):
Another great starting.
Adam, you told us about thisearlier that if we'd have had no
points on the day Moyes tookover, we'd have still stayed up.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
That's how shit.
Ipswich, Southampton andLeicester are.
Yeah, that was Ben, to give himthe credit he's due for that
one.

Speaker 2 (51:37):
So, on a happy note, man United have lost.
Yay, good luck with that 3-4-3next year, amaran, because it's
not working.
The funniest thing that's goingto happen now is Spurs are
still going to sack Ange.
I'm convinced of it.
He's going to have won theirfirst trophy in ages and they're

(51:59):
going to sack him.
It's going to be hilarious.
What Ange should do now is,during his post-match interview,
just throw his medal into thecrowd, mourinho style, and just
go.
I won a trophy in my secondyear.
Like I said, I would fuck theLotties, just walk away and walk
off.

Speaker 1 (52:18):
And just get a bus to Bilbo.

Speaker 2 (52:20):
Airport.
Yeah, you shouldn't even goback to the dressing room.
Get in a cab.
Airport done, go on holiday.
All right, we're going to wrapit up.
Thanks for listening.
Follow us on Apple Podcasts,spotify, wherever you get your
podcasts, we'll be around overthe summer not sure what kind of

(52:40):
schedule, but we'll definitelybe around as we start doing
transfers and stuff.
So look out for that and thenwe'll see you.
Next season at the HillDickinson Stadium come on you.
The season at the HillDickinson Stadium Come on you.

Speaker 1 (52:57):
The dick on the dock?
No, come on, it grows on you.
Well done, that's what they do.
I don't say that.