Football Daily - Goodbye to Goodison

Episode Date: May 14, 2025

As Everton prepare for their final senior men's match at Goodison Park after 133 years, Mark Chapman, Giulia Bould and Phil Jagielka reflect on the stadium and what it means to fans, players and managers.We hear from David Moyes, Joe Royle, Wayne Rooney and Seamus Coleman ahead of the final home Premier League game against Southampton.And they're joined by club Graham Sharp, who recalls the most famous matches at Goodison, including a European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final with Bayern Munich.Everton fan and boxer Tony Bellew shares his memories, and Sam Easton, the great, great grandson of stadium architect Archibald Leitch talks about his relative's legacy. TIMECODES 02:00 What does Goodison Park mean to the fans? 11:10 David Moyes interview 23:20 Seamus Coleman on what Goodison Park is like for players 40:10 Joe Royle's memories of Goodison 47:30 Wayne Rooney on THAT goal 58:20 Sam Easton on his great, great grandfather, architect Archibald Leitch 1:03:00 Tony Bellew's love for the groundBBC Sounds / 5 Live / Radio 5 Sports Extra weekend commentaries: Sat 1630 Men's FA Cup Final: Crystal Palace vs Manchester City (5 Live) Sun 1330 Women's FA Cup Final: Chelsea vs Manchester United (Sports Extra 3) Sun 1415 Premier League: West Ham vs Nottingham Forest (5 Live) Sun 1500 Premier League: Brentford vs Fulham (Sports Extra 2) Sun 1630 Premier League: Arsenal vs Newcastle (5 Live)

This BBC podcast is supported money anywhere in the world. 12 million customers managing their international money with WISE can't be wrong. Download the WISE app today or visit Music radio podcasts. The Football Daily Podcast with Mark Chapman. Everton's men have their final game at Goodison Park this weekend. So for the next 90 minutes, we're saying goodbye to a stadium that they've called home since 1892. The day is Everton. the place is Goodison Park. Everton won the Football League Championship, finishing nine points ahead of travel chasing lead.

Reach cross, great! What a fantastic goal! And Trevor Stephen has taken Everton into the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. And if you're going to have one, have a big one. That was obviously their motto when it came to this quarter of a million pound stand which keeps Goodison Park as Britain's finest club ground. Come on, come on, get down to Goodison Park There's two teams in this city, Everton and Everton Reserves. It's going to fall for Andy King. Oh yes, he's got it.

Oh mistake by Liverpool. Shots again and caught it in my eye. I do not believe it! Perneson's gone! Dustin Perneson! It's evident one, Liverpool nil. The last Merseyside derby to be played here at this great old stadium, Goodison Park. Here's the chance! There's the equaliser!

James Tarkovsky with the last kick of the match! One of the big nights, and there's been big nights here under the lights here at Goodison before, but tonight was another one. What a noise inside this famous old stand, inside this famous old ground. It's there! And who do you think it is? Big Duncan Ferguson! Wait, Rooney, 30 yards out, tries a carry effort! Oh! What a fabulous goal!

Rooney's done it! He's scored in the final minute against Arsenal. Wayne Rooney goes for that ranges effort! Oh, what a goal by Wayne Rooney from inside his own home! Barry Horn brings every evidence of all that there is to his green. Shurt against Shurt!! And Stewart is gone! That might be the moment that keeps Everton Football Club in the Premiership! So Everton are considering a move away from Goodison Park, their home for the last 114 years. In it comes the six-year-old Park!

And he's headed in for Everton! They've got it coming at Calvert-Lewin! And if it stays this way, they're staying up. Decorrie with the volley! Oh, Decorrie with the volley! Sheer delirium inside Sunnison! Barth and Everton are doing it again! A last-day escape!

Everton expects success. We have a very good crowd, and the crowd are very low. It's a special place because, more important because of people who come to it. Are you going to miss it? Miss it certainly. We'll talk about some of the great sporting moments at the ground, that the women are going to take over the stadium and also about the men moving to Bramley Moor Dock.

With us, former Everton defender Phil Jagielka and BBC Radio Merseyside's Julia Bold will also hear from Graham Sharpill join us in a little while as we'll box a massive Everton fan, Tony Bellew. What does goodism mean to you? I've been asked that question a couple of times and I don't do original questions. No, but it's always a tough one to answer. You know, I spent so much time. Does it make you emotional? A little bit. I think where I did the game, I was at the game, obviously, when I'm talking, scored the last minute goal, you know, the last ever Derby. And it was

probably the first time I was proper emotional before the games before the games. You know, I was stood in the center circle before the teams come out. You obviously hear the siren and said cars comes and the flags were going. Obviously the noise on them. Obviously, I'm not been too long retired, but there's sort of the moments that you miss and you'll, you'll never ever be able to get back. Well, I never will. And I feel, I don't know. I feel maybe you don't take notice of it as much as you probably should do when you play. And I think it just becomes the norm. Obviously it gets you excited for the game. But I think when he stood stood there sort of a year and a half

out of playing football and stood in the centre circle, that was probably the main time I've wanted to sort of strip off, get my kit back on and give it one last go. But good, it's an amazing place. So many good memories, a couple of not so great memories, but it will be sadly missed. But thankfully it's going to be able to stay there in a, in a new capacity and people will be able to at least go and look at the grand old lady. Did you, did you feel like when you were stood in the center circle for that, and I'm sure you'll be there this weekend, will you? Yeah, I am.

But we, did you feel like you were sort of saying goodbye then? Um, yeah, cause you never sort of know. I didn't know if I'd definitely obviously be going to the last ever home game and I say I was desperate to get to the last ever Derby and yeah, it's just where you don't want to think, you know, it's been a countdown I think ever since the season started with how many games left obviously in 18, 19, so 16, blah, blah, blah. But yeah, I can't imagine really the emotions that the game sort of playing second fiddle obviously it's nice to have that as an option I think a few seasons before we'd have been going into this game having to concentrate on the game and the results as well as obviously

the occasion so hopefully the lads can put a good performance in it can be you know a really nice way of finishing. But thankfully obviously David Moyes has come in and done a great job and we're safe as houses and we can hopefully enjoy it or cry loads. It depends on what you want to do in the day. We will hear from David Moyes in a little while. What does it mean to you? It's more than home. I think it's a place where people have met friends. I know people have met their other halves. There's been weddings there. For me, put my personal sides.

I took my little boy when he was in a nappy. So he's been going since he was tiny. He hasn't known any different. Work-wise, it's been an incredible place to work. You know, the gantry, the TV gantry, it's one of the few left that's still like it at Goodison. You have to climb up over the top of the roof, over the Bullens Road end, which is, I don't even know how health and safety allow it, you go right over the top and you drop down into the gantry. Just things like that, the rat runs inside where the more you work there, the more you cover Everton, you know how you can skip through the lounges and end up by the tunnel. And even the time in, Phil will know better than I will. I've

been lucky enough to be in the tunnel, but not lined up for Everton, clearly. And the tunnel, it's such a narrow L-shaped tunnel. And then you go downstairs and then back upstairs to pop out onto the pitch. And you don't get them like that. It's a brilliantly intimidating tunnel, isn't it? Yeah. It's hard to explain. As like Jules says, you, you first and foremost, you don't want to slip again, helping, there's a lot of helping safety issues with the stadium. Well, obviously you go down concrete steps, but again, it's a weird one because there's probably just about enough space for sort of one and a half people. So as captain, obviously

I led out quite a few times and it's a case of sometimes you're jostling for who goes out first and it's like who wins that sort of quick battle. You know, there was obviously some caps that be desperate to try and get out there before you and you would see them literally try and have a quick, but it's like a, it's like a literally on the grid of an F1. But then you've got to make it up the steps. And again, being the captain, sometimes you're looking for a mascot or you're taking something out and to multitask, getting up some steps, in studs, concrete steps, thinking to yourself, like obviously don't fall.

The last thing you want to do is come up at the top of the steps, faceplant. And that's not making it. Take a small child down with you. Exactly. But again, you look at all the new stadiums and I believe obviously the one at Everton, it will be a long, nice, long corridor. I'm sure the fans will be able to see obviously the two sets of teams come together. But as Joel said, it's incredible how tight it is. And you know, you look back at the old games and they've got obviously the camera in there now and

it'll be sadly missed. You talk about people have met their other halves there. A mate of mine was telling me about people he goes to the game with or used to go to the game with. He doesn't go as much now, but when he went to the game and a married couple there got divorced but they both loved their seats so much because they were great seats. Neither of them was prepared to move. So they've great seats. Neither of them was prepared to move. So they've stayed there. They've stayed in their seats but are no longer together because their seats were so good. How many times have you been asked if you know how to get a ticket for the weekend?

Countless. The amount of messages I'm getting saying have you got a spare and that's been going on since I think since the Derby, since after the Derby, and I think you're right, Phil, where everyone said, that's where it felt that this is the end now, and it felt really emotional, and we knew that potentially that was the last game under the lights, which, goodness and under the lights, it's just iconic, especially in the winter,

and it's misty, and I think from that point onwards, yeah, I have had Twitter or XDMs, Instagram DMs, texts, WhatsApps asking, or, you know, can you put me on a waiting list? I'm like, I wish I could get everybody in, but I wonder what the capacity will actually be on Sunday because I think everyone will just be crammed in. But it is emotional for fans, isn't it?

And, you know, I got got family members who were evertonians I've got friends who are evertonians and and some of them have already done their final game at Goodison and and therefore that was it's not just about saying and we've done this with Upton Park and less so White Hart Lane I suppose because they're still in the same place but it's not just about saying goodbye to your seat or the ground. It's about partly saying goodbye to the people around you because you might not all be in the same position. It's about saying goodbye to wherever you have your pre-match drink

or hot chocolate or pie. There are goodbyes on so many different levels for every Everton fan. It's those matchday rituals, isn't it? They will all completely change because that's just what happens when you move a stadium. But also, as many people know, geographically where Goodison is, it is slap bang in the middle of houses again, which is still pretty unusual right now. You've got two Premier League clubs with the stadiums on the opposite sides of the park and mile apart as well. That's relatively unusual in this day and age. All this goes and it's sort of, you know, you might have, I've got people who sit by me, I'm in the main stand and you know, I don't know the names,

I'll be totally, they're probably listening now. I actually don't know the names but I've spoken to them for years and we'll chat and go, oh how's such and such, oh how did your son get on the other week? All that will go because I don't know where they will be in the new stadium and things. So yeah, it's going to be emotional. There's a lot of people at the Ipswich game, which was the last one, that were there for the final time. And they just hung back at the end. And to see that, I think that's when it really hit me that they were just having a quiet moment. Quite a lot of people just got one solo ticket on their own and they just waited for a good 20, 30 minutes after the game finished and just tuck it all in.

We're going to hear from Graham Sharp shortly. But of all here's David Moyes obviously backing his second stint at the club 12 years apart. It's an old lady who lots of style but probably needs it got it got done up a feeling you know they try to do the stadium up and get lots of things done to keep it going as long as it has done. I don't think I could describe Goodison in any one word. There's been times that Goodison have loved it. There's been times that Goodison have thought, oh, this little tunnel down here and small

dressing rooms and not a big manager's office. But honestly, it's a special place because, more importantly, because the people who come to it, the supporters who come to it, the supporters who come to it, the atmosphere which has been made. And over years and years there's been brilliant managers who have worked there, and there's also been brilliant players who have played there. But I think every Evertonian has been waiting for the chance to move to a new stadium, see it as a new opportunity, a new beginning.

I do as well because I think there's a chance now that we try and move Everton on. We've got bigger crowds coming, bigger opportunity to try and present ourselves to lots of players. Why don't you come and play here? We didn't always take them to Goodison. When we were bringing new players we always brought them to the training ground which is very good. It's great moving to a new stadium but we've just got to be cautious it's never easy when you move to a new stadium. It feels appropriate that it's him doesn't it? It's crazy when you think about that the stars have somehow aligned that obviously David Moyes has come back and not only that he's come back and I've

made it as special as it possibly can be you know as I alluded to before if you'd have gone and everyone was a bit nervous about getting a result, it's a totally different atmosphere but to come and turn things around and just manage the club the way the club needed to be managed. You know, Sean Dice had to deal with so much stuff under his tenure and it was just sort of getting towards the end of it and obviously that's just the way things ended for him. But for David Moyes to come in and do what he did, or he's doing, should I say, I say you can see he gets it. He understands that he understands Evertonians, he understands exactly what it means to play

every single type of game at Goodison. And he'd have been through all sorts of different emotions both for Everton and against us a couple of times. He seems very grateful as well. He seems to completely understand how special this is as well. And to have this opportunity to come back when he did his press conference when he returned, he said, there's been a few times I've been quite close to coming back. I think when Carlo Ancelotti came in, he was very held discussions about coming back. So it feels right. But he also seems a different man. He's I have said this to his face. So I'll say it now. He's a lot more mellow this time. He was terrible. You'll know.

I had a hunch to agree, but I don't know if that's because I'm not 25, but I'm 42. But I still do feel a bit younger, like that sort of age when I've seen him, but he's definitely a different person. I think he's definitely more relaxed. He has. I remember saying to him at press conferences, does that come from just managing your CV now? Is that what it's come from? And he was like, again, I think I just want to enjoy this. I understand what a moment in football in history this is. But again, I don't know as well if I'm looking at it

as someone who is, he's older now dealing with him, at the same conversation with Seamus Coleman. We both used to be terrified of him. And we were saying, he's not too bad now, but is that us or is that just the fact he is a bit more mellow? I think it's because he did. He did the Euros with us and then parted this season with us and

basically anything's better than working with us so maybe he's just grateful for what he's got. Look, he managed 518 games in his first stint, he's on 18 in his second, so as Graham Sharp, Everton Legend joins us, along with, he's behind Howard Kendall, isn't he? In the list of modern greats for Everton. I know, and Howard won a lot, and you were part of that great team. And obviously Howard is sadly no longer with us,

but therefore David is next. Yeah, I think, evening guys, I think he's, he's done a really, really good job this time around, as Phil alluded to, I think he is a different character. I think he's done a really, really good job this time around. As Phil alluded to, I think he is a different character. I think he's come in there, but the one thing that he's not lost is that desire and passion that Everton teams have got to go out there and show 100% commitment. He's certainly getting a turnout of the players, but yeah, listen, he wasn't successful in terms of winning trophies or anything like that but certainly his time at the football club is well remembered. When you look at the teams

and the players he had under him, Phil included there, he's got a lot to be proud of and hopefully as I said we can see a decent game in the last game at Goodison, hopefully get a victory but I think David's done a wonderful job since he's gone. Come on then, takers back Graham as Everton's post-war leading goalscorer, 11 years at the club between 80 and 91. What does it mean to you? What do you remember about the special times at Goodison? Yeah, that was very fortunate. It was always something I wanted to do as a youngster to come down and play football in England.

Growing up in Glasgow, it was obviously the two Glasgow teams, Rangers and Celtic. But I always had a thing for English football and that was probably because of one player and that was Andy Gray, who was at Aston Villa. I looked up to Andy Gray, I was fortunate enough later on to play alongside him. But coming down from as a young boy, struggling to start with, but you could say down from his young boy struggling to start with but you could see I remember my first day I walked into Belfield the training ground and Asa Hartford, Bob Latchford, George Wood you know all these players these are players that I'd only read about and seen in the shoot magazine and the goal magazine to walk into that dressing room and see all these guys I thought wow this is it first three years was it was a struggle for me, homesickness.

But once I got settled, you know, and Howard came in, Gordon Lee, I'd have to say, was a fantastic manager, really, really looked after me. But it was only when Howard came in, struggled for a little bit, and people forget a little bit that Colin Harvey was a massive guy at that time, was your coach for the reserves,

Kevin Radcliffe, Gary Stephens, myself, Kevin Richardson, all came through the reserve team and it was all no thanks, you know, Colin was excellent. So they were really, really good times, enjoyable times. 11 years, look at it nowadays, it's a long, long time to see at one football club, but I have to say there's more fun memories and bad memories. It was a fantastic time, great camaraderie for the players. Uh, and it's great. We've going to be meeting up soon. It's 40 years since our success in the European Cup winners, cup final.

So it'd be good to meet up with all the boys again. But that was, that was one of the great, not, not one of the great evidence teams because that's obvious, but I think that mid-80s, mid into the late period of the 80s, was one of the great teams of English football. Maybe it's just because of my age at the time, but not even as an Everton fan. I could recite that starting 11 straight off. Yeah, I think Liverpool had been so dominant for so long and Ement had been in the doldrums, but slowly but surely we started to piece things together. And again, I'll say that the signings of Andy Gray and Peter Reid were massive.

We were a young side, good players, but not really going anywhere. These two guys committed all the experience. The fans, everybody was saying, oh, they're too old, they're too injury prone, this is too bad signs. But those guys came into the dressing room and turned things around, unbelievable. The will, passion, desire to win, not even football games, but training, head tennis, whatever, was incredible. And the younger lads just looked up to them and it just started to snowball.

We used to always go to Liverpool and there used to be this inferiority complex for thinking, no, nothing's going to happen here, they'll win comfortably. But when these two guys came on, we knew we could go over there and match them and that was the case. We had the belief and obviously the results went for us. Everybody, when you look at the goal scorers throughout the team, it wasn't just the two guys up front, you had Kevin Sheedy, Trevor Stephen, Derek Mountfield, so that was a coming together of a good team but those two guys were massive in it. You talk about goal scorers, you believe don't you Julia that there's a special noise at

Goodison when a goal goes in due to the age of the stadium. Not the health and safety thing maybe this. Yeah, and Graeme will know as well that there is a noise and anyone who has been to Goodison will know exactly what I'm talking about. When it looks like a ball is gonna go in the back of the net, the wooden seats, because there's so many wooden seats,

they all start clicking. And that just reminds me of Goodison stroke. That is the noise of Goodison for me, the clicking of the wooden seats. You're nodding Graham. I remember them a few times. He was the reason behind most of them. So that's why he shouldn't. That's why I went to get him.

We've had a text from Terry Finnegan, leaving Goodison isn't just about leaving a building, it's about parting with a chapter of my life, The white walls, the wooden floors, the faded blue paint. It may be just a shell but what tugs at my heart are the memories woven into every corner of the pitch. The clicking of the seats as everyone stood to get a better view. The laughter that echoed as I had a pint with my dad down below. Those fleeting, irreplaceable moments are what make a house a home. The other thing which always has to be taken into account when constructing new stadia and some get

it right and some don't is the closeness of the fans. I mean they are right in your face. Yeah I'm delighted they've obviously taken note of new stadiums that have been built. I think if you'd ask quite a lot of away teams what stadium they don't like playing and it's no shock that Goodison gets voted quite high up there again. I know obviously Scousers can be very volatile and very loud when they need to be, but I think it is purely to do with obviously how close they are to the pitch and the noise. So I'm glad they've made the stadium square, they've took note not to make sure the pitch is too far away and only time will tell but hopefully

with this day and age with how you can sort of guess and presume the noise levels, the new place should hopefully knock its socks off but it's going to be hard to do so. You would have been aware as well Graham I'm guessing of just how intimidating Goodison could be for not only domestic opponents but actually you mentioned that Cup winners cut you know when foreign teams came to Goodison as well they probably wouldn't have experienced anything like it. No absolutely Mark I think you know everybody knows about Goodison Park and, they probably wouldn't have experienced anything like it. Absolutely, Mark. I think, you know, everybody knows the goodest part and the noise and everything. When the crowd are with you, it's the best place to play. But believe you me, when things aren't going well, you know, it's the worst place

to play because I remember one game against Coventry when we were struggling a little bit and I think it was a league cup time. I think it was something like nine thousand or eleven thousand in Goodison. And not only you could hear the booze, but you could actually pick out the ones who were actually shouting at you and booing you and giving you a hard time. So it was never an easy place to play. They expected from you, as I said before,

but commitment and desire and passion. If you showed that, they would take to you. You know, I look at all the fabulous players. And I remember one situation the fabulous players and I remember one situation with Adrian Heath and Adrian had been signed for a lot of money from Stoke, I think it was 800,000 at the time and we always used to listen as we were kicking out in Jagsville town and the names were getting read out over the tannoy, number one Neville Southall, cheers Gary Stevens, cheers. Because Adrian had

been struggling for a couple of months, when it came to number eight, Adrian Heath, all the lads used to stop their warm up and look round at him. And the chorus of booze was incredible. And you're thinking, wow, how can he be like this? You know, but Adrian had struggled, you know, he couldn't get to grips with the way Evert played. And that was him just letting them know and saying, listen, it doesn't matter if it costs 800 grand or a million or whatever, we expect this from you, the least we expect from you. You were well aware of what your expectations were. No way could you coast through a game. It was just an incredible place to play.

When they're with you and you talk about European games, and Bayern Munich comes to mind of everybody, incredible. Absolutely incredible that night. Let's hear from the current club captain, Seamus Coleman, who's been talking to Julia on what it's like to play at Goodison and also to be briefly in the dugout. It's tight, there's been tense times in the tunnels, obviously the last few years when games have been important, but you feel ready to go when you hear Zed cars come on and you step out into the tunnel at the right time

and just the place erupts and you know you're ready to go. It's going to be missed and it's going to be emotional but we're excited as well about what's to come. For me to step out as captain of this football club once was amazing and something I'll never forget. The dugout is just behind us here because we're allowed to sit pitch side today. You've been in the dugout as a manager as well this season along with Leighton Baines. Again you know you're ticking off bucket lists for Goodison Park, you've done so many of them what was that experience like? So again walk out the tunnel but in a completely different role. Yeah it was different, it was not ideal in

terms of you know any manager that's been in charge, you wanna respect. And obviously Sean just left that day. So first and foremost, Everton Football Club come first and they asked me, would I do this? And if Everton Football Club need me, I was always gonna say yes, so I had no problem doing it. But it was surreal. Thankfully Adelaide and with me,

who has been doing it for a few years, I've done my badges, but he's been used to that atmosphere. I think the lads got a giggle out of me and the coach's tracksuit and all the rest but now looking back at it was great that I got to do it but then when I signed over here as a 20 year old it's not something that would have expected happening for sure. I was looking through Merseyside derby highlights as well before coming here. Is it different Goodison on a Merseyside derby particularly at night? Yeah, I do think under the lights at Goodison is the most special atmosphere.

I do like playing under the lights at Goodison. When the crowd are angry and they're ready for it, it's a hostile place. The derbies here are special in my opinion. Listen, we've been on the wrong end of some, we've been on the right end of some. Obviously, Tarquay's goal was a massive moment in terms of not because of draw in the game, but because it was the last derby at Goodison Park and we wanted to send it off well. The derbies are always special here. You mentioned the crowd there. The crowd can be angry, but also they'll let you know if they don't think you're having a good enough night.

Where we are, we're just near the park end goal. And you can see the seats so close. And that reminds you how close everyone is to you, so you can hear them. But at the same time, when you're doing well, this crowd gets behind you. Yeah, and I think it shows where the club was even before my time. It was a successful football club winning titles,

winning trophies, fourth most successful club in the country. So you want to play for a fan base that are demanding, that are hard on you, that are all that because it's part and parcel of the job. You get plaudits and you get criticised but if you want to play for Everett Football Club you've got to have thick skin and that's just the way it is. So they will equally, like you said, back you when you're doing well but you talk about the seats I have at stick sometimes and you see some angry celebrations in return but that's they just want to see people that will give it their all and play well if you don't

to let you know but that's what happens when you play at a big football club. I remember at the end of last season you did a lap of appreciation thanking the fans really for all the support over what's been a turbulent few years at the club and they were singing the 60 grand Seamus Coleman song from the Gladys Street. What's that like when you hear that song? It's amazing, it's a lovely bit of appreciation to me from them but there's nothing quite like it when you score a goal and you hear that ringing around the place, you know, to think you come from Killybegs to this amazing football club and you can do something on the pitch to get

the fans singing a song about you. It's something that will never get old and never be replaced. Seamus Coleman talking to Julia. James Brown, one of my favourite memories was when my son was picked from the crowd to hold the scarf with many other children across the entire pitch to remember the 97 who lost their lives at Hillsborough. Matt Knowles, when Everton played Leeds and Neville Southall staged a half time sit in and Matt Endevin the 2019 black cat invading the pitch and John Acre's commentary on it. That would be my goodison highlight. And Ian in Wicked. My favourite

moments of goodison like many Evertonians, Graham was mentioning it earlier, we'll come back to it a little bit later on the European Cup winners-final against Bayern in 1985. Personally, Ian goes on to say, I'll always remember spreading my grandfather's ashes at the side of the pitch in a hurricane. We ended up with quite a lot of granddad on ourselves and the lower Bullens. If you could have seen it, he'd have been in stitches. It's been around a long time, obviously, and therefore there have been many firsts at this stadium. They have, there's a whole list. I feel like before I do this as well there was a really iconic Goodison Park tour guide called Lily Barnes sadly no longer with us and she used to do this as part of the tour. There's no way I can do it as good as her because she would reel these off.

But here we go yeah, founder members of the Football League in 1888 and the Premier League in 1992. First club to present medals for winning the championship. First club to stage an FA Cup final. First club to construct a purpose built football stadium. First club to have a four sided stadium with two tier stands. First club to have a stadium with a three tier stand. The first club to issue regular match day programmes for home fixtures.

The first club to wear numbered shirts, one to 11 in an FA Cup final, that was in 1933. The first club to have a church attached to its stadium that's St Luke's which is on Goodison Road and many memorials for Everton legends that have sadly passed away. Kevin Campbell's recently. Very recently yeah. The first club in England to install dugouts the first to have under soil heating the first to stage World Cup semi-final in Britain the first to feature a TV game that was in August 1936 against Arsenal, not live pre-recorded that one, first to have a scoreboard, halftime, full-time facility

and the first to have more than 50,000 people go to a women's game. That was the Dick Kerr ladies when they played St. Helens, Boxing Day 1920. See, you've made it sound dilapidated and everything, Phil. It's like, it's momentous. All of these different things. A lot of them happened probably pre-war. You've got to have a first sometime, haven't you?

We're proud to have had the firsts. I think, was that a scoreboard, Graham? Was that over the away fans at the away end? That scoreboard? Yeah. I have fake memories of that.board? Yeah, it was. I have vague memories of that. Yeah, it was.

And the funny thing was, I always remember in the 80s we were on a crowd bonus. So for so many thousands we got extra £100 or whatever it might be. And I always remember that everybody, all the players used to look at that scoreboard when the attendance came out and always the attendance was 29,997 sub-lads. And you'd look round the stadium and you'd go there's at least 40,000 in here. And all the lads would turn around and go, oh they're at it here, I'm not having this kind of thing. So it was above their way supporters but... If I go back to greatest moments and what people remember you would I mean go back to that Bayern Munich game Graham that someone mentioned earlier on and what that was like and how huge it was and

your memories of that night. It was massive Mark, it was, as soon as I was just coming together as a team and people forget we went on to win the cup winners' cup final. But in the first round, we played against UCD, University College of Dublin. And we thought, well, go on then, this could be eight or nine. And I remember going over there, and I think we drew 0-0. So we thought, wow, came back to Goodison, and I managed to score. We won 1-0, but they hit the post very late on, which would have been away goals kind of thing.

So we could have been out in the first round. So anyway, momentum was growing and we went through them all. But the Bayern Munich game was the one big test for us. That was, we were getting good results in the league, getting good results in Europe, but this was something that most of us had never encountered before. Got a good result over in Munich, we had a few injuries in Heavard, played myself up front, you know, in a lone striker role kind of thing, flooded the midfield, we got away with a 0-0. So we were delighted with that. Coming home, we thought, right, okay, what's this going to be like? But that day, I remember

getting on the bus and it took an eternity to get from the centre of Liverpool to the main door. We went round the Bullens Road, couldn't move, the crowds were all over the place. Got into the stadium. Adrian Heath at the time was injured and he went out and in those days we didn't go out on the pitch to warm up. We warmed up in like an extra dressing room downstairs. Did you? Yeah, we never went out, there's only like a little five of us.

Is that you pretending to go for a warm up and you didn't go for one? Because I've seen no spare rooms. There was a spare room halfway down, you haven't found it. Okay, okay, I must be where the refs get changed or they do the antidoping now. Obviously that. Okay, okay, I'll let you off. So yeah, so it's where the kitchens are now I think. So we used to go in there, but anyway, we went back into the dressing room and you could always sense it, good as in what the crowd was going to be, because you could hear the footfall above you and the crowds and you think, oh, it's busy tonight. And Adrian Heath. 29,997. Absolutely. So Adrian Heath went down and came back up and went, wow, you won't believe the atmosphere out there. So the usual thing, the bell went off five minutes before, we made our way down the tunnel and you're looking beside you and there's Augen Tallard

in there and there's all these great German players and you're walking down that tunnel and you're thinking, wow wow and it was only when Phil will tell you when you get to the top of the steps and the noise just hits you it was absolutely incredible and we could visit Bayern had a little pocket of fans up in the the top balcony but the rest was just jam-packed I don't know what the official attendance was it was jam-packed and in those days standing as well no seats behind the Gladys Street or the Park End, it was standing and it was incredible. We went to go down, you could have heard the pin drop, everybody talks about the atmosphere of Goodison but when that goal went in for

Bayern you could have heard the pin drop, it was amazing. Going at half time, Ken, sit down boys, I can't fault you, you've done everything I wanted you to do, but listen, second half you're kicking into the Gladys Street and they'll suck one in for you. Those were his words as it happened, we scored the first step from a long throw in and I got a little flick at the near post, I went in 1-1. After that the noise was incredible, Absolutely incredible. Andy Gray again, with the second goal then, Trevor Stephen. But it was a physical battle. It was a real physical battle.

They were tough and hard. And we knew really within ourselves that the other semi-final was against Rapid Vienna and Celtic. And we fancied our chances. If we get over this one, we'd fancy a chance in the final. As it happened, that was the case. And we went on and won against Rapid Venna 3-1 but that night against Bayern Munich and I know Julian and Phil were talking about

the derby recently and James Safkowski that was as close as it's got you know as terms of atmosphere. Wow. Absolutely. Sharpie it must have been mental when you scored the equaliser it must have gone off mate. If it's gone from a pin drop and you've casually, as you've just said, just flicked one in. I like the way you played it down. Had it been glamorised in the life out of that, the 40-yard header, whatever it was, and he just casually throws in, it must have been absolutely, especially standing and all sorts of things back then. It was massive, honestly.

Howard Kendall had said to us, listen, they'll get behind you, suck it in kind of thing. Blah, blah, blah. Just play as you're playing. They had some good players and it was a really physical battle as well. You know, and Peter Reid got six stitches in his shin. Andy Gray was fortunate, never get sent off for an elbow, but they were given as good as they got.

And it was real, real passionate football and at the end we just rolled over the top of them. They couldn't cope with balls coming in the box. Yeah, they wanted to play with Matthias in midfield but honestly that was a night. The closest was James Tarkozy's goal against Liverpool where the atmosphere was close and people said it's the best atmosphere. I'd have to say it was second because that one in Bayern Munich was one that I don't think would ever get beaten. Graeme, that quote you said from Howard Kendall about just get the ball into the box at the Gladys Street and it'll get stuck in the back of the net, that's all painted up on the stands now, it's still there. But you know in that 84, 85 season and with that side whenever you walked out

at Goodison did you just have a feeling that with the crowd with you, you were just going to win every game? Yeah, absolutely, Julia. And it wasn't being blazy or big headed or anything else. It was just a case where we were so confident that, you know, even if we went a goal behind, you know, we had players in the team that would get it back. And obviously when you're winning, the fans are on your side, it's a little bit extra special. So we just had the incredible belief.

Listen, it didn't come easy. I think it takes, and Phil will tell you as well, it takes a lot of hard work and commitment and passion from the players as well as the fans. Certainly, we were a team. Howard was a great believer in building team spirit. You know everybody knows the legendary Knights and everything else we were supposedly having kind of thing but he was a great believer in mixing off the field as well as on the field and that

was part and parcel of ever at that moment in time. Supposedly. We're very convincing that. Supposedly. We're very convincing that, Shalmy. We're very convincing. I was at Goodison on Monday night for a Derek Temple sort of award thing that was going on and Peter Reid was there and he didn't use the word supposedly at all. This podcast is brought to you by WISE. WISE is the fast, affordable way to get the currency you need at your fingertips. Tap the WISE Multi-Currency Card to spend pounds in London or download the app to move pesos to Mexico City. WISE always gives you a fair exchange rate with no markups and no hidden fees. So when you send, spend or receive money with

WISE, you'll get the real deal for your money anywhere in the world. 12 million customers managing their international money with WISE can't be wrong. Download the WISE app today or visit on the Football Daily. Thursdays on the Football Daily, join the EuroLeague's team as we bring you the latest from across the continent with a host of top European football journalists. It's okay to be able to play the ball, but you need to actually fight for the ball as well. That's what he wants of his players. I think that maybe it would be the club that could revive his self-esteem and his confidence.

And I think it could do wonders for the player to really grow. The EuroLeague's, only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Football Daily podcast with Mark Chapman. From Alf, when the 66 World Cup was at Goodison, I remember watching Eusebio playing for Portugal. Matt, my favourite Goodison memory, the whole ground standing ovation for Paolo de Cano

when he caught the ball instead of scoring when the Everton goalkeeper was injured near the corner flag. And a couple of things that we've touched on really. First of all, how as a player you can always hear the fans. So Gary, I'm 63 years old, the best memories of Goodison were standing on a milk crate just as Alan Ball was preparing to take a corner. I shouted come on Alan and he winked at me. A moment that lives with me more than half a century later. Paul in Liverpool talking about the noise from crowds under the floodlights. My grandma lived in a two up two down terrace a couple of minutes

walk from Goodison. I can vividly remember the roar from the crowd at night matches as I went to use the outside Lou. 8.5058 at Five Lives Sport. Talked about Everton and their European success in the mid 80s. They'd won the league in 84-85 by beating QPR. You scored in that match as well Graham didn't you? Was that a little flick on at the near post or do you want to embellish that one a bit? No, I listened. It was a good header from a decent cross at the Gladys Street end. It was great to see that go in kind of thing. Thunel won the league that day and it was a fantastic occasion. Listen, every occasion was special, especially when you're winning trophies and you're winning games. A lot, a lot of confidence in that team, Mark.

And it was great listening, but it wasn't... And I know everybody says the goal scorers got all the headlines and everything else, but I would like to think that that was a team, you know, a team of very, very good players. And I don't think anybody should take any praise more than the team. It was a team effort. If we go back to the late 60s, early 70s, Everton actually won their seventh league title in 69-70 and Julia has caught up with another Everton legend, former player and

manager Joe Royal to hear how good has he played a part in that title with. It was our home pitch, you know, and we were kings of the castle here, we seldom lost. We were good, our home record, you know, and we were kings of the castle here, we seldom lost, we were good, our home record here was excellent. And Harry Catterick, your manager as well, he would have been in that dugout over there? He would for the second half. What was he like as a manager? He was a disciplinarian, but he was very, very fair, great knowledge of football, he

scouted to get people like Howard Kendall in here, Alex Scott, Alex Young, you know, and they were all, went on to be great players for the club and more. Yeah, all people who went on to be Everton legends and, you know, you mentioned Howard Kendall there and you are some of the few men who would know what it would be like to not only come out and play at Goodison but also be the manager in Goodison's dugout. Yeah, Howard was probably the most successful I would think, they had it really good here. Harry Catrick was a player here as well and myself so yes you're right I'm a proud member. And the last manager to win a trophy for Everton as well.

I'm very proud of that and let's hope that I'll lose that title very soon. Joe Royal with Julia, how was he? Oh just an absolute gentleman and we were sitting in the park end for that one and he started telling me that his first ever goal for Everton was when he was 16 at the park end and he said I'd like to say it was an absolute worldie but he said it was about six inches out and he just poked it over the line but yeah and he's just a gentleman and and also I think you know while he's very proud that he's the last manager to have brought a trophy to the club there was also a bit of sadness because he said I don't want to be the last manager that's brought a

trophy here and paraded it but you know that's how good as some will go out but yeah an absolute gentleman in football. That number nine shirt has had some history attached to it, Graham, finally. Yeah, it has, Mark. You know, the players before me, Bob Lashford obviously, Joel Royal, as you said, and Alissa Zane, Dixie Dean obviously, Beatrice Cole's score. So yeah, it's been a fantastic shot. It's always something that ever Tony's love is a number nine. I was fortunate enough to wear that shot on many occasions and it's certainly one of the

memories that I'll hold very, very close to me. Will you be emotional at the weekend? I'll try not to be. I think the whites coming with me so I'll better behave myself. No, listen, it is going to be emotional. It's been a fantastic stadium but I think you know time moves on and I think over the years there's been a need to move to a new stadium there's been umpteen stadium projects that have obviously

fallen by the wayside but this one is is exceptional it'll be a fantastic stadium to play football and I agree with what Phil said as well that they've tried to keep the closest to the pitch. That's the most important thing because that atmosphere at Goodison was worth the goal of a start. It was an incredible atmosphere and hopefully the new ground can recreate that as well. Lovely to have you with us. Thanks for your memories and stories Graham. Enjoy the weekend. Appreciate your time. Thank you. Graham Sharp with us on Five Live Sports. What are your best, biggest memories? I was trying to rack my brain. I think when we spoke about nights, we had a European night which was amazing but also horrendous for me. We had Fiorentina and we had to overcome

a deficit there. We had an amazing game and then it went to penalties and Muggins missed, well I say missed, the goalkeeper made a mate. I'm going to embellish because the goalkeeper made a once in a lifetime save from a penalty. But to be fair, that was my sort of early here missed well I say missed the goalkeeper made an amate I'm going to embellish once in a lifetime save from a penalty. But to be fair that was my sort of early, early start sort of times at Everton. Thankfully I made up for it with another penalty. Not unfortunately not a good asim but got a suit to FA Cup final. But it's tough you know scoring a goal there. Some some a couple of goals or some silly celebrations. My kids as as as Joel says like my daughter was just two when I moved to Everton and my boy was born and then he's still in Evertonia now.

So he's got plenty of years now of to thank me for being there for so long. But now I think that's the whole thing. The whole taking the family there, my mum, my dad, the whole family. And it just takes over your whole life. And they welcome me in there. I say I was thankful enough to be made captain to walk out as a post first time as captain to Z cars was good. The number first, which is a bit more this century for you chap is we were the first team to have a virtual mascot. So obviously people that can't actually get to the game. So they had to carry out another one where I'm trying to walk up the stairs.

I've got a carry carrying a little robot now. I'm trying to show obviously the mascot around what technically would have been his view. And yeah, it was probably my best moment of multitasking at Goodison was carrying out the robot but no it's hard to point to words. Did the people behind the scenes know about all your fears of going down that tunnel and up those steps and did they come up with more and more ideas?

I think if you had a thing that's well that was like yeah just to see what can we do to Jax this week we'll give you something new. It wasn't a fear it was. I was just very aware. It's steep though, those stairs going up. They are steep. Fairness to you, I'll give you that. The mention of Fiore and Thiena and then everything that Graham was talking about with Bayern, actually in the modern, not obviously after the Cup Winners' Cup, because we know why, there wasn't European football

for so long then. But into this century, Goodison is a ground made for big European eyes. So there will be regrets from a lot of Evertonians that they haven't had more of those when they've seen other clubs experiencing them. And I think it felt really close when it was David Moyes' final season and it was the fourth place finish and that felt such a huge achievement for Everton to do that and it was sort of right, this is it now, top four, Champions League football and this is where the springboard starts and as we all know David Moyes moved on and then it just, Roberto Martinez came

in and I think he got the points tally he got was the record points tally for Everton in the Premier League on his first season. So he did incredibly well, but still didn't finish in the top four. It was just an incredibly high scoring season. And then we know what happened. It became a revolving door of managers. The Farhad Meshiri era began and it wasn't successful. And then more recently recently I think any kids that go will just know it for battling and trying to stay up in the Premier League and relegation battles unfortunately. But yeah, the big regret I think is that in the modern day times it's not had more huge European nights.

Plenty of messages coming in. So here's one from Paul as an 18 year old six former in Rochdale in 1985 I left school just before lunch to get a train to Lime Street and on to Goodison for Bayern. I was first in the Gladys Street end at 4.30 I was the last to leave when the lights went out and another Paul again on the subject of bunking off a little bit my father used to tell a story of him celebrating a goal at Goodison behind the goal, only to appear in a photo in the Liverpool Echo on the Monday. Sadly he was meant to have been at work on Saturday, so he was called into his boss's office to ask if he had recovered from his illness.

Let's hear from Wayne Rooney, shall we, who had some great moments at Goodison both as a fan and as a player. I used to always go and get in the stadium and watch the players warm up and take everything in really. So as a fan there wasn't too many great moments. The one which stands out is when Barry Horne scored against Wimbledon. Barry Horne brings every evidence of order to his feet. We stayed open the last game of the season and obviously been on the pitch after the game. And Sam, unable to contain their emotion, have run onto the pitch.

That's something which sticks with me still. And as a player, I obviously played a lot of games at Goodison Park. I have to say my first Premier League goal is my favourite moment of mine at Goodison Park. Wayne Rooney 30 yards out, tries a canning effort! Oh! What a fabulous goal! I mean he did everything that every Everton fan, Julia, would have wanted to do. He came through and announced himself on his debut with a Wonder Girl. Yeah, I mean it doesn't get better than that, does it? When you're talking about childhood dreams and what every kid wants to do, to go and

do that on your debut, and I think at that point as well everybody knew he was somebody special. This wasn't just a fluke, it was known Wayne Rooney was going to the very, very top and he announced himself in such a way, didn't he, there? And then even when he came back as well, I remember it was, you know, he scored from the halfway line and showed he could still do it. Yeah. It was so iconic. That goal was like, I remember, I remember watching that goal. The debut goal.

Yeah, the debut goal. It's just so iconic. It just, it just set us up to who is this kid? And then he just kept on doing things like that probably for the next best part of the next two decades didn't he? It was perfect wasn't it that goal because it was his debut he was the age that he was and also it what well I'm not gonna say I'm not gonna give a club that it could have been against more importantly yeah it was it was again it was against Arsenal. It was against England number one it was David Seaman as well so there was no oh if we'd have a better goalkeeper would have been in goal it wouldn't have gone in he literally come in whipped it dipped it in off the

bar they see even even the ones that come to the other just makes it look better when it comes down and hits the floor so yeah he wasn't a bad player was he Wayne? He did alright. But that would have, I mean that must be I don't know I'm sure there are lots of polls being done on this and the other. I'm guessing that's in the top 10 of great good-issue moments. I know some of them then didn't like the fact that he obviously left and went to United, but if you put that little thing aside, in the grand scheme of things, that is one of the iconic good-issue moments. Yeah, well a local had scores that go in his debut, but again if it meant

more for that scene, say Everton would have gone on to, you know, a couple of games left of the season, they'd gone on to win something or get into a final. I think it would be given more, obviously more of a statement, but it's got to be a local lad comes on. Yeah, an Everton fan. Yeah. You know, grew up loving the club, in the stands as a kid and then goes out and does what everybody dreams of doing. It must be in the top five. Yeah, you would have thought so. Did that probably help him that he came back as well? I think so. But again, I think if Everton would have still been pushing for sort of

fourth, fifth, third throughout the time he was at Man U, I think maybe the fans wouldn't have been too appreciative of him coming back because if we'd have potentially had him, he could have been the missing piece of the jigsaw. But we talk about balancing books, we talk about, he was going to, it's difficult, again, you try and explain to a younger generation now about Man U, they think Man U's a big team now, but at the time, they were they were the team that was going to win. Yeah, they must. Yeah, exactly.

Well, literally it was guaranteed to win at least one trophy a year. So he was going to the best club in the, in the land and underneath the best manager there was. So it was a tough, tough one for anyone to turn down. Again, everyone thinks their club is the best and it means the most, but realistically the money they were talking, I'm not sure if we did that up now, what was it? 30 million? Must mean now it must be close to probably 200 million pounds with what everything's worth. So yeah, it would have been nice for Wayne to have stayed for a couple of seasons, potentially won Everton a few trophies and

then got on to have the career he had, but nothing's ever guaranteed. Is it a complex relationship now? I think so with many because I think as well, and you bring into it, there's so many different versions of it as well. So there are stories that, you know, Wayne didn't really want to go and was sold for the cash to put money in the bank account. And then there was, you know, sort of, he did want to go and win trophies and knew it wasn't necessarily coming at Everton.

So there's that many stories. It's difficult to work out where the actual story is in it. But I think it does. And I think by the time he came back as well, while it made a great story, and I know it was rolling news on the telly, wasn't it? And they filmed his arrival walking into Goodison and he had a press conference at Goodison, which is really unusual for a player to have that. And he spoke about having Everton pajamas still and things like that. There was all the, but he was past his best.

He wasn't the Wayne Rooney that had even left really. He kind of was in the end of his career, wasn't he? And I think, as you say, Phil, if he'd come back maybe a few years sooner, he might have helped Everton do something because goals has been a problem. Well, yeah, we'd have liked to have seen him in his peak. I think the way he celebrated a couple of goals probably didn't help him as well. There was a couple of aircrafts, which you're probably not supposed to do. They're the big wind up ones aren't they that?

Especially when Roe A's that close. Especially when apparently you can hear everybody in the ground so you know you need to cup your ears. Roger in Nantwich has said, I didn't know anybody when I first went to Goodison. I had no confidence, suffered with anxiety travel sickness, but going to watch the Blues was all I ever wanted to do as a kid I just didn't have anyone to take me So when I got my first season ticket in 1999 in the paddock, it was a dream come true I've sat next to the same lad for 26 years and I won't be doing so again after Sunday I no longer suffer my with nerves as much, I'm more

confident, I've met lots of people who've become good friends and I now do a job that without meeting these people at Goodison I would not be doing. I also took my mum in 1999 to a game who like me suffered with horrendous nerves and anxiety. She loved it. She's only been one since Covid, is 83 now and her memory isn't what it was. But Goodison gave me so many happy memories with her that I will treasure for eternity. I owe absolutely everything to that place, and Sunday will be gut-wrenching.

Thank you very much, Roger, for that. Let's go to 2022 next. Everton coming from two-nil down against Crystal Palace to win three-two and stay in the Premier League. What are your memories of that game? I'll go to you first, Julia. Horrendous.

Absolutely. In fact, that was two seasons on the bounce, wasn't it? Because then it was the Bournemouth game the following season. And yeah, 2-0 down, I think most people thought. There was still another game on this page. It was just the last home game. And then there was Arsenal away and Arsenal were in great form and it was just already written off and you know, Frank Lampard was like, it's now or never, two nil down. And

I think I just thought, well, it's clearly never, isn't it? And this is the problem. And then Dele Alli came on and yeah, I don't know what on earth was said at half time. I have spoken to Frank Lampard about it and I think he was just in a bit of a blur and he's pretty sure it was Goodison that did that and that's where the team bus arrivals had kicked back in and there was everybody was covered in blue pyro smoke and you know you couldn't wash it out for days and just when you talk about living on your nerves, yeah that was a game where you lived on your nerves. I was just glad I wasn't there. I know it sounds strange, but

like I say, it's just one of those days. And as Joel says, it had to be the home game. They did it. There was obviously an opportunity the following week at Arsenal, but I'm sure our record hasn't been amazing previously to that. So we would, we were counting on that and to go to nil down, you, you, you, you thinking this is a massive test of character and well done. That's all I can say to the boys, well done. Let's hear from the captain Seamus Coleman on the feeling at full time. It was incredible, it was incredible beforehand. I remember coming in, the game started, the atmosphere was good, it was strong. We just had shocker in terms of conceding the goals.

Like the last three or four years, I have to say, when the chips were down and we needed the supporters, they stood up for us and they made sure that we kept fighting that night. Once we got the first goal, once Keenon got the first goal, I felt like we were going to win the game and we needed to because we had Arsenal away next and thankfully we did. And it's headed in for Everton. They've got it, Dominic Talbot-Lewin. 2-0 down, they're 3-2 up, and if it stays this way, they're staying up. I don't want to be here celebrating, staying up,

but the last three or four years, the importance of keeping this club in the Premier League so we could get over to that beautiful new stadium and put the past behind us a little bit in the last three or four years and move on, it was so important. So thankfully we've got to beautiful new stadium and put the past behind us a little bit to the last three or four years and move on it was so important so thankfully we've we've got to the the new stadium as a Premier League club and hopefully everything that the lads have done the last three or four years to keep us going will paid evidence now. I do remember that at the time as well Phil that

balance that players have of well actually we're Everton we don't really want to be celebrating this but you've got to celebrate it because the fans are celebrating it and they've carried everybody along. It's the worst place to be but you've got to accept it and it wasn't a one-off season as Seamus said it was it's probably been the best part three or four seasons of us not being comfortably away from the relegation places so you, you know, not that you need any more pressure of the club that's never been relegated, but the added pressure of we're leaving Goodison

and we've still got to pay off this new stage. You're like, it could literally put you into administration. It could have done all sorts of things and it could have put Everton back 10 years. And you know that and Seamus will have known that. There'll be other players in the dressing room that have been there five to 10 years that will 100% know that and Seamus will have known that there'll be other plays in the dressing room. They've been there five to 10 years that will 100% know that and to go and put a performance

or second half performance on like they did, as I said, just said, like you've got to take your hat off and say, it's amazing. Julia Bolden, Phil Jagielka are with us this evening as we remember Goodison ahead of its final match for the men this weekend against Southampton. We've had this in from Bill in Bath favourite moment every single visit walking down Goodison Road for 40 years with the smells of a proper football ground chips beer and the archibald leech design because Goodison is one of many British football stadiums built around the turn of the century designed by Scottish architect Archibald Leach. Delighted to say we can speak to his great-great-grandson Sam Easton on Five Live Sport.

Evening Sam, thank you very much for joining us. Thank you very much for having me. So you're, I mean you are currently doing a big project on your on your great-great-grandfather on you Yes, so I'm kind of taking the reins off of Archie's kind of biographer Simon English who put together the book engineering Archie that came out in 2005 and A couple of years ago he got in touch with us as the family and sort of when I'm kind of hanging up my boots a little bit and someone else needs to take the reins over of sort of preserving the history of Archie.

And I'm one of five kids and out of the five of us, I was the one that's been kind of obsessed with football stadia. I don't know why particularly football stadia stood out to me as a football fan, but it's been something that's sort of been ingrained within me. And so I'm in the process, very early stages

of putting together a sort of potentially what could become a biopic about Archie's life. It's a fascinating story. I think it's easy to sort of see that he sort of was an architect, a stadium architect, and that's kind of obviously he was such an integral part of the kind of the footballing landscape in the 20th century. But I think he's got such an amazing story within him to tell because it was kind of, it was almost, I mean Simon can attest to this, but it was almost a midlife crisis that he became a football stadium architect. He was a factory architect up until his mid-30s and he took on the the iBrox job, his sort of pièce de résistance, as it were, in his sort of mid-30s. And through doing that, he sort of attracted interest from

it were, in his mid-30s and through doing that he attracted interest from clubs around the EFL and then it got to a point where in the 1930s there was a few weekends where 80% of the games that were being played were being played in a leech stadium in the top flight. So it's a story that I'm very, very keen to kind of keep in the forefront. So his background was on factory architecture. So what, I mean, describe it as partly a midlife crisis, but what prompted him to really get involved on the football side of things? And where did he take his inspiration from? Because Goodison Park is just one of several, obviously, that he was involved in. Yeah, I think inspiration-wise, I think frankly, you look at the stadiums and they were built quite cheaply, they were built quite pragmatically. I think the designs were in keeping with the

kind of designs that you would see in factories of the time. So you'd understand why maybe that wouldn't be an interesting thing for football clubs to look at for their new stadiums. But I think it was a timing thing that he was, it was the whole fight in Scottish football between Rangers and Celtic with regards to who was going to build the best ground that was going to host Scottish football and Celtic were kind of winning. And Archie Leach was quite a, he was quite a salesman and quite a good talker. And I think he was able to convince the people in charge of Rangers that he was the fella to take it on. And from that, I think he took all of that kind of perfect storm, put it together and created what is Ibrox.

So did that rivalry with Celtic inspire him to make the grounds as atmospheric and difficult for away teams as possible? I mean, we've talked tonight about how difficult it was for away teams at Goodison and intimidating it was obviously Ibrox is particularly if you go there as a Celtic fan. I know Fratton Park was also one of his wasn't it? And there's a there's a hell of a noise at Fratton Park. Was that one of the things that he wanted to do? I can't I can't say for certain whether that was an intention, but whether or not it was an intention as you've attested to, I think the thing that you can say about nearly every leech ground

that is either still in existence or previously, the level of noise that you get from and the atmosphere you get in that space, that felt almost leechian in its way. The sort of atmosphere that you'd get was as a result of this weird kind of pragmatic, not very, you know, the modern architecture of football stadium, the kind of the arena, you know, especially like I'm using the Spurs Stadium as an example where it was built almost to make sure that atmosphere was maintained. Thank you very much for coming on Sam, fascinating to talk to you. Thank you, good luck with the project. Thank you. Thank you. Sam Easton Archibald Leach's great, great grandson, the architect of Goodison Park. Let's talk to Tony Bellew next on Five Lives Portfield, Jack Elker and Julian Balder still with us. Evening Tony, what does Goodison mean to you?

I couldn't put into words. It's the cathedral, it's the home, it's everything. I couldn't put it into words. It's the cathedral, it's the home, it's everything. I couldn't put it into words, Shamp. Not in one sentence anyway. It's my lifelong dream. I lived out there and seen it with my own eyes and literally my hands. So yeah, I couldn't put it into words. Before I come on to you actually fighting there, have you, do you feel like you've been counting down to this weekend? Every time you've been recently this season, is it only, you know, only that many to go, only this many to go? It didn't feel real. I've got my mum and me, me and me, three of us and me, four kids, we've got four seasons to go to. So it just doesn't feel real.

And the more the game's passed, the realer it's getting. And now we're out of stages, like, wow, OK, it's really happening, isn't it? On Sunday, this is going to be the last time I watch my beloved Blues walk out of Gunnison Park. So, yeah, I don't know if I've been just putting it to the back of my mind and trying to get about it and just get through the season. All the attention was taken up with the position that we were in and then when the gaffer gets involved and back into control, the focus then is all on the football. I didn't really give the stadium much thought, I'm not going to lie, when Sean Dice leaves,

but when the gaffer comes home and the results turn around, all the thoughts then go back on the new stadium and just about being in the Premier League and getting to Bramley Moor. So I'd love to tell you I've been counting the games down, but I haven't. All I've been doing is counting the points, to be totally honest, and when you were saying. Go back to when you fought there in 2016. And did you feel different going into that fight, even walking to the ring? I felt petrified. I've never been scared of anything in my life.

More than any other fight you had? No, I'm not scared of anything. I'm not scared of no man's jugs. Can I count to that? He's seen me, he's been around me enough. I can't mate, and I've hit from you many times. I was literally petrified. I'd like to put it into a different context than words, but I don't think BBC Radio, Firefly, I've heard of the Blue.

Don't do that Tony, we... I was absolutely petrified. I'm not going to do that, don't worry, I wouldn't do that to you. Too long in the tip, but I know you are. If you had, if that fight hadn't gone to plan for you, I mean, could you even have envisaged that? I would probably still be fighting now. All me dreams, I wish I could have retired that night at Guns N' Parks. All me dreams came true. Every lifelong goal and dream I had came true that night. I wish I could have walked away from boxing, but I had to stick

around and tease a couple of people and create the... I like these words you're using, so these choice words you keep having to use. I'm trying my best, Jags, I'm trying my best. I had to wind up a couple of dancing partners, shall we say. And then actually for the last one, someone tried to wind me up and unfortunately he only worked too well, his name was Alexander Usyk, so he drew me out of the title. I got there every day so I don't know, right. What are your favourite footballing memories of Goodison, Tony? People laugh at me, especially the horrible side, the cop heights on the other side. I

celebrate relegation battles, I've celebrated, the most relieved I've ever been in my life was when we beat Wimbledon 3-2 and we stayed up there. Because I was able to go to school and show me face. If we'd have gone down at Wimbledon, listen, the Kopites were planning to walk around Gunnison Park with a coffin. They planned it and they planned to do it again when we dodged another bullet. We've done it that many times, whether it was Coventry, whether it was Wimbledon, whether it was Palace. I was at them all and I've cried and it's been emotional. My favourite game was when we won 2-2 and Taki scored in the last minute of the match.

I'm just riding the ball, I had to get that in. Tony, thank you very much for coming on. Enjoy. It's always a pleasure. Julia Jags, have you champed? I shall see you soon. Fighting Bromley more blues than never going away. Tony, thank you very much. Tony Bellew with us on Five Live Sport. I have to be, I quite like being called champ. Good luck for a night. I quite like being called champ. Could learn from that. That doesn't really suit me as much as to, does it? I think you'd look at me strange if I started to do this. Yeah, I would probably.

The thing with it, and all sorts of different things happen with grounds, when we say goodbye to them, Highbury or Upton Park, or say White Hart Lane kind of stayed because they sort of built on it. Goodison is staying in its format at the moment. Yeah, confirmed yesterday. Everton Women will have it. And I think there's a plan as well, because, you know, Everton is a club that's got to be rebuilt under the Free King group.

So the academy is not what it was either. So, you know, there's a chance that under-21s, under-18s games could go into there as well. And yeah, and I think it's going to completely change how Everton women operate as well. And I've had loads of messages the last 24 hours online from dads that are season ticket holders and they say, my little girl now says I could play at Goodison Park. And that's what it's about. It's about growing the women's game. It's about growing Everton women and giving them a proper platform because previously, because money was so tight, it was run on a shoestring. So yeah, it's going to be reconfigured a little bit. So I think going forward, Goodison will not look exactly the same as it is. It'll have a lower capacity, but yeah, they will move in from next season. And I think it's

just a really big statement of intent from the free kickers. But that's fine, isn't it? That's, you know, for it to then become purpose-built to seat the Everton women's team. That's absolutely fine. It's still goodison. It's still goodison. It's still there. The club will have two stadiums in the city, sort of about nearly two miles apart, which

again is, that must be a first as well. Another Everton first to have two stadiums in the city. And somebody will be telling me now, say that they built three as well. So yeah, built the other one as well. So yeah, that's, you know, it's a really huge statement of intent. I know the Freeking group are really keen on maximising the potential of the women's side. So it's going to be interesting. And I think it's made Sunday rather than a tearful goodbye and the prospects of it being bulldozed, which I think would have been heartbreaking to see a ground that has been so iconic, you know, levelled, it'll now become a bit more of a celebration, which

I think is lovely. And also it keeps Everton and their community projects within that area as well. They've always wanted to keep those, the Everton in the community connections around the ground, people's place, the mental health place, wellbeing hub, Everton College community, it keeps that there. Yeah, the hub's still there as Joel said, it's only going to be a couple of miles away from the new place. So actively the area will obviously not see anywhere near as much foot traffic for the games week in week out. But the day-to-day running of quite a lot of those things will stay exactly the same.

It's nice and again not for it not to be bulldozed. I'm absolutely buzzing because it's the only place I've ever played for Everton. I can actually still go there whether it looks the same or not inside or they change it. But they can't, they can't change it too much. Can't dress it up too much where it's going to look like a totally different place. But it's fantastic for me to as a selfish way to take potentially my grandkids and people like that and then go and showcase what, you know, I did. Obviously it's not going to be in black and white, get wound up and stuff. But it's great to keep it going. The women will get a purpose-built stadium,

which again is needed. They've been, as you all said, they've been sort of left to do their own thing for the last three or four years while the men's have been firefighting their sort of financial state. It'll be nice now for them to be given something. It'll get improved on and hopefully they can bounce back

to hopefully where they belong in their game. Yeah, it'd be a really fitting tribute to Goodison as well, particularly when you go right back to the first, I was saying about the Dick Kerr ladies that played there, and until recently that was the the biggest capacity for a women's game. So again, it just feels like an iconic venue and I know Brian Sorensen, the manager, is absolutely delighted. So many texts and messages from you this evening. Thank you very much for that Malcolm. I've been lucky enough to visit Goodison a few times.

Wonderful stadium, another one with the watching Eusebio at the 66 World Cup. Steve in Derby, the train from Derby to Goodison in the 70s on the Champagne Special. We were in the top tier, it was so high and steep it's the only time I haven't jumped out of my seat when a goal was scored for fear of ending up on the pitch. And Tom in Manchester, Goodison season ticket of 20 years. Goodison closing this year will be a real wrench for us as our dad Shea passed away in October. We were so sad not to be able to take him in the stadiums last season. His grandson has now started going so the cycle of misery will continue. Far too many brilliant

memories over 30 years but really it was all about spending time with my dad and one from Mitchell. I'll read this out, it's here. I'm not sure if this is allowed but my friend Craig lost his virginity at Goodison Park. End that there. End on a high. Thank you very much Phil. Thank you very much Julia. Thank you. The Football Daily Podcast with Mark Chapman.

And you can follow Everton's final match at Goodison Park against Southampton with us on Sunday here on Five Live from noon. Next on the Football Daily, it's EuroLeaks. The new series of Match of the Day Top 10 is out now, only available on BBC South. Join myself, Garelinica, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards and my dog, as we dig into the top 10 of the Champions League. We go through our favourite goalscorers, best moment, and even our all-time 11s. Now that, gentlemen, is a list.

No, we'll need to get on a list. Correct. He didn't get on the reserve list. You can listen right now on BBC Sounds. the world.