May 19 – Everton bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park, their home for 133 years, with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday — a day filled with nostalgia, celebration, and no shortage of tears.
Iliman Ndiaye etched his name into club history as the final goalscorer at the iconic ground, netting both goals in the first half to secure the win and walking away with the match ball on what quickly became a celebratory occasion for the Everton faithful.
This summer – at the start of next season – the Toffees move to a new 53,000-seat stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. But Goodison Park, which had been slated for demolition, will live on as it will serve as the new home for Everton Women.
Built in 1892 as the first football-specific venue in Great Britain, Goodison Park has hosted the most English top flight matches of any ground. The venue also played host to five matches at the 1966 World Cup, including a quarterfinal and a semi-final.
A haze of blue smoke enveloped the surrounding streets as fans gathered in anticipation. Inside the ground, around 80 club legends – including Wayne Rooney and Tim Cahill – were present to witness the historic moment at a stadium affectionately dubbed the ‘Grand Old Lady’.
A lot of fans had tears in their eyes and Ndiaye gifted the club the perfect send-off. In the sixth minute, he opened the score with a left-footed strike into the bottom corner. His second came in first-half stoppage time, as he rounded Southampton goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale to slot home Everton’s 5,372nd and last goal at Goodison.
“We’ll go down in history as the last team to win at Goodison,” said goalkeeper Jordan Pickford. “That’s what the manager asked of us today. We’ve got a challenge ahead of us but let’s enjoy this moment.”
After the final whistle, the club put on an ‘End of an Era’ ceremony, featuring tributes and video messages on the big screen from figures such as former manager Carlo Ancelotti and former player Mikel Arteta – a fitting send-off for a stadium that has meant so much, to so many, for so long.
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