Everton 2-2 Liverpool: Toffees ensure Goodison Park gets one great last Merseyside derby act
2025-02-13
Category: sports

Goodison Park is one of the grand sporting theatres, and the final Merseyside derby played out at the old place delivered the dramatic last act it deserved before the doors are finally locked.The concluding scenes included a 98th-minute equaliser from James Tarkowski, only given after the stadium held its breath for several minutes while the video assistant referee checked for offside and a foul.And then, when the goal was awarded to give Everton a deserved 2-2 draw, tempers boiled over with Abdoulaye Doucoure needlessly taunting Liverpool's fans, to the annoyance of Curtis Jones, sparking a full-on brawl that saw both sent off.They were followed by Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, who were furious with referee Michael Oliver, as this derby descended into chaos with police, stewards and players all involved.Everton manager David Moyes said: "It was mayhem all game. A bit of a throwback. The place was boiling hot all night. It was an incredible atmosphere."And in those few words, Moyes summed up the special magic of Goodison Park.It may be creaking in parts, but on fiery nights like this with Liverpool as the opposition, it literally rocks - parts of it really do - with a glorious support and naked hostility like few other places in world football.Everton may have that state-of-the-art new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock ready to go next season, but it is an almost impossible task to replicate what they have in this place - ramshackle and old-fashioned in parts admittedly, hence the need to move.Goodison Park was never going to go quietly, but this was something else - full of emotion, passion and all the wild scenes of indiscipline Moyes called "to-ing and fro-ing" after the final whistle.It may have pillars blocking some of the views, but it still has so much that will be missed with its towering Main Stand and the criss-cross designs on the stands that are the trademark of famous Scottish architect Archibald Leitch. It has a heart and soul no architect can design.
Hours before the game, the special feel around this last derby was in the air as supporters gathered around the statue commemorating William Ralph 'Dixie' Dean, standing on the corner of Walton Lane and Goodison Road.It was the same around Everton's Holy Trinity statue celebrating the legendary 1970 title winning trio of Alan Ball, Howard Kendall and Colin Harvey opposite St Luke the Evangelist church and on the corner of Gwladys Street.Those monuments will stay in place as part of the Goodison Legacy Project, which is hoped will regenerate the local community in future years, Everton feeling this is only right because Goodison Park is the place where their greatest feats were performed.And Goodison's centre circle will also stay as green space, not least because the area is regarded as sacrosanct as this is where the ashes of Dean, Everton's record scorer with 383 goals who is still in the history books for scoring 60 league goals in 1927-28, were scattered following his death at a Merseyside derby in March 1980.Things will change when Everton put the locks on Goodison Park behind them - but some things will stay the same as something to remember it by.Everton and Liverpool supporters were making their way through Stanley Park, the picturesque patch of green that separates Anfield towering on one side and Goodison Park emerging into sight on the other, hours before kick-off as they prepared to sample the derby atmosphere here for one final time.
Before kick-off, the sounds of tribalism emerged from Everton strongholds The Blue House and The Winslow Hotel - standing directly opposite the Main Stand on Goodison Road, with its Howard Kendall Bar.These are the places so many Everton supporters will miss. Not as much as Goodison Park itself but the time-honoured rituals that take place after weaving their way through the terraced houses that landlock the stadium in Winslow Street, Eton Street, Neston Street and Andrew Street.Little did they realise what this emotionally-charged night held in store for them as Everton, rejuvenated under Moyes, stood toe-to-toe with Liverpool, fighting to the end to ensure the final tally of 120 derbies at Goodison Park ended with 41 wins a piece.Blue smoke and the smell of cordite filled the air as Everton's team coach arrived, the area around the players entrance packed with supporters.It was spine-tingling as the newer Everton tradition of an air-raid siren blared before Z-Cars, the soundtrack to the start of every Goodison Park game, rang out.The Gwladys Street End, the heartbeat of Everton's support, was covered in flags before kick-off, including banners reading "We Built This City - 1878", "Our Motto Is Our Standard Nil Satis Nisi Optimum" and one dedicated to Goodison with a Beatles twist declaring "There Are Places I'll Remember 1892-2025".It was poignant, as Everton now have only six games left at the place they have long called home.The reborn Beto gave Everton the lead after 11 minutes, but a sometimes unsettled and off-colour Liverpool looked to have secured the three points through Alex Mac Allister and Mohamed Salah, before the drama of Tarkowski's equaliser in the closing seconds. And the ugly brawl that followed.The strains of Elton John's I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues rang around an exultant Goodison Park after the final whistle.And there, back on familiar ground in the Goodison Park technical area, was Moyes - prowling in familiar fashion as his Everton fought, showing his desire still burns as he celebrated joyously and drove his team on.Moyes is also remembered on Goodison Park's exterior, football's cyclical nature illustrated by his image on The Everton Timeline that snakes its way around the stadium, commemorating moments of significance in the club's history.Opposite The Blue Dragon fish bar and The Goodison Cafe - all part of the sights, sounds and smells of Goodison Park - is the large photograph of a 38-year-old, red-headed David Moyes holding up an Everton scarf after his appointment as manager in March 2002.The hair is now white as Moyes, 23 years on and soaked in a lifetime of managerial experience, is back in charge of Everton for his 26th Merseyside derby. He did not want to leave Goodison Park on a losing note against Liverpool, Everton deserving their share of the points."I think it was hugely important that Evertonians get to finish at their stadium as best as they can," he said. "I just feel the support in here was unbelievable, it was incredible support and I think it was fitting they got an end like they did."This night belonged mostly to Everton, who fought with character and steel to get a draw, with Liverpool frustrated even though they still lead the Premier League by seven points.Most of all, this night belonged to Goodison Park.