Goodbye Goodison, by Steven Naismith

I was at Everton's last game at the stadium I played in for four happy years — here are my favourite Goodison memories

I was there. The last game at Goodison — and what a send-off. Everton v Southampton on Sunday. A ‘meaningless’ game in football terms, but one that was filled with so much emotion for the players, ex-players and fans. It’s the sort of day the club do perfectly every time. We started it with a Champions Breakfast involving lots of ex-players and then got bused to the game. We needed a police escort through the fans to get into the stadium. It’s amazing when the fans see you and then you sense their minds clicking with all the moments from your time at the club that they enjoyed. After the game, we did a lap of honour and it was an incredible party atmosphere. It was like they had won a trophy. A special day for a special club — and I loved being a part of it.

Here are my favourite Goodison moments…

Everton 4 AEK Athens 1
Tony Hibbert Testimonial
August 8, 2012

Hibbo’s testimonial was my first minutes for Everton — pre-season 2012-13. I was coming back from a long-term knee injury and being gradually reintroduced to training, so this game was just about getting 45 minutes back on the pitch. My mindset was very insecure then. I was thinking, “Am I going to get back to the same level after my injury?”. That, on top of arriving into a squad of players that was better than where I’d been previously… I felt like I was in survival mode.

At a new club, you make impressions that buy you time — until the real you emerges. I wanted to show something positive and it couldn’t have gone any better. I played on the right of the 4-4-2 with Steven Pienaar on the left. I make a run from the right, into the middle, Pienaar plays a ball over the top and I run on to score. Boom. Perfect.

Then, as the half goes on, more chances and I score again. Then, my third goal is from a corner to the back post; Johnny Heitinga heads it back and I finish it. The coaches and players are buzzing. The fans are thinking, “What a signing!”. It buys me time.

In 329 appearances for Everton, Hibbo had never scored once. So, Everton fans had this mantra: “Hibbo scores, we riot”. They put it on t-shirts and banners.

There was chat before the game that if we got a penalty or a free-kick, Hibbo would take it. So, second half, we get a free-kick 25 yards out. Hibbo takes it. Goal! Then, all you see are fans invading the park — 60 minutes into the game! David Moyes had a wee pop at the fans, but it was amazing to see.

Everton 2-2 Liverpool
Premier League
October 28, 2012

If Hibbo’s testimonial raised expectations, then this bought me more time. In my first season, I struggled. I was a sub coming on, not contributing much. Then, the week before the derby, Pienaar got sent off. I was sitting on the bench thinking, “I’ve actually got a chance to start in the Merseyside derby next week!”.

Liverpool went 1-0 up, but nobody was playing really well — and for me, that was perfect. I just knew there would be chances. Then, the ball comes into the box, left-hand side — a space appears and I just run into it, anticipating Marouane Fellaini to play it across goal. He does. Nikica Jelavic is right behind me to tap in, but I just nick in front of him. Four yards out, low in confidence, easiest goal I’m ever going to score. My first for the club. The place was electric — and I go straight to celebrate in front of the Gwladys Street End. That goal was the first step towards changing the way my Everton career went.

Everton 2-1 Aston Villa
Premier League
Feb 1, 2014

There are moments that are iconic to fans but others that mean so much to me which would be insignificant to most supporters. My goal against Aston Villa was the biggest moment in my Everton career.

I had been struggling. If I took a bad touch, the fans would be on me. The amount of patience I had with them was running low. I needed to start producing.

We were 1-0 down and I came on. Gareth Barry passes forward to Pienaar, who plays a lovely wee ball around the corner. I make the run and then I just slot it home. Before that moment, the atmosphere was flat. The fans were getting frustrated. That moment changed it. We dominated for the rest of the game. Then, last kick of the ball, we get a free-kick. Kevin Mirallas puts it in the top corner and we win 2-1.

It felt like I played a part in getting us a result, which was the most important thing for me. It was such a pivotal moment in my time at Everton.

Everton 3-0 Arsenal
Premier League
April 6, 2014

We were both going for fourth place. They were above us, but if we won, we would leapfrog them. It was the era of the false nine. Roberto Martinez always played a 4-2-3-1 but in this game, he changed to a false nine and chose me for the job. I felt it was a bit of personal recognition. In my mind, I’m thinking, “He thinks I’m the best, most intelligent player for this.”. Looking back, I think he felt he could trust me.

So, Romelu Lukaku’s wide on one side, Kevin Mirallas on the other — I’m false nine. Mikel Arteta ran all their games, so the manager wanted me sit on him in possession and let their centre-halves have the ball. The two centre-halves kept looking for Arteta. Within the first 10 minutes I absolutely nail Arteta. Booked. Could have been sent off. Nowadays, I would have been. But they just couldn’t live with us. The manager was very intelligent. He played Pienaar in a midfield three — and Steven was so good at getting the ball and playing forward, seeing passes; and I would just link it all.

The goal I scored is one I actually use whenever I’m giving a talk on dyslexia. I’m in the false nine position and the centre-half comes way out. Leighton Baines just whips a ball right in behind them to Lukaku. He shoots from 20 yards. In the moment, I have a decision to make. Do I run to the front or back post? In my brain, I’ve managed to calculate where I think the best opportunity is going to arise. So, he shoots, I run towards the back post, the goalie palms it out and I just put it in the corner. I could see that happening in my mind before he shot. That’s peripheral vision, seeing those big pictures — which links back to my dyslexia.

They were the best football team in the league, and we out-footballed them that day. From the start, the atmosphere was jumping and it just got better and better and better. 3-0. We’re fourth. Unfortunately, we didn’t close out fourth spot, but it was one of those perfect days you sometimes get in football.

Everton 4-1 Wolfsburg
Europa League
Sept 18, 2014

I actually don’t get awarded my goal in this match — it goes down as an own goal. The season before, we ended up finishing fifth. We had a brilliant start to the season, good squad, Lukaku signed permanently. As a group, it was our first European run. Because of how well we’d done the season before, the fans were on the crest of a wave, thinking, “We could go far here.”. But we go up against a really good Wolfsburg team, including Kevin De Bruyne. We just blew them away. The first goal is a really good move; Baines cuts it back, I hit it. I think it just takes a deflection and goes in. It was a more joyful experience than Arsenal. Everyone was buzzing because it was Europe, it was on TV, good weather — perfect.

Everton 3-1 Chelsea
Premier League
Sept 12, 2015

That day started off poorly. I was a sub — and I was raging. I came on after nine minutes because Mohamed Besic was injured. My first goal is on the same side as I scored against Arsenal. The second... I don’t think anybody really expected me to shoot at that moment. I’m 25 yards out on my left foot. I hit it crisply, low into the bottom corner. The main thing I remember from that goal and celebration was that there was a moment of silence — then everything erupted. Then, the third one comes from a brilliant move, 15 to 20 passes. Ross Barkley receives it and turns, John Terry jumps out of defence and I run in behind him. Ross slips me perfectly. I could hit it first time, but I take a touch because I see the goalie coming out… he stops, his legs open, I just put it through them… then it’s just a pure buzz, knowing that I’ve scored a hat-trick.

As soon as the whistle goes, the camera makes a beeline for me. All the players are congratulating me. Then I get to the referee, he throws me the match ball. But for me it was more about the reaction of my teammates — the warmth and genuine happiness they had for me.

Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Carabao Cup
Sept 20, 2016

I found it really strange going back. I was so comfortable at Everton — on the pitch, around the place. Then you’ve got to go out and hope that they get beat. I got a good reception from the Everton fans in the warm-up. For my goal, I slipped when I was shooting, it took a ricochet and went in. I don’t celebrate, but then I notice that in the Gwladys Street End all these fans are standing up and clapping. That showed the impact I made at Everton. Not that I was brilliant, but more the connection I made.

It was amazing. A really strange experience, but a very humbling one.

Farewell but not Goodbye…

Goodison Park is in a housing estate. It’s not a grand structure. You’ve got the stadium on one side, the road and then terraced housing the whole way round.

There’s a terraced house across the road that’s actually been turned into a pub. Not a pub with signs up, or anything — it’s just a house! The tradition is that they get Evertonians to go in and sign the wall. So, I’m walking out of the stadium one day and they’re shouting to me, “Get in here!”. I go into the terraced house and sign the wall. It gave me a sense of where the stadium sits, but also a sense of what Everton is all about.

I’m so happy that they’re keeping Goodison for the women’s team. It’s not common for a club to keep their original stadium and build another. It will encourage more people to watch the women’s team. People will be taking their grandkids to a football match for the first time and saying: “This is where I used to sit”. That’s beautiful.

If quoting from this article then please state that ‘Steven Naismith was writing for Nutmeg FC’ — and link to the piece.