After 133 years, the Everton fans of the “Grand Old Lady” say goodbye on Sunday. After all: the stadium is not torn down.
The “Grand Old Lady” is retired, and there is even a beer to say goodbye: If FC Everton says on Sunday after 133 years of its beloved Goodison Park Goodbye, a tough English football rule will be overridden.
In the one -hour farewell ceremony after the game against Southampton (1:00 p.m.), fans are allowed to drink alcohol on their seats – this is otherwise unthinkable in the Premier League.
The Evertonians will then toast to an iconic stadium that, like so many traditional sites, is no longer up to date.
Goodison Park has been expanded again and again since the opening on August 24, 1892, although there is hardly any space in the narrow workers’ district. The neighboring St Luke’s Church now borders on two sides to the stadium.
Now it is finally over. “Goodison Park may enter the last phase of his life, but it will always remain one of the holy places of football,” writes author Mike Bayly in his book “British Football’s Grounds”.
In fact, unlike planned, the stadium remains as a home of the women’s team.
The men’s team continues, however, the 50,000 viewers’ arena on the site of the former Bramley Moore Dock is already finished.
One last time, however, the “Roar” will be spoken by the stands on Sunday that have seen so much. Everton has already made it clear, but is not allowed. Beer consumption must first be enough.