Comments on: Everton – Goodison Park

By: NJP

NJP — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 17:17:11 +0000

The actual ground is really run-down (as is the local area) but it is a ‘real’ ground. Very limited home vocal support, but that;s typical of pretty much everywhere these days. OK outside, coach is the way to get there and they park a couple of streets away. Merseyside Police seem like a good bunch!

By: Jo Jo

Jo Jo — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 23:06:47 +0000

Our whole experience was very good at Goodison park. We aimed to park at the local leisure centre, costing only £5 and only being a 15 min walk, but on approach found ample parking in the road outside the leisure centre which was free.. Bonus!
Being my first experience of watching Norwich play away, i was unsure of what to expect by the locals/home fans, but i have to say everyone we spoke to were friendly and pleasent and even made sure we knew the way back to the car after the match! … Nice people!
The stadium itself was shabby and very tired but it just made us appreciate our home stadium more.
The only single negative thing that i would warn anyone is ‘ watch out for the dog poop’! Lots of it on all the pavements on route to the stadium..
On the whole though, a great experience and i would return.
Match score 1-1

By: Eddie Cooney

Eddie Cooney — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:36:44 +0000

We travelled by train and walked from Kirkdale Station. We arrived early and had a full English in a great cafe next to the ground. Everybody we met was civilised and friendly and the highly enjoyable banter began with a couple of customers in the cafe. The friendliness of Everton fans continued with their staff and we had a good chat with the souvenir sellers, stewards and even the police. Inside the ground it was a slightly different story with the Everton crowd failing to get behind their team and when Norwich took the lead against the run of play a couple of hundred fans in the Park End stand adjacent to us got up and left their seats. Incredible! The Everton fans only started to get behind the fans in the last 10 minutes but even after scoring they were a bit muted.

The stadium itself is definitley past it. The away fans sit on old wooden seats that are tiny and cramped but with decent legroom. It you were a couple of seats to my left (in seat 26) your view of the goal is completely obstructed by roof supports. There is an open gap to the left of the away stand and a cold draught blew across us for the whole game making it pretty cold. Even the view is a bit weird with the pitch like a mound, sloping down to the touchline all round the pitch and it’s hard to see the ball on the ground from so low down when it’s near the touchline. We had a pint and a scouse pastie inside the ground. The beer was a drab lager which we began to regret buying but the pastie was great. After the game we headed into Liverpool City and drank at the Ship and Mitre on Dale Street which is a top real ale pub. Friendly banter continued inside the pub and we got a Norwich City fans table together for a good old chat. We managed to sneak in with my 16-year-old nephew but Liverpool pubs are generally not children friendly. It was a great day all in all but Goodison Park needs a major overhaul or knocking down and starting again.

By: Mikeywafc

Mikeywafc — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:26:59 +0000

-continued- on entering the away stand (think i was in the paddock), i couldnt beleive how little space there was, im a tall bloke and was cramped throughout. Stadium was decent, if old, and the view of the pitch was quite good. Disappointed with the home support, 31,400 attendance..yet only the 1500 travelling fans seemed in high spirits. We lost 3-1 and tbh i didnt hang around, went before the whistle to avoid crowds. On the way back to the car i went into a local pub to use the toilet and was promptly told to ‘cover that shirt up round ere mate’..charming eh. Overall, for me, it just didnt cut it, i wont be attending this away fixture again.

By: Mikeywafc

Mikeywafc — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:12:33 +0000

As a first time visitor to goodison a few weeks back, i came back disappointed, and not just with the result. Getting there was extremely easy, basically just straight down the east lancs road no more than 45mins, finding a parking spot wasnt. Most of the car parks in the area were full, and one even wanted 9 pounds..for a 90 minute game? Dont think so. Anyway we parked about a 15-20 min walk away. Once inside the stadium i noticed the away concourse was a bit more cramped than id expected, and looked somewhat ancient. Queing for a beer and a pie took no more than 5 mins, which is reasonable, but 3 pounds for a small warm plastic bottle of carlsberg is not. And, coming from wigan, i know a good pie..there werent any here. I chose a ‘scouse’ pie, with the promise it was just like our meat and potato..it wasnt, it was huge chunks of potato encased in soft dry pastry. Needed a good few sachets of ketchup to liven it up. Im running out of characters here so il continue my review below.

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 19:48:47 +0000

Been to everton many times, the ground is very old and there is not much atmosphere coming from the home fans. I have had my good days and bad days at everton, if you’re going to a pub then i recommend you go into the town all the pubs near the stadium are crowded with everton fans and some passionate one’s as well.

By: Stig

Stig — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:44:20 +0000

I’ve been to Everton about 7 times and it has always been a good day out. Have usually headed to the Arkles, the only downer is that they have a limited number of bar staff and the old bill chuck you out around 2.30 (probably a good idea as it takes 10-15 to walk across Stanley Park to get to Goodison anyway!). Only ever seen one instance of sillies but most people just walked away an the crowds dispersed.

By: Hay

Hay — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:11:49 +0000

Mr Kallin what an unfair representation of Goodison! We’re all idiots?? Even when we play Liverpool, our “bitter rivals” its a friendly atmosphere with Kopites in their colours mixing in. The only time i have ever seen trouble (and bear in mind ive had a season ticket since 1994) is when we play Man Utd, this has been combatted by the stewards who hold the away fans back for 10mins after the final whistle. No other team has this restriction! i sit in the same stand as the away fans and i’d definitely agree – avoid the Lower Bullens, but Upper and the paddock are fine! The stewards are all friendly and up for a bit of banter, most are blues but we do have a few reds and neutrals also. The Arkles is traditionally the away pub as it is closer to Anfield, agreed on avoiding the Royal Oak as it gets rowdy, but when we play Newcastle there are always hundreds of Geordies in its beer garden having a sing song. As long as you respect the home fans (and this goes for everywhere not just at Goodison) then they will, on the whole, respect you! I forget the amount of times i’ve directed the away fans to the Bullens road as they’ve become a bit lost. As with every club we have the odd idiot who likes to cause trouble but often you’ll find that these so called fans havent actually been to the game and theyre hanging around on the off chance of a scrap at full time!!

*Walton Lane is shut for a while just before and after the final whistle to allow the fans to disperse safely, Priory Road (where the supporters coaches park) also*

I’d strongly advise anyone travelling to Goodison, home or away fans, to use a supporters coach as Walton Motors charge £10 for parking (right next to the ground) and it is a nightmare to get out of, the car park on Stanley Park is roughly the same price. There are two schools near Anfield which allow you to park on the school yard for £8 a car – All Saints and Four Oaks (formerly Hope Valley), these are secure and manned car parks and a 5min walk from Goodison Park!

By: G Kallin

G Kallin — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 13:54:16 +0000

I was able to fit in a trip to Goodison on a trip to England and it was the Sunderland game at Everton. What a dreadful place!

I was spat at asking where I could get a ticket, must not have had the right accent. Seat was half missing and the fans nasty. I went to Anfield 2 years ago, it was boring but at least not as horrible an experience.

Are Everton fans all idiots? Or just the 30000 that went to this game?

By: rhys shakeshaft

rhys shakeshaft — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 15:08:18 +0000

Went there in 2005 when Everton played Middlesbrough in the FA Cup. Decent atmosphere, no trouble but the ground needs modernising in parts and the seats don’t represent a top team, I think Tranmere’s seats are better quality. But overall, good ground and might go back.