Yorkshire clubs' grand old memories of Goodison Park

As Evertonians clear their throats and get ready to burst into song for one final time in a top-flight fixture at Goodison Park before their club moves to the banks of the Mersey – a royal blue one as far as they are concerned – football lovers from much further afield might just reflect upon the epic contribution of one of this country’s last remaining atmospheric ‘old-school’ venues to the beautiful game.

Including followers of our own teams, whose senses might just be stirred when the siren is sounded and the classic Z-Cars theme tune reverberates around L4 ahead of kick-off on Sunday lunch-time.

As for Goodison’s overall history? Try the first club ground to stage a World Cup semi-final in Britain and host an FA Cup final for starters. It was also the first to have a three-tier stand and install dugouts, undersoil heating and a scoreboard.

The home of the Toffees has also provided a rich assortment for God’s own county. Landmark occasions, goals and sublime moments – step forward Chris Waddle – alongside controversy, retribution and even an extraordinary half-time strop.

The sullen figure involved in the latter being Everton’s finest ever between the sticks in Neville Southall. He infamously sat on his own, leaning against a post at the Park End after coming out early for the second half in their 1990-91 opener with Leeds United – in the visitors’ first game back in the top-flight following an eight-season absence.

Big Nev’s disgruntlement was not down to Leeds’ 2-0 interval lead – on an afternoon when Gary McAllister and Chris Whyte made their debuts – but more his unhappy mindset after tabling a transfer request.

He was confronted at the break by a home fan, much to the mirth of the big Leeds contingent behind Southall.

Leeds have been at the heart of several memorable Goodison moments. Extraordinary was the best word to describe a 4-4 draw there in October 1999, United’s first blemish in a record-breaking 10-match winning sequence.

Much earlier in the mid to-late 60s and early 70s, there were some heavyweight contests, with Leeds starting to seriously countenance thoughts of a maiden Wembley trip after an FA Cup fourth-round replay win there in February 1965.

Chants of 'On Ilkla Moor Bah T'at' rang out among the delighted Leeds contingent after goals from Don Weston and Jack Charlton gave their side a 2-1 victory in front of almost 66,000 fans.

You must go a fair way back for another landmark occasion for a Yorkshire club on the blue side of Merseyside. It arrived in April 1910 when Barnsley lost 2-0 in an FA Cup final replay to Newcastle United.

In that era, Goodison was also a frequent venue for cup semi-finals with the earliest one recorded in 1896 as The Wednesday – before their name change to Sheffield Wednesday – faced Bolton Wanderers.

Many years later in 1987-88, the Owls and Everton were involved in a cup marathon featuring three replays, including two at Goodison.

The mid to late 80s were largely a happy time for both the Toffees and Owls, but one league game in December 1985 left a bad taste in the mouth of Evertonians and had serious implications for one home player.

On the cusp of full England honours, Adrian Heath’s season was ended by a high challenge from Brian Marwood.

The Owls winger would himself be carried from the field shortly after Heath when Peter Reid exacted swift retribution.

As for the red half of Sheffield? Well, a 3-0 win after trailing 2-0 at the break helped Sheffield United deliver a grievous wound to Everton’s title bid in April 1975 at a time when the Blades were eyeing Europe. The winner came from the irrepressible Tony Currie.

A late-season game during Covid times in May 2021 was also memorable for another Blade in Daniel Jebbison.

At the tender age of 17 years and 309 days, the forward became the youngest player to score on his first Premier League start.

For the rest of Yorkshire, some iconic cup moments come to the fore.

Middlesbrough had some epic Goodison battles in the late 80s and start of the 90s in the legendary Bruce Rioch era and some 10,000 Doncaster Rovers fans travelled to Goodison for a fourth-round clash in January 1985. York City followers saw Neil Tolson net in a 1-1 draw en route to the Minstermen knocking Everton out of the League Cup in a two-legged tie in 1996-97.

Later on that season, it was Bradford City's turn to hog the cup spotlight at Everton. It owed plenty to the brilliance of Waddle, who proved that the old songs are still the best at the ripe old age of 36.

His goal, the second of Bradford's three in 10 second-half minutes, came when Andrei Kanchelskis gave the ball straight to him. The rest was poetry as he spotted Southall off his line and deliciously lobbed him from 45 yards out to crown the visitors’ stunning 3-2 FA Cup triumph.

Goodison, you will certainly be missed.