On Sunday, May 18, 2025, Everton Football Club witnessed a momentous day in their long and storied history. To top it all, they played their last game at Goodison Park and beat Southampton 2-0. The victory secured three important points for Everton and capped off a remarkable era at their home ground, which had hosted the team for 133 years. That day the match drew a remarkable crowd of 39,201 fans. They each lived and witnessed the dying days of football at the famous ground.
After shocking Fulham on FA Cup weekend, Everton completely changed their lineup going in, making four significant changes. In came Dwight McNeil, Iliman Ndiaye and Jake O’Brien. Among the notable players who did not make the XI were Ashley Young, Jack Harrison, Carlos Alcaraz, and Michael Keane. That calculated re-shuffle proved to be a masterstroke, not least thanks to the superb performance by Ndiaye, as he scored both of his teams goals.
A Fitting Final Match
All season long, manager David Moyes made clear how crucial this match was, building to the Derby with near-Puritan dogma. He implored his players to send their beloved Goodison Park away with a victory by completing the job on the final men’s match.
“This team will be remembered in history as the one who played the last game.” – David Moyes
The game was not just a final farewell to Goodison Park, but displayed the team’s resilience and competence. Seamus Coleman, Everton’s captain, made his return to the starting XI for the first time since Boxing Day, bolstering the team’s morale and experience on the pitch.
His second goal was even more special, as it turned out to be the last score ever at Goodison Park.
“It’s very special [being the last goal scorer at Goodison Park]. I asked the referee to get the ball!” – Iliman Ndiaye
The Road Ahead for Everton
Everton is moving forward into an exhilarating new history! Next season, though, they’ll be playing in the newly-built Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock, which has a capacity of 52,888 fans. Everton’s women’s team will play their matches at Goodison Park next season. This action constitutes a major step toward preserving the important legacy of the historic stadium.
In addition to Ndiaye’s contributions, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford played a crucial role in securing the clean sheet with a fine save late in the match to deny Southampton’s Cameron Archer from scoring.
With this victory, Everton recorded their 1,538th win in 2,789 matches played at Goodison Park in all competitions. The club certainly says goodbye to a longtime beloved home, but sets sights on bright new possibilities at their future home.
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