Pittsburgh Footy
Player Valuation: £35m
I'm happy to report I was at my first match at Goodison this past weekend.They're points I've heard from many people Jacko so I'm sure some will completely agree with you.
For me personally, I love it for a lot of the things you mention you don't.
I've always loved the walk up to the ground (and I've walked up to it from all different directions depending where I've lived. The moment it catches my eye, an adrenalin starts to peak inside and it only gets stronger the closer I get to it. I become fixated with it, the lights of the main stand towering over the bullens road stand walking through Stanley park, the noise of the tannoy getting louder and louder. Dad's with lads, mums with mums, sisters with brothers, boyfriend and girlfreinds holding hands chatting about their day whilst walking at an excited pace just minutes away from the stadium.
I love it, I love everything about it, I feel on top of the world every single time I'm walking towards it.
I've been behind every restricted view, I've sat next to every kind of character I could ever imagine. I've taken all my sisters to the games, been with their fellas to games, took my son to games, mates to games, travelled solo to so many games in wind, rain, sleet, snow, crapped on in the family enclosure, been in the lower bullens with no one else but a mate, moved 20 rows forward in the street end during those mad moments of a goal or a Derby win where limbs are flying everywhere and for a fleeting moment you are on top of the world. I've left the game crying more than I care to admit with anger, frustration and disappointment and tears of happiness where you just hug any random person because in that moment in time, nothing and no one is going to spoil your day. Its your weekend, its your week!
I love it, I'm gonna miss it so much that it actually hurts me a little typing this, genuinely I'm filling up a bit. I don't get to go anywhere near as many times as I wish i could due to work commitments. Even if I did have free time without work I don't think I'd be able to financially commit to as many games as I'd love to and the amount I did when I was younger.
In a blink of an eye, she'll be gone and all we'll have are memories.
Please, enjoy every last moment mate because she's so special and sometimes it really is a case of "you don't know what you've got until its gone".
Goodison, at full pelt is simply one of the most exhilarating and awe inspiring places I've been fortunate to step foot in.
That is something that I'll carry with me until the day I die.
That's what I think anyway Jacko
Cannot imagine not having been there after that experience. The walk from the Kirkdale train stop with legions of blues. Seeing her blue facade for the first time. The beautiful day. The chaos in and around the Winslow having a few pints. The cramped seating, palpable energy within the stadium, the way we played from the off - no way we were not going to take all 3 points Saturday.
Although I've only been there once, I'll miss her when she's gone. But I'm happy to hear that the new stadium will try to be unique and not simply a cookie cutter of a stadium which so often it can be.
Goodison. What a special place