Everton, Goodison & Me: A Love Story Written in Blue
Even before I was born it was always going to be Everton. I had no choice in that matter.
My family is classically split down the middle between red and blue – my dad a red, my mum, my brother and I all blue. The wider family too, are all split and it makes derby day a truly sickening affair – the whole week leading up is filled with hatred and anxiety.
My mum tells me to blame my grandad, it’s character building.
My first real vivid memory of a matchday at Goodison Park comes from April 2007. I was at the back of the Gwladys Street with my cousins...it was difficult to see the action fully as in true Goodison fashion it was an obstructed view for us. But we didn't care, we were in the thick of it, I was 11 years old and all I loved was football, and more importantly Everton. Whether it was playing it, or watching it - it was always football. Getting up at 6am on Sunday mornings to watch MOTD, humming along to the iconic theme tune and hanging onto every word and analysis from the pundits (times have certainly changed in that respect, christ).
Anyway, Charlton lost the ball in the middle of midfield, it's soon picked up by McFadden himself after a ball from Phil Neville. Baines is played in on the left and whips in a classic LB3 ball. It's played back to McFadden, he touches it cutely over the defender and then perfectly half volleys the ball into the back of the Park End net. Euphoria. All I remember then was chaos...thrown around in celebration. A last minute winner in emphatic fashion. I was hooked, and as the saying goes, once Everton has touched you, nothing will ever be the same.
Over the years my traditions have changed and grown as I have. From a young kid in the Family Enclosure (where my first season ticket was situated) with my mum, to sitting alone in the Main Stand with all my favourite arl fellas, whom I have become very fond of over the years and will miss dearly when we make our big move.
From endless pub trips and Denbigh Discos...so many memories that have been lost to the hazy hangovers from one too many pints of Lilley's cider in The Denbigh Castle.
These days as we start concluding our story at The Grand Old Lady, I have tried to spend every moment there on a matchday as possible - often arriving outside 2+ hours before kick off. Camera in hand and soaking up everything she has to offer. From fans outside the ground, in the FanZone with Giulia Bould, in and around the chippys, St Luke's Church & the Everton Heritage Society plus all the pubs, stalls and everything else in between.
I must not forget to mention the brilliant Fans Supporting Foodbanks who operate every home matchday on Goodison Road at the corner of the aforementioned FanZone - the work they do, Dave Kelly especially, for our community is nothing short of incredible.
I have to say though, that my new favourite part of my matchday has been meeting so many Evertonians from all different walks of life - from the local L4 residents right the way through to Australian Toffees, US Toffees and more. Every single one of them has got an incredible story to tell, all with one commonality - that we all love and adore Everton Football Club, even with all the imperfections, stress and heartache. I have been so grateful in being able to tell their stories, to capture their memories and to make new friends.
It's been emotional at times with so many offering up emotional anecdotes and how my photos have helped keep their memory of Goodison alive for years to come.
A Toffees love affair
It would be completely remiss of me to tell my story without mentioning Connor, my lovely best friend turned boyfriend. This may start to get a little cringe so here's your warning!
Connor and I have been 'friends' for a long time, all thanks to the Blues. A lot of you will know of 'Everton Twitter', which became increasingly popular way back when (Connor and I were around 14/15 years old at its peak). At both now 28 that takes us to 14 years of friendship...or at least 14 years of knowing each other.
However, our story doesn't really start until 16th September 2022 when we officially met IRL (if you know, you know) at a mutual friends birthday party, and at the time I was actually in a relationship with an Arsenal fan. It was at that party that myself, Connor and a few other mutual friends then started to become a good, close knit group. In that group Connor was the closest in age to me, only older than me by 6 weeks and we had A LOT in common. Much to the annoyance of many people around us as we just spent so much time laughing with each other, just as friends...
Fast forward a year on from our friends party, and I have become recently single and Connor thinks he's dropped hints at asking me out - but rather he had asked the group to go out for pizza...that's not a date, lad.
It took us some time to realise that we were meant to be together, but we got there in the end. All because of Everton, social media & an incredibly long, fun friendship. We are now stuck together and have sealed the deal with a season ticket next to one another at our new home on the banks of the royal blue Mersey.
Photographing the Blues
This is something I talk about in my previous article with Terrace Edition, so I won't bang on too much.
Combining my love for photography and Everton was a happy accident, originally only ever shooting on my phone. I’d post a photo post-match on Twitter and they’d get shared far and wide which was a bit mental.
That’s when I started taking cameras with me to the game, mostly film. I love the rawness of film and how it captures Goodison Park, the visceral roar of a crowd, the emotion and the historic nature of the stadium itself.
I have been so incredibly lucky to attend a few matches on press passes, capturing in action shots of the game. But my heart belongs on the terraces.
Goodison Park is a stadium like no other, from St Luke’s church at the corner of the Gwladys, the Archibald Leitch design and the fact that we’re so ingrained into the local community.
There’s so much emotion involved in Everton match days yet somehow there’s still moments of quiet reflection amongst all the chaos.
And what chaos the past few years has been.
