LONG READ
A GRAND OLD LADY,
A BRAND NEW ERA
By Mike Taylor
Few know Goodison better than
Seamus Coleman. A modern-day Blues icon, our long-serving captain sat down with the Official Matchday Programme for a heartfelt interview on what the Grand Old Lady means to him, moving to a world-class waterfront home, and why Everton are in the right hands again under David Moyes…
After 133 storied years, this is it for Goodison Park as we know it – the Grand Old Lady’s last dance.
It’s a story we will carry on, with Everton Women officially moving in from next season, while David Moyes’ side begin a new era at the Club’s new world-class, 52,888-seater stadium on the banks of the Mersey.
Seamus Coleman, like every Evertonian, is still coming to terms with the finality of moving on from a place that has been the very heartbeat of Everton Football Club – and the pulse of a community – for more than a century.
Goodison evokes feelings beyond the triumphs and tribulations of football. It’s a place of belonging and of shared experiences, where matchday routines have been learned and passed down through generations, a place where every possible emotion is felt.
It’s the little things that will be missed, too. The pubs, the chippies, the narrow concourses, the perfect imperfections of the stadium itself, the sound of clacking seats as a sold-out crowd rises in anticipation, the visceral Goodison roar.
None of it is lost on Coleman.
“I’ve done a few interviews about leaving here recently and most of them have been in an empty Goodison,” he explains. “It’s like home from home, for me. I think it’s easy to feel the atmospheres when you’re there, even when it’s empty – the Saturday three o’clocks, the night-time kick-offs under the lights.
“It’s an amazing place. We all feel that. Every Evertonian has loved Goodison Park.
“Every time I’ve been here speaking about it recently I find myself staring around and thinking less about my own experiences and more about what it means to people and all the stories of the past.
“I think back to all of the success its seen, particularly during times like the mid-1980s, which was a different time, when there were no mobile phones, no distractions and it was just pure football and emotion. You think of the nights we had like against Bayern Munich and the Cup games that led to success which was amazing and something I do envy a bit.
“But Goodison has been amazing to me and just to step on it once is an incredible feeling.”
No single figure has played a more significant role in Goodison’s closing chapters than Club captain Coleman.
A bona fide modern-day Everton icon, Coleman has been a crucial figure in steering the Blues through particularly choppy waters of the three seasons prior to this farewell campaign to Goodison Park – terms that included final-day salvation to preserve a proud top-flight record and overcoming two separate points deductions.
Coleman’s personal journey is a storied one in itself. Born in Killybegs, a proud fishing town nestled in a north-west corner of the Republic of Ireland, he made a difficult decision to pursue a career in professional football over the locally-favoured Gaelic at the age of 17. After arriving at Everton from Sligo Rovers for a famously-modest fee of £60,000 in 2009, he would go on to forge an unbreakable bond with Evertonians through his superb contributions and leadership on the pitch while embodying the Club’s values off it.
That love and appreciation is mutual.
“Yeah, it’s a lot [to process],” explains Coleman, reflecting on the recognition he receives directly from supporters. “Look, ultimately, I do it because that’s who I am and what I am. I am proud to represent this football club and I never want to be associated with being part of one of the biggest football clubs in the country getting relegated, as we’ve fought over the past few years.
“Living in the city has shaped me and shaped my experiences, for sure, because I got to see it on people’s faces – particularly in these tough times – what it meant. I hadn’t experienced anything like [fighting relegation] for my first 12 or 13 years here.
“I appreciate people understood I was doing absolutely everything in my power to help. Unfortunately for me, a fair bit of it wasn’t on the pitch, but we also had leaders like Tarky, Jordan, Gana, and players like Yerry Mina, who was fantastic towards the end of his last season here, to carry us through as well. We had different leaders who were fit to influence on the pitch when I wasn’t, but I wanted to make sure that off the pitch I was doing all I could, because we had changes in managers, but I’d been here for a long time and looking after the Club was the most important thing to me.
“This group and the lads who have been around it for a while know exactly what this club means to people and that’s important. We can’t ever lose that. Generations are changing, naturally, but it’s absolutely essential you have a love and an understanding of the football club you play for.
“Now we have to look forward and I hope from here, in the next four, five, six years, we can really start to find our feet and start improving as a football club again, start winning trophies again. That is the dream – and somewhere in the back of my mind I think then I could take some sort of satisfaction in helping to steady the ship before us going on to flourish.”
Perhaps one of the reasons Coleman fitted in so well at Goodison Park was that the place was, in some ways, a reflection of himself.
A family-first man but an honest and fierce competitor – the 36-year-old believes he has enjoyed a unique arena to play his football.
“You get both sides of it,” he explains. “From the minute you pull up in your car on a matchday, you’ll see families together, kids, toddlers, waiting for you and happy to see the players and be at the match together. Then, once the match starts, something can spark the atmosphere, like a bad decision from the referee and you feel that noise and hostility. I think it’s unique to have the two things – this is a family-oriented club and it’s something we are proud of but we also have that Scouse togetherness and an edge when things aren’t going our way, which is also important.
“I met The 1878s fan group last week and, as I was telling them, I don’t think we would have got through the past three or four years without the fans’ backing. We’ve needed a lot to come together to get it over the line and, without a doubt, the people inside the stadium played an enormous role in it.
“Evertonians are honest and the stadium itself is honest. You feel that when you play in it. There are times, you know, when they maybe aren’t happy with what you’re doing but what I say to that is we are playing for a massive football club here. It’s an honour to play at this football club, so, yes, you are going to be judged accordingly and if you’re not pulling your weight or doing the right things, then you’ll know about it.
“The other side of that is when you are doing the right things, when you show the things that the people can relate to and get behind then they’ll support you and lift you like you couldn’t imagine. With the backing of Evertonians, you feel like you’re walking 10 feet off the floor.
“So, yeah, there are so many emotions that I’ve had at Goodison, playing well and playing badly, but you can say for absolutely certain the fans will stick with you to the very end if they see someone who’s given it their all.”
To this Premier League swansong against Southampton, Coleman’s message to his teammates is to save the emotion until after the final whistle.
“A little bit,” admits Coleman, when asked if he has imagined how today will feel. “I was on the bench against Ipswich and the display from all four sides of Goodison as the lads walked out to Z-Cars was something else. I stood up, just trying to take it all in.
“I looked around before and after the game at the people inside the stadium. Listen, I feel like I’m an Evertonian now but to so many of these people it’s been in their families for years and years. It’s been passed down by grandparents and family members, some of whom won’t be with us any more. The emotions attached to those feelings are huge and it’s special to be part of it and sharing it with everyone.
“People will say it elsewhere, but, for me, this is more than just a football club. I saw that more than ever when things weren’t going well and we were in trouble. Everton is people’s lives and they live every moment. You see it on their faces.
“I saw it on their faces at Ipswich and I’m sure again today it will feel even more intense to be moving away. It’s going to be a big mix of emotions, for sure, but it’s exciting for the Club and absolutely the right decision to help us move forward.
“But that part is in the future. It’s important we don’t forget on the day that our job on the pitch is to send it off properly. We have to do everything to get the result because that’s what Goodison and the supporters deserve.”
“This group and the lads who have been around it for a while know exactly what this club means to people – and that's important. We can't ever lose that"
Once today’s emotional farewell to Goodison Park is complete, Coleman believes there is every reason – and necessity – for Evertonians to look to the future with genuine optimism.
“It’s a real fresh start,” insists the skipper. “I think every Evertonian, every member of staff, every player, and everyone associated with the Football Club – we all have to embrace that different feeling and grab hold of it now.
“Forget these past few years we’ve had and look forward with real positivity. We have the new owners, the manager is back, we’re bringing in new people who can help us, so let’s embrace it and aim for the stars.
“I want us to improve as a football club from every aspect because we have to move on from these past three or four years. We’ve seen recently with other teams how quickly things can change for the better and that must be our goal now to go and be better and be excited for the future.”
"“Now we have to look forward and I hope from here, in the next four, five, six years, we can really start improving as a football club again, start winning trophies again. That is the dream"
Seamus Coleman
Reflecting on 2024/25 is a tricky one for Coleman, who accepts it has not been the season he envisioned, but one he finishes relieved the ultimate target has been reached.
“The end result, absolutely, was for Everton Football Club to be heading into our new stadium in the Premier League,” he says. “That’s been hanging over our heads for a few years and now it’s done.
“So, yeah, unselfishly, the goal was thankfully achieved but, you know, for my pride and professionalism, I’ve been disappointed with my availability this season – there is absolutely no getting away from that. I’ve had a couple of little niggles, I had an issue with my knee which I got resolved and that helped but I picked up another couple of little ones.
“The flip side to it is I’ve lived every minute of it and more than ever when it wasn’t going well earlier in the season. It ended up me even standing on the sideline as a manager alongside Bainesy, when I was supposed to be on the bench that day.
“The emotions and the stress levels have been through the roof because of the uncertainty. But I must say, since the gaffer [David Moyes] has come in, now I do feel relaxed and that’s the biggest compliment I can give him.
“I knew immediately there was someone in the building that will hurt every bit as much as me if Everton were to go down – and that there was someone in the building wanting Everton to succeed every bit as much as me. The manager has got unbelievable pride in being here. I know he’s been to Manchester United, West Ham, Sunderland, Real Sociedad, but I just feel like Everton is his club. He’s the manager, isn’t he?
“It’s helped me sleep a bit easier at night having him here again! I’ve been comfortable to step back a little bit because he gets it, and he knows what this is all about.
“The manager, Billy [McKinlay], Alan [Irvine] have all been fantastic for us. Bainesy, too, has been absolutely brilliant, which I think anyone who knew him knew he would be because he’s that character and whatever he puts his mind to, he’s nearly perfect in it.
“We’re in good hands and now we must all move forward, together.”
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