FANS COMMENT

Fortress Goodison?

Walking through the turnstiles and out into the stands at Goodison Park for the very first time was a memory that will always send a tingle down my spine. I think what was so special was the expectancy that you could taste in the air and when the Z cars theme tune started that was it; nothing could make this day any better. When we scored, the ground errupted into the strains of “Everton, Everton, Everton...” and “If you know your history...”

But that was it.

I must say I was quite disappointed, having never been to a match before and having heard my Dad talk forever about the 'School of Science,' the Legend of Dixie Dean and the good old days of 100,000 squeezing into watch Everton against ____ in the Fairs cup. I had mistakenly thought that with so much history we would have something to sing about. But apart from the occasional rehash of 'Everton Everton, Everton' and the first few lines of 'If you know your history' that was it! No noise, no fury, no passion.

Maybe just an off game I thought. But the next game was more of the same, and then next and the next.

'I can't complain', I thought, as I had only just lost my Goodison virginity. I am ashamed to say that it wasn't until the age of 23 that I went to my first away game. It was then that I realised the noise Everton fans were capable of. We thrashed an Andy Johnson-fronted Crystal Palace 3-1. The match couldn't have been more different from the placid ambience I had found to loiter around Goodison. We sang songs I had never heard of; every time we scored, we would howl every line of every number. I left the ground with an extremely horse voice from all the singing, but never prouder to wear the royal blue of my team.

Enough of my history. I write this article as I want to ask some stark questions. Where is the cauldron of fear teams should have when they hear the Everton roar as they step out on our pitch? Where is the support that should make every one of our players stand up and be counted when we hollar their names home and away?

I don't want this to be an idle message that comes to nothing. I do not want to offend my kin like some have done in their recent rants. What I want is for us all to leave every game, with our throats aching, our opposition conquered and our boys victorious.

How about Toffeeweb being the catalyst for that change? If anyone has ideas, mail them in and let's see what we can do to make Goodison (and any new stadium we way get in the future) the fortress of noise it should be.

Responses:

I used to go and see Cardiff City when I lived down in South Wales, and believe it or not they had more of an atmosphere than us...little old Cardiff!? Come on Everton we've got a hell of a lot more to sing about than your average team. Lets get Goodison rock'n as it should be.
David McMahon

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