Bound for Bramley-Moore Dock

Over to Dave Pearl to lay down the vocals and backing track :-)

I love the Goodison Supper Bar. I love the Winslow. I love the Brick. The Saddle and now the Dark House. The walk from Kirkdale Station. The experience of those streets will never be replaced or forgotten. But they need replacing with a new history that we need to build.

Every time I go it takes me back to my childhood and reminds me of some embarrassing photos of me with dodgy haircuts and 70s trousers I wish my mother had not dressed me in. If I figure out how to upload photos onto this site, I'll share them for a laugh.

But the Goodison I was at as as a youngster is hardly different to the one I attended, emotionally drained a couple of weeks ago. It is pretty much the Goodison I stood at in the 80s and hasn't changed much. Which speaks volumes for how our club has progressed. Or hasn't more to the case.

She's a Grand Old Lady, but her time is sadly done. I'll miss her, I'll always remember her, but it's time to move. It has been for decades.

We are taking over the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey and taking back our City. And bringing home that 10th league title.

I love Goodison Park.
I love it when it's jumping.
I love it when it's full (and I have been there with over 70,000 people inside).
I love it when it is empty (less than 4,000),
I love the cramped concourses,
I love the scouse pies (even the new ones),
I love that it is the only club ground to host a World Cup Semi-Final,
I love that it was the first to host an American baseball game.
I love that it is the first ground to have undersoil heating.
I love the Archibald Leitch criss-cross.
I love that it has staged more top-flight games than any other ground.
I love that it was the first club ground to hold an FA Cup Final.
I love that it was the first club ground to be visited by a reigning monarch (George V).
I love that it was the first ground in Britain to have 4 double-decker stands.
I love St Luke's and the Littlewoods Clock in the corner.
I love that it was the venue for my first date with my now ex-wife.
I love the look on my son's face the first time I took him to a game there.

In short, I love the Old Lady and cannot imagine life without her.

My son and I walked right around the ground after the Palace game and no matter how they try to recreate that feeling, they never will. It is an atmosphere that has developed organically over all those decades and it isn't something anyone can just put in place.

Goodison Park is more than just about the ground, it is about The Winslow, The Oak, The Brick and The Dark House, it's about the cramped streets of terraced houses around it, it is about looking at her across the park as she beckons to you on match days.

Now stop getting me all emotional and go and pet a dolphin.

Nothing will replace our Goodison Park. She will always be part of our history.

But we march on. Marching down to Bramley-Moore Dock. All the windows open wide.

We are respected.

The 10th League title is lifted at our first season in the new stadium. There you go, I've given you a time frame.

And I'll buy you one in the White Horse. Or the Elephant. Or the Wine Bar across the road for that matter!!

It can be interpreted as a song for a beautiful, gracious eternal woman, and of course is what Goodison Park was and will be in our minds until we fade away.

Better to go with Bob Dylan and "Times They Are A-Changin'".

And we have to start changin' and movin' with them, mate, because we haven't up to now and look where it's got us.

Nostalgia's all well and good but it should never hold us back.

Onwards and upwards.

Oh, Tony, don't forget my prezzie either, it's the G45. :-)

Yes a very good alternative and brilliant song, and of course we do have to move with the times but it's going to be hard letting go of Goodison Park.

I was over in Birkenhead yesterday for a very sad occasion which nevertheless turned out to be a nice day because of the many lovely people I met ever there and they helped to brighten the event.

You're in my heart, you're in my soul
You've been my life as I grew old
You are my mother, you're my best friend
You're in my soul. ( forever ).

Being a bit unfair on Jack (#12). He obviously changed the lyric deliberately...we've all had dozen's of lovers but only one mother!

Any such songs when written, will be worthy of any great Hymn that has been written, such is what EFC, means and brings to our lives.

It's all hindsight now, but the time we spent eventually getting to this point, and with all the failed projects, we could have done a Tottenham. We could have bought the houses off the Bullens Road, offered to finance and relocate the Gwladys Street school and turned Goodison 90 degrees with the expanded land. It's similar to what they done to expand the Kemlyn Road, the really big stand and now the Analfield Road.

It wasn't to be. But in a couple of years, we will have a stadium that we can be as proud of as we have been of Goodison Park.

The old Judy is tired now and needs putting to sleep. As others have stated, we've got to move on, I feel sorry for the Goodison Supper Bar (best chippy in the city), The Winslow, The Harlech, The Cheppy, The Dark House etc. I just wonder if they'll survive without the matchday revenue.

When did folk first start making reference to "The Old Lady"... Goodison Park, that is??

At least give her the courtesy of the full title of "Grand" Old Lady. The name is older than what you are thinking. She was called that when I lived over there back in the 1960s.

Ah thanks for the memories that “So Long, Marianne” brings back! It's very apt for our new stadium. Maybe it for-tells the future, with naming rights I can't see Bramley-Moore Dock being a long-term name, and the beauty of the stadium design is there for all to see.

“Oh you really are a pretty one,
I see you've gone and changed your name again...”

Looking at the Bramley Moore stadium all four corners of the ground are linked together and looks much better.

Will be tough to say goodbye to the grand old lady, but what a stadium and location we have got at Bramley Moore, anyone visiting Liverpool will be drawn to the stadium, we already have a world wide fan base, but this location will blow the shite across the Park out of the water.

Exciting times ahead.

On saying this, I agree with what Ray says, the capacity is too low. The Rolling Stones may have stopped rolling for them to play there. However, Muse, Foo Fighters, Liam Gallagher et al may do. A good design for Rock!

With regards to capacity. There could be options.

Not just building but safe standing.

Schalke can accommodate in excess of 62,000 for a Bundesliga match but only a out 54,000 for internationals.

I personally think think the club has been realistic.

But there should be scope for growth if needed.