Season › 2024-25 › Opinion › Talking Points My idea for the first senior game at the new stadium by John Hall | 11/04/2025 19 Comments [Jump to last] Return to Talking Points index : Add your Comments » Reader Comments (19) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Tony Abrahams 1 Posted 11/04/2025 at 16:53:13 That’s a fantastic sentimental idea, that John.For a man who has been a credit to himself, our club and his profession, since he was signed from part-time football all those years ago. Mike Hayes 2 Posted 11/04/2025 at 18:10:30 Great idea in the testimonial for Seamus and Roma for the opposition or Sligo Rovers where he came from? Colin Glassar 3 Posted 11/04/2025 at 20:52:53 Like the Seamus testimonial idea. It would be a great send off and could raise tons of money for a charity of his choice, John Hall 4 Posted 12/04/2025 at 19:54:11 Thank you, Michael, for giving me this platform for my idea. I really believe the club should go for this idea and give Seamus the send-off he deserves. It would be the perfect way to start our life in the new stadium! COYB! John Hall 5 Posted 12/04/2025 at 20:01:00 We seem to have lost the lead post for this article. I hope everyone understand that my 'great' idea is for the first game at the new stadium to be awarded to Seamus as his testimonial game and a final chance for him to lead his beloved blues onto the pitch for the last time. We could have Roma or another big team as the opposition and everyone can enjoy the new stadium and Seamus's final Everton fling! What do you think? (By the way the club and especially Seamus have absolutely no idea about this testimonial.) Phil Roberts 6 Posted 13/04/2025 at 14:52:10 I had proposed that we play, Juve.The Old Lady playing the first match after we leave The Old Lady.Plus 40 years on we can commemorate the 39 of their fans who lost their lives going to a football match. Dave Williams 7 Posted 14/04/2025 at 15:29:12 Phil — absolutely not! I don't want that lot anywhere near our grand opening as it immediately becomes about them rather than us!Roma is not a bad bet — we need to foster relations with them for the future. Dennis Stevens 8 Posted 14/04/2025 at 15:34:19 Maybe it'd be a good opportunity to invite CD Everton back over from Chile? Tony Cunningham 9 Posted 14/04/2025 at 15:55:57 I like the idea of Everton v CD Everton for the first match. Sligo is a close 2nd though. Ian Burns 10 Posted 14/04/2025 at 16:09:21 Sligo Rovers or CD Everton are good shouts but the first ever game at Goodison Park was in 1892 against Bolton Wanderers. Just a thought to repeat this first fixture in the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock... Ian Jones 11 Posted 14/04/2025 at 16:11:06 John, I like the idea. Good thought. my second thought was why would it be a 'final chance for him to lead his beloved blues onto the pitch for the last time'? Unless I've missed something and there's been an announcement about his future, I can see him re-signing at least for a year; whether that's the best idea to offer him a new contract remains to be seen. I imagine Seamus will know when the time has come and perhaps move into coaching at some level. He seems to have all the prerequisites to be a role model.Having said that, he'll probably end up with Frank Lampard at Coventry. John Hall 12 Posted 14/04/2025 at 17:18:03 Hi Ian, Nothing has been announced about Seamus' retirement plans, but I can't see an offer of a new contract any time soon. That said, I might be wrong. Phil Roberts 13 Posted 14/04/2025 at 21:38:03 Dave, Given that match in 1985 ruined the lives of 39 families from Turin and the best side Everton have had in the last 50+ years - a chance to remind the world what a horrible bunch they are and how much class we have. Tony Abrahams 14 Posted 14/04/2025 at 22:00:46 We could even ask the Liverpudlians, if they could lend us their Steau Bukarest flags🤷♂️ Dave Williams 15 Posted 15/04/2025 at 09:49:10 Phil #13 you always had a bit more class than me!I take your point but I just don’t want them anywhere near this - they’d find a way to become the victims!What about inviting Carlo and his Real Madrid team? Danny O'Neill 16 Posted 15/04/2025 at 10:45:17 I like the idea of it being Seamus' testimonial and him entering the pitch through a guard of honour by both teams.Roma is an obvious shout due to the links we now have, although we did play them last pre-season at Goodison.Real Madrid, but it wouldn't be with Carlo as he leaves in the summer.Juventus might be a bit controversial. Leave that for when we play them in Europe.I wouldn't want Celtic or Rangers or an English team for that matter.Liverpool. Just no. Maybe a Juventus flag would be better than the Steaua one Tony. With the wording they displayed on a banner at the return leg of their Champion's League fixture several years ago after the Kop's earlier attempt at reconciliation with a banner saying "Amicizia" (friendship).The response was "Easy to Speak, Difficult to Pardon".Maybe best not to go down that route. We have more class than them.And it is the anniversary of Hillsborough today. There have been a lot of posts on social media, many from Evertonians. We have shown our class over the years, giving them nothing but support.In return we get the Steaua banner in our faces and taunted. Bob Parrington 17 Posted 18/04/2025 at 06:10:52 If not Sligo Rovers, how about the Eire national team? Just a thought. Jim Milner 18 Posted 22/04/2025 at 12:04:28 For me it has to be Everton vs Everton de Vina del Mar, the only game Everton can't lose! Ray Robinson 19 Posted 22/04/2025 at 12:10:56 I first heard about the idea of using the third test event as a testimonial for Seamus Coleman at the second test event. I thought it would be at the end of this season but now I’m hearing rumours that the third test event will be in July. Cutting it a bit fine aren’t we? What happens if there are issues identified that prevent the licence being issued, with the new season just days away? Or is the granting of a licence just a rubber stamping exercise? 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