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Goodison Park – a prodigious cathedral of English football.

Recently, she has looked absolutely stunning.

It’s as if she now knows she’s coming to her final days and she’s putting on her old, worn out dancing shoes for one last waltz.

Reality now dawns on us Evertonians that in approximately three years, the ‘Grand Old Lady’ will finally be laid to rest.

Before you know it, the bulldozers will be in - crushing down the Gwladys Street, smashing up the Park End, tearing the Main Stand apart and destroying those famous Archibald Leitch Bullens Road stands.

(Image: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

While it will be a sorrowful afternoon for Blues fans, it will be more of a depressing day for football in this country.

There aren't many stadiums in world football, (yes, I did say world football), that can generate a cauldron of noise like that place can.

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The Emirates and the Etihad are simply modern day corporate bowls that find it virtually impossible to recapture the atmosphere of a traditional old English football ground.

It cost £3,000 back in 1892. But the former Mere Green Field quickly became Everton Football Club's soul.

The first purpose built football stadium in England became home of many a first, not least the only English stadium outside Wembley to host a World Cup semi final.

All the footballing greats to have played the game we all love have trod the hallowed turf – Pele, Eusebio, Ronaldo…

This is 130 years worth of history we are talking about here – a Liverpool institution.

From Dixie heading in his 60th to that famous Bayern Munich night, Goodison Park has witnessed some breathtaking moments.

Iconic commentary lines such as “Reid’s cross, Gray!!!”, “Remember the name”, “Arteta himself, what a moment, what a goal”, “Duncan Ferguson, 10 years on, you don’t have to imagine the atmosphere now, just take it in!”, “Its gonna fall down to Andy King oh yes, he’s got it” have been engraved into the Goodison Park headstone.

Goodison Park undoubtedly is a beating heart of English football.

A special location where football became science.

Against Manchester United this season it was at its brilliant bear pit best - very much like it has been since the Merseyside derby in March.

(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Vile, horrible, hostile, passionate, venomous, bitter – call it what you like, it was absolutely bouncing and everything you symbolise with this grand old stadium.

No team would have beaten Everton that day.

A total of 37,000 Evertonians swaggered through the turnstiles with one objective on their minds.

Their role since the Merseyside derby has been to make every 90 minutes as uncomfortable for the opposition as they can. They have gone above and beyond.

At 1:25pm, the Gwladys Street was rocking, the Park End responded and by that time all four sides of the famous old stadium were up. And then the sirens sounded.

It sent shivers down your spine. The drums from Z Cars kicked in. The noise was ridiculous.

Seamus Coleman led the team out and you just knew Everton were not going to lose this football match.

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National journalists in the press box couldn’t quite believe the noise. The Sky Sports commentary team were waxing lyrical about the atmosphere.

At times, the old atmospheric stadium was literally moving, it was intimidating.

When all four sides of Goodison Park in tandem sing: “We’re by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen...” It really is hairs on the back of your neck stuff.

I’m certain if Everton had scored late on in that Merseyside derby the ground have taken off and moved to the Bramley Moore Dock itself!

Is this just us Evertonians who are biased about their stadium then?

Okay, I’ll take of my blue-tinted specs and grab some previous quotes about the affect it has on a neutral.

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“It is always a nightmare going there and it wouldn’t matter whether it was Dixie Dean playing for us. The atmosphere is fantastic.” Alex Ferguson.

“I never found Anfield intimidating. Goodison Park had the better atmosphere.” Paul Scholes.

“Everton’s ground is a lot more aggressive than Liverpool’s. It’s one of the noisiest I’ve been to. It has a great atmosphere.” Arsene Wenger.

“I love to play Everton, especially at Goodison Park, where the atmosphere is magnificent.” Jose Mourinho.

“Goodison Park is the hardest place to referee in the Premier League.” Howard Webb.

Three of the most successful managers the Premier League has seen, one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and the highest ranked referee to come out the Premier League all paying homage to the Toffees’ current home in L4.

(Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)

Even from the current crop of managers for someone so experienced such as Jurgen Klopp to lose his cool at the full-time whistle, giving the opportunity for an Everton ball boy to joke and applaud in the German's face, screams to me that the hostile atmosphere Goodison Park can produce can really get to the best of them.

Marco Silva added in the same post-match derby press conference: "Let me say one thing to you; in my opinion one of the most important things happened this afternoon.

"The atmosphere in our stadium was fantastic, amazing. I felt really fantastic, and if I am sitting on the other bench or on the opposing team, I would be feeling that things are really difficult for me.

It's something I want, this desire every match, it is our obligation to show this every time, and together we can make things really difficult for all the teams, and show them that this is Goodison Park."

Evertonians never cease to amaze me but this season they’ve left me aghast.

(Image: Colin Lane)

They’ve been dragged up on relegation dogfights, witnessed five managers in the past three seasons, haven’t seen a trophy in 25 years, no victory over arch rivals in 10 years, three failed ground moves, I could go on and on….

This is officially the worst period in the club's history in terms of success.

No generation of supporters have suffered more than this current blue bunch.

Add to that the fact that their neighbours (currently the biggest points gap margin between them in modern times) could clinch a league title this season - that would then mean Liverpool would have won every single trophy there is to win since Everton last won one!

Don’t even come back to me about how loyal these Everton supporters are – they are best in the country by a mile.

Can you imagine these Evertonians when we eventually play our last ever match at L4 4EL?

There won’t be a dry eye in the house. I’ll be an emotional wreck.

The memories will all come flooding back of my first-ever match with my dad against Liverpool, swinging from trees at Stanley Park viewing the Wimbledon game, running on the pitch after that Coventry City match, ending up eight rows away from my seat when Rooney burst on the scene vs Arsenal, being part of a Gwladys Street actual limbs moment when Duncan Ferguson battered down Manchester Utd in 2005, kissing my brother after Andy Johnson grabbed our third in the derby, I could go on..

Some rivals will laugh at the moments that I’ve just reminisced on, where’s your Champions League nights?, where’s your famous European nights?

I’m not really bothered about what they think.

That’s my life, that’s me supporting my local team in 30 odd years worth of effort, pain and quite often I’ve had little back in return but wouldn’t swap a second of it for anything.

(Image: Colin Lane)

That’s all I know and I'm extremely proud of it.

The stench of horse manure saturated into the Goodison Road tarmac is part of the experience.

The whiff of cannabis as you stroll through County Road is what it is.

The famous pillars that provide obstructive views is part of our history.

The dated wooden seats are our identity.

The trainers tied together by their laces hanging over the telephone wire on Goodison Road is part of our culture.

Operation Goodison exercise is what we all know.

St Luke’s Church and its glorious garden.

The Goodison Park supper bar queue is part of our routine.

The berating noise from the Paddock at a match official is what I adore.

The fans standing up on the back row of the Main Stand is why we’re more than a crowd.

The Street End in the sun is a glorious picture.

The late arrivals legging to their seats mid Z Cars is what we’re about.

The Home of the Blues sign in the tunnel is our standard.

The close proximity of the pitch to the fans is what makes the stadium unique.

The old scoreboard with ‘GOAL’ on is part of our heritage.

Showing my Junior Evertonian card through the Gwladys Street wooden turnstile is my upbringing.

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The same faces pre-match waiting outside the players entrance are what I’ll miss.

I’ll miss it all.

Nothing will ever come close to replicating Goodison Park, nothing ever.

The only authentic and traditional ground left in the country.

Bramley Moore Architect Dan Meis has a thankless and impossible job on his hands.

It’s indescribable what Goodison Park means to us Evertonians.

We’ll all miss her deeply so enjoy her while we can.