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What's it about, Operation Goodison Exercise?

Comments (35)

Yesterday, I was watching the Brum game. As the game was drifting away and we were nowhere close to scoring the winning goal, an announcement blared over the PA system: "Stand by for Operation Goodison Excercise", followed by "Commence Operation Goodison Excercise" and so on. I've heard it before of course, but I'm not sure they do it every match.

What's it all about? Is it a safety drill? Is it about the pies? Is it a warning for Hibbert's Mom? Who can help me, this is one of those things that just keeps me busy?

Erik Dols, Maastricht, the Netherlands     Posted 10/03/2011 at 08:10:44

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David Price
1   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:07:37

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It's an updated check to now see if anyone is racially abusing French players by calling them French .
Steven Astley
2   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:10:03

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It's a safety exercise to make sure all the stewards know what to do/where to be in case the ground needs to be evacuated.
Col Wills
3   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:09:36

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It's just a safety drill in case of a major emergency, basically all the stewards clear the way out and open the exit doors in case of a mass evacuation. It's very loud and also very frequent. Can't think I've heard similar at other grounds.
Michael Kenrick
4   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:13:18

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Why do they have to do it during the game? Especially when no other Premier League ground in the country does it?
Steven Astley
5   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:35:09

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Anfield do it as well...
Mark Murphy
6   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:36:04

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It's been going on since at least the 80s? Maybe even longer? I seem to remember it at a derby in the late 70s?<>I remember the derision in the early days ? now it's just absorbed.
Michael Kenrick
7   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:37:46

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Do they? Must be a Merseyside police requirement, I guess. I recall hearing it much more frequently a while back... maybe they have realised they don't need to do it every game.
Erik Dols
8   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:31:32

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Thanks for the answers.

Don't they have walkie talkies? Why use the PA system (thanks for adding that in the main post!), it's somewhat disturbing...
Col Wills
9   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:46:58

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Have you noticed how it disrupts the atmosphere as well, everyone stops and listens, I think the players must do as well! Well there's gotta be some reason why we concede these daft goals! Maybe we should all run-out when they do it next, they'd proper shit it then!
Steven Astley
10   Posted 10/03/2011 at 14:43:36

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It's only like a fire drill... Don't they do one of those in your place of work?

Using the PA system makes sure that is heard all around the ground, rather than relying on somewhat potentially, unreliable, walkie talkies.
John Ford
11   Posted 10/03/2011 at 15:52:31

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Couldn't they do it at half-time? Or are the stewards too busy eating all the pies.
Tommy Coleman
12   Posted 10/03/2011 at 15:58:46

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It's instructed code from Moyes for all the players to get behind the ball when they stop listening to all his sideline ramblings.
Charlie Dixon
13   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:12:34

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Great post as this does my fucking head in every home game. There is no need to do this as bar them lot I've never heard anything similar around the grounds.

It's not helped by the tannoy being turned upto 11 every week.

Kenwright out, public address system off!
Ray Roche
14   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:15:12

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It's for the stewards to practice emergency procedures as to what to do with the mass hysteria if

(a) Hibbert scores.
(b) Arteta beats the first man with a corner.
(c) We manage to kill off sides below us in the table.
(d) Moyes makes substitutions that are acceptable to ToffeeWeb readers.

I'm sure there are more....

Albert Veldhuizen
15   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:20:56

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It`s Plan B from David Moyes.
Shaun Brennan
16   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:31:30

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It so we look like a bunch of wankers!!
Jason Thomas
17   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:43:27

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The funniest thing I saw was about two seasons ago on the last day. We played Pompy and when the announcement came over the PA all the Pompy fans were doing star jumps. Classic!
Micky Norman
18   Posted 10/03/2011 at 16:47:23

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It's a coded message. It means "Vic, get yer tracky off you're going on"
Adam Cunliffe
19   Posted 10/03/2011 at 17:20:12

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Jason, I was laughing at that myself, it was last year and they all came in fancy dress, you had banana man doing star jumps haha!
Richard Dodd
20   Posted 10/03/2011 at 18:07:48

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Some comic sat near me suggested it was a way to keep the stewards awake when the fare on the turf was boring them stiff. Someone else added that the exercise is never announced when we are in the lead. I`m sure some stato could check out the truth of that statement!
David Hallwood
21   Posted 10/03/2011 at 19:39:37

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Understand why it's done but does it have to be done at the same decibels as a Metallica concert?
John Audsley
22   Posted 10/03/2011 at 19:49:55

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Got to agree with Doddy... I'm sure it's when we are a goal down.

Always thought it was a message to the stewards to check for copper and silver on the Goodison floors

When that woman does it, her voice goes right through me, she sounds like a mean lady!
Jeremy Benson
23   Posted 10/03/2011 at 20:46:44

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I thought it was for the stewards to clear the way for the cash box of on-the-turnstile ticket sales to make its way to the bank before the end of the match...
Dick Fearon
24   Posted 10/03/2011 at 21:44:13

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Its a signal to security staff for them to line up with columns of four around BK while he makes a break for his limo.
Micheal Lynch
25   Posted 10/03/2011 at 21:58:55

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It's the puka pie van arriving at the ground to deliever the Yak's daily order. No-one told the PA man he's gone so soon we won't hear it.
Chris Cook
26   Posted 11/03/2011 at 01:19:20

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isn't it the que for Yak to start doing star jumps to work off said pies?
Peter Bradshaw
27   Posted 11/03/2011 at 01:52:17

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They have Operation Goodison at Anfield too.
Chris Bannantyne
28   Posted 11/03/2011 at 02:58:58

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Yeah, it's a drill to cope with the riot caused by Hibbert scoring. The other lot use it as a signal for the stewards to start counting Norwegians in the ground.
James Cadwaladr
29   Posted 11/03/2011 at 09:06:14

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Let's blame the board.

Probably don't hear it at other grounds as all their stewards have fancy radio comms. Have you ever seen a Steward at Goodison with Comms?

No, can't afford it, so the punter gets their wax blasted out of their ears. Perhaps it's a stealth public service.
Anthony Millington
30   Posted 11/03/2011 at 11:10:34

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It's a signal that Moyes has ran out of ideas and we will play hoofball for the rest of the game in a desperate attempt to score.
Peter Dancer
31   Posted 11/03/2011 at 12:07:30

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It happens everywhere. At the Chelsea game they had " Will Mr (...) go to the south west stand" or something like that. Wembley has Messers Green/Amber/Red etc. It's a legal requirement.
Rob Hamilton
32   Posted 11/03/2011 at 12:25:23

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#29 James Cadwaladr.

Don't be silly, James. Of course the stewards have comms. It's just that sometimes the string between the cans snaps putting them off-line.
Ray Roche
33   Posted 11/03/2011 at 15:30:09

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Rob, I saw a steward with a can with NO string on it. It was his mobile.
Karl Masters
34   Posted 11/03/2011 at 18:35:49

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This used to really wind me up when that snotty young woman used to announce it in a posh scouse accent. It certainly did the other night as Baines was literally swinging his boot at a corner at the time.

I thought they only did it once a season though.

The fellas remembering the Pompey game last year ? that was a classic. Their small band of fans in the paddock showed it up for the PC, Health & Safety, don't dare to leave the house bollox it is by doing those star jumps.

On the subject of PA announcements, does anybody remember when "Can Mr Michael Shields please report to the nearest steward" used to ring out at away games? Our loveable Red friend who was incarcerated in a Bulgarian jail after the Champions League final of 2005! :)
Jeff Armstrong
35   Posted 11/03/2011 at 19:52:08

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Funny how some posters say it never happens at other grounds, then others say it happens everywhere, maybe it doesn't come across on the telly!!!

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