I agree, terrific atmosphere at the end but in the first half the atmopshere was terrible, you could hear a pin drop.

If we see two better goals than Saha's all season, I will be surprised... what!?! If that's the case, I will tear up my season ticket now!

As for the football last night it was okay, not amazing as some have suggested, and the hoofball was evident as much as in any other game. The reason it worked was that Chelsea's back four were not operating as they can, Terry particularly... Feet on the ground time!!

As for the stadium debate, Goodison, for all its history, is a shit ground... in fact almost the worst stadium in the Prem. As for atmosphere, one of the best, why not take that atmosphere into a new decade somewhere new?

If only it happened more often this season. To be honest, it was quiet in the first 20 odd mins, and it took some good football to lift the crowd. But from there the atmosphere was great.

Just an observation — the atmosphere is definitely better at Goodison at evening matches. This will hopefully prove the case for our next match, albeit a late afternoon silly-time kick off. With Sporting struggling lately (just got dumped out of the cup 4-1 at home to city rivals Benfica), I think we could bang in a few goals on Tuesday night. They must be down on confidence after losing 5-2 to Porto a few weeks ago, and since then, have been poor in the league.

Come on you Blue Boys, prove that the derby was just a blip in our good run of form.

Sorry, went off the subject a bit.

Back to the Old Lady. I’d love it if we could take the club forward by gradually re-developing Goodison, but for now, I think it's important we fill the place. Our average attendance is roughly the amount of ’non-restricted-view’ seats, so why can’t they offer the seats behind the pillars for £20 or so. £1 off is a joke, and I wouldn’t even get a ticket there for a big match at that price. I know it’s been said before, but it does seem ridiculous to me.

Agreed, Tony - still saddens me how Kenwright could conceive of dumping us in a soul-less concrete bowl...

I was in the Lower Gwladys and it was non-stop to "get stuck in, close ’em down, track back, don’t let ’em walk around ye, man on..." Some would call that whinging, moaning, not supporting... but it was the Evertonian brand of encouragement — the players were visibly in no doubt what was required of them, and they responded manfully.

We’re a contrary lot a times and will sulkily watch a game until we’re roused — a strong tackle, a bit of skill or the feeling that the opposition don’t like it up ’em — then the fun starts!

There’s no better place to be than a night game at Goodison when the crowd and team work together — I felt ten-feet tall being there; imagine how the players must feel in that atmosphere!

If we played all our matches at night like Chelsea and City (and remember a few years ago when Dunc tore Ferdinand to shreds when we beat Utd), we would be in the Sky 4.

The night time atmosphere at Goodison is second to none.

Chris... take our atmosphere somewhere new! You mean like The Emirates or The Reebok to name but two souless dead stadiums compared to the intimidating previous grounds these two had.

A revamp of Goodison would do us, we don't need hundreds of Exec Boxes which would stand empty or another 15,000 seats which would too stand empty too.

Chris Keightley... tell me that again.

I agree but let’s be realistic when we discuss it. I am sure most of us have been inside the four stands at Goodison and all would have to be knocked down/rebuilt - not only because of the exterior but the interior. The concourses are small, the dressing rooms are tiny, the corridors tight (although saying that Old Trafford is similar).

The Park End would need to become a double tier (as it should have been originally), the main stand would have to be rebuilt as would the Bullens and Gwladys. There is no way we could continue to play at The Old Lady while this occured, so at least two years playing... where? Also, without a Tesco handout there is no way we could afford it.

Don’t get me wrong — the older I get (30), the more I want to stay at Goodison. (I live in the States and Boston Red Sox have stayed at their old ground and actually celebrate the history of it in the face of everyone else’s brand new parks.) However, I just don’t see it as feasible unless we get a major sugar daddy in to bankroll it.

When I say 'shit ground' I mean interior, exterior and for those that take offence, I apologise... but as a ground it does not enable us to move forward as a club long term. The restricted views and the fact that we can't hold 45,000 will hold us back; we have the squad — let's have the ground worthy of our stature.

Although, as far as atmosphere, it takes a lot of beating and that is the case with all neutrals I know that have visited.

As for soul less grounds re-Bolton/Reebok, Arsenal- Emirates, we are not them. We are Everton supporters... if we played in a car park, the atmosphere would be the best — that's why I love the club!!

I don’t think anybody disputes that Goodison is a great stadium. The atmosphere it generates is something special. There is nothing more satisfying than a roaring crowd and a good performance.

The case for moving is not down to to the atmosphere not being good enough, its down to the fact that we have essentially a 36,000 seater stadium, as we can not regularly fill the obstructed views. I do agree with the idea of dropping the price of obstructed views more though, as empty seats generate nothing.

I see the ’anti singing’ brigade and ’atmosphere is for kopites’ brigade have shut up in the last few weeks after yesterday and City.

For all the complaining they do I have yet to hear anyone moan when we do get a good atmosphere.

As for floodlights, how about we do a Tranmere and play Friday nights!

That slow build to (almost) lunacy is a VERY Goodison thing.

When I hear people talk about the atmosphere/crowd at say Stoke, I always felt there’s something very..erm ’Sky’ about it.

IE: The noise is right from the off and all a bit self-conscious and contrived.

Martin Tyler type: "Whaaaat about this atmosphere Andy?"

Freddie Starr: "Incredible - a can hardly hear masel think, ho ho!’"

The Goodison experience is very different, the noise (or lack of it) depending on what is happening on the pitch.

Often quiet for at least the first half, it can, I’m sure, lull away teams into a false sense of security.

When it’s like that, I’m often pleased to see one of their (or our!) players booked for something dirty.

This more than anything is what pushes up the volume at Goodison (nb: NO supporters do outraged and appalled better than us).

Once it starts to build, you will sometimes see opposition players looking around them to see if something has happened.

When the noise reaches it’s peak at Goodison, it is truly incredible.

I’ve seen experienced players look very nervous when having to retrieve balls for throw ins, free kicks etc.

I believe that when needed, Goodison CAN be a twelfth man and if we move (nb: hope we never do!) things like distance of supporters from grass are put before what looks good on a blueprint.

The crowd is currently reactive rather than proactive.

As an Evertonian. I understand the love affair with Goodison and the attachment I feel to it when I manage to get to the home matches. This season, I have spent more time at away games due to my job involving travel and long stints away from home.

Last night, I was given two tickets to watch Arsenal vs Liverpool at the Emerites in the Platinum section, small second tier up. Now i have to say the facilities where fantastic and on a different planet to Goodison and many other grounds. If we are to stay at Goodison and do the stadium piecemeal, we must do it with Quality. No point otherwise. Went to Fulham this year and, I have to say... chalk and cheese; wouldn't come close. COYB

I did notice that on Match of the Day they did a lingering shot on the crowd at the end of the match, the noise from all the fans singing "If you know your history" was almost deafening, and most impressive! I was (even more) proud to be an Evertonian.

Snag is, if Goodison Park was to be developed in the way we need it to be, then the stands would have to be completely replaced and the whole ground moved a pitch's width.

None of those old stands would be there any more and it would resemble one of those ’soulless bowls’ much more closely than it does now as new builds would presumably have to satisfy a whole different set of building regs?

You will have ’kept’ Goodison Park only in name and rough location.

This has all the aspects of Abraham Lincoln’s Grandfather’s axe...Apart from 4 new handles and 2 new heads it’s the same one my Grandad used and I still use it today.

WE, make the ground special, THE TEAM, make the ground special, even the performance and occasion make it special. The rest is so much wood and concrete, embelished with some fancy trademark Lietch crosshatching, like a familiar item of clothing we only use when we need, but we do need it and it is too good to biff out as it does its job every time it snows or what ever...BUT

BUT, after time great edifices soak up the atmosohere and history and acquire a morphic resonance (I think thats the term), they (seem to) influence events and carry a sort of unstoppable historic imperative, that can, when the factors are right influence events...excessive substance alert... they even seem to become semi sentient.

They acquire A SOUL... far fetched?? Well after last night and others down the years who is to say??

Someone mentioned the Boston Red Sox in a post a short while back. They have redeveloped that stadium piecemeal over 10 years. They replaced the entire lower bowl last winter (probably 18-19,000 seats,out of 37). Its doable.

Also, check out the Red Bulls' new arena in New Jersey. Drove past it the other night and it looks fabulous. Tight space (only holds 25,000) but it looks what a modern football stadium should be. Google it and check out the pictures.

Dan, there were empty seats in the Park End last night, they are not obstructed views, and every game this season (minus the derby) there have been many a seat available that I could see that was not obstructed.

It's a false claim in my eyes for people who just cannot be arsed, I see it every other Saturday when I come back to my local after the game, around 20 former match-going blues, friends of mine supping thier tenth pint having watched us on the Arab channel... so it’s not cash with them at £2.50 a pint.

I offered my seaon ticket to one of them for the City game as I was on holiday, the lad was a season ticket holder for years not too long ago... and he looked pissed off that he had to accept my freebie or look an ungrateful shit, as he wanted to sit in the warm boozer and watch it on the box.

To think that, if we had a new flat pack without a few posts in the way would bring us thousands of fans in, is rubbish; it’s pub football that is doing the damage.

I know the powers that be have probably looked at all options with regards to the redevelopment of Goodison, but here in Australia when we built the stadiums for the 2000 Olympics, the swimming centre had a grandstand purposely built at a dramatic angle and every seat had a perfect view. This grandstand was then removed after the olympics and erected at an aging rugby league ground called Win Stadium where the seating capacity was greatly increased.

My point or question is, Has the Board explored all options for the redevelopment, including consulting companies like the one that built this type of grandstand? We seem to go overseas for medical help and I hope the same goes for this as well.

A recent poll to gather information for a place for the Everton hardcore singers to congregate asked fans if they wanted it in an obstructed view area in the Gwladys Street or in the Park End at Park End prices.

Out of nearly 60 people 50 of those chose the obstructed view area.