Derby will be played at Goodison Park

Goodison Park it is then.

Church roof? Vicar should put a few chairs up and sell some tickets. 2 meters apart of course!

I have to admit I got really annoyed about this, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it stank of the "football hooligans" jibe dating back to the Thatcher years. Haven't we got beyond that? Not according to some...

That particularly unpleasant association was underlined by the incredible fact that the neutral venues nonsense came from, of all people, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of the South Yorkshire Police — are you fucking kidding me! Telling the populace of Liverpool where their teams can and can't play football on grounds of safety??? Such hypocrisy. How fucking dare they!

Then we've had the unmitigated madness of the race riots — far more dangerous and far more problematic than a few fans out on the streets, and they've been allowed to run riot in the dubious name of democratic protest — totally flouting what's left of the lockdown.

There should never, ever have been any suggestion that the game had to be moved. It should have been vehemently opposed by all parties, and thankfully now has been put to bed.

Rant over!

Good rant though, Michael. I completely agree with all of that.

Michael, agree with Paul #4, good rant.

I recall the year after the Hillsborough disaster, we were drawn away at Wednesday in the cup. Obviously the terracing was closed, and I recall fans dropping flowers down from the stand. It was I think 4th round - and possibly only half-full.

Then they announced a 30-minute delay to kick-off to allow fans to safely enter the ground. That tokenism, symbolism or whatever only served to reignite anger at the attitude of SYP.

Earlier today, one of the tabloids is running a story online about how far-right groups are planning to "protect" various statues in London this weekend from potential BLM protests – and openly describes them as football hooliganism.

The press as a whole in the UK has gone to shit since the advent of online publishing – the quantity of crap posted has lead to a worsening (which I didn't think possible) of journalistic integrity and overall quality, with a few notable exceptions.

The thing is, Matt, the likes of Facebook & Twitter encourage opinionated, extreme, factless argument and print/TV has started to follow that dumbed-down route, with ignorant, shouty, partisan 'think tank' employees spouting their one-sided bile. Clearly, articulate people who know their stuff aren't 'good TV', for now at least.

My only worry would be that, in the current climate, the sort of people who like to tag on to any sort of crowd activity and cause trouble might see football gatherings as a potential opportunity. Hopefully both sets of supporters will keep away and the 'measures in place' will work out.

I remain of the opinion that no football should be being played while hundreds of people are still dying.

Playing devil's advocate, however, thousands of "protesters" were allowed to march (and more!) shoulder to shoulder in direct contravention of social distancing rules, as Michael says, "totally flouting what's left of lockdown". As police forces up and down the country stood by and allowed this to happen, is there now a case for asking those same police forces to allow reduced and socially distanced crowds (no away fans!) into these football matches? That would allow this game to seem more like the home game, with the added advantages that brings, that it is supposed to be.

Just a thought, because I say, I don't believe this or any other Premier League match should be taking place at the moment.

If any fans turn up and congregate at any ground, I'll bet they are treated a lot different than the race rioters.

Agree with every word, Michael.

Eric, like you, I hope they don't turn up but, if they do, it will be interesting to see the sort of treatment meted out by the police.

Michael 3,

So the race riots were madness and according to you the people who took part ran riot in the dubious name of democracy. Apart from a few in London, all the other protesters in marches across the country went off peacefullly without any arrests, but hey don't let the facts cloud your Daily Mail outlook.

Then you say about the football hooliganism jibe, well I guess the Everton fans who went looking for trouble this season miles from the ground and one was slashed across the face wasn't hooliganism. This was apparently 2 groups of fans deciding to meet up before a game for a fight.

Maybe you also thought Liverpool fans throwing cans and bottles at the Man City coach was just a bit of banter. And talking of law and order, despite about 40 Liverpool fans taking part in this riotous behaviour and despite there being a huge police presence no arrests were made.

So, if you think hooliganism doesn't exist, you are misguided.

I'd suggest the police had to be very careful how they handled these race riots (sorry protests). If it had have been footy fans instead you can guarantee the police would have been a lot more heavy handed and fines thrown about like confetti.

Matt @ 5.

'The press as a whole in the UK has gone to shit since the advent of online publishing – the quantity of crap posted has lead to a worsening (which I didn't think possible) of journalistic integrity and overall quality, with a few notable exceptions.'

I keep reading such entries here on TW. I take a contrary view.

Sure, if you want to base your view on journalism on the tabloids you may have a case. And whilst the internet allows the whackiest of views, it is also a considerable platform for good.

There are many, many EXCELLENT independent, deeper- thinking media outlets doing great work.

Even main stream journalism gets a kicking at times it doesn't always deserve.

Here in Brazil they have been outstanding in the face of the malefice being perpetuated by the malignant and totally incompetent Bolsonaro.

Never more so this past week when Bozo BR and his Ministry of Health attempted to withhold and doctor the daily reported figures of the Covid-19 cases and deaths.

On Monday during the lunch time news it was announced that in the absence of total transparency - essential to understand the spread and plight of the pandemic - Brazil's major media players unified in an unprecedented act of collaboration to ensure the true figures would be reported daily.

They would utilize their national and local networks to ensure every state, city, town and village, no matter what size the municipality, would have their 24 hour Covid-19 returns registered and compiled into a single national figure by 8pm each evening which the nation's own Ministry of Health had started withholding.

I literally stood and applauded in front of the TV.

That was Monday. Yesterday, the Ministry of Health, backed down. Widely condemned worldwide, not just in Brazil for their evident attempts to hide the ever-burgeoning disasterous figures, reverted back to the open-to-all system they tried to censor.

It is the equivalent of the UK's Ministry of Health announcing after 3 months of reporting all data in an open transparent way, presenting two base numbers on an unknown criteria, but being shamed into reverting back due to a collaboration between BBC, ITV, Channels 4 and 5, Sky and BT, using their extensive national and local networks with a rapid intevention from the UK's highest court, the House of Lords.

It was a great day for free and democratic journalism.

DP 7.'Hopefully both sets of supporters will keep away'

Yea????? What planet are you on?

I note the BBC News website "front page" currently illustrates this story - derby to be played at GOODISON PARK, home of EVERTON - with a picture of... kopites holding scarves aloft. Say no more.

PS - when you click to read the item - it starts with an interview with Klopp!

Jay #14, there is some cracking stuff out there. You just have to look for it, and there's plenty who don't bother, preferring to believe some nonsense on social media that crumbles like a cheap deck chair who challenged. Problem is, many people never see the challenge, so they believe the nonsense.

That's why most of the UK media is declining, and why the quality of UK debate/politics is plummeting.

A small victory for the Brazilian people Jay, but I won’t rest for you people, until that horrible fucker has been banished.

Robert 13. I hope they do keep away. If the 'measures in place' don't work then the Safety Group will need to be held to account.

I did wonder why MK used the term race riots. Seems to imply something or maybe just unfortunate language. MK is based in USA I believe and maybe that is how some over there (and here) view them.

I lost all faith in the UK media when Dominic Cummings brought them all into the garden and invited them to take their best shots. Instead of nailing the little bastard, daft arsed journo after daft-arsed journo asked the same question.

Give the little fucker his due. it was the best piece of rope-a-dope since Big George punched himself out on Ali. After cementing him in, they then spent two weeks desperately trying to resurrect the fight.

Dumb and Dumber (Morgan and Reid) are now living off the scraps from Naga Munchetty and Kay Burley's table. They are actually giving up-to-date reports of interviews taking place moments before on rival channels.

They have been completely outmaneuvered by the weasel cabinet ministers. They conducted themselves like Gobby thugs rather than serious reporters and, in the process, they have let them off the hook. Now, no fucker will go on their show. Dumb and Dumber have given them all the excuses they need.

The irony of course is, it's only about six months ago they both (by their own admission) voted the fuckers in.

We grew up with some fantastic journos down the years. Now, all we see is a group of sensationalists desperately competing with each other for the title of being the most outraged.

Independent news reporting in the country is dead. Every fucker thinks they can force their opinion on you.

Does anyone know if there's any truth in the rumour that there is going to be 10,000 Stewards sitting about 4 seats apart?

Tony @ 18.

You know I've been saying for weeks to keep your eye on Brazil.

Today... tomorrow, we will replace the UK in 2nd place for mortality rates. We are already 2nd in the number of cases, behind only US.

At least the rest of the world actually waited for the curve to turn and go down. Not here. Still rising steeply and too many states letting 'normal' life resume.

Some still claiming lockdown was never necessary. Comparisons have been made to the Spanish Flu of 1918 when people were less mobile and populations lower. Spanish flu took more than a year back then to claim 35,000 Brazilian lives.

Covid-19 has taken just 3 months to zoom past that. Today, tomorrow it will be 40,000. Watch out, US of A. We are after your #1 spot.

The quality of professionalism has declined over the years due to many factors mostly a lazy attitude and the acceptance of it by the consumers. One only has to look at the recording industry and the film industry.
The internet has contributed to this because it provides a platform for mediocrity that every moron can capitalize on.

Anyway to make fast cash is the norm no matter who buys into it.

The most powerful man in the world is the prime example of a professional churning out his gobbleygook with total disregard for anyone else's integrity or feelings. No wonder the world is in such a sorry state.

Michael @3,

I agree totally with your comments.

You are the voice of common sense on ToffeeWeb.

Very very strange and very very sad, not being able to support the blues at Goodison.

Jay (22) – “ things can only get better” doesn't seem to apply to your adopted country.

How is your wife coping, Jay, and her elderly parents, is she still battling away on the front line?

I think of her and the thousands like her all over the world facing this virus head-on every day with, seemingly, no end to the patients arriving at the hospitals in their numbers. Hope they get some respite very soon.

Maybe Michael can see into the future, Dave @19? Because I wouldn't bet against race-riots, the way things are developing right now.

When you've got gangsters in the favelas, making curfews, then you've got major problems, Jay, but hopefully the loss of life hasn't affected the economy, because sometimes, it seems that some things are more important than life.

It is being reported on another Everton website that Walcott and Gomes are out of the Derby game with injuries.

Jay,

I do not know enough about Brazil or Bonzo to offer a sensible view but it is symptomatic that there are so many dictators around the world today reinforced by sycophants and the military. I just hope you and your family come safely out the other side.

On the subject matter, I don't think Goodison Park will be the issue but I do see Stanley Park as a potential nightmare.

All I hope and pray is that we beat the bastards and Man City win against Arsenal. That would at least make up for some of our recent disappointments.

That's sorted then, given our home record v Liverpool we will win this easily 9 - 0.

Jay #14, great account. Makes this old journo proud.

Hope your wife is holding up well.

David #29,

The training during the lockdown is producing the results we expected.

"Then we've had the unmitigated madness of the race riots — far more dangerous and far more problematic than a few fans out on the streets, and they've been allowed to run riot in the dubious name of democratic protest — totally flouting what's left of the lockdown."

What race riots are these?

Anybody would think it's 1981 all over again and cities burning almost over the country. Many thousands protest against years of systemic racism and its dismissed as race riots when a slave trade statue is tossed into the river. White privilege comment at its finest.

Do you think that there is a possibility of race riots, Dave G?

No I don't, Tony – I was being sarcastic to the "race riot" comment.

Don’t let the red shite anywhere near our statues.

In a few months time, maybe less, we'll have to give our mates GPS co-ordinates where to meet. Almost every street in town will be renamed.

I got a text today saying Evertonians are gonna try and pull the Bill Shankley statue down, to end 50 years of pain and ridicule, Anthony.

I replied by asking will they also take down the Steau Bukarest flags, and this got my red mate fuming, and asking me why we hadn't won the European Cup before Heysel!

He must have forgotten it was a cup for Champions in those days, and Liverpool won it 3 times in 4 years, or played in 5 finals in 9 years, which backs up my argument that only the great teams dominate, and our own class of 1984-85 was most definitely a great team.

Those would be the riots where numerous police officers got injured with bicycles and pyrotechnics were thrown at them and acts of criminal damage. Gaol sentences would certainly follow if this behaviour happened in the vicinity of a football ground.

.
Are 'pyrotechnics' fireworks?

If so in the 1960s, when I was about 10, we used to lob them at each other for fun.

(nb: not advocating it but enough with the drama).

As for the best way to avoid 'race riots' (!?), simply refuse to allow your country to tolerate decades of racism (institutionalised or otherwise) and make sure everyone is treated fairly.

I guarantee we'd all be living in a much fairer calmer nation right now had we not tolerated 50+ years of the insidious drip-drip-drip of hate, distraction and lies provided by Murdoch rags and filth like The Mail/Express etc.

"Beryl, he's doing it again - GAAAAAAHHH!!"

Up the Toffees!

Am I missing something here? Isn't the issue not where the game should be played, but whether or not it should be played at all?

At a time when social distancing rules and the use of PPE are being recommended for everybody else, the Premier League clubs are asking their employees (the players) to go back to a place of work and do their job with no protection whatsoever. The last time I looked, football was still a contact sport and wouldn't therefore the players have the right to question whether or not their employer was carrying out their duty of care by knowingly putting them at risk in this way?

Personally, I don't believe that the national figures of new cases and deaths warrant an easing of the lockdown and they certainly don't in the North-West. Schools have refused to re-open because either local authorities – or the schools themselves – have identified the risks involved and are not prepared to expose their employees (nor the pupils) to those risks.

Why should footballers be any different? Cases at Watford, Tottenham and Brighton would suggest not. Until we're clear of Covid-19, or at least got it down to a much, much more acceptable level, bringing back football should be the last thing on our minds.

Brian@12 you make a lot of sense, can't understand why everyone agrees with Michael @3??

It will be interesting if Arsenal beat Man City on Wednesday night. A crowd will be there for the derby of some sorts, no matter what, but if it does happen to be the game that potentially leads to the title for the RS, it'll be chaos outside Goodison.

I'm with Eugene, I'll be at Goodison Park on Father's Day with my harmless fireworks with thousands of my mates not observing social distancing and we might pull Dixie's statue down because in has racialist connotations.

Paul,

If Gone with the Wind has to go, Little Britain has to go because of it's "blackface" issue, then Dixie!'s statue needs protesting and pulling down asap. Never mind all the other "blackface" statues all around town.

Although I've never spoken about it, I have never been the same since Andy Pandy first started. I know he was an Evertonian but what he got up to with that naked bear in the laundry basket really affected me. Never looked at bears the same way, even when Paddington came along, another pervert.

It will be funny watching the Red Shite players diving when there's no-one within 2 metres of them.

Not sure where this thread is going - me, I'm just looking forward to seeing the game on TV.

Got so desperate thought I was going to start watching Bundesliga.

I’ve just read a Norwich player who played against Spurs in a friendly on Friday has tested positive for Covid-19, and will now have to self isolate for seven days, but luckily for everyone else, he never spent enough time in their company, so everyone else is okay to get on with it.

There are few crumbs of comfort this season. I'll be glued to the Crystal bucket in the corner for the game. I hope the shite don't win it at Goodison I really do. The only crumb of comfort I do have though is that this year's champions will always be known as the alcohol free beer champions. Looks the same, tastes vaguely similar but just isn't right.

I was starting to very slowly come round to the idea of watching the return of the Premier League. However, watching Everton practicing at an empty Goodison has made me even more certain that football, and particularly if played at an empty Goodison Park, is nothing without fans.

Practice

Tony #53. How come it took just one positive test back in March for the whole of English football to come to a grinding halt, yet since players returned to training, and with testing carried out I think, twice a week, there have been 16 positive tests so far.

I understand all the different protocols now in place, but surely there must be a chance, albeit probably minimal, that someone testing negative today for example, could somehow contract the virus tomorrow?

Let's just hope we can finish this season with minimum fuss, and look forward to the next one, because, as far as I'm concerned, this season has been a total write off, and we all know the two reasons why the season will be completed.

A bit off-track (sorry!). but for those who have Sky then Sky Documentaries (channel 114) is showing "Howard's Way" tonight at 7pm till 9pm. At least we can re-live some good times in the midst of all this madness! Enjoy, COYB!

Thanks for that Sandra. Have put it into the planner.

While we're at it and a bit more off track, for anyone who collects matchday programmes, there will be a matchday programme produced for next week's derby match. The edition will be 68 pages, so not just a team sheet before any smart arses come on and say "it will probably just be a team sheet".

The Howard's Way documentary to me makes me more angry and depressed that we settled for being a floating club basically ever since the 90s. Bills only legacy and unbelievable he's still clinging on...

Patrick @55 it was like watching one of those YouTube show-reels where for some reason the attacker (our transfer target) looks faster than a speeding bullet and the defenders are all left in his wake. Then, when we buy him, he's actually more like a tortoise on valium of course.

Definitely need the telly people to add some "fan noises" if it's going to be watchable. All I can hear is someone shouting "Benno Benno Benno!" or something and lots of "shoot shoot shoot!". Reminds me of playing in Sefton Park in the 80s.

Thanks, Sandra 57,

My mate called me too as a reminder, what a wonderful team that was, and what might have been.

Football... it's still a wonderful game... but it so needs the fans.

Bryan (#59), nail on head! Well said!

Just watched the clip from 'Howard's Way' where Inchy Heath got his terrible injury by Marwood. I remember it being very bad at the time regardless of the damage done to Adrian but, having seen it again, it was possibly the worst tackle I've ever seen at Goodison. It's little wonder that Reidy got angry about it. Imagine either incident happening nowadays?

To view the clip, you may have to scroll down a little to findit.

Inchy

Besides the front two, the rest of the positions really are fair game and up for grabs. Here's hoping Simms Gordon and Gibson can start making a name for themselves (starting Sunday). Nothing to lose and in my eyes not much to gain in this sham of an occasion.

Can't quite make out what Chris Beesley is trying to say, on the one hand he's highlighting the Goodison crowd and how the team will miss it, but on the other he's stating that only the circa 40k who attend games at Goodison usually watch them?

...But the game is the start of a sequence in which the Blues have the opportunity to showcase their talents to a much wider audience than the usual 40,000 who fill Goodison in normal circumstances over the next four weeks.

Although all of the remaining Premier League fixtures are to be televised in one way or another, just a third of them will be shown on free-to-air channels and available to the general public rather than subscribers.

However, only one club in the top flight (Southampton with five) have so far had more free-to-air games confirmed than Everton.

Larger Audience