Was the disappointing performance and result in the FA Cup against Luton Town the last ever FA Cup game to be played at Goodison Park, before the curtain finally comes down on the Grand Old Lady, and we move to our new stadium on the banks of the Royal Blue Mersey?
Obviously we won’t know the answer to that question until the draw is are made for the third round, and hopefully the rounds that follow, for season 2024-25. As we all know, there is a 50/50 chance of being drawn home or away, but should we be drawn away in the third round next season, and lose, then as far as the FA Cup for Goodison goes, that’s it.
Saturday 27 January 2024 could have witnessed its final FA Cup match. In years to come, normally nobody would remember the performance of the team in that game, but no doubt it will stick in the memory banks of many fans, just how dire the game was, just because it was (or could be), the last FA Cup game at Goodison.
The following link gives a breakdown of all FA Cup games played by Everton at Goodison Park since 1892. A quick add-up reveals about 207 games played at Goodison, with Burnley being the first one, a 3-1 defeat, and Luton Town the last one. As we can see, it’s a ToffeeWeb link, so no guarantee it’s 100% accurate, but I’m sure it is!
https://www.toffeeweb.com/history/records/facuprec.asp
Just like another thread elsewhere, discussing our favourite games, league, cup or Europe at Goodison, everyone will also have their own favourite, and not so favourite, FA Cup games played at Goodison Park.
My first one, that I can remember anyway, was Colchester United in the 1970-71 quarter-final. Everton played in their amber away kit and won convincingly 5-0. The 4-4 draw with Liverpool in 1991, followed by a second replay at home, when Dave Watson scored the winner, sticks well in the memory, as does the Romelu Lukaku double against Chelsea in 2016.
However, for me, and no doubt many others, my favourite has to be the Don Gosling last-minute winner in extra time against Liverpool in 2009. The place went absolutely crazy, and just a pity the TV-watching nation missed the goal, as the game was shown on ITV and for some reason they broke away from the game for adverts!
There have also been some dire FA Cup home games, the likes of Bradford City, Tranmere Rovers and Wigan Athletic all coming to Goodison and going home victorious. Even the likes of Stockport County and Port Vale came and got a draw.
Anyway, let’s hope that the third round draw, in the first week in December 2024, will be kind to us, and we can saviour at least one more FA Cup game at Goodison Park, before moving to the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Reader Comments (33)
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2 Posted 29/01/2024 at 10:38:43
3 Posted 29/01/2024 at 11:14:00
A goal down at half time and the ignominy of being knocked out by non-leaguers had Billy Butler on the PA raising the call to get behind the lads. The Toffees come out for the second half to the most thunderous reception I've ever heard. Despite having a man sent off, we equalised and beat them comfortably at their place in the replay.
1980: Everton 2 1 Ipswich Town is another for me.
A week previous, Ipswich had dished out one of the most comprehensive hidings ever to an Everton side winning 4-0 in front of 31k. The following Saturday, 45k rolled up, baying for revenge, and Ipswich just couldn't cope.
We had the most amazing support back then.
4 Posted 29/01/2024 at 11:22:11
Probably not the best, but the 1-0 win over Newcastle in 1995 always sticks in the memory. They had a good team that season, but we dug in and got a great result. The atmosphere was fantastic as well.
5 Posted 29/01/2024 at 12:43:21
6 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:19:35
7 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:19:41
8 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:31:27
My girlfriend's then later wife's first home game! 🤨
9 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:34:05
A cracking punch from Gary Jones, I think the Altrincham player took the full count after that smacker.
Dave Clemence took that penalty I think to save our bacon but was the replay 2-0 not 3-0?
10 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:43:08
Bedlam outside OT that night!
11 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:46:56
For those who were not around at the time. Imagine how tense things were watching the closing stages of extra time, only for the TV station to cut to an ad break with the game in full flow. Then to return after the ad break to discover we had missed the only (winning) goal.
12 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:51:40
Everton were always a famous FA Cup team, then along came the riches of points having a lot more value than prizes, and never has the evidence of plucky little Everton, been on show at Goodison, right now.
I shut my eyes and remember Varadi, Kenny Sansom's own goal, Eamon O'Keefe's winner against Southampton, when it felt like there was over 50000 people in the ground, turning over Spurs, who had been in the previous two finals, without playing a game outside of London, Goslin's last minute winner, after waiting 35 years for one against the bastards, and Lukaku's wonderful brace against Chelsea.
I remember scoring two late goals against Swindon, a late City equaliser, in 1981, a year which produced some great cup-ties, and Watson's goal, setting up a semifinal at Elland Rd.
I despair at the last 30 years, especially Tranmere, which was definitely one of my lowest points, but we have had a lot of very bad low points in our most recent era, games like Wigan, which was a complete and utter disaster, and a feeling that was matched on Saturday night, because a lot of sensible Evertonians, were actually relieved that Everton, don't have no more FA Cup games left to play this season, even though it means that we are now going to be thirty years, without lifting a trophy.
13 Posted 29/01/2024 at 13:51:51
I'm staying with 2-0, I know Mick Lyons got the second goal and I think Latchford got the first can't remember a third goal.
14 Posted 29/01/2024 at 14:16:56
All-time favourite cup game has to be a Saturday evening, in a gale, in 1967. Now… who was it against? 🤔
15 Posted 29/01/2024 at 14:26:14
My favourite FA Cup moments aren't at Goodison.
Despite the joy of watching Ratcliffe lift the cup at Wembley, the two semi-finals at Villa Park, ironically against Luton and then Sheffield Wednesday, they always stick in my mind.
16 Posted 29/01/2024 at 15:46:44
Ref says he wasn't ready so disallowed and take it again.
Sheedy puts it over the wall and into the other corner.
Michel Platini — the poor man's Kevin Sheedy.
17 Posted 29/01/2024 at 15:55:39
Away from Goodison, my all-time favourite game was the semi-final at Elland Road against Spurs in 1995.
According to all the media, Spurs were going to win the cup and mullet us along the way.
Well, we gave them a lesson in football, beating them 4-1 and of course going on to beat Man Utd in the cup final.
18 Posted 29/01/2024 at 15:59:17
About that match in the gale, it was shown live at the opponents' ground on large screens. At the end of the game a young fan of the opposition was crying but his dad consoled him by saying “Don't cry, son, it's only a filmâ€!
19 Posted 29/01/2024 at 17:54:36
Goodison was full before they put the lights on, traffic was at a virtual standstill all over Walton, the atmosphere was unreal.
As Keegan ruefully commented, "The fans won it for them". I never went to the Bayern Munich game but, as bear pits go, this must have been near.
20 Posted 29/01/2024 at 18:06:44
21 Posted 29/01/2024 at 19:24:48
That only makes it worse for me. Not sure what region of ITV we had back in 2009 here in Ireland, but we were some of the unlucky ones to miss Gosling's winner!
22 Posted 29/01/2024 at 20:02:53
23 Posted 29/01/2024 at 20:28:06
Tranmere was the lowest point for me. I was straight across from them and their singing nearly made me leave a match before the final whistle for the first ever time ever.
The high point has to be the Gosling goal.
Away from the Old Lady? No question for me. It's not even close. Highbury. April 14 1984: 117th minute, Reidy free kick (chip), Deggsy nod on, INCHY!!!!!!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlYeLDFiGrA
Special mention for January 7 1984. Stoke. We were at least half of that 16,500 crowd. I'm actually thinking of the singing before even a ball was kicked.
24 Posted 29/01/2024 at 20:52:49
Arsenal 2-0, in 1980
Throw in 1980 v Soton replay, A OKeefes screamer, into the street End won the game, and my first Goodison pitch invasion, over the steel fences from the Lower Street End.
Beating Arsenal 2-0 in 81, against the odds Varaidis goal and win v the RS 1981 and v City 2-2, at Goodison, Tommy Hutchinson, aka Worzel Gummidge took loads of stick, that day, it was a bouncing atmosphere.
In the mid 80s and during the miners strikes there were a few proper old fashioned games, and electric atmospheres, in the ground.
The 4-4 draw v the RS, Dalglish, left after that game.
1985 v Ipswich, and 0-2 down, and some famous goals that day saw a great Everton team get the game to 2-2 and 1-0, win in the replay at Portman Road. The year that very nearly saw Everton do a treble.
Shandys, cross for Gosling, sent the RS on their way, in 2009.
There's loads but these come to mind.
The place, will never die, and will live on into eternity through Evertonians, across the world.
UTFTs!
25 Posted 29/01/2024 at 21:23:56
The last 3 FA Cup matches I recall fondly were the semi finals against Southampton at Highbury (favourite ground after Goodison) and Luton at Villa Park (Sheedy & Mountfield) and Spurs at Elland Road (Amokachi). They were better than the finals.
A few commentators have mentioned that the crowd on Saturday was quite subdued and I wonder if that may be that the FA Cup isn't the big deal it used to be. For me the competition has, for me, lost the impact it used to have and is hard to get excited about.
26 Posted 29/01/2024 at 22:37:09
Apart from them being the media darlings, they hadn't lost in the cup for 3 years. Once again with my Dad, this time in the Upper Bullens. Goodison was rocking and there was this sense that something good was brewing. Happy days...
27 Posted 30/01/2024 at 07:09:38
A great day. Town full of us that night. I remember one of us lying on the pavement outside the old Rigby's on Dale Street, bobble hat perfectly in place, arms raised, just shouting "Varadi! Varadi!" over and over again. And his mate trying to lift him up, couldn't, and lay down next to him arms in the air singing "Varadi" and a copper saying "He's a Blue, I'm not nicking him" to cheers all round.
Brilliant memories.
28 Posted 30/01/2024 at 10:14:26
I'd had a bet with a Red mate on that game for £5. On the Sunday after the game, he came over to pay me in The Goblin, my local pub.
I said “Just get me a Varadi and Coke, and keep the change!â€
29 Posted 30/01/2024 at 13:16:46
Just checked and you're right — it was indeed Clive Thomas. Amazed we won!
As for Varadi missing a sitter, I think you're right but I can't picture exactly what he did.
30 Posted 30/01/2024 at 16:42:27
Didn't we knock out Chelsea with a late Baines free kick? I remember the team in white shirts so maybe that was away.
31 Posted 30/01/2024 at 19:48:29
Limpar was a genius under Big Joe that season. Great memories - can't believe it's coming up to 30 years with no success. Mismanagement on a chronic scale.
32 Posted 30/01/2024 at 22:56:34
So 84 trophies, and 73 have gone to 6 clubs. We never had a billionaire in the 90s or 2000s or the global fan base either.
33 Posted 31/01/2024 at 01:52:37
Your stats confirm that for most clubs there is no chance of winning the league and next to no chance of winning one of the domestic cups. The future may well be about following the West Ham model of qualifying for the lesser European competitions and having a realistic chance of winning one of them.
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1 Posted 29/01/2024 at 09:32:31
https://www.evertonresults.com/
It is always my GoTo place.