Peter Reid to manage Everton in Legends game against AS Roma

I'm going to the event, but don't imagine I'll hang around for the whole (or any) of the Legends game. I can see people leaving the stadium over a spread-out period of time from around 4:30 pm, with perhaps half the crowd staying for the 2nd game, meaning there will not have been a fully tested evacuation of 50,000 people in a limited timescale by the time the first league game comes around.

I'm going to be very cautious on that opening day of the season.

Seems a shame to waste them when there’s tens of thousands of blues desperate to check-out the new stadium. Most would happily watch tiddly winks there I'm sure.

Based on the email I received, this match is all digital, no PDF print offs accepted, unless I've misread. So the only way would be to hand your phone over to someone else.

Paul H. I don't think it would matter. Either way, most will be there to watch the main event, whether it is before or after the Legends match.

Tickets are on general sale on Thursday if there are any left.

Other clubs with bigger attendances do it with no fuss.

I'd be more interested in watching the Legends game to be honest. Has the line-up been announced?

Big Nev (even bigger Nev now!) In goal. Who's Number 9 though? Dunc or Wayne?

Has to be Calvert-Lewin.

What a legend.

Eric, he likes a glass of red wine too, so he should get on well with Capello. Let's hope they make it to the dugouts!!!

Northern soul specials.

Paul 10 - having been to a test event, there will definitely be complications when everyone leaves the ground. The fact that 3 sides of the ground are surrounded by water means it is very different from Goodison and other grounds.

Surely that is what a safety certificate is all about? The ability to get everyone out of the ground as soon as possible in an emergency?

At both test events, a lot of people left early, some even at half time.

Just as they did at Goodison. There are always a few who leave early for various reasons, beat the traffic, get to the station early, whatever.

It's the same in most grounds around the country.

And don't forget, one of the principles of the new stadium is to keep as many supporters as possible inside the stadium afterwards to enjoy the facilities, bars and hospitality, so it's never going to be 50,000 leaving at once. It never was at Goodison.

I've read somewhere that a stadium has to be capable of full evacuation in 8 minutes. I'm no safety expert. Not sure how Everton will demonstrate that.

I don't think you have to actually do it at full capacity to get an operating licence? I might be wrong but I think the last event was the one that tested the evacuation protocol, which is why the match suddenly ended at 60 odd minutes.

In addition, on the road at the city end of the stadium there's a very small bridge, probably built in the horse & cart era, with dock water on each side just a few feet below and, as yet, no structure to prevent folk from falling in "inadvertently". Lord only knows how durable it'll be in an emergency evacuation en masse.

Lastly, Reidy;

In early '83 he was a new signing for us, multi-crocked as he had been at Bolton for years, to the cost of Lord only knows how many England caps in midfield. He decided to partake in a charity match and did well but, to his possible present distaste, he afterwards ventured to a nightclub where we met. He was with the inestimable Tommy Burns of Celtic, who'd also played in the game and they were having a really good time - so much so that Tommy bought a round, after I had. When it came to Reidy's turn though he threw me a proper dummy and I never saw him again! :)

We all know there has been a massive oversight of the logistics around the stadium.

I'm not reading too much into it right now, just hoping that the authorities play catch-up to serve the premier sporting and events stadium, not just in the city, but the North-West.

For years, we heard "Standby Operation Goodison Exercise", a signal for the stewards to take position to ensure evacuation routes were clear. Followed by "All clear Operation Goodison Exercise".

No one moved, just the stewards.

I decided to phone the Club to sort it out. While the phone was ringing, my screen 'pinged' and the single seat disappeared; to be replaced by a banner saying: 'Event Sold Out'.

So, 53,000 tickets have been sold and I missed out on the very last one! Dooooh, as Homer Simpson would say!

With your contacts, you should have no problem getting a ticket, probably in one of those posh lounges!

Apparently, he was very very close to buying the club and had agreed everything with Moshiri. But TFG came back in at the last minute and got it.