Everton beat Port Vale 2-1 in behind-closed-doors friendly at Hill Dickinson Stadium

Onwards and upwards.

Can you imagine the other lot having built a new billion pound stadium, playing the first senior game behind closed doors? They would have 60,000 in, all paying full price and filmed for posterity, probably against a top side.

We, oh, first game at BMD, we don't want anyone seeing that, it must be behind closed doors, we are frightened that something will go wrong. It's more like the stadium isn't ready as someone cocked all the paint work up. Which is actually true by the way.

Games behind closed doors are regularly played in the build-up to the new season - probably because they're arranged at very short notice. Liverpool themselves played one the other day. Nothing to do with painting work cockups.

First training session at BMD. We can't see it. We couldn't go and see the first senior game at BMD.

As I said, the other lot would have had a capacity crowd, and bloody Sky Sports in 4k, and to know it. Yes, I do beat my team up a bit, sadly, most of the time they deserve it.

Oh and the RS can only dream of new stadium. I can tell you personally it is killing them. COYB.

I don't suppose we would have been allowed to have fans at the Port Vale match if they'd wanted to.

On that note, good to see Charly and Garner hitting the net.

"Ruari Paton becomes the first player to score past Everton in the brand-new Hill Dickinson Stadium as Darren Moore's Valiants lose narrowly to Premier League opposition in our latest pre-season outing."

Irish Ruari Paton (24) from Dublin, former U16 Ireland international. There you go.

It wouldn't have been 60,000, as the dock doesn't hold that.

And attendees wouldn't have been paying full price. The Roma match is capped just below the maximum attendance at 50,000 and adult tickets were £25.

It would've made sense to play a few full-house friendlies to let the players feel at home when the Premier League kicks off.

Don't see why people are against behind-closed-doors games; the more the lads play there, the more confident and comfortable they will be.

It wouldn't matter what fans paid, Everton could have called it a charity game and gave all proceeds to Alder Hey hospital.

Danny, The Roma match is capped just below the maximum attendance at 50,000 probably because they will still be painting.😁

I know Gana captained the side and Alcaraz and Garner scored after Port Vale opened the scoring.

I just read your post again and you were talking about them.

You'll have to excuse me. I need to go to the opticians, but I'm in stubborn denial!!

I still wouldn't read too much into behind closed doors or the result (again). More minutes on the pitch.

The stadium will be ready to go. It pretty much is now and will be gleaming come August.

The new official store has been turned around in weeks.

I would imagine 50,000 has been agreed to pass the 3rd test event. They need to hit 50,000, which has been sold out for weeks now. The email from the club requested that if you had purchased a ticket and could no longer attend, to return it for resale and receive a refund, as they have to hit the 50,000.

These "first ever" moments don't mean anything. They'll only matter once the season starts.

Is that true? Wonder why they were doing there if so?

Anfield's first league match was played on 8 September 1888, between Everton and Accrington F.C.

Everton became Anfield's first league champions in the 1890–91 season.

Everton v Accrington. Everton won 2 1. George Fleming scored the first ever league goal at Anfield.

Attendance: 12,000.

Referee: Mr. John James Bentley; umpire: Mr. O. Oldham.

Everton (2-3-5): Robert Smalley, Alec Dick, Nick Ross, Johnny Holt, Robert Jones, George Dobson, George Fleming, David Waugh, William Lewis, Edgar Chadwick, George Farmer.

Accrington (2-3-5): John Horne, John Stevenson, Jack McLellan, George Haworth, Jonathan Wilkinson, Luther Pemberton, Joe Lofthouse, Jim Bonar, Jack Kirkham, J. Holden, Peter Chippendale.

The goals: 1-0 Fleming (55 min.), 2-0 Fleming, 2-1 Holden.

It was a sublime free kick, the goals were on YouTube last night.

Think these games are all about getting the players used to their new surroundings.

And as our kid said, a new stadium is only something them cunts across the park can dream about.

Looks like we are going to be hosting major gigs in the near future as well.

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-happened-behind-closed-doors-32112456

Little try
We're Merseyside Blues
We're Kings at the Hill
Got to be a part of it
In Everton blue

Ah well obviously not my forte but somebody could get a tune out of it.