To be a child who was held on a box at Gwladys Street End, Alan Stubbs continued to realize his dream of Captain Everton.
But his last ambition by Goodison Park was made just in time before the old lady closes its doors for the last time against Southampton on Sunday.
I was there to witness it last Friday when Stubbs, 54, was hidden out of retirement to play again on the famous lawn, but this time alongside his son Sam in a workshop.
My former Derby Merseyide rival has done 80 minutes well and it is even better to catch his breath so that he can chat with me on the undoubted arena that he simply calls “at home”.
Stubbsy has so many memories of being a man and a boy from Evertonian and although I am a red, I am also proud to have been part of the history of Goodison – marking the winner of Liverpool in 2003 with a shot described by the commentator of the match as a spectacular! ”.
Alan still remembers the first goal of the afternoon, converted by Michael Owen. In the construction, Stubbs had been quoted by questioning the record of Michael’s derby – he had not marked an open game against Everton.
Alan Stubbs is preparing to say emotional goodbye to Goodison Park on Sunday noon
Stubbs (photo in 2007) is an Evertonian childhood played 193 times for the club in his career
Everton’s latest match at the emblematic stadium is addressed to Southampton and it will be emotional
My teammate was unusually agitated by this and, it goes without saying, exceeded the defense of Everton and struck one after half an hour.
Stubbs Grimaces: “He ran near me after the goal and said:” What do you say about my file! “”
“I thought you are little. I knew he had read the play and wanted to make a point. It still exceeds me now.
It was a bad memory of Goodison for my interlocutor, but Kirkby’s boy also had a lot of good ones, initially as a fan.
“My first match was 1980 at the age of eight. Gwladys Street had a fence and they put boxes on the wall for young boys so that you can look and see the land ”, he explains.
“I was fortunate to be an Everton supporter in the 1980s. We won trophies, we had open -roof bus parades. My favorite players were Peter Reid and Graeme Sharp.
The Bayern Munich Cup semi-final in Goodison was epic. Everyone was removed whenever a goal entered.
“You would be in one place, 10 seconds after the celebrations, you would be somewhere completely different. It’s like that at the time.
In conversation with Danny Murphy, Stubbs thought about his good memories of Goodison Park
As a youngster, Stubbs was able to take advantage of the extremely successful period of Everton in the 1980s
Ironically, Stubbs made his first appearance Goodison as a player with a Bolton Wanderers shirt and scored in a 3-2 FA Cup victory against his childhood heroes.
“It was a strange feeling because my whole family was blues,” he recalls. “My parents and his brothers were all in the stands who wanted me to do well – but for Everton to win.
In 2001, everyone was happy when he left the tunnel as an Everton player, signed at Celtic. His beginnings were chaotic with Spurs opponents with two men sent in a 1-1 draw.
During the following seven years – apart from a brief spell in Sunderland – Stubbs was the main center of the center of Everton, helping them to pass pretenders to relegation to Europe.
They even finished fourth in 2005: “No one thought we were quite good and that stimulated us,” he admits.
“To celebrate, the gaffer summoned us to Albert Dock and distributed Champagne. It was a good night.
“The release in Goodison for the first time was better than any result that I have ever known.
“Another out -of -competition point was on the ground when Wayne Rooney scored her emblematic goal against Arsenal.
Stubbs was responsible for looking for Wayne Rooney off the field during her training years
He was the main center of the center of Everton, helping them to go from suitors to relegation to Europe
“We knew that Wayne was going to be special. There were whispers around the training ground in Bellfield on this street child with ridiculous talents.
“David Moyes gave me the task of looking at Wayne out of the field – which I hold hands and say that I failed!”
“I gave him elevators to Goodison and when we left for the pre-season or a mid-season break, the gaffer told me that he did not want Wayne to do anything.
“I took Wayne drinks to keep it sensible. It ended up with Wayne putting me in bed and then turning her with the rest of the guys!
Goodison was famous for his hostility. In Liverpool, our manager Gerard Houllier would direct his team to be disciplined. He thought that Everton would lose his head on the day of the derby, so we have to keep ours.
This often worked. When I scored in our 2-1 victory, Everton had returned David Weir and Gary Naysmith.
Stubbsy thinks that fewer local players mean that there is less blood and noon on the field, but conversely, an even greater rivalry between fans.
His name was the friendly derby. During my first visit to Goodison in 1991, I stood on Gwladys Street. There were pockets of Liverpool fans without any drama.
Stubbs still regrets the end of Michael Owen before a Merseyside derby in 2003
The 53 -year -old man is confident the new Everton stadium will have an atmosphere and will work well
“He moved away from that,” admits Stubbs. “Maybe it’s a company thing. Perhaps being totally honest, Liverpool’s success was a factor while we have trouble.
The gap between the clubs has never been larger and Everton hopes that a greater stadium will increase income to fill the gap.
Stubbs visited the new land. “I am convinced that it will have an atmosphere,” he predicts. “The distance between the seats and the touchline is the same as in Goodison.
“What he has to do is build character. Goodison has bundles. It’s like moving to a new house. The building is impressive but we have to put photos on the wall.
“No one expects Everton to be the highest next season. I don’t think they will be completely away from the PSR for another year.
“The academy does not present prospects as they did before. Harrison Armstrong has obtained complimentary criticism on loan from Derby, which is good, but it is just one.
“What we cannot afford as a team is to sell Jarrad Branthwaite. It is already good and I think it can become of first order.
Few people know that when I left Liverpool in 2004, the first conversation I had with another club was Everton. But Moyes told me that it could be a battle and a struggle and I wondered if that was what I wanted at this stage of my career.
So, I have never been part of the story of Everton – unlike the man next to me.
Stubbsy will be one of the dozens of great players from Everton to Goodison on Sunday, including the 1970s striker, Bob Latchford, the icons of the 80s Reid and Sharp and Rooney.
Alan will also work for the radio during the game and bring out the words could be among one of the biggest challenges he was confronted while he looks around the surrounding area for the last time.
“It’s going to be emotional. I am not afraid to say that there will be a tear in my eye. Sometimes you can’t fight these things, ”he accepts.
“It will be the end of a celebration of the era. It will be sad but I am also enthusiastic about the next chapter. Let’s see what the future brings.
