My Goodison No.49: Molly McCann On Throwing Head Kicks At Corner Flag

What an amazing opportunity it was, because you don't see that even with some of the boxers in the city and some of the sports stars, do you know what I mean? Signing my UFC contract at Goodison Park... It was a real moment.

It was 2018 and I was told, 'You are not on UFC Liverpool’. I'd literally just won a world title with Cage Warriors so I was like, ‘Sound, I'm gonna go and get fat and enjoy myself’.

Then I got the call as I was in somewhere like Archie's, literally eating my cookie dough and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I've got 12 kilos to lose in five weeks!’

I asked ‘Why have I been signed now?’ It was because Everton had made such a big push and said we'll promote it and push it. I was getting invited to the ground and I'd always wear blue to the cage.

Signing my contract at Goodison that day, walking down that tunnel and being presented that shirt, it meant so much. I was on the pitch and I remember asking the photographer ‘Can I do the Tim Cahill?’ And they were like, ‘No, do Molly,’ so I threw a head kick at the corner flag!

My first game? I was with my friend Laura Mitchell who's a lifelong Season Ticket Holder and used to captain Everton when she was younger.

She took me on her niece's season ticket.

I was about 16, it was a warm day and I think we won against Wigan, but what I really remember the first time I walked in was the staff asking how Laura was — everyone just knew each other and it was a really nice vibe. I just remember thinking how great it was.

I'll never forget the smell of the grass and when Z-Cars came on. You see it now on social media when the parents always get that reaction of someone walking into Goodison for the first time and it's like, ‘Oh my god’ — it really was that for me.

I was invited to the Palace game and I'll never forget when we scored to make it 3-2. I jumped onto the top of the hospitality boxes, ran over to Peter Reid and gave him a kiss.

I ended up making it onto the pitch and put Dele Alli in a headlock. When I got home, Frank Lampard had messaged me saying ‘Up the ******* Toffees’.

There was so much footage of me being everywhere. I made it onto Sky Sports News because when I was outside before the game I was on everyone's shoulders with flares and everyone was shouting. ‘Meatball! Meatball!’

I really felt like I was part of the Club. The Club had done everything that it needed to do, the players had done everything they needed to do and that game. It was rocking, wasn’t it?

That was a real special one. Every time you were on the pitch, you ran into someone else you knew and the players just felt like kings.

Then when we beat Liverpool 2-0 last season, when we just hadn't beaten them for ages, I was in the Upper Gwladys and just nearly fell over the top. I was literally hanging off the top.

I’ve watched so many players at Goodison but if I had to pick favourites, I'd always have to say Wayne Rooney, because he's literally from a few roads away from where I am and he epitomises ruthlessness and what the badge meant. For him to come back meant a lot to us.

Leighton Baines was always able to get the game by the scruff of the neck and score really crucial goals or set up something.

And I love Doucs. He's one of my favourite modern players, just because in the last few seasons we’ve been battling relegation, he's really come through with the goals and you can see the passion that he's got.

Some games don't always go his way and then other games he just pulls it out the bag when you don't expect it.

It is really sad to be leaving Goodison, to be honest, but what a time that I've had, and we’ve all had, there. What great moments and nights that we've had and what unbelievably excruciating ones we've had as well.

It’s the end of an era, but that's because it means so much to us. It’s our history and it’s what we're known for. Now it's time for a new chapter.

By Molly McCann, former UFC athlete and Evertonian