My Goodison No.43: Watson On Cup Runs, Survival & Special Moments

Men

15 May 25

By Dave Watson

>>> Click here to pre-order a special commemorative edition of the Official Matchday Programme for the Club’s final Premier League fixture at Goodison Park

Goodison is just a really special place. It’s not one of those stadiums where there’s space around and you don’t feel the atmosphere. It’s jam-packed week in and week out and it really is a tremendous feeling walking out there.

It’s been really good for me, and I just love it to pieces.

Some of the games we played in – the Wimbledon game, for example – some supporters would have walked out at 2-0 down. But as they say, it’s never over until the old lady gets up and sings her song.

I think back to some of my best memories: scoring the winner in 1991 in the second replay after the 4-4 against Liverpool. That 4-4 itself was one of the best games I’ve been involved in and I’m sure it’s similar for a lot of the lads in the team.

The semi-final against Tottenham was another. Obviously, the Wimbledon game, too, but also the title-winning season when we won it at Norwich – my old club.

Being a manager, going through the relegation battle and coming through it, as well. Goodison’s been magnificent for me.

When I first went to Everton, we won the title in the first year, and then many years later, won the FA Cup.

It took a long time for the Cup to come around, but I was striving to win it, and time was dragging on and dragging on until we got to that final.

Big Joe masterminded the Dogs of War and with that team we played in, it was an unbelievable feeling. We had a great togetherness, and everyone worked their socks off; everyone knew their role in the team.

We had strong characters as well, which is what you always need and which Everton had as soon as I went to the Club in 1986/87. I walked into a team that was already winning the FA Cup not so long before and winning the Cup Winners’ Cup, too.

You have to really let your teammates know what the demands for what the Football Club are all about.

Now, for it to be the last game and to think you’re not going to be around Goodison Park any more, it’s a horrible feeling because it’s people’s lives, people who have been there week in, week out.

But everything has its time. And I think Goodison Park, it’s been absolutely amazing. A great place to play football.

I really believe that you do have to move on with the times and I think we’ve got another amazing stadium that’s built on the docks, and I think it will be magnificent for Everton.

I’m sure the things that make Goodison so special can be carried over and it’ll be a great, great atmosphere about the place. If everything can get off to a good start, it’ll end up bouncing every week.

I’ve not been inside yet, but I’ve driven past lots of times. I used to live on Boundary Street, and the stadium is just at the bottom of there. I lived where the railway bridge is, so it’s an area I was brought up in.

My dad used to manage The Cottage, which was a pub, and he used to manage the football team, too — and that was just on the corner of where the ground is.

So, I was brought up that way and have lots of great memories about going jogging along the dock road and doing fitness work down that way.

Once I moved from that area, I hadn’t heard about it for a while and then you’re told Everton are building a stadium at the bottom of the road where I used to live.

That’s a bit special, that.

By Dave Watson: 528 appearances for Everton (1986-2001), 1986/87 First Division winner, 1994/95 FA Cup-winning captain

A series of first-hand accounts describing moments that made us fall in love with Goodison Park, My Goodison - supported by the Club's Main Partner, Stake - is a new weekly offering here on evertonfc.com, bringing you the most-treasured memories of fans, players, and staff both past and present, for our final season at the Grand Old Lady. Got an entry?

We'd love to hear it. Email us via digital.content@evertonfc.com