FOREST AWAY: Everton, Sunday 29th December – Fan Guide

So long, Goodison. We barely knew you.

Obviously those of a slightly older generation will have trapesed around this fine old stadium many, many times. But many of us will have only experienced it since promotion in 2022. It’s easy to see why Everton felt they needed to move; the place is showing its age now and is heavily restricted by the oceans of terrace housing that surround it. You could say, there are similarities with our own predicament at the City Ground.

What Everton have managed to do though is find a prime spot on the Liverpool Docks which puts their new stadium closer to the city centre. That’s not something that ever seemed feasible with our potential relocation, which is why we were pissing around with Toton as our masterplan earlier this year.

To briefly slip into my Forest Preservation Society character for a moment, Goodison does has some historical significance for us. We were the opposition at the first ever league fixture at the ground in 1892, a game that was also our first ever in the Football League. In 1919 we also won the wartime Victory Shield there after a two-legged tie against Everton.

Presumably nobody alive today will remember either of these two games! But I’m sure many of you will have your own fond memories of visits in more recent years.

When you look across the current Premier League, these grand stadiums are sadly disappearing. It’s inevitable and perhaps necessary, but something usually seems to be lost when shiny new football cathedrals emerge in their place. Hopefully the City Ground can avoid this fate for many, many more years to come.

 

GENERAL INFORMATION – EVERTON

Last Visit: A damaging 2-0 defeat in April earlier this year. This game is remembered less for the awful performance and more the nonsense that followed afterwards due to an ill-judged and pretty stupid tweet. Thankfully, we seem to be putting such things behind us now.

Famous Visit: Aside from the two visits above from our deeper history, the victory in 1999 ended a long winless run and marked Ron Atkinson’s first game in charge. Carlton Palmer put on a heroic display in the Garibaldi as the Reds won 1-0 via a Pierre Van Hooijdonk goal. I recall the Forest fans were singing a song about saying goodbye to your horse throughout the game and hopes were raised of an unlikely escape act. The following week we lost 8-1 at home to Manchester United.

Forest fans are still housed in the corner of the side stand. The lower tier is lots of fun, all packed in together and stood on what feels like a wooden pier, but you don’t see as much of the game as you’d like. The upper tier has a better view but no so much towards the back.

Right next to Goodison is St Luke’s church. This is open on matchdays and hosts the Everton Heritage Society and other fan initiatives and exhibitions. If you are after something a little different then this is worth a visit and all fans are welcome. I plan to get myself out of Arkles a little earlier and pay it a visit this season.

 

TRAVEL

RAIL: The first direct train from Nottingham to Liverpool departs at 09:42 and takes 2hrs 47 mins, arriving at 12:29. The 10:44 will still get you there in good time but with it being a few miles to Goodison from the station then you won’t have a great deal of time for a drink.

Coming back afterwards, the 17:51 looks like the first train which gets back at 20:35. There are also services at 18:15 and 18:50 but be aware that the first of these has two changes.

A SplitSave return fare on Trainline is £47.69. This involves buying a return to Manchester Oxford Road and then another from there to Liverpool.

A few quid can be saved by going via Crewe which is only a 45-minute hop up to Liverpool, but Sunday services make this journey harder as most trains from Nottingham involve changes at Tamworth and Stafford.

ROAD: I mentioned this for the recent jaunts up to Manchester, but if you want to cut down on the driving, then Crewe is a decent option of getting up to north-west. A return fare to Liverpool from here is £15.19 and makes it a decent option. There will likely be a charge to part at Crewe too, remember.

If you are looking at driving to Liverpool then I can fortunately make this really easy. Chuck L4 9XP into your sat nav and head to Walton Hall Park which is around a 15-minute walk to Goodison. Across from Walton Hall Park are numerous streets which have served us well for recent trips to Everton and Liverpool. It also gets you away pretty quickly afterwards.

Just be warned that it is better to head around Liverpool up the M57 and drop into this parking spot from the north-east as it saves time over heading past Anfield. Use the A580 off the M57 just before Kirkby to get in and out.

 

PUBS

We understand that the following advice from Liverpool Police we received for last season’s guide still applies:

‘We tend not to push away fans to anywhere in particular, but the Arkles pub on Arkles Lane (near Anfield) is always popular with away fans and a short walk across the park to the away turnstiles. There is also the Thomas Frost which is a Wetherspoons on County Road. This is a mixed pub.

 Alternatively, any of the hundreds of pubs in Liverpool city centre would be very welcoming and a 3-mile taxi to the stadium.’

 Arkles was indeed a very popular choice with Forest supporters last season and will be a good shout again. It also has a decent chippy next door!

From the above parking spot, head through the big cemetery which you will find on your phone map. It will save you loads of time.

 

It’s been a typically barmy year for NFFC. The worry and the frustration of the end of last season has been obliterated by a wonderful start to the 2024/25 season. The game at Goodison marks the half way point of the campaign and a final game of the calendar year.

Wishing you a happy and prosperous 2025.

See you there.

Matt