Outside the stadium that stands as a beacon of hope, three generations of Evertonians are braving the squall blowing in off the River Mersey.
Graham Heald, who lives on the Wirral, is relishing the chance to spend some time with his son, Nick, and grandson Cole. They are on a flying visit to Merseyside from Japan for a family commitment, but the weekend was never going to pass without Everton being involved.
The international break denied Cole the chance to attend his first Everton game, but he was still taken to Goodison for a stadium tour and — given he idolises Dominic Calvert-Lewin — had a good go at spending his pocket money in the club shop.
But this excursion would not have been complete without heading down to Bramley Moore Dock, where the imposing new 52,888-seat stadium dominates the skyline. Cole is awestruck when he sees it for the first time and, with wonderment, says it’s like ‘a UFO has landed’.
‘I used to be a season ticket holder,’ Nick explains. ‘Every time I come back, we go to the old stadium and then come here to see the progress of it all.
‘I work in construction, so I watch the footage online of the build with particular interest. I wanted to be here because I miss the feeling of the club.’
‘Feel’ is an important word. Merseyside is unique in terms of the grip its football teams have on its residents and the fate that befell Everton on Friday, with the Premier League imposing a 10-point punishment for Financial Fair Play breaches, has impacted the mood of the city.
That should never be forgotten. The decisions made in boardrooms and the sanctions that create headlines might be great talking points, but they are never felt more acutely than here, on the streets, by people such as the Heald family.
‘Look
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