Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Southampton - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - May 18, 2025 Everton manager David Moyes acknowledges fans as he walks on the pitch during a commemorative ceremony after the last match for the men's team at Goodison Park Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) -After all the emotional build-up to Everton's heart-wrenching farewell game at their beloved Goodison Park, manager David Moyes was concerned the moment might be too much for his team.
He need not have worried as his players handled the occasion with ease, Iliman Ndiaye scoring twice as they beat relegated Southampton 2-0 on Sunday as the stadium known as the Grand Old Lady hosted its final Premier League game after 133 years.
"I was worried today. Everybody's been talking about this for so long," Moyes told reporters.
"The scenes outside the stadium were incredible, really. It felt like a club which is needing some big days, some big things in the future. So let's hope this is the start of it.
"But I tried to make a point to the players that what couldn't happen was that we left here not finishing it off right. (But) we've done the job which we needed. We've got 45 points (and stand 13th in the league table).
"The pressure was off the players today because of that (being clear of relegation), but it was also on because of the occasion, because of the greats who were sitting watching them."
Dozens of Everton icons, including Tim Cahill, Wayne Rooney and Duncan Ferguson, were at Goodison to take part in a post-game celebration that had fans in their seats -- some singing, others sobbing -- long after the final whistle blew.
"I've been here a while and I know what it means. It's been a great stadium," said 62-year-old Scot Moyes, who managed Everton from 2002-2013 before rejoining the club this year.
"Some questions (about the last game at Goodison) make me think, 'My goodness, this is difficult to take some of these,'" he added.
"I think more the feeling that there might be a club which is coming back together, signs that before there was a real breakup of a sort, of a love affair with the supporters, the players, the club, the owners. So we're all trying to get back ... together."
Everton end the season at Newcastle United on May 25, and then will move into their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the next campaign.
The club announced earlier this week that their women's team, who play in the Women's Super League, would make a permanent move to Goodison from next season.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
