'Goodison Park was never going to go quietly'

Goodison Park is one of the grand sporting theatres, and the final Merseyside derby played out at the old place delivered the dramatic last act it deserved before the doors are finally locked.

The concluding scenes included a 98th-minute equaliser from James Tarkowski, only given after the stadium held its breath for several minutes while the video assistant referee checked for offside and a foul.

And then, when the goal was awarded to give Everton a deserved 2-2 draw, tempers boiled over with Abdoulaye Doucoure needlessly taunting Liverpool's fans, to the annoyance of Curtis Jones, sparking a full-on brawl that saw both sent off.

They were followed by Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, who were furious with referee Michael Oliver, as this derby descended into chaos with police, stewards and players all involved.

Everton manager David Moyes said: "It was mayhem all game. A bit of a throwback. The place was boiling hot all night. It was an incredible atmosphere."

And in those few words, Moyes summed up the special magic of Goodison Park.

It may be creaking in parts, but on fiery nights like this with Liverpool as the opposition, it literally rocks - parts of it really do - with a glorious support and naked hostility like few other places in world football.

Everton may have that state-of-the-art new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock ready to go next season, but it is an almost impossible task to replicate what they have in this place - ramshackle and old-fashioned in parts admittedly, hence the need to move.

Goodison Park was never going to go quietly, but this was something else - full of emotion, passion and all the wild scenes of indiscipline Moyes called "to-ing and fro-ing" after the final whistle.

It may have pillars blocking some of the views, but it still has so much that will be missed with its towering Main Stand and the criss-cross designs on the stands that are the trademark of famous Scottish architect Archibald Leitch. It has a heart and soul no architect can design.

Read more from Phil on a night of Goodison mayhem here