Pelé At Goodison

On 22nd August 1960, England was chosen as the host of the 1966 FIFA World Cup, beating West Germany in the final round of voting, and on 1st May 1963, Goodison Park was selected as one of the stadiums. At the group stages, Goodison hosted three matches – all of them involving reigning World Cup winners Brazil:

  • 12 July – Brazil v Bulgaria
  • 15 July – Hungary v Brazil
  • 19 July – Portugal v Brazil

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Goodison Park’s First Women’s Football Matches

During the First World War, female factory workers started to form football teams to raise money for charity; the most famous one being Dick, Kerr Ladies. Women’s football quickly became very popular with match attendances often reaching five figures and remained popular after the war ended. Some matches were staged at Football League grounds, including Goodison Park.

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Alan Ball’s Goodbye

On 18th December 1971, Alan Ball played in Everton’s 2-0 defeat to Derby at the Baseball Ground. Little did he know that when the full-time whistle was blown, he had played his last game for Everton. Just four days later, he left the Blues to join Arsenal for a fee of £220,000 – a British record fee at the time. Evertonians were devastated, and so was Ball.

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