Ten minutes before kickoff in the Lower Visitors end of Goodison Park on derby day is probably now as close as you can get to experiencing football as it was in the 1980s. Selhurst Park, the home of Crystal Palace, perhaps comes a distant second as a vast swathe of humanity squeezes past each other trying to locate toilets, bars and most importantly of all of course where in the ground they are actually watching the game from.

There are obviously important mitigating circumstances for this. Everton now playing their final season here before their move to the shiny new home at Bramley Moor. I have been watching Liverpool at Goodison for forty years and other than a couple of occasions have largely good memories of my experiences here.

I’m still disappointed that I missed the FA Cup replay four all draw in 1991 which proved to be Kenny Dalglish’s last game in charge. The tight turn around from the first game and travel difficulties proving my downfall. I was at the three two game in 1985 where Dalglish scored in the first minute and the three two in 2001 when Gary McAllister scored in the last minute though. Honourable mentions should also go to the one nil wins in 1987 (via Ian Rush) and 2016 (via Sadio Mane) along with the three all draw in 2013. Good times to be a Red.

Back to this evening. One thing I definitely won’t miss is the view from the lower visitors section here. The view wherever you are stationed is akin to how I imagine watching a game through a letter box would be. Of course to try and improve this and coupled with the importance of the game everyone stands throughout to try and get a better view. Alas it makes no difference.

The teams come out and it’s clear the Evertonian’s want the final derby to be a memorable occasion. For the opening ten minutes though nothing of note happens. Then a dubious free kick and lack of concentration sees the home team one nil ahead. Amongst the Liverpool ranks there are mixed feelings of surprise and obvious disappointment. But most importantly it doesn’t feel like anything the team can’t handle. Sure enough within five minutes the equaliser arrives and pandemonium fuelled at least in part by a sense of relief ensues in the travelling ranks.

The remainder of the first half becomes a stereotypical derby with much heat generating very little light, while the referee produces a string of decisions that baffle both sides. The half time whistle blows and is totally consumed getting as far as the concourse, into the toilets and back out.

Of course many many thousands of words have been written already about the events of the second half. The game continues in the same manner as the first until Mohammed Salah fires Liverpool in front with barely fifteen minutes remaining. I find myself wildly embracing people I have never met before and as the teams kick off that I am actually five rows back from where I was before the goal got scored.

From there though it becomes increasingly tense despite the fact that Everton don’t ever really look like scoring. Alexi MacAllister is serenaded when he takes a corner in front of us (he’s the best there’s been from the Argentine), then a premature round of ‘we won the league at Goodison Park’ is followed by a burst of ‘you’re going to boo in a minute’.

Except of course the Evertonian’s don’t boo, we don’t win the league at Goodison Park and Everton do score. On reflection (fantastic as MacAllister is) even that song about him feels wildly optimistic when set against Maradona and Messi. For the first time in the evening the vast majority of the 2804 Liverpool supporters make actual use of the seat they have been given by sitting on them and reflecting on their life decisions. There is still time for four people to be sent off before events conclude.

Then for the final time we squeeze out of Goodison. A fitting, if painful for us, end to the Merseyside derby era here. Bramley Moor is going to have its work cut out to beat this atmosphere though. Despite the finish I look forward to finding out if it can.