That Christmas Eve Feeling

8pm tomorrow night and life as I know it and love it will resume. Summer is never my favourite time of the year, as there is no Everton. Even though we've had Euro 2012 and the amazing and ever so enjoyable Olympics this year, none of that comes close to a match day at Goodison. We have the added bonus of tomorrow being a night game, which is even better as there is something a little bit special about night matches at Goodison.

Every season I am always excited to get back to Goodison, not just for the football but to see the familiar faces of those people who've sat by for years, but this season I am like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for the big day to hurry up and come and I get the feeling I am not on my own with this feeling. Why the change? Whisper it quietly but there is something affecting most Evertonians this summer, we've become positive!! The last few summers we've had to endure not being able to buy anyone until pretty late in the window, usually on the last day or two after we've sold a big name player to fund any incomings, last August's deadline day was easily one of the worst days in my Everton life, heartbroken didn't come close to describing my feelings. Then we've had injuries to first choice players so have had to rely on the kids making up the numbers in the squad, who can forget the Blackburn game from 2008 and the extremely youthful bench of Turner, Jutkiewicz, Gosling, Agard, Kissock, Wallace?!

This year things somehow feel different, yes we've sold a player for big money, but let’s face it Rodwell was never what you'd class as a first team regular because of his injury record and out of our most sellable assets I would have sold him any day over the likes of Fellaini and Baines. But we have actually got some signings in!! The relief of getting Pienaar back permanently after his impressive loan last season was felt by all Evertonians; I cannot wait to see him and Baines causing many a problem for right backs up and down the country this season. Steven Naismith's arrival has caused excitement for the fans especially after his goal-scoring exploits against AEK Athens and today's news of the signing of Kevin Mirallas has sent the positivity through the roof. It's a shame we won't be seeing him play tomorrow as that would make the atmosphere even better. Rumours are abound of still one or two more incomings being possible too, if that did happen and come September the 1st we still had Baines and Fellaini in our starting XI, I really don't think I will have know such a positive summer at the club in recent years.

Just hope come 9:50pm tomorrow night, I will still be as excited and not feeling like the kid at Christmas when the present you've really wanted turned out be a disappointment.

COYB!!

The night Goodison Park rioted!!

Those 17,508 fans who where there will never forget it, those that weren't, wish they had have been there to witness a truly unbelievable and some ways unique sight of a Tony Hibbert goal and celebratory riot/pitch invasion. Definitely not an ordinary pre-season game, but doesn't that just sum up Everton and Evertonians?!

Premiership players are seen to be not deserved of testimonials these days, in the age of multi million pound contracts and sponsorship deals and I do understand that train of thought, but many recipients of testimonials now donate the proceeds to charities (just as Hibbert has done). Despite the misgivings of testimonials, I am glad Hibbert got his night. Hibbert isn’t what you’d call a typical modern day footballer, he shuns the media spotlight, I bet he hated having to do so much media work for the testimonial and he probably isn’t a household name to non Evertonians. But what he is, is a loyal player who seems to me just to be happy and grateful to be playing for the club he’s always supported. He may well not be the most skillful of players (although in my opinion, he is up there as being the best tackler at the club and can time a sliding tackle better than anyone we’ve got) but he is committed player and a hard working one too. Qualities that are often overlooked nowadays. He will play in any position in the defence that he is asked to play in without any complaints or moans, who can forget the excellent display he put in against Manchester City at Goodison last season when played at centre half against the likes of Dzeko, Silva and Aguero. If he’s left out for a period of time, you will never hear any complaints from him; no comments made to the media;  he just gets on with it, bides his time and works hard in training till he gets his chance again, which invariably he does. Also it’s very rare these days to see a local boy do well for a club, I really hate the thought of us never having at least one local lad playing for us and to have one do so for over 11 years is definitely an achievement that deserves recognition.

The game itself wasn’t against one of the biggest of European names in AEK Athens and maybe scoring after 38 seconds didn’t help make the game much of a contest as Moyes would have probably have wanted but seeing Steven Naismith score so early and his subsequent 30 minute hat trick was very encouraging and maybe the thought of Tim who crossed our minds during that first half. Can already see signs of a partnership developing between him and Pienaar especially as two of the goals were set up by our returning South African as well as hopefully re-establishing the excellent partnership he had with Jelavic up at Rangers. But even a hat trick on your Goodison debut wasn’t good enough to get the headlines for our newest recruit as this night was all about the player we know as Hibbo.

Let’s face it Hibbert likes to defend; he isn’t a Leighton Baines who likes to get on the score sheet throughout the season. If Tony gets a shot remotely near the target in a season that is good for him (I have seen a goalie have to make a save from him in a league game, but that was in 2004). He isn’t bothered about not scoring, the fact he hasn’t ever scored in over 300 games shows this, but us fans are. The cries of “shoooot” every time he gets anywhere near the opposition half, let alone their penalty area and the “he scores when he wants” song proves how much we’d like to see him score, but it’s never happened. It nearly did in the first half when the goalie had to tip over his 20 yard pile driver over the bar, much to the frustrations of the Park End.

The moment of history came early in the second when we awarded a free kick just outside the area. I was shouting for Hibbert to take it, it never actually occurred to me that he would but as he wandered over to that side of the pitch, the anticipation levels in the Old Lady grew as everyone realised this may be the moment we’ve wanted. Mobile phones were all zoomed in on him as he stood there, rather nervously waiting for his moment, Pienaar and Baines set it up perfectly and Hibbo struck a very decent low shot into the back of the Gwladys Street net. He said that he never wanted to score a gimme, a penalty in injury time or something similar, and he never, this was no gimme, Bainesy would have been proud of that free kick. It seemed to take a few seconds for all of us there to realise what had happened, but the next few minutes were some of the best scenes I’ve seen at Goodison. The main man stood there with his arms aloft and huge smile on his face. His teammates then all mobbed him; they were genuinely as pleased for him as the fans were. Then, us fans took centre stage as we fulfilled our promise of when Hibbert scores, we riot. Scores of fans from the Gwladys Street, the Bullens Road and the Main Stand piled on the pitch to celebrate. It was all good natured and so funny to watch as the rest of the ground sang “Oh Tony Hibbert, he scores when he wants” All too often these days, the fun and enjoyment is knocked out of football as it is all about winning, so to see these scenes was so enjoyable. The players found it just as enjoyable judging by the tweets from the likes of Duffy, Distin and Neville after the game. Even the man all this was for enjoyed it, he probably never thought we’d do it, but we did and what a way for him to remember his night, he incited a riot at Goodison, but that’s Evertonians for you, we said we’d riot and we did and as Steven Naismith put it “Cheers Hibbo, score 3 and couldn’t get the fans on the park, then u bag and the place goes mental haha, great sight, amazing to see”

It was amazing and those who were there will never forget the night that one of Huyton’s finest finally scored. I don’t care that it was only a friendly, it was the night Tony Hibbert scored and Goodison Park rioted and I was so glad to have been a part of it.