I'm glad transfer talks did not get nasty - everton must do what's best for them

Abdoulaye Doucoure has announced that he is leaving Everton. While he scored one of the most-important goals in our history a couple of years ago, given his contract situation, it comes as

no surprise really. The football club have got to do what’s best for themselves. Yes, it’s nice to have a bit of loyalty to some players here and there but we want to kick on and we want to

improve on our playing squad. Loyalty works both ways and the club have got to look after themselves and make offers that they feel are sensible and safe for them. People can part ways,

shake hands and separate with a smile, so there’s no bitterness. In football, it’s very difficult when you get to these contract negotiations and things can turn a bit nasty but I think with

the love that the fans have shown Doucoure when he was walking off the pitch and the emotion he showed himself, it felt like it could be his last home game for Everton. Now that he’s

decided to move on, good luck to him and thank you for his services. He’s had that opportunity to wear that royal blue jersey and the passion of that fans has made it for him. Ahead of

Goodison Park's final Premier League fixture, there were also announcements about the ground's future and a naming rights deal for the new stadium. We were all concerned over what

was going to happen to Goodison Park. Was it going to be the Legacy Project or were there going to be different plans with the new owners coming in? GOODBYE GOODISON PARK - SOUVENIR EDITION

Everton are soon set to say goodbye to Goodison Park as the Toffees play out their final few matches in their iconic home before moving to their incredible new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

And to celebrate this historic and poignant event, the ECHO has produced this stunning special souvenir edition that no fan can afford to be without as they bid farewell to their iconic and

beloved home. We have delved into the ECHO archives to unearth fascinating stories from the famous ground's past, including how it came to be built in 1892 and where its world-famous

name came from. Buy now and have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents on Merseyside from

April 2, 2025. You can also purchase Goodison's Greatest, our celebration of an era when Everton ruled English football. If you love Everton, you’ll just love this - order your copy

today, simply click here! And that's not all, also available is ParkLife, a a high quality, 312 page publication showcasing 133-years of Goodison history in pictures. Available here.

Then there's Farewell to Goodison, celebrating 100 of the best moments at the Grand Old Lady, available to purchase now. The decision has given the opportunity for Everton Women to play

there while they think of how they’re going to reshape Goodison Park. It’s still going to be there in one way or another for a few more years yet. It’s great to see. It’s a huge opportunity

and a massive positive for the women’s game, going to play in the first purpose-built football ground in the country. While it’s sad that men’s first team football has now ended at Goodison

Park, there is now a chance for some fans who never got to attend a match at the ground and maybe missed out on getting tickets this season as we knew how great the demand was, to come

along. It’s a huge statement from the owners and it can hopefully help the area surrounding the ground that we’ve been concerned about with Everton moving on as the whole community where I’m

from could have suffered had it been bulldozed. As Evertonians, we were all talking among ourselves, wondering what the new stadium was going to be named. Many of us were hoping for a huge,

blue chip company, possibly Toyota because of the connection with The Friedkin Group or one from the USA. We know we need to bring as much money as possible to the football club and start

building our brand all the way around the world to ensure our starting 11 is the best it possibly can be. These are the type of deals that we have to secure. The opportunity to get a naming

rights deal is always going to be a positive. It was a bit of a shock decision, but it’s a nice little story given that it’s a local law firm who have got a history regarding the football

club and there’s an opportunity to keep that journey going while bringing some money in. The name doesn’t trip off the tongue for now, but hopefully it’s a partnership that helps both sides

and helps Everton to have a better football team to start strongly at Bramley-Moore Dock.