Fans Supporting Food Banks founder reflects on ten years of heart-warming moments at Goodison Park

At the end of his 50^th season as a season ticket holder at Goodison Park, Dave Kelly will not just be saying goodbye to the football ground as he knows it on Sunday.

Dave and his fellow volunteers at the Fans Supporting Foodbanks van will also be bidding a fond farewell to their spot at the corner of Goodison Road that’s been responsible for helping feed thousands of families across Liverpool.

In ten years, the collection point has gone from a wheelie bin outside the famous Winslow pub to an operation that collects groceries at both Goodison and Anfield supporting eight pantries across the city.

“Our mission statement when we started was unique – it is ‘close us down’. We don’t won’t to be doing what we’re doing in the sixth richest nation in the world. We don’t want to be needed anymore, but while we are, we will be there,” says Dave.

Matchday collections are a necessity but never a sad or depressing occasion. There is banter and fun and when kick off comes Dave helps pack up the haul of donations and then takes his seat in the Park End stand alongside his daughter and concentrates on supporting the Blues.

A home and away fanatic, he has an exhaustive collection of old newspapers and programmes telling the story of Everton through all their ups and downs in his lifetime as a fan.

His first game was on a Monday night in 1966 and as Dave would put it, long before Sky TV decided that was a big match night. He was just eight years old.

He said: “Everton had won an FA Cup semi-final on the Saturday with Colin Harvey scoring the winner against Manchester United. 

“We played them again in the league on the Monday and I arrived thinking we were in for a great game against them again in the league. We were treated to a 0-0 draw instead!

“We were in the upper Gwladys Street stand, and I spent so much of the match in awe of the noise and the fans and just kept looking down the touchline at the fans in the Main Stand. My dad had to keep reminding me to watch the match rather than the crowd.

“It’s funny now as I have a picture of my walking stick planted where the corner flag was that first night in front of us.”

Despite the disappointing performance it was the start of a lifelong love affair with Everton for Dave. 

He said: “There are four things certain in life: births, deaths, marriages and Goodison Park.”

Like many Evertonians, the victory against Bayern Munich in the European Cup Winners Cup semi-final in 1985 is one of his favourite nights at Goodison Park.

The official attendance was 49,476, but it is in no doubt that thousands more found their way into the famous old ground that night. Everton were one nil down at half time. 

When the team went into the dressing room cool as cucumber manager Howard Kendall poured the tea and told the team not to panic and “put the ball in the box, the Gwladys Street will suck it in”. They did, and Everton ran out 3-1 winners with Trevor Steven rounding the night off with a superb third goal. 

They went on to win the cup in Rotterdam against Rapid Vienna, but it is that night at Goodison that lives in Everton folklore. 

Dave said: “It was spine tingling. You look at how much football has changed since then. It wasn’t all all ticket. Imagine that now? I ended up in the Park End because the queues at the Gwladys Street was so big. It was still amazing.”

Dave was a leading light in the Keep Everton In Our City campaign when fans were up in arms about plans for a small, unremarkable ground in the Knowsley town away from their traditional home in Walton. The campaign was ultimately a success and many Evertonians are quick to praise Dave for his role.

He is Currently Chairman of the Fan Advisory Board and spends much of his time representing Evertonians, ensuring they have a voice in an industry often dominated by big business.

He is a trusted friend to many, a confidant for supporters and values massively his role for fans and as a foodbank organiser. 

But Dave deep down is a fan and understands more than most the joy and heartbreak of being a Blue.

He said: “Being an Evertonian means you are born not manufactured; it sounds a bit cheesy but it’s a way of life. Most fans will say that, but I think Everton fans more than most.”

How will he feel about shutting up the foodbank van and saying goodbye to Goodison Park as we know it?

Dave said: “I look at it as an evolutionary process. One chapter is closing and it’s about making sure the next chapter means we kick on as a club and improve and get back to what we had.

“When I look back at the campaign I feel fully vindicated in what we did. I  couldn’t sit back and do nothing when Everton wanted to leave Liverpool.

“I didn’t want my grand-children to say to me in 20 years ‘what were you doing when Everton left Liverpool for Kirkby?’ Can you imagine?”

Now he and tens of thousands of Everton fans are looking forward to life in a new home on the banks of the Mersey after they bid a fond farewell to men’s matches at Goodison Park.

Find out more about Fans Supporting Food Banks HERE.

Everton legend Colin Harvey reflects on his lifelong association with the club as he bids farewell to Goodison. Read the article here.