Blues bring back fan favourite Cult Heroes to celebrate Goodison's final season

Everton will be bringing back a line-up of past fan favourites as part of a series of events to celebrate the final season at Goodison Park.

Players from across the eras will be taking part in Gwladys Street presents Cult Heroes nights, revealing stories and anecdotes from their time at the club and after.

The nights, starting in August, will see a stage built in the penalty area with fans packing the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street end for a special audience with.

First to return to the hallowed Goodison turf will be a hardman Blues midfield pairing from the David Moyes’ noughties team: Danish international Thomas Gravesen and Lee Carsley. They’ll be on stage with striker Daniel Amokachi, a hero of Everton’s 1995 FA Cup winning team, with special guest Leon Osman on the mic for hosting duties.

More players, including members of the current squad, will also be revealed over the next few weeks, joining the line-up to relive some of their best memories from the stadium’s past.

A spokesperson for Everton says the Cult Heroes nights are just one of many ways the club will be commemorating an emotional farewell to Goodison.

“It’s going to be very poignant so we wanted to do a number of things to try and celebrate what is going to be an absolutely landmark season for us.

“When we had the idea for Cult Heroes we went through a long list of people thinking, who did the fans really relate to? Who are the players that we don’t hear from as much who fans loved?

“Tommy Gravesen was right up there, and as soon as we approached him he was on board. He wants to be part of a farewell to Goodison because he had great times here over two spells for us. He particularly wanted his old mate Lee Carsley involved too because the pair of them were the Bruise Brothers, they were a proper double act on the pitch so hopefully they’ll be a double act off it as well.

“Ozzy obviously played with them both so he’ll get stories that haven’t been told before out of them. They’re very different characters but they bonded really well on the pitch and off it.

“Daniel Amokachi is from a slightly earlier era but again fans adored him. He was part of the FA Cup winning team of 1995 and everyone knows the legendary story of the semi-final where he basically substituted himself and came on then scored two goals. But there are lots of others that he’ll be able to tell about his time at Everton and after because he went on to be Nigerian national team manager.”

The first Cult Heroes – which is over 18s only – will be on Wednesday August 21, just after the start of the new season.

Leon Osman, who’s gone on to be a football pundit and presenter, says he’s looking forward to getting back onto the Goodison pitch and ask the questions.

“I’m really excited about the evening and being back at Goodison Park in front of a packed Gwladys Street. My old teammates Tommy Gravesen and Lee Carsley are no doubt going to be brilliant, and Ammo!! I remember Daniel Amokachi from my time as a young player at the club and he’s someone who had a huge impact.

“I think everyone recalls him for the charisma he showed on and off the pitch and I can’t wait to interview him on stage. I’m lucky to know some of the other guests who are signed up and Evertonians definitely won’t be disappointed.”