The whole world saw how great Everton supporters were at the end of last season, dragging the players and the manager over the line in our team’s battle to keep us in this fantastic Premier League. The plaudits were richly deserved but let’s keep it that way as it wasn’t good to see people on the pitch after the Dynamo Kyiv game and I was glad that the fans who had stayed behind voiced their opinions to tell them to get off.
I didn’t have a problem with the outpouring of emotion and relief from the fans after the Crystal Palace game when Everton stayed up, the club means so much to so many people, it’s their community, it’s their lifeline. Frank Lampard was dancing and singing in the directors’ box and they were the kind of scenes I’d never seen before at Goodison Park, even on the two occasions we avoided relegation on the last day when I was a youngster.
However, for whatever reason, Everton seem to be the whipping boys with the Premier League whenever something happens. The champions Manchester City – another of my former clubs – had a pitch invasion when they clinched the title but all the hype seems to surround ourselves.
