The powerful scenes that greeted Everton’s players at the height of last season’s relegation battle WILL return.
Fans, blue smoke and Spirit of the Blues will welcome the playing squad as it arrives at Goodison Park ahead of the game with Newcastle United.
The move is possible after calls led by the supporters group The 1878s helped to secure changes to the plans for players attending Thursday’s game.
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Since the appointment of Sean Dyche as Blues boss in late February, Everton’s first team players have made their own way to Goodison for matchdays - as opposed to arriving together on coaches. That was expected to remain the case. However, with Everton’s fight against relegation reaching a key point and supporters desperate to replicate their influence in Everton’s escape from trouble last season, the players will now arrive by coach ahead of the Newcastle tie.
Merseyside Police and Everton have been involved in the arrangements, which will see the player and staff coach convoy arrive at 5.45pm. They will approach the stadium down Walton Lane, past the Hot Wok restaurant and onto Goodison Road.
Such scenes were pivotal in encouraging Everton’s players last season, with the first coach greeting held before the vital win over Chelsea. Supporters then gathered outside Finch Farm as the players left for Leicester City - where Everton secured another significant win - the following week. Further coach welcomes followed before the home games against Brentford and then Crystal Palace on the night Everton secured Premier League survival. Sean Dyche, James Tarkowski and Demarai Gray are among the influential figures who have recently praised the positive impact of supporters United behind the club.
Speaking about plans led by The 1878s that saw away supporters arrive early to support the players during their warm up at Palace last week, Dyche said: “They [the supporters] keep going, keep cheering, and that surely has to be recognised by me, and by the team too. The commitment is absolutely there, and any part they can play is absolutely fantastic. And we have to keep giving them something to go on. I said after the game, it has to be there, that connection. Sometimes they can start the energy, sometimes we can, but it has to be there. And generally it has - I have no complaints with the supporters, they have been terrific, so if they can give us anything they can, brilliant."
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