Three families of Evertonians who will have personalised stones laid on Everton Way were given the chance to meet Peter Reid and watch their messages being engraved.
Over 23,000 stones will form a unique walkway outside the finished south stand of the club’s future home, giving fans the chance to cement their place at Everton Stadium for posterity.
And Caron Moore, John Williams and Lisa Neary – who all placed some of the earliest orders in celebration of loved ones – were randomly chosen to join Everton Giant Reid on a visit to Intaglio Creative in St Helens, to see the process of producing the finished stones. Lisa, who has a stone engraved in memory of her grandfather, Bill, explained: “He was my biggest influence and number one Evertonian.
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“We just felt it was really nice to do something in his memory because he was the one who passed the legacy of being an Everton supporter on to us. This is just our little way of always having something there to remember him and what he did for us, as a family.”
Caron, whose stone honours her late father, Joseph McNally, added: “It was important for us to get a stone because my late dad was blue, through and through. He would be absolutely delighted because he didn’t live far from Bramley-Moore Dock, so it’s his home.”
John, who purchased a stone for himself and his late father, Ray, said: “It’s important for me to be a part of the fabric of the new stadium. This stone will be there a long time after I’m gone, so a little bit of me and my dad will always be there.”
Reid, who is honoured with a stone on Everton Way as one of the club’s greatest players, the Everton Giants, met the families to share their personal memories, before all the visitors received a replica stone from Kevin O’Brien, Operations Director at Intaglio Creative .Reid, who won two League Championships, an FA Cup and the European Cup-Winners' Cup with the Blues, said: “Everton Way is a great idea and the way it has been done, by Everton and Intaglio, is pure class. It’s well worth it for any fan out there who has a spare few quid, because they are brilliant.”
Since being launched in March, Everton Way has proved hugely popular, with almost 90% of available stones already snapped up by Blues fans from across the world. But ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, there’s still time to cement a place in history. Personalised individual stones start at £65 and can also be used to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, as an expression of personal support, or in memory of loved ones.
In addition to having a stone at Everton Stadium – and ahead of installation – supporters will also have the chance to purchase a replica stone. Presented in an Everton-branded display box, these replica stones offer an additional memento, along with the option of a personalised A4 presentation certificate of authentication. You can click here to order a stone on Everton Way.
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