Goodison Park had never shone so brightly as Everton extended their residence in the top-flight of English last Sunday.
Abdoulaye Doucoure raised the roof at Goodison with a rasping second-half strike to secure his side the three points they needed to remain in the Premier League at the expense of Leicester City and Leeds United.
And just days after Everton completed their latest great escape, 30 lucky supporters were invited back to the Old Lady to follow in the footsteps of Sean Dyche’s side.
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Socios.com, the world’s leading fan engagement platform, were the organisers as they invited 30 Blues supporters to sample what every Everton player experiences throughout the course of the season. As well as playing on the Goodison pitch, fans also got the chance to get changed in the home dressing room and walk out of the tunnel to Z Cars.
Now in its second year, the Fan Token Cup invites Fan Token holders from various UK cities to their team’s Premier League ground for a 5-a-side football tournament. The winning team gets an all-expenses-paid trip to watch one of Europe’s biggest football teams play.
One of the lucky supporters to be invited to Goodison was Joe Hooley, and speaking to the ECHO, he admitted the whole experience was a real-life pinch-yourself moment, especially with the club close to moving to a new ground at Bramley-Moore Dock.
He said: "I’ll be honest, we were all dreading it. We all met on Sunday beforehand to go for a drink before the game, and we were like, I don’t think we will be able to stomach the place if we go down.
"I never thought I would get to play here. I have been thinking about it since I was like four years old; walking out was unbelievable, especially with Z Cars playing.
"I’ll be devastated when we leave, but to finally get my experience before it goes is unbelievable, especially as it is with my mates."
Former Everton midfielder Leon Osman was also in attendance at the event, and he told the ECHO: "Today is brilliant and it is the second season of this Socios event.
"It allows fans, who are token holders, to have the opportunity to not only come and play on the pitch but to compete for the prize they are competing for.
"It is a great event, and this is being done with smiles on our faces today, thankfully. The sun is shining, and the fans are enjoying themselves."
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