Everton better hope they can at least pick up three points against Southampton as this Saturday’s game at Goodison Park threatens to resemble a Hollywood disaster movie with various fan groups planning protests against the club’s owners but it was a very different atmosphere on January 14, 2007 when Sylvester Stallone came to watch the Blues. The actor’s rip-roaring trip brought a sprinkling of stardust to Walton with what proved to be a blockbuster appearance from the Tinseltown A-lister.
Everton’s supporters are certainly not easy prey for gimmicks – this correspondent recalls the Gwladys Street once booing when one of their number accepted his girlfriend’s pitchside proposal of marriage – but there was genuine excitement in the air when the action movie star took to the turf. To be fair to Stallone – who once played the American goalkeeper ‘Hatch’ in the cult 1981 football film Escape to Victory alongside the likes of Pele and Bobby Moore – his Goodison cameo was also a performance he entered into with great gusto.
Invited by his Everton shareholder friend Robert Earl, who owned the Planet Hollywood restaurant chain, to come over and promote his latest production Rocky Balboa – the sixth instalment of the boxing franchise series – Stallone strolled out to the centre circle while the strains of the iconic Rocky theme tune Gonna Fly Now blared out over the stadium’s public address system, enthusiastically waving a blue and white Everton scarf above his head. Taking his bow, while also wearing an Everton-branded jacket, Stallone lapped up the adulation of the crowd as chants of: “Rocky, Rocky” emanated from all four corners of Goodison.
READ MORE: Frank Lampard explains Everton transfer delay and makes January intentions clear
READ MORE: 'I don't need more' - Everton manager Frank Lampard responds to Farhad Moshiri claim and fan protest
But while ‘Sly’ proved a smash hit with the Street End faithful, unfortunately the feature attraction proved to be a major flop. The ECHO’s Dominic King mused: “The Rocky Horror Show was avoided but on the day Sylvester Stallone came to town, Everton were once again left looking for The Good Life. Come on - did you expect anything else other than an introduction crammed full of clichés?
“While PR chiefs at Goodison Park can rightly reflect on a wonderful afternoon for the club, contrary to what one imbecilic radio commentator thinks (BBC Radio 5 Live’s Alan Green apologised for describing Stallone’s visit as a ‘pathetic stunt’ and suggesting he left five minutes from full-time to ‘see whether his limousine was on bricks’), manager David Moyes will be scratching his head for the next few days, wondering how his side can rediscover the Eye of the Tiger. Sorry. That’s the last one.
“Stallone’s visit to Liverpool was always going to be the main talking point, no matter what football Everton and Reading produced but it’s a good job the positive image the Blues projected diverted attentions away from a disappointing performance. Failing to build on a bright start, fuelled by the energy of a crowd hyped up by Stallone’s memorable jig on the pitch before kick-off, it was left to Andrew Johnson to spare the blushes with a late header.
“Make no mistake, however, Everton were out of sorts. It would be far too convenient to blame the razzmatazz of Stallone’s visit as the reason for Everton’s lethargy, especially during an uneventful first half. The presence of a Hollywood megastar might well have been the little something needed for Everton to raise themselves and put on a show for a worldwide audience.”
Reading went ahead on 28 minutes through a Joleon Lescott own goal and King said: “Having conceded a silly free-kick, Reading took advantage of Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott retreating into their six yard area to pile pressure on Tim Howard. He may have made a terrific save from Stephen Hunt's header but the comedy of errors was completed when the rebound careered into Lescott then bobbled over the line.”
It was the kind of sucker punch to leave a bad taste in the mouth akin to Stallone’s eye-popping reaction when taking a sip from a Goodison cuppa. Thankfully, Everton got back up off the canvas to at least live to fight another day and earn a share of the spoils nine minutes from the end as “Johnson atoned for a couple of earlier misses to convert Yobo’s cross and register his eighth goal in as many games against Reading.”
Despite Green’s cynical misgivings about the Stallone’s motives, he spoke passionately of the warmth of the Merseyside public and compared Scousers to the citizens of Rocky’s home city of Philadelphia because it was “a blue collar town and the people are all heart.” Indeed, the native New Yorker would remain an Evertonian from afar and made a virtual Goodison return, wearing a Blues replica shirt, in 2015 for the shooting of a scene in the film Creed, also featuring real life Scouse boxer Tony Bellew, for which he reprised the role of Rocky Balboa again.
READ NEXT
Frank Lampard shares new Alex Iwobi injury timeline and gives Dele Alli Everton return update
Timothy Weah transfer could provide the supply line Everton's strikers desperately need
'On the back-burner' - Leon Osman sends blunt message to Frank Lampard before crucial Everton clash
What Farhad Moshiri must do next as potential hidden Everton message emerges from interview
Everton learn 'asking price' to sign Danny Ings after loan approach 'rejected'
