Over 35,000 Everton fans witnessed the last Merseyside derby goal at Goodison Park, but former England rugby star Austin Healey missed out.
What made Healey’s devastation worse is the fact he was inside the ground for the 2-2 draw between Everton and Liverpool on Wednesday, but committed the cardinal sin football fans wouldn’t wish on their worst enemy.
AFPJames Tarkowski sparked wild scenes with a late equaliser against Liverpool[/caption]
Healey and his fellow Evertonians erupted when Beto opened the scoring in the 11th minute, only for Alexis Mac Allister to equalise for Liverpool just five minutes later.
Superstar winger Mohamed Salah netted his 22nd goal of the season when he nudged Liverpool ahead in the second half, but there was to be one final twist.
Vitaliy Mykolenko’s cross was flicked on by Tim Iroegbunam into the path of centre-back James Tarkowski, who powered a volley home from close range in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.
Tarkowski’s strike sparked a mini pitch invasion from delirious Everton fans to seal a point, although there was more drama after the final whistle as Abdoulaye Doucoure, Curtis Jones and Liverpool boss Arne Slot were all shown red cards by referee Michael Olvier.
As tens of thousands of Everton fans left Goodison Road elated, Healey, a diehard Toffees supporter, was not among them.
Speaking to Jamie O’Hara and Jason Cundy on talkSPORT’s Sports Bar, Healey spilled the beans on the controversial act he may regret for the rest of his life.
“With ten minutes to go, it was quite depressing,” Healey said.
“Didn’t want that to be my last game ever at Goodison. I said to my mate, ‘Look, we’re not leaving early and somebody always scores in the last minute.’
“It got to 95 minutes and the pair of idiots, we left.”
Cundy and O’Hara almost fell out of their chairs upon hearing Healey’s shocking admission.
“How, as a former athlete, can you do that,” O’Hara said.
Healey replied: “It’s bad. After all that, five hours in a car, missed the goal that sealed the most emotional end to a Goodison match in history.”
Although the 51-time England international missed Tarkowski’s last-gasp strike, he did manage to see a hilarious scene unfold outside the stadium that spoke to the craziness of the occasion.
“We came outside and as we got out the stadium, the stadium erupted,” Healey said.
“But the funny thing was, this guy was in the pub opposite. He ran across the road, threw his pint into the wall, lost his keys out of his pocket, ran into a man in a wheelchair, knocked him off the wheelchair, fell off.
“We were just outside thinking, ‘Oh my god, this is just crazy.’ Just madness everywhere, it was brilliant.”
Unfortunately for Healey, who was surprisingly sat next to UFC superstar and passionate Liverpool fan Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett, his work as a pundit for TNT on rugby matches made it highly likely his last opportunity to farewell Goodison Park.
It meant he learned a valuable lesson in the cruellest way possible.
“If I could, I would kick myself in my own spuds now” Healey said.
Although it may have been his final outing at Goodison, it won’t take away from the memories Healey made over decades attending Everton home fixtures.
It was his grandfather that installed his love for the club, with the pair going to Goodison ‘every week’.
As for his best memories throughout the years, Healey had two that immediately sprang to mind.
“I actually played on that field for the Under-16s,” Healey said.
“That was unreal. I took some of the grass that was in my boots and I used to keep it by the side of my bed. I kept that by the side of my bed in an envelope, even when I was playing rugby for England.
“It was like a good luck charm.”
The other was in April 1985 when Everton beat German giants Bayern Munich 3-1 in the second leg of their European Cup Winners’ Cup semi final.
Healey was sat in the Bullens Road Stand for the momentous occasion, with the Toffees going on to beat Rapid Wien in the final.
Perhaps the two-time British and Irish Lions representative can squeeze in one final visit to Goodison Park before they move into their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock.
But if he doesn’t, it’s one cruel, gut-wrenching way to farewell Goodison forever.