On the 28th May, 2023, Everton faced Bournemouth in a must-win game at Goodison Park. The stakes couldn’t have been higher—survival in the Premier League was on the line. Meanwhile, Lee Cooper was miles away, in Turkey, to get his teeth done. It was evening time, and after an afternoon's drinking, his missus called it early and headed back to the hotel, leaving Cooper to watch the game in a bar with a TV screen. The place had punters who were Brits—Manchester United, Liverpool, and Bournemouth supporters—many of whom were loudly willing Everton’s relegation.

The only Evertonian in there, sitting alone in enemy territory, Cooper found himself having to put up with snotty jibes against the Blues and cheers for Bournemouth. It was all typical bar banter, but Cooper gave it back. "Give it a rest, will ye? What are youse carrying on like this for? Shouting for Everton to go down? What's that all about?"

It all added to the tension as the game wore on. Then, in the 57th minute, came the moment that changed everything. Doucouré smashed home the only goal of the game—a goal that meant Everton would stay up. For Cooper, the pressure, the nerves, and the frustration of the night exploded into pure, unfiltered joy. He jumped up and down, climbed on tables, danced around the bar, and let out a few choice swear words in his celebration.

Unbeknownst to him, someone had pulled out their phone and captured the whole thing. The next morning, his phone buzzed: "Do you know there’s a video of you jumping around in a bar that’s gone viral?"

"Eh? What?" He hadn’t even realised he’d been filmed. But there it was, all over social media. The views kept climbing: 1 million, 1.5 million, 2 million, 2.5 million. Evertonians everywhere loved it and shared it. It was something every Blue could relate to. For Cooper, though, it wasn’t anything special. "I’ve done that loads of times at Goodison." His celebration was pure joy—but it was also a defiant stand against the punters’ jeers for Everton to go down.

Because that’s what Everton does to you. Because that’s what Evertonians do. You wear your heart on your sleeve, and when the moment comes—when that one goal means everything—you don’t just smile. You let those brand-new Turkey teeth shine like the floodlights at Goodison on a winter’s night.

Watch the video below:

 

Tell your friends!

Refer them to this easy-to-remember address: evertontimes.com/goodison. This is an important historical document for future generations who will never know what Goodison Park was like unless we record the memories and pass them on through the generations.

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