'Everton let me go before I could say Goodison Park farewell – I can't deny my feelings'

Graeme White has opened up about his devastation at being axed before Everton's final season at Goodison Park. White spent nine years as the voice of the legendary ground but was told his services were no longer needed ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

It proved a bitter blow for a man who had fulfilled a lifelong ambition by becoming part of the club he adores. White, who had previously worked for them in different capacities, is a devoted Toffees supporter who once harboured dreams of wearing the iconic blue himself, but was happy to accept a behind-the-scenes role for nearly a decade.

Following 133 years at Goodison, Everton left the venue for the expanded Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer. White appeared on , a documentary created by All Out Football, brought to you by SkyBet, to reveal how he landed the announcer role, as well as the anguish of being dismissed before the poignant goodbye at their historic home.

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"That first experience was unbelievable," he said. "Going with my family. No better feeling than walking towards Goodison Park, past Stanley Park, to the ground, actually going in the ground and seeing the inside of Goodison and looking around thinking, 'This is a special place.' The atmosphere: unbelievable.

"[I] wasn't good enough to play for the club. However, I was able to take another path, and that was to go [and] work for Everton Football Club. And then get the dream job of announcing the teams, which is pretty special.

"The first time was against Watford. I had more nerves than I've ever experienced before, but then you open the microphone, you read the Everton team, and once you shout that first name on the team sheet and hear the crowd's reaction, you think, 'Yeah, this is great. I'm gonna enjoy this.'"

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And White relished his privileged position so near to the side he worshipped. The Toffees managed to string together several mid-table finishes during the early years of his reign, though by the end of White's stint, the club had grown used to annual scraps against the drop.

They were gearing up for the 2024/25 season when he was informed he was no longer needed. And it meant he wouldn't play a part in their farewell campaign at Goodison before relocating to Bramley Moore this year.

"It was tough," White continued. "I won't deny that, because I'd been a part of Everton Football Club for 29 years. In fact, I'd been a part of Everton longer than I'd been married.

"It was disappointing, but I appreciate, like in life, things have to change, and things change for a reason. I miss it immensely, but I'm an Evertonian. So I miss doing the job of being a stadium announcer. Goodison Park, you know, it was a special place. It was a special job. Yeah, I'm gonna miss it."

Everton hold the record for the most seasons played in the top tier of English football, with the vast majority of that time spent at Goodison. They've also been a constant presence in the first division since 1954, with only Arsenal boasting a longer run.

As for White, he hasn't given up on his days as part of Everton's in-house team just yet. There's still a flicker of faith he might be asked to return to Hill Dickinson Stadium, even if it's not in the same capacity.

"I'd love one day to get that phone call and be invited back to do something," he added in a hopeful tone. "You never know. You just never know."

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