For those that've experienced relegation, it forever stings like the lasting memories of a once passionate love affair that only serve to propel you through the final months of simply going through the motions.
You know it's ending, you refuse to accept it's ending, it ends. It crumbles into nothingness — just nightmares of a disinterested Michael Owen trodding around the halfway line of your heart and all your good intentions deflecting off Damien Duff and into your own goddamn net at a gleeful Villa Park.
Don't ever get relegated. Not from the Premier League, not from indoor recreational B-league to C. Both are just as shameful.
Everton supporters clearly understand this better than most. They are one of six clubs — along with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Spurs — to have spent every season in the Premier League since its inception 30 years ago.
With six matches remaining, 18th-place Everton welcomed third-place Chelsea to Goodison Park on Sunday trailing 17th-place Leeds and safety by five points. An unlikely result would be massive for manager Frank Lampard and the Toffees, so the fans got to work at 1:00 a.m.
Everton fans setting fireworks off outside the hilton Hotel where chelsea players are currently staying .
2:40am atm. Been going on about hour and a half. pic.twitter.com/8mDv5FyW0N— Kaehian Simmonds (@KAEHIAN_B_S) May 1, 2022
After Richarlison gave Everton the lead shortly after halftime, the supporters got involved again to make sure the three points didn't slip.
Everton fan hides the ball from Reece James. #EVECHE | #MyPLMorning pic.twitter.com/y7cyO5fB17
— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) May 1, 2022
"The fans were the man of the match today, from the drive in to the support, which we need with where we are," Lampard said. I think we all know he was specifically pointing out the "we're having a baby!" celebration guy for praise.
Arriving at Goodison. #EVECHE pic.twitter.com/nT4hai6YeJ
— Everton (@Everton) May 1, 2022
Everton is away against an 11th-place Leicester side that's not playing for anything next Sunday. Leeds has a daunting away trip to fourth-place Arsenal. Burnley is at home against an Aston Villa team celebrating 40 points.
