It has, quite understandably, been labelled a dark day for Everton. But as a life-long fan, I believe this could be the moment that the club regains its belief, its identity.
The past few years have been the bleakest since I first attended Goodison Park as a seven-year-old in late 1985 – a 3-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.
Indeed, they have been among the bleakest for the club since my late grandmother made her first trip from Birkenhead to L4 to watch Dixie Dean in his debut season for Everton in 1925.
She was there, too, 55 years later in March 1980 when Dean died after suffering a heart attack in the stands following a game against Liverpool.