The manager of a 140 year-old pub that will close today has vowed that the venue will be given a “great send-off”. The Winslow Hotel, next to Goodison Park, opened its doors in 1886, before the famous stadium hosted its first matches in 1892 when Everton FC moved in.

It has welcomed generations of Everton supporters through its doors but its visitor numbers have fallen drastically since the men’s side moved to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium this season. The closure was announced in early December by Dave Bond, the pub’s general manager.

Dave, who is originally from County Clare but now lives in Norris Green, argued it wasn't financially viable to keep the pub going due to the collapse in business on matchdays.

Although Everton Women now play at Goodison, attendances have ranged from 3,000 to 6,000, well below the 40,000 that it used to host for the men's side.

The Winslow opened six years before Goodison Park did(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Speaking ahead of the pub’s sold-out farewell party this afternoon, Dave told the ECHO he...