Everton bring heroic fan on to take penalty in pre-season friendly

Everton welcomed Dynamo Kyiv to Goodison Park on Friday night as they ramped up their preparations for the new Premier League season.

However, the clash was about so much more than just a football game.

Over 30,000 fans came together on a night where, without a doubt, huge amounts of cash and awareness were raised for the cause of embattled Ukrainians.

The ongoing events in the eastern European nation has seen the development of an alarming humanitarian crisis, with a global response mobilised to aid those in need in the war-torn nation.

Huge credit has to be given to Everton and all the fans in attendance with the jovial mood providing somewhat of an escape, at least briefly, for the Ukrainians in attendance.

The moment both sides emerged from the tunnel garlanded in their own personal Ukrainian flags was a deeply poignant one while chants of “Dynamo” regular rang out from the stands.

Of course, as this was Everton’s final match before they welcome Chelsea to Merseyside on the opening weekend, there was some focus on the job at hand.

Frank Lampard’s men put the emotion of the occasion to one side, notching up an efficient performance to run out 3-0 winners.

Or was it 4-0?

Well the reason we ask is because towards the end of the night, we were treated to a truly beautiful moment as one of Everton’s fans was summoned from the bench to take a late penalty.

Former police officer Paul Stratton has been travelling back and forth to Poland to deliver crucial supplies and help out in whatever way we can with the refugee situation there.

Stratton made the 1300 mile trip without second thought.

Even still, you can imagine his shock when he was found out he had been picked for the bench in a pre-season friendly.

As if that was