Who was Lily Barnes? Everton's longest-standing tour guide dies at 79, tributes pour in

Well-known stadium tour guide Lily Barnes recently passed away at the age of 79. She was struggling with some unknown illness for a long time, which led to her demise. The Liverpool Echo reported that she held the position of a gatekeeper since the 70s at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England.

Football club Everton also comfirmed Lily's death on various social media platforms. The club addressed Barnes' work over the years on their official website and wrote:

"The face of Goodison Park for decades, Lily was a much-loved stadium tour guide who filled her role with pride, enthusiasm, passion and an encyclopaedic knowledge."

According to the Liverpool Echo, a book will be launched for the public to share their condolences and tributes to Lily Barnes. The book will be sent to Lily's family at a later date, and Everton also shared an official announcement regarding the same was also shared by Everton on their website along with a form that reads:

"An online book of condolence has been opened for staff and supporters. Please use the form below to leave a message or tribute for Lily. The digital book will be shared with Lily's family."

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Lily Barnes was involved with Goodison Park for a very long time

As mentioned earlier, Lily Barnes was a name known to everyone when Goodison Park was mentioned. She started her career in 1979 by working in the hospitality section of the stadium and later started getting involved in other duties with the Blues.

Lily intended to inform people about Goodison Park, specifically Blues supporters. She also collaborated with her granddaughter, Elle Barnes-Reen, to achieve the same. The collaboration received a positive response and was termed the best partnership by some publications.

According to the Liverpool Echo, Lily was always satisfied when she witnessed people's reactions while walking through the tunnel as a few of them reportedly became emotional during the tour. While speaking to the outlet last year, she addressed the entire experience and said:

"It's great. I feel so proud that we have done something for them that only took a couple of minutes."

Lily Barnes revealed in the interview that she always begins by speaking of the emergence of Everton and the process that led to the popularity of football at Stanley Park. She continued:

"There is so much you can tell about the ground, how the pitch is looked after and where the home fans are seated and where the away fans are. It's amazing and I could just go on and on."

She further stated that she is never tired of giving a tour to anyone, and she can speak for more than two hours if she has to reveal everything she knows about the stadium. Barnes said that she has met a few people who have shared their experiences with her, which helped her to know more about the place.

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Netizens express their grief on social media platforms

Lily Barnes was a popular face at Goodison Park, and her knowledge about the stadium was praised by people over the years. Social media platforms were flooded with tributes when the news of her death went viral:

During her appearance on the podcast titled Everton: Nothing Will Be The Same, Lily spoke of her relationship with Everton since her childhood and said:

"On a Saturday night, if Everton won, the table would be set with a blue and white tablecloth, cakes and all kinds of goodies, and if they got beat – don't bother! Every Saturday night, if Everton won, we would have a feast – all the kids would be around eating cakes."

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Detailed information on Lily's survivors remains unknown, and further details on her cause of death are currently awaited.