Despite the cold and gloomy Monday evening on Merseyside, Everton fans hoped the day marked the beginning of a bright new future for the club. Everton's magnificent new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock opened its doors for the first time to 10,000 lucky Toffees fans, who were entered into a ballot to watch Everton U18s play a friendly against Wigan Athletic. This event created a palpable sense of anticipation for what's to come.
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03-15, 2025The stadium has taken four years to build, at an estimated cost of over £750 million. The club will fully relocate in the summer in time for the start of the 2025-26 season. Approaching the stadium along Liverpool's dock road, the first thing that strikes you is its sheer scale; it is absolutely enormous. The size and scope of the project highlight the club's ambition.
Unlike Goodison Park, which is surrounded by Victorian terraced houses, the new stadium has a powerful presence. It is a huge, futuristic blend of steel and red brick, combining tradition with modernity. The Bramley-Moore pub opposite was doing a roaring trade, with Elton John's "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" blasting out of the speakers. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation and excitement.
"It's absolutely fantastic," said Andy, a Goodison Park season ticket holder who has already registered for a season ticket at Bramley-Moore next season. "We couldn't have hoped for a better stadium. Everyone is buzzing, young and old. It will be sad leaving Goodison, but when you see this stadium, it will make everyone envious." This sentiment reflects the mixed emotions of the fanbase.
It's hard to imagine that this was a working dock just three and a half years ago. Over a three-month period, it was filled in, with a dredger making 130 round trips 20 miles out into the Irish Sea, collecting 480,000 cubic meters of sand and pumping it in to form a solid base for the stadium's foundations. The 52,888-capacity stadium will be the seventh-largest in the Premier League and has already been selected to host matches at Euro 2028. The project is expected to contribute around £1.3 billion to the local economy.
Homages to history are evident throughout the stadium. Old railway tracks and a Grade II-listed Victorian hydraulic tower have been carefully restored. The Archibald Leitch-designed criss-cross balustrade, which still exists on two of Goodison Park's four stands, has been incorporated into the brickwork. Only one stand was open for tonight's game – the steep South Stand, which will eventually hold 14,000 people. The interior of the stand is lined with rows of food and drink stalls. You can find standard football fare – pies in three flavors were selling well. But there was also Korean spicy chicken and pretzel chicken subs on the menu.
"Toffee Doughnuts" were also selling well, with many people sporting remnants of royal blue icing around their lips. A huge glass window runs the length of the stand, offering stunning views of the Liverpool sunset fading behind the skyline. "You don't get views like this at Anfield," said one beaming hi-vis steward. Everyone here is buzzing with excitement.
There was a palpable sense of anticipation and childlike wonder as fans walked up the steps and caught their first glimpse of their team's new home. "It's a momentous occasion," said Tom, who has registered for season tickets next season along with his son, Elliott. "Goodison has been a fantastic ground – but it's time to move on now." The move represents progress and a new chapter for the club.
The first thing you notice is the steepness of the stands – they are as steep as possible to get fans as close to the pitch as possible. There are two huge TV screens at either end of the ground, and a PA system that is ear-splittingly loud – you could probably hear it over the Mersey in the Wirral. The players entered the pitch to the theme tune from the 1960s TV show "Z-Cars" – just as they have done at Goodison Park for over 50 years. It's another nod to the past, incorporated into futuristic trappings.
Wigan Athletic's Harrison Rimmer – a boyhood Liverpool fan – made himself a future pub quiz question by scoring the first goal at the new stadium. He made the most of the opportunity by holding up six fingers, referring to Liverpool's six Champions League titles. A few minutes later, Cole Simms made it 2-0 to the youth team, while Everton pulled one back late on through a penalty from 16-year-old Ray Roberts. But tonight wasn't about the result; it was about the special occasion – one that the fans in attendance will never forget.
"It's breathtaking," said Dave, another Goodison Park season ticket holder who will be making the trip to Bramley-Moore next year. "Goodison has always been our spiritual home, but you can't fault this stadium. It brings us into line with the best." The new stadium symbolizes a step forward for the club, both on and off the pitch.
