How will Everton's new stadium look and what fate awaits Goodison Park?

The Everton Football Club was founded back in 1878 and initially used Anfield Road as their home stadium. After the construction of Goodison Park, they relocated to the new arena, where they continue to play to this day.

At the end of the 20th century, the club began searching within the city for a location to build a new stadium. Between 1999 and 2003, Kings Dock was the primary site considered. From 2006 to 2009, there were discussions about a project that envisioned Everton relocating to Kirby. Additionally, between 2014 and 2016, Walton Hall Park was considered as a potential location for a new arena. However, none of these projects were realized.

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It's worth mentioning that at the insistence of local authorities in the early 2000s, there were rumors about constructing a shared arena with Liverpool. Representatives from both clubs even met with city council leaders. However, predictably, both sides rejected this idea. Liverpool aimed to build a new 60,000-seat arena in Stanley Park, but after a change in ownership, the club decided to renovate Anfield Road instead. Meanwhile, Everton continued its search for a new location to build its new stadium.

The design of the new stadium

The saga of choosing a stadium location spanned around 20 years. In early 2017, Everton officially announced Bramley-Moore Dock as their new stadium location after reviewing over 50 potential sites. The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, expressed the city's readiness to aid the project by constructing new roads leading to the stadium. In November 2017, Everton announced a 200-year lease agreement for land at Bramley-Moore Dock.

On February 23, 2021, the Liverpool City Council unanimously approved Everton's plans for both the new stadium and the repurposing of the Goodison Park area. In March of the same year, these plans received approval from the UK Government.

How will Everton's new stadium look?

The construction of the new stadium began in the summer of 2021. The arena is expected not only to host football matches but also to serve as a venue for cultural and mass events. Following the successful joint British-Irish bid to host the 2028 European Championship, the stadium was announced as one of the ten venues for the tournament.

According to local press reports, the new stadium is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Therefore, it will not be ready for the start of the 2024/25 season as previously planned. The club decided to spend the next season at Goodison Park before moving to the new venue.

How much will the construction of the new stadium cost, and what fate awaits Goodison Park?

Initially estimated at around £500 million, the project's cost was later announced to be £760 million by Everton's owner, Farhad Moshiri, in January 2023. The stadium, bearing the club's name, is designed to accommodate 52,888 spectators.

After Everton's move to the new stadium, Goodison Park will be demolished. As part of the "Goodison Legacy" project, the stadium's site will be transformed into a new public space. This area will feature high-quality and affordable housing, a multi-purpose medical center operated by the Everton in the Community organization, retail spaces, areas for youth initiatives and startups, office and business premises, as well as green spaces, paying homage to the football heritage in its design.