Everton have announced they will play the whole of next season at Goodison Park, rather than moving to their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock part way through the campaign.
The £760m ground, which will have a capacity of 52,888, remains on course to be finished before the end of 2024 but whereas it had been thought Everton might move during the season, they have chosen not to.
Everton consulted with supporters and said a combination of commercial, logistical and footballing reasons were why they will wait until the 2025-26 before playing in the new arena on the Merseyside waterfront. They will conduct test events in front of crowds of different capacities as part of their preparation.
Goodison Park has been Everton’s home since 1892, has staged more top-flight games than any other ground in England and was one of the venues for the 1966 World Cup. Everton plan a “year-long celebration” of one of the most historic stadia in the country.
Everton’s new stadium will be on the docks— (Getty Images)
Everton interim CEO Colin Chong said: “To be absolutely clear, our decision to not move in mid-season is not because of a construction delay. It is a club decision driven by a combination of commercial insight, a comprehensive review of the logistics required, an analysis of the potential impact upon our football operations and, importantly, fan feedback sourced as part of our recent stadium migration survey, which was completed by almost 10,000 Evertonians. Everton Stadium remains firmly on track, as scheduled, to be completed in the final weeks of 2024.
“Next season, 2024-25, is scheduled to be our last at Goodison Park. By the time we close the gates for the final time, Goodison will have been our home for nearly 134 years, with many supporters telling us very clearly about their desire to make sure the Grand Old Lady gets a fitting send-off.
“For a while now, the club has been looking at a series of events, tours and celebrations that will allow us all to pay tribute to one of the world’s most iconic and well-known stadiums. Now we know the farewell to Goodison will be a year-long celebration.”
