Toffees Stick at Hill Dick
and the steel, glasswork and exposed brickwork exterior slowly began to take shape. The aim was always to balance this modernity by the retention and enhancement of some of the site’ s historic features, such as the outer wall, a section of railway line and a hydraulic tower.
The decision to allow such a modern stadium to be built on the waterfront did not pass without controversy, with the area’ s status as a UNESCO World Heritage site revoked in July 2021 due to what the body described as the“ completely unacceptable major adverse impact on the authenticity, integrity and outstanding universal value of the World Heritage Site.” Although the building of the new stadium was highlighted in the decision, the wider development of the waterfront area of Liverpool, where historic structures such as the Liver Building and the Port of Liverpool Building now sit shoulder to shoulder with modern apartment blocks, galleries and event arenas, was also said to have played a part.
By early 2024 the main structure of the stadium was complete and work began on the exterior cladding, glazing and fitting out. When it became evident that the stadium was likely to be completed during the 2024 / 25 season, Everton took the decision not to move in until the start of the following season. It was duly handed over in December 2024, allowing time for the finer touches to be added and for the first two reduced capacity test events to be held.
Groundtastic visited Everton’ s new home for the third and final test event, the fullcapacity pre-season friendly against Italian side AS Roma in early August. Fans had started to gather close to the venue several hours before kick-off, probably keen to work out how to get to the stadium due to the widespread parking restrictions and road closures around the site. Sited north of the city centre, the stadium is in an area that is a mix of small industrial units, warehouses and derelict dock workings. Some of these old docks have already been transformed into plush apartments and hotels and it is inevitable that similar buildings will creep closer to the stadium over the next few years. At present, there’ s not much in the locality for supporters, save for a handful of bars. The street food wagons that prevailed at Goodison have not made their way here, although there were a couple of stalls selling souvenirs.
The stadium is located on Regent Road and is partially concealed from view by a fabulous high stone wall, in keeping with many of the various docks that once spread out to the north of the city centre. This wall is punctuated with openings that provide access to the fan zone. The main entrance is adorned with a trio of turrets, and further entrances have been cut through the wall, all of them accompanied by numerous stewards and metal detecting arches. Access the inner footprint around the stadium is only possible from this side, meaning all 52,000 spectators have to use these entrances and exits. How this will work for the cut and thrust of Premier League games remains to be seen.
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