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Everton Stadium

Coordinates: 53°25′30″N 3°00′10″W / 53.4251°N 3.0028°W / 53.4251; -3.0028
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Everton Stadium
Everton Stadium logo
Everton Stadium under construction in March 2023
Map
Full nameEverton Stadium
Former namesBramley-Moore Dock stadium[1]
LocationBramley-Moore Dock, Vauxhall, Liverpool
Coordinates53°25′30″N 3°00′10″W / 53.4251°N 3.0028°W / 53.4251; -3.0028
OwnerEverton
OperatorEverton
Capacity52,888
Construction
Broke ground10 August 2021 (2021-08-10)
Built2021–present
Opened2025 (planned)
Construction costEstimated around £500 million
ArchitectMEIS Architects
BDP Pattern Architects
BuilderLaing O’Rourke
Project managerAlix Craig
Structural engineerBuro Happold
Tenants
Everton

Everton Stadium[2] is a football stadium under construction on Bramley-Moore Dock in Vauxhall, Liverpool, England, that will become the home ground for Everton F.C. ahead of the 2025–26 season,[3] replacing Goodison Park.

Bramley-Moore is a former commercial dock and it is intended that the new stadium will become the heart of a new mixed-use development in the area containing shops, housing, gym and other venues. The stadium will also be a host venue for UEFA Euro 2028.

Planning

Everton first played at Goodison Park in 1892 and it has been gradually updated since its construction, the most recent major development being the opening of a new stand in August 1994, which has given it an all-seater capacity of more than 39,000, but ultimately is constrained by its methods of construction and its location. In 2007, then-CEO Keith Wyness revealed that the club had spent £500,000 on repairs just to keep the steelwork of the ground up to standard, and there was a serious possibility that within ten years it may not pass safety inspections.[4] The Taylor Report in 1990 required that all stadia in the Football League in Britain become all-seater, which severely curtailed Goodison Park's capacity, which had peaked at more than 78,000, to just over 39,000, and then further to its current capacity of 39,414.[5] This lags behind nearby Anfield, which has plans to expand to 62,000, but still being much lower capacity than Old Trafford and other stadiums.[6]

The possibility of a move to a new stadium was first mentioned around 1996, when then chairman Peter Johnson announced plans to move Everton from Goodison Park to a new 60,000-seater stadium at a different site. By 2001, a site at King's Dock had been identified as the location for a new 55,000-seater stadium, scheduled for completion around 2005, but these plans were abandoned due to funding difficulties.

Everton entered into talks with the Knowsley Council and Tesco in June 2006 over the possibility of building a new 55,000-seat stadium, expandable to over 60,000, in Kirkby.[7] The plan became known as The Kirkby Project. The club took the unusual move of giving its supporters a say in the club's future by holding a ballot on the proposal with the results being in favour of it, 59% to 41%.[8] Opponents of the plan included other local councils concerned by the effect of a large Tesco store being built as part of the development and a group of fans demanding that Everton should remain within the city boundaries of Liverpool.[8] Following a public inquiry into the project,[9] the central government rejected the proposal.[10] Local and regional politicians attempted to put together an amended rescue plan with the Liverpool City Council calling a meeting with Everton F.C. The plan was to assess some suitable sites shortlisted within the city boundary.[11][12] However, the amended plan was also not successful.

Everton enquired into the possibility of co-financing Liverpool F.C's Stanley Park Stadium, a proposed plan for a stadium that was scheduled to open in 2006, but the plan was cancelled in 2012 after new owners favoured the expansion of Anfield.[13] This idea was denied by Liverpool's former co-owner Tom Hicks. There was speculation at the time over a joint stadium project between the two clubs but despite these rumours, Liverpool maintained that a ground-sharing agreement was never on the agenda.[14]

The Liverpool City Council Regeneration and Transport Select Committee meeting on 10 February 2011 featured a proposal to open the Bootle Branch line using "Liverpool Football Club and Everton Football Club as priorities, as economic enablers of the project".[15] This proposal would place both football clubs on a rapid transit Merseyrail line that would circle the city and ease transport access. In September 2014 the club, working with the Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Mutual Homes, outlined initial plans to build a new stadium in Walton Hall Park.[16] However, those plans were later scrapped in May 2016 with the prospect of two new sites being identified for the club.[17] At the Annual General Meeting in January 2017, the chairman, Bill Kenwright, revealed that Bramley-Moore Dock was the preferred site for the new stadium, with a new railway station and a new road being funded by the City Council.[18] This was contingent on setting up a Special Purpose Vehicle with Liverpool Council, who would act as guarantors for the hundreds of millions in commercial loans the club planned to use to finance the construction.[19]

The choice of the Bramley-Moore Dock site was endorsed in a public consultation exercise conducted in 2018,[20] but was met with stern criticism from UNESCO, which later removed Liverpool from its list of World Heritage Sites.[21] Architect Dan Meis has been charged with designing a new stadium for Everton,[22] followed by a second stage of consultation, called The People's Project.[23]

In November 2017, the club agreed to a lease with Peel Holdings lasting 200 years, and in 2018 revealed its plans for a 52,000 seat stadium, which could be expanded to 62,000 in the future, demand permitting.[24]

Funding

On 23 March 2017, it was announced that a deal had been agreed between Liverpool City Council, Everton F.C., and Peel Holdings to acquire the dock for a new football stadium.[25]

On 31 March 2017, Liverpool City Council voted in favour of creating a Special Purpose Vehicle company. The company was proposed with securing the funds for the stadium. The lenders would acquire a 200-year head-lease of the land from Peel, the landowners, and leasing the stadium to the SPV, which would in turn sub-lease to Everton for 40 years.[26][27]

The current funding model now proposed before Liverpool City Council (revealed at Everton's AGM on 9 January 2018)[28] would be an arrangement that will see the council borrow £280m at ultra-low interest rates from the government, and then pass that loan on to the club at a profit to the city of around £7m a year over 25 years.[29][30] Costs for the new stadium now escalating to an estimated £500m,[31] would mean the club would still require to find the remaining £220m. As of June 2018 the council funding was still not in place, and doubts were raised by Mayor Anderson if this funding model would be agreed.[32]

In July 2019, it was reported that the Club had options to fund the development from both the private and public sectors, which could include selling naming rights to a sponsor.[33]

In January 2020, it was announced that Everton have agreed a naming right deal worth £30 million with USM who already sponsors Everton's training ground, Finch Farm.[34]

The club further announced that it would enlist the help of major international banks JP Morgan and MUFG to help secure finance for the new stadium.[35]

In March 2022, Everton announced they would no longer receive a loan from Liverpool City council and had acquired alternative funding.[35]

Proposed features

Everton's proposed new stadium is a bowl design with a proposed capacity of 52,888 and constructed of steel and glass, with the existing dock being filled with reclaimed sand from the River Mersey.[36]

Similar to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it is intended that there will be a 13,000-seater stand which is reportedly inspired by the "Yellow Wall" at the Westfalenstadion, the stadium of Borussia Dortmund.[37]

The stadium will feature an experience named 'ALL', designed to offer a wide choice of social spaces from pubs and bars and high-street style restaurants through to personal and fine-dining experiences.[38]

Construction

Everton Stadium under construction in April 2023 with the Victoria Tower to the right.

Construction by main contractor Laing O'Rourke began in July 2021.[39] By early 2022, non-listed structures had been demolished, heritage assets had been removed and preserved, the dock basin had been repaired and infilled, foundations were laid and the concrete structures of the four corners of the new stadium had been started.[40] The stadium's superstructure was pieced together using Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA) techniques, with all steelwork and precast concrete manufactured in advance, off-site, under factory conditions before arriving on site in a pre-determined order and slotted together utilising 3D modelling.[41] In August 2023, work was temporarily halted after a fatal accident on site;[42] Michael Jones, a lifelong Everton fan from Kirkby, who was working for a subcontractor, suffered severe head injuries and was later declared dead at Aintree University Hospital.[43] The stadium was declared structurally complete after the final concrete terracing panel was installed in February 2024.[44] In March 2024, Alucraft Systems, a subcontractor supplying cladding panels for the stadium's exterior, went into administration.[45]

Loss of Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City UNESCO World Heritage Status

Further information: Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City § Revocation of World Heritage status; and Former UNESCO World Heritage Sites § Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, England

Bramley-Moore Dock was within the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City, UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a number of heritage assets that are at risk or in disrepair, which Everton F.C. stated will be repaired and maintained.[46]

Despite this, in 2021, UNESCO recommended that the City lose its status, with the development at Bramley-Moore Dock being one of the reasons, along with the longstanding development of the waterfront and the wider Liverpool Waters project.[47] The heritage body said the stadium "would have a completely unacceptable major adverse impact on the authenticity, integrity and outstanding universal value of the World Heritage Site."[48] The revocation of the world heritage site status was confirmed in July 2021.[49]

References

  1. ^ "Everton unveils final design for new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium". BBC News. 23 December 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  2. ^ "About | Everton Stadium".
  3. ^ "Interim CEO Explains Everton Stadium Decision". www.evertonfc.com. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  4. ^ "Wyness: Why our out of date Goodison will only get worse". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. 17 July 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ^ "Know Your History: Goodison's Record Attendance".
  6. ^ Inglis, Simon. The Football Grounds Of Great Britain. HarperCollins.
  7. ^ "Everton in talks on stadium move". BBC. 15 June 2006. Retrieved 21 August 2006.
  8. ^ a b Conn, David (21 January 2009). "Grounds for discontent at Everton as move hits trouble". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  9. ^ "New Everton stadium faces inquiry". BBC Sport. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2010.
  10. ^ "Government reject Everton's Kirkby stadium plans". BBC Sport. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
  11. ^ "Government reject Everton's Kirkby stadium plans". BBC Sport. 26 November 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  12. ^ "Government dash Toffees plans". Sky Sports. 25 November 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.
  13. ^ "Stadium Expansion". Liverpool FC. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Liverpool FC — Homepage". www.liverpoolfc.com. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Liverpool City Council Regeneration and Transport Select Committee meeting on 10 February 2011". Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  16. ^ Tallentire, Mark (15 September 2014). "Everton announce plan for new stadium in nearby Walton Hall Park". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  17. ^ "Liverpool Mayor says Everton will have new stadium 'within three years'". Liverpool Echo. 16 May 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Everton reveal Bramley Moore Dock as preferred stadium site". BBC News. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  19. ^ Hunter, Andy (23 March 2017). "Everton seek £300m to build stadium on Mersey site at Bramley Moore dock". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Ltd. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  20. ^ "Everton pushes on with stadium plans". Place North West. 13 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Liverpool stripped of World Heritage status with Everton's Bramley Moore Dock stadium project cited as reason". Sky Sports. United Kingdom. 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 21 July 2021.
  22. ^ Jones, Adam (16 August 2019). "Dan Meis and Everton fans throw support behind latest Bramley-Moore dock idea". Liverpool Echo.
  23. ^ "Consultation Roadshow". The People's Project. Archived from the original on 13 July 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  24. ^ Beesley, Chris. "Everton's new stadium timeline as work on Bramley-Moore Dock can now begin". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  25. ^ "Everton agree deal for new stadium site". BBC News. 23 March 2017.
  26. ^ Hunter, Andy (23 March 2017). "Everton seek £300m to build stadium on Mersey site at Bramley Moore dock". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
  27. ^ Hunter, Andy (31 March 2017). "Everton's plans for £300m new stadium approved by Liverpool City Council". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2017.
  28. ^ Houghton, Alistair (10 January 2018). "Liverpool council WILL loan Everton millions for new stadium, mayor says".
  29. ^ "Financing Everton's New Stadium". toffeeweb.com.
  30. ^ Prentice, David (2 February 2018). "The TRUTH behind the funding Everton FC's new stadium".
  31. ^ Hunter, Andy (31 December 2017). "Everton's new stadium costs 'escalate significantly' with 2022 target now set". The Guardian.
  32. ^ "Joe Anderson casts doubt on LCC funding for new stadium". toffeeweb.com.
  33. ^ "New Everton stadium to 'rise from dock'". 25 July 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  34. ^ Bascombe, Chris (14 January 2020). "Everton agree £30m naming rights option for proposed new stadium with former Arsenal shareholder Alisher Usmanov". The Telegraph.
  35. ^ a b Kirkbride, Phil (14 January 2020). "Everton enlist major banks to help finance Bramley-Moore Dock". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  36. ^ Jones, Adam. "New images show how Everton will transform Bramley-Moore Dock into state-of-the-art stadium". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  37. ^ "Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium". The Stadium Guide. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  38. ^ "'ALL' Experiences".
  39. ^ Morby, Aaron (1 July 2021). "Start date for £500m Everton stadium". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  40. ^ Prior, Grant (13 April 2022). "Everton 'lock-in" construction costs with O'Rourke at new stadium". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  41. ^ Prior, Grant (10 August 2023). "Watch two years of construction at Everton stadium". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  42. ^ Prior, Grant (14 August 2023). "Worker killed at new Everton stadium site". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  43. ^ Prior, Grant (17 August 2023). "Everton plan tribute to worker who died at stadium site". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  44. ^ Morby, Aaron (26 February 2024). "Everton Stadium now structurally complete". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  45. ^ Prior, Grant (19 March 2024). "Everton stadium cladding firm files administration notice". Construction Enquirer. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  46. ^ "Council planning report recommends approval of Everton's proposed new stadium". BT.com. BT. Press Association. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  47. ^ "Unesco report says Liverpool should lose World Heritage status". BBC News. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  48. ^ McDonough, Tony (17 February 2021). "Everton stadium 'completely unacceptable', says UNESCO". LBN Daily. Liverpool Business News. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  49. ^ Liverpool stripped of Unesco World Heritage status BBC News 21 July 2021
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