Everton supporters and the wider football world have finally got a first proper glimpse at the stadium that has been built to replace Goodison Park from next season onwards.
The Toffees’ U18s were beaten 2-1 by Wigan at the new ground on Monday night, but the mood was still high as the 10,000 fans in attendance realised they would soon be leaving historic Goodison for a glitzy new venue which promises a high-spec matchday experience.
Here, Express Sport takes you through a selection of key features from the stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which took £750million and four years to construct…
Michelin-grade chef
Club chiefs were keen to revitalise the food options available to fans and enlisted the help of renowned culinary director Adam Bateman, who has worked at Michelin-grade restaurants all over the world.
Among the menu items on offer is South Korean chicken and fried rice for £10.50, salt and pepper chicken for £9.50, a bright blue Toffee donut for £3.50 and a loaded sausage roll. Bateman says he wants the food to be ‘Instagrammable’ and worthy of mention from social media accounts dedicated to sharing the best stadium grub.
£55m centrepiece
Finances have been tight for the Toffees in recent years but they have spared no expense in making sure their new home is everything fans have been hoping for. One of the criticisms of new stadium developments is the lack of soul and personality compared to their worn and crumbling predecessors.
But action was taken to make sure that was not the case at Bramley-Moore Dock. An eye-watering £55m restoration was authorised to preserve the Grade II listed Hydraulic Tower and Engine Room, which have been made a centrepiece of the fan plaza as a nod to the area’s history.
‘The Everton Way’
Another nice touch from club bosses is the creation of ‘The Everton Way’ – a trail around the perimeter of the South Stand made up of cobbled paving stones bearing the name of fans who paid to make their mark on the new stadium.
Not just anyone was able to get in on it, either, as Gary Neville was blocked from buying one for Liverpool legend and Sky Sports colleague Jamie Carragher as a sneaky Secret Santa present.
Increased capacity
One of the most important components of the move from Goodison to Bramley-Moore Dock is the fact that more fans will be able to attend games.
Matchday capacity has increased from under 40,000 to slightly below 53,000, which makes it the eighth-largest football stadium in England, just behind the Etihad.
