New Everton Stadium - Hill Dickinson Stadium

[Miked1e]

Whilst our ST's are in the family stand, we were able to make use of a very kind and amazing gesture for tickets in corporate last night.

The whole concept I feel for the hospitality is fantastic, and certainly in the Dock on 1 area with the various restaurants and bar space. Certainly some teething issues with service (i know these are massively 1st world problems), but food, atmosphere and location were all amazing.

Having experienced hospitality at Goodison too I feel it misses any personal touch, but as expected we are now starting to cater for the masses as opposed to having that intimate feel at some of the Goodison lounges.

Although there were a few really fantastic members of staff who go out their way to make sure everything is ok, and engaging with my son last night.

Seats were incredible and makes a change of our typical view from the NW corner.

Had to tell my lad though not to get used to it as we will be back in our normal seats on Sunday. Was like going left on a plane.....

Wish he would have taken out this joker

 

[MickA]

For me there’s too many day-trippers at the moment while everyone gets their first experience. Different people have sat next to and in front of us each game yet the seats went early in the season ticket sale process.

Same with me in the SW. The two next to me sold in the next tranche yet I've never seen the same people twice.

I’m the back row of the lower. I noticed yesterday that the upper doesn’t even stand for a corner at our end. Are people scared to stand up because how steep the stand is or something?

I know loads of people who used to be in the lower Gwladys who have moved to the upper south and absolutely hate it in comparison.

Can count on one hand the number of times people have stood in the upper tiers at Goodison for a corner in the 40+ years I've been going.
I do think they didn't execute the standing areas well enough though and would have liked to see more of it in the South and North ends. Maybe the U14 ban has something to do with it as yu'd be forcing families into other areas.
Next headache will be hpw they handle people moving seats as I'm sure there will be loads wanting to move after this season.

 

[larrygobfiend]

First time at the new stadium last night.

Saw several fellas blowing out of their arses getting to their seats

 

[Big Neville Southall]

Unfortunately it was designed as two tiers, to simply give the illusion of a single tier stand. It's probably too steep for sustained standing in the upper. It's only a few degrees less than the Top Balcony, would anyone want to stand permanently up there? I haven't been to the very back rows behind the goal, but if it's a minimum C-value when seated up there, it may be quite a poor view of the near goal when everyone is stood. If not, and the sightlines are ok... then maybe at some point in the future it can be converted to safe-standing with rail-seating (if the guidelines allow at that rake angle). That said, the take-up for rail seating was surprisingly slow. Even several phases into the sale process, it was fairly empty. So who knows what the real demand for "standing" is these days. Looking around me, I think it would require a lot of older fans to be moved. Where would they go?

I think it is too steep for persistent standing up there and was one of my arguments against a steep stand but there are means around it.
I queried it with the person who does, or done, the rail seats in the UK and he said you can have rail seats up there in a 1:1 ratio, you can't evolve that any more though.

I wanted it one tier, rail seats back half, sitting front half. In knowing that the front will stand up anyway for attacks I knew you'd then have 14000 regularly stood behind the goal.

It didn't happen so a less effective way could be additional rail seats for the last 10 rows of the upper. If there was a way to get rail for just the middle 3 blocks without impeding sitters views that would be good enough.

 

[Drico]

First time at the new stadium last night.

Saw several fellas blowing out of their arses getting to their seats

The same fellas were probably first in the queue for fast food and blue doughnuts.

 

[summerisle]

First time at the new stadium last night.

Saw several fellas blowing out of their arses getting to their seats

 

[Tom Hughes]

I think it is too steep for persistent standing up there and was one of my arguments against a steep stand but there are means around it.
I queried it with the person who does, or done, the rail seats in the UK and he said you can have rail seats up there in a 1:1 ratio, you can't evolve that any more though.

I wanted it one tier, rail seats back half, sitting front half. In knowing that the front will stand up anyway for attacks I knew you'd then have 14000 regularly stood behind the goal.

It didn't happen so a less effective way could be additional rail seats for the last 10 rows of the upper. If there was a way to get rail for just the middle 3 blocks without impeding sitters views that would be good enough.

As far as I can remember, initially, safe-standing was supposed to be limited to a max rake angle, and I think that was 25°. That must've been relaxed, because the lower tier is at a greater angle. If rail seats were added in the upper, they would have to go up to the corners, to allow clear sightlines for those seated there, using aisles to separate standing and seated areas.

 

[allen]

I think there are several reasons why the atmosphere is/was not as good as expected by some.

Goodison was only at its best on the odd special occasion.

Most of the time, it was pretty quiet.

Everyone knows this, even if they'd rather only remember the bear pit.

We've played a handful of games at Hill Dickinson, and none of them have been special.

Acoustically, I think the ground is fantastic. Sound carries in a much more uniform way than it did at Goodison. There was a moment first half last night when Michael Keane got a shout of "man on" from all four stands at once and he almost crapped himself.

The potential is there, the fans just have to collectively seize it.

 

[Big Neville Southall]

As far as I can remember, initially, safe-standing was supposed to be limited to a max rake angle, and I think that was 25°. That must've been relaxed, because the lower tier is at a greater angle. If rail seats were added in the upper, they would have to go up to the corners, to allow clear sightlines for those seated there, using aisles to separate standing and seated areas.

Yeah I was thinking that too about the rail seats having to go into the corners. With the Lower also rail seated it might be higher than the demand, at least initially. Maybe you could get it to just before the corners but lose 10 seats of the corner? I don't know. Another possibility is to have one of the corners as rail seats.

Safe standing is the terraces you have in lower leagues or anything greater than 1:1, that is capped at 25 degrees and not allowed in uppers. The rail seats we have now can go in the upper but there's no future increased capacity from it.

 

[18efc78]

First time at the new stadium last night.

Saw several fellas blowing out of their arses getting to their seats

I'm row 50 in North west corner and our row seems to be based camp where people stop for a breather

 

[Corbyn's left foot]

When are they putting Everton branding/markings on the seats? To me it looks just a plain stadium lacking Everton identity when it's empty, admittedly it doesn't really matter when it's full of people! But just find it irritating that it looks largely blank still.

 

[blue_order]

I really enjoyed the lights and stuff, it set the tone for kickoff and was a nice surprise before the usually loud z-cars. It was my first night game experience at the new ground and was mostly enjoyable (football aside) until the end when everyone was trying to leave the upper south and the queues were ridiculous to escape the stands.

The real downside was a couple of old men scrapping with each other over god knows what. The two must have had a collective age of 180 as well. Should be embarrassed with themselves.

 

[Paulie]

That South Stand atmosphere is pathetic for the new Gwladys St. Not a flag, banner or peep made all game.

 

[dannyboy]

How did people find getting home last night? Be interesting to see how much quicker or slower it was than Goodison. Will have a big impact on attendances in years to come.

 

[larrygobfiend]

I know this has probably been done to death, but getting to and from the stadium is absolutely horrendous. The stadium itself is magnificent, but I’m not sure the logistics of it all was even discussed. Filtering out of the stadium is borderline dangerous too.