Back then, most grounds were very basic single tier affairs that had barely changed for generations. The majority of fans stood on the terraces, many without a roof, and only a few percent sat in the stands, which themselves were often basic single tier affairs, probably fronted by a standing terraced paddock (which invariably got wet when it rained, because the roof didn't quite cover them). The Double-decker was a major leap forward in terms of offering far more capacity for footprint, and offering a much better and broader range of views..... but they were also massively expensive to build. A stadium with one double-decker was normally considered to be one of the better grounds in the country and were a status symbol for those clubs, and usually a reflection of their success or size (WHL, Roker, Villa Park, Ibrox etc). While one with two double-deckers was considerd a very high quality stadium, clearly belonging to one of the league's giants (Highbury)..... We had FOUR of them! Hence the reason why in 1966 Goodison was the obvious choice to host a semi-final. So in comparative terms, we were historically the club with the most advanced, most complex and more expensively acquired stadium. A stadium that was not too dissimilar to many of the large American ballparks of that time.....literally a true "stadium". Yet here we are now, with some referencing the relative simplicity of our new stadium as a "traditional football ground," in comparison to its larger, more complex contemporaries elsewhere, which some are saying are more reminiscent the large NFL stadia in the US. Tbh, they are more like the large European football stadia, and few would argue against their "football stadium" credentials.
