New Everton Stadium - Hill Dickinson Stadium

[Ring master]

Ha, the way we started at the new ground i thought we had broke that curse that every team starts bad, and eventually goes ok. But been Everton we have to be different and start well, before going bad . Though we have not been great at home for years as i said somewhere a while ago. We should treat HDS as an away ground, even if we have to play in a certain style. Points are what get you up the table, not style though - Though both together every once in a while would be nice

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Everton stadium disabled access 'a struggle', say fans

Some Everton fans with disabilities are considering giving up their season tickets due to access issues.

www.bbc.co.uk

Said this would be a problem before it opened.

Commented on it a number of times since.

It's a problem the club need to prioritise.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Don't think it's that simple. Demand at Goodison over recent years was definitely inflated by it being the end of era.

We've never really carried 50k+ attendances throughout our entire history so it would be very impressive if we started to now.

And there are still people adamant we should have built 60k. Imagine how empty that would look.

There was definitely inflated demand at Goodison, but a lot of that carries over to a new stadium.

I've shared my view on the issue (below), it's multi faceted but it's mainly around obstacles the club have placed on tickets.

From personal experience, I never had a single match my season ticket went to 'waste' at Goodison. Last night was the 3rd time this season it went to waste, because people don't have memberships, or simply can't make the logistics/travel work midweek. If I had a physical card or a way to give my ticket readily digitally to someone, those 3 times I'd have found someone for the ticket. Even a complete stranger. Unless the club announce significant changes to ticketing, I'll not be renewing my season ticket.

No mistake, there's also fans of a certain age who have no clue how to pass on their ticket. Or they knock it on the head because physically, mobility wise - they can't meet the demand the new stadium dictates.

In my view, the issue with tickets;

1. Paid, seasonal membership. It's a barrier. We cant, and shouldn't ignore casual fans;

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2. Digital tickets. Another big barrier. This, and the paid membership element has meant I've had empty seats at Hill Dickinson this season - it never happened at Goodison. There would always be someone I could pass a physical ticket. A lot of fans don't know how to pass their ticket on, the gent next to me is an OAP and was asking me how I give my ticket to someone the previous game. He didnt have a clue and I dont think he ever will bother trying to learn it.

3. Well too many late midweek games. The next 5 league games are all Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday night. Nightmare for those travelling in, work, kids.

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4. Travel infrastructure. Large proportion of fans are struggling with it. There's some who 'CBA', but plenty, literally struggling to cope with mobility. This has meant a big undercurrent of fans knocking games on the head for the likes of tonight.

View attachment 339283

 

[ADM320]

There was definitely inflated demand at Goodison, but a lot of that carries over to a new stadium.

I've shared my view on the issue (below), it's multi faceted but it's mainly around obstacles the club have placed on tickets.

From personal experience, I never had a single match my season ticket went to 'waste' at Goodison. It's been empty 3 times this season, because people don't have memberships, or simply can't make the logistics/travel work midweek. If I had a physical card or a way to give my ticket readily digitally to someone, those 3 times I'd have found someone for the ticket. Even a complete stranger. Unless the club announce significant changes to ticketing, I'll not be renewing my season ticket.

No mistake, there's also fans of a certain age who have no clue how to pass on their ticket. Or they knock it on the head because physically, mobility wise - they can't meet the demand the new stadium dictates.

Spot on. The inability to list club view tickets for sale as a last resort is also annoying. There’ll be plenty thinking the same.

 

[RomanReigns]

This is not a good look

Barry Harrison, 85, who had a season ticket at Goodison from 1966 up until the final game against Southampton last May, said parking options around the stadium had become "unworkable".

"When I used to go to Goodison, I had my blue badge so it wasn't an issue," he said.

"The first time I went here, I got the train and it damn near killed me, the walk from Sandhills. I'm 85. It's a half-mile walk from the station."

Barry, who said he had barely missed a game since 1996, now gets the bus but the long journey means he was "thinking of chucking my ticket in".

 

[dannyboy]

This is not a good look

Barry Harrison, 85, who had a season ticket at Goodison from 1966 up until the final game against Southampton last May, said parking options around the stadium had become "unworkable".

"When I used to go to Goodison, I had my blue badge so it wasn't an issue," he said.

"The first time I went here, I got the train and it damn near killed me, the walk from Sandhills. I'm 85. It's a half-mile walk from the station."

Barry, who said he had barely missed a game since 1996, now gets the bus but the long journey means he was "thinking of chucking my ticket in".

There's been a lot I'm alright Jack attitude from our supporters who can easily walk a mile or so into the ground. Plenty however can't, and in the long run I do think the attendances will suffer.

No one wants to see 10,000 empty seats but that's how it'll be in years to come if the experience and cost doesn't improve.

 

[Infernus]

This is not a good look

Barry Harrison, 85, who had a season ticket at Goodison from 1966 up until the final game against Southampton last May, said parking options around the stadium had become "unworkable".

"When I used to go to Goodison, I had my blue badge so it wasn't an issue," he said.

"The first time I went here, I got the train and it damn near killed me, the walk from Sandhills. I'm 85. It's a half-mile walk from the station."

Barry, who said he had barely missed a game since 1996, now gets the bus but the long journey means he was "thinking of chucking my ticket in".

It isnt a good look............for the council. If anything fans are letting them get away with murder by turning any ire onto the club

How do you think the infrastructure around this new stadium would look had it been Liverpool who had moved?

 

[GrandOldTeam]

 

[adi dassler]

Was taken by work to Dock on One in the West Stand last night. Great experience and really good set up, however I couldn't believe that the seats in the west stand that you're given are open to the elements. Rain was driving in that first half.

I wouldn't be happy paying upward of £3k a season to be getting soaked.

 

[BullensRoad]

Why not get the guys to train at Hill Dickens for a bit instead of Finch Farm. Get familiar with the pitch and the size of the place.
Just a thought.

I agree, but in regards to the pitch they'll have an exact match at the training ground.

 

[davek]

It's important to not lose sight of the fact the stadium isn't the problem; the stadium will be the driver for our rebirth as a top club.

Every decision on how to use it though: from footballing decisions that get competitive results, to pricing, to stewarding and policing it, and to accessing it seems to have been fumbled so far.

It's fair to say it's wowed the football industry and its media but left the most important people nonplussed after the novelty of the opening couple of months or so.

There's some massive problems to sort out.

 

[murphy89]

Those 30 odd seats in a block, low down in the upper west were all empty again, so me and the lads just all sat together there. Wonder whose seats they are though, empty nearly every game, I don't think their seat unique ones either

Really odd these aren’t they. Empty every game. Are they for players/staff family members?

 

[MikeyMike]

There was definitely inflated demand at Goodison, but a lot of that carries over to a new stadium.

I've shared my view on the issue (below), it's multi faceted but it's mainly around obstacles the club have placed on tickets.

From personal experience, I never had a single match my season ticket went to 'waste' at Goodison. Last night was the 3rd time this season it went to waste, because people don't have memberships, or simply can't make the logistics/travel work midweek. If I had a physical card or a way to give my ticket readily digitally to someone, those 3 times I'd have found someone for the ticket. Even a complete stranger. Unless the club announce significant changes to ticketing, I'll not be renewing my season ticket.

No mistake, there's also fans of a certain age who have no clue how to pass on their ticket. Or they knock it on the head because physically, mobility wise - they can't meet the demand the new stadium dictates.

Totally agree with all of this, and your attached views on the issue. Like you, I never had a problem finding someone to take my ticket at Goodison if I couldn't make it, but this season my seat has been empty three times so far. Like you, If I had a physical ticket I could probably have given my seat to "casual fans" at least two out of the three times. And the constant midweek game thing is an absolute killer - I'm 200 miles away and I just can't make most of those Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday games. Even if you're local, the transport problems mean that you have to go straight from work to the match, and then don't get home til after 11pm if it's an 8pm kick off.

Not all of these things are within the club's control, but some are. Meanwhile, there are thousands of tickets available for most home games in the week or two leading up to them. I'm seriously considering jibbing the season ticket and just picking up tickets for the matches I can make it to. The only game I'll probably struggle to see will be the derby, and to be honest I don't really enjoy that game most seasons.

 

[davek]

I must say, it feels remote and alien to me. Not a part of any community. Not yet anyway.

That's something that should be explored, btw: Everton were a huge deal in that part of Walton we were in - especially through organisations like EitC, and we need to build bridges with the new community we're now in. That's our hinterland and we need to feel like it's ours. Geographically it's a challenge as the Vauxhall community is a little way away and up from the river.

I just get the feeling we're a football community abandoned and left to get on with it a bit. The walk in from town and down from Sandhills I dont find at all pleasant, tbh.

 

[welshtoffee]

I am in the upper North Stand (245) overlooking the West stand. We counted the first 7 rows of seats of the lower West were getting wet when it was raining. You would not expect that of a new ground.