New Everton Stadium - Hill Dickinson Stadium

[GrandOldTeam]

the last few times I have been to the ground there seems to be a real issue getting people out of the plaza after the game, particularly at the far exit heading back into the city centre, circled in Red below. Which means there is a huge group of people in the section of the plaza circled in Green. What cant work out is if the stewards are actually holding people back or its just the volume of people on the road, blocking the way? Does anyone know?

View attachment 350847

I understand the club cant make more holes in the dock wall, but they are using the Nelson Dock, next door, for the Disabled parking, which already has 2 more large exits. Surely they could let people out that way as well? Because presumably the people who have parked there cant drive out until the people have dispersed anyway.

I wonder if it's helpful to manage the flow/pace of people leaving, even if it does cause some delays.

 

[Drico]

Where are you in the new stadium?

I've had 3 exchanges, within same area, all terrible. One couldn't speak English - so naturally, wasn't able to tell me where the accessibility lift was which coincidentally, was right next to where he was standing.

[Edit] I'm wrong actually, every time I have an issue at the turnstiles which is most games as I don't do digital/wallet stuff other than at Everton, they're proactive/rapid to sort it for me. Obviously a priority is ensuring there's not people like me causing big delays. But elsewhere, pffft.

I was only there for the United match. Not a season ticket holder. Steward was lovely helping us navigate turnstile 22, I think it was.

I suspect much of the stewarding has been outsourced...

 

[welshtoffee]

I have posted several times about how walking up the steps from Gate 23 to the upper North leaves me very breathless due to my asthma and other thoracic ailments.

I have to pause a couple times to catch a breath.

Just beside Gate 23 is another gate saying “Accessible Entrance” (or sommat like that) and I thought that was maybe for wheelchair users, other visibly disabled people and the very old.

I look healthy and fit enough (even if I say so myself ) despite having a good few years on the clock.

I don’t look frail and particularly elderly.

But I noticed a good few people with no visible impediments queued up there yesterday.

Two questions.

Given what I have described about myself would I be allowed access through that gate?

And if so, do I need some kind of a permit from EFC to prove eligibility?

I am suppose to use gate 2 to the upper North but use gate 3 due to the lifts. I use the lifts to get up to the upper level but I am much better walking down the stairs then up so I walk down. I am an asthmatic and have had back surgery and 2 knee operations and the lifts help me massively.

 

[tonyhorne]

the last few times I have been to the ground there seems to be a real issue getting people out of the plaza after the game, particularly at the far exit heading back into the city centre, circled in Red below. Which means there is a huge group of people in the section of the plaza circled in Green. What cant work out is if the stewards are actually holding people back or its just the volume of people on the road, blocking the way? Does anyone know?

View attachment 350847

I understand the club cant make more holes in the dock wall, but they are using the Nelson Dock, next door, for the Disabled parking, which already has 2 more large exits. Surely they could let people out that way as well? Because presumably the people who have parked there cant drive out until the people have dispersed anyway.

I was at the Chelsea game and this was a real issue. I think it was just the volume of people trying to get through a relatively narrow gap. Everyone was in a good mood and singing and laughing so no one was too bothered. I had my niece with me and I remember thinking it could be a real problem, though, if we absolutely had to get out quickly in an emergency and people weren't being so considerate. It is unlikely that such a situation would arise, I know, but I was worried enough to mention it on some sort of feedback form I was emailed about the match day experience.

 

[cjuk87]

Not said anything all season, because you sound like an absolute crank - even more so than usual.

But I've found the stewarding at Hill Dickinson Stadium to be really poor.

At Goodison, particularly the Park End the stewards were tremendous. They'd greet/talk to you, and on every exchange - they were great. That's not been the case at Hill Dickinson. There's loads more of them, but they just fill a space and rabbits in headlights.

We had a fight bubbling up behind us, clearly getting worse and worse until they eventually exploded. Punches thrown and threats. The stewards stood and watched until finally making their way up. They didn't do a thing, just kept saying stop. Then one lad was waiting for the other at the end and no support again.

City should be fun as they both finished by threatening to finish it off then.

 

[adi dassler]

At my age I’d certainly agree it’s definitely minor disorder , I think there are people of different ages/sex who would find that deeply unpleasant and probably intimidating .

Again I agree on how the crowd dispersed with the goal and also I was always convinced it’d go off at goodison but in reality given the number of routes in a number of directions it wasn’t an issue .

There was trouble against Newcastle and someone else who I can’t remember as I saw kick offs along Reagent road .

It’s not for us to come up with and list solutions but the current situation can’t be allowed to continue into next season as incidents will occur and unfortunately likely get worse .

Sunday pre-game seemed to be the first time they've tried to implement any sort of 'segregation' in that the dock wall entrance nearest the North Stand was manned with police and was for away fans only. However this just led to a mass gathering of blues outside the blue house and verbals / object lashing from both sides as the reds were entering.

Like you say, it was nothing too major but if that's the best segregation they can come up with I do feel there'll be a major flashpoint sooner than later.

There didn't seem to be much in place after the game. As I said yesterday, there fans really should have been kept in for half an hour or so.

 

[Lanolin]

At my age I’d certainly agree it’s definitely minor disorder , I think there are people of different ages/sex who would find that deeply unpleasant and probably intimidating .

Again I agree on how the crowd dispersed with the goal and also I was always convinced it’d go off at goodison but in reality given the number of routes in a number of directions it wasn’t an issue .

There was trouble against Newcastle and someone else who I can’t remember as I saw kick offs along Reagent road .

It’s not for us to come up with and list solutions but the current situation can’t be allowed to continue into next season as incidents will occur and unfortunately likely get worse .

To be fair there's not much you can do about that type of thing is there? That used to happen at Goodison and will happen at grounds up and down the country. You can do your best to prevent mass disorder with thousands of people wading into eachother directly outside the ground, but if individual idiots or small groups want to cause trouble outside the immediate vicinity it'll happen whatever measures you try to put in place.

 

[Vaughan]

stewards in south stand were awful busy on sunday giving people taps on the shoulder for screaming and shouting during the game

one lad got a talking to for calling the referee an ‘effing weasel’

what are they playing at?

 

[Harryflashman]

To be fair there's not much you can do about that type of thing is there? That used to happen at Goodison and will happen at grounds up and down the country. You can do your best to prevent mass disorder with thousands of people wading into eachother directly outside the ground, but if individual idiots or small groups want to cause trouble outside the immediate vicinity it'll happen whatever measures you try to put in place.

I kind of agree but the difference with goodison/other stadia and BMD is there literally is only one way to go. At the others there are other routes to disperse the crowd .

After id imagine the only way is to hold the away fans back , based on intelligence and previous behaviour , then escort to an exit and allow out .

Pre game when you go the pit you’re kettled , I don’t like it but what’s good for the goose .

 

[Harryflashman]

Not said anything all season, because you sound like an absolute crank - even more so than usual.

But I've found the stewarding at Hill Dickinson Stadium to be really poor.

At Goodison, particularly the Park End the stewards were tremendous. They'd greet/talk to you, and on every exchange - they were great. That's not been the case at Hill Dickinson. There's loads more of them, but they just fill a space and rabbits in headlights.

I suppose it’s how lucky you are , with one game an exception the stewards by me have been pretty good and on a couple of occasions excellent.

 

[Lanolin]

I kind of agree but the difference with goodison/other stadia and BMD is there literally is only one way to go. At the others there are other routes to disperse the crowd .

After id imagine the only way is to hold the away fans back , based on intelligence and previous behaviour , then escort to an exit and allow out .

Pre game when you go the pit you’re kettled , I don’t like it but what’s good for the goose .

Yeah like I say if there's actual trouble which is clearly being caused by the layout then something needs to be done to counter it, but you regularly used to see little pockets of aggro outside Goodison either round the Dixie statue or by the entrance to Stanley Park/where the away coaches were. The original comment read to me like it was that type of thing you were talking about on Regent Road and there's just not a lot you can do about that but if you're talking about trouble caused by theoretically peaceful fans coming together when otherwise they wouldn't it's a bit different. As an away fan being kept behind is the worst feeling when it's genuinely hostile because it just means the people who want trouble will have congregated outside to wait for you. It makes sense for the police because it's easier to manage things but it doesn't help as a fan, it basically just means less home fans get caught in the crossfire.

 

[Harryflashman]

Yeah like I say if there's actual trouble which is clearly being caused by the layout then something needs to be done to counter it, but you regularly used to see little pockets of aggro outside Goodison either round the Dixie statue or by the entrance to Stanley Park/where the away coaches were. The original comment read to me like it was that type of thing you were talking about on Regent Road and there's just not a lot you can do about that but if you're talking about trouble caused by theoretically peaceful fans coming together when otherwise they wouldn't it's a bit different. As an away fan being kept behind is the worst feeling when it's genuinely hostile because it just means the people who want trouble will have congregated outside to wait for you. It makes sense for the police because it's easier to manage things but it doesn't help as a fan, it basically just means less home fans get caught in the crossfire.

again I agree .

My issue I suppose is there were kickoffs outside so it needed tackling before it happened and that wasn’t done . There also probably wasn’t enough of a police presence in various hotspots . I think being kept back is horrible and I’ve hated . I feel escorted to the exits and let go through a cordon in a controlled release would perhaps work .

A worry for me is next year and our next game with them . People on both sides will be smarting and memories tend to be long . I’m not suggesting it’ll be chaos but when it kicks off blokes just passing tend to get Dragged into it regardless of Their initial mindset and things escalate and I’ve seen enough games around goodison but much further afield to make that comment from bitter personal experience.

What the Actual answer I probably don’t know with the information available publicly. I just feel it shouldn’t be ignored

 

[LinekersLegs]

 

[arch stanton]

stewards in south stand were awful busy on sunday giving people taps on the shoulder for screaming and shouting during the game

one lad got a talking to for calling the referee an ‘effing weasel’

what are they playing at?

but he was/is

 

[SAFCInPeace]

Our interim CEO did an interview today for some podcast where he was talking about how he wants to emulate Everton for their commercial revenue, and the amount of corporate hospitality sales you have. You have ten times as many as us apparently.

I know from reading on here stuff like that is exactly why you felt you had to move from Goodison.

Nice for you to be the club others aspire to be I suppose! Especially with the new rules coming into place.