New Everton Stadium

[windymiller]

The only time I would be happy with 17th if we were 18th going into the last game of the season

Agreed.

 

[windymiller]

This is now being reported on BBC and I was surprised see them say "With a capacity of 39,572, Goodison Park will now be the largest dedicated women's football stadium in the country."

Surely they don't intend to maintain a ground the size of Goodison just for the women's team? I thought for sure they'd reduce the capacity. With the best will in the world it's going to be a very long time before they can get regular full houses for WSL games there. Maybe with shrewd ticket pricing and for games like the derby they might be able to get close but seems like rather a large maintenance liability just for the ladies team (possibly U21s etc too?).

For what it's worth, I am very supportive of women's football and have coached my daughter's team from U5 to U14s. I have absolutely no issue with EFC ladies playing at Goodison other than I currently can't see the viability of the business case

They will reduce the capacity eventually but I suspect they'll take their time with it.

 

[GoldenToffee]

This is now being reported on BBC and I was surprised see them say "With a capacity of 39,572, Goodison Park will now be the largest dedicated women's football stadium in the country."

Surely they don't intend to maintain a ground the size of Goodison just for the women's team? I thought for sure they'd reduce the capacity. With the best will in the world it's going to be a very long time before they can get regular full houses for WSL games there. Maybe with shrewd ticket pricing and for games like the derby they might be able to get close but seems like rather a large maintenance liability just for the ladies team (possibly U21s etc too?).

For what it's worth, I am very supportive of women's football and have coached my daughter's team from U5 to U14s. I have absolutely no issue with EFC ladies playing at Goodison other than I currently can't see the viability of the business case

Hopefully it's a PSR exercise where the stadium is 'sold' before they announce it's no longer being used for the women in a few years. It's much too big for the women's team and they'll never fill it.

 

[windymiller]

Hopefully it's a PSR exercise where the stadium is 'sold' before they announce it's no longer being used for the women in a few years. It's much too big for the women's team and they'll never fill it.

It'd be amazing if we can make that transaction before the end of this PSR cycle, effectively giving us a clean slate from July onwards.

 

[The Littlest Yobo]

They will reduce the capacity eventually but I suspect they'll take their time with it.

Everyone keeps saying this but there is zero out there that that is the intention. Surely it will be cheaper to just mothball the stands that aren’t used rather than demolish and reconfigure it.

 

[windymiller]

Everyone keeps saying this but there is zero out there that that is the intention. Surely it will be cheaper to just mothball the stands that aren’t used rather than demolish and reconfigure it.

Maybe. Eventually, though, I assume the costs of maintaining a structure that isn't used will surely become an albatross in its own right. I would imagine they'd take them down gradually, probably starting with the Bullens, but who knows?

 

[14_dollars]

Keeping GP provides a back up if the rumoured delays to BMD are true.
I’ve been told that BMD is 90% on track so hopefully they’ll get it done in time including safety certification etc.
Not ideal but apparently there are a number of LOR issues that will need resolving such as the concrete is cracking because they dried it too quick.
The recent pitch relay was not in the original plans - it was required because the foundations weren't deep enough to hold rugby posts.

 

[Drico]

Maybe. Eventually, though, I assume the costs of maintaining a structure that isn't used will surely become an albatross in its own right. I would imagine they'd take them down gradually, probably starting with the Bullens, but who knows?

I suppose it depends on how all of this is being paid for. The Friedkins are ridiculously rich. They might decide the maintenance cost is the price of unbuyable good PR.

 

[WelshBlue92]

Even if reduced to 15/20k it’d be the largest dedicated women’s ground.

This is now being reported on BBC and I was surprised see them say "With a capacity of 39,572, Goodison Park will now be the largest dedicated women's football stadium in the country."

Surely they don't intend to maintain a ground the size of Goodison just for the women's team? I thought for sure they'd reduce the capacity. With the best will in the world it's going to be a very long time before they can get regular full houses for WSL games there. Maybe with shrewd ticket pricing and for games like the derby they might be able to get close but seems like rather a large maintenance liability just for the ladies team (possibly U21s etc too?).

For what it's worth, I am very supportive of women's football and have coached my daughter's team from U5 to U14s. I have absolutely no issue with EFC ladies playing at Goodison other than I currently can't see the viability of the business case

 

[WelshBlue92]

Some quotes from this article

“While no stands will be knocked down and the structure of Goodison Park is expected to remain intact for at least the next five years, major upgrades to player and fan facilities will take place, including to the dressing rooms and the addition of women’s toilets.”

“The plan is to close off the upper tiers of Goodison Park, creating an intimate dome around the pitch. The club say that the capacity will be flexible. Banners, flags and other branding could be used to cover the empty upper tiers, while seats will be sold as close to the pitch as possible first, then moving backwards to meet demand.”

Does anyone know what the capacity would be if the upper tiers are closed off?

Why Everton are moving the women’s team into Goodison Park

Everton's US owners quickly identified moving the women's team into Goodison Park would be viable – and plan on restoring former glories

www.nytimes.com

 

[Eggs]

Some quotes from this article

“While no stands will be knocked down and the structure of Goodison Park is expected to remain intact for at least the next five years, major upgrades to player and fan facilities will take place, including to the dressing rooms and the addition of women’s toilets.”

“The plan is to close off the upper tiers of Goodison Park, creating an intimate dome around the pitch. The club say that the capacity will be flexible. Banners, flags and other branding could be used to cover the empty upper tiers, while seats will be sold as close to the pitch as possible first, then moving backwards to meet demand.”

Does anyone know what the capacity would be if the upper tiers are closed off?

Why Everton are moving the women’s team into Goodison Park

Everton's US owners quickly identified moving the women's team into Goodison Park would be viable – and plan on restoring former glories

www.nytimes.com

….i’d guess less than half. Flexible probably means they can open various parts of;

Lower Gwladys, Family Enclosure, Park End and Old Bullens Paddock only.

 

[Noggsy blue]

Keeping GP provides a back up if the rumoured delays to BMD are true.
I’ve been told that BMD is 90% on track so hopefully they’ll get it done in time including safety certification etc.
Not ideal but apparently there are a number of LOR issues that will need resolving such as the concrete is cracking because they dried it too quick.
The recent pitch relay was not in the original plans - it was required because the foundations weren't deep enough to hold rugby posts.

 

[muckers]

Keeping GP provides a back up if the rumoured delays to BMD are true.
I’ve been told that BMD is 90% on track so hopefully they’ll get it done in time including safety certification etc.
Not ideal but apparently there are a number of LOR issues that will need resolving such as the concrete is cracking because they dried it too quick.
The recent pitch relay was not in the original plans - it was required because the foundations weren't deep enough to hold rugby posts.

Everything you’ve written there is absolute plums.

 

[Exeter_Gently]

Maybe. Eventually, though, I assume the costs of maintaining a structure that isn't used will surely become an albatross in its own right. I would imagine they'd take them down gradually, probably starting with the Bullens, but who knows?

What concrete?

 

[PhilM]

Some quotes from this article

“While no stands will be knocked down and the structure of Goodison Park is expected to remain intact for at least the next five years, major upgrades to player and fan facilities will take place, including to the dressing rooms and the addition of women’s toilets.”

“The plan is to close off the upper tiers of Goodison Park, creating an intimate dome around the pitch. The club say that the capacity will be flexible. Banners, flags and other branding could be used to cover the empty upper tiers, while seats will be sold as close to the pitch as possible first, then moving backwards to meet demand.”

Does anyone know what the capacity would be if the upper tiers are closed off?

Why Everton are moving the women’s team into Goodison Park

Everton's US owners quickly identified moving the women's team into Goodison Park would be viable – and plan on restoring former glories

www.nytimes.com

That's a good question, and one I'd be interested in too. A loose calculation would be that the Bullens is fairly equally distributed -between 40-60% I'd guess.

That would reduce the attendance by about 5,000 fans. I guess the Street End is closer to a 70% split, so I think it would drop another 3-4k.

The Main Stand... do they mean just close the Top Balcony? I doubt they would get rid of the Main Stand in general because it has most of the hospitality.

So, I'd guess it would be closer to 30k in general - may a wee bit less - however that is only rough assumptions, without real numbers.

On another note...

...is anyone a wee bit deflated (is that the right word) now about Sunday? I didn't want to lose Goodison, but the importance of the day won't be the same.