Should Everton make a mid-season move to their new stadium, if as Colin Chong announced the club are confident of, it is completed “in the final months” of next year?
It’s a huge decision, both in terms of emotion and practicality, facing Blues chiefs as everyone at the club looks forward to the historical moment when Everton depart Goodison Park, the first purpose-built football ground in England and their home since 1892 for their stunning future 52,888 capacity base by the banks of the Mersey.
Chong, Everton’s chief stadium officer, who has also been made interim chief executive following Denise Barrett-Baxendale’s resignation last month, made his declaration in his latest stadium update blog on June 28. He said: “I can confirm, after overcoming a full winter where we lifted the heaviest materials in the most challenging climate, we are confident the stadium will be completed in the final months of 2024.
“This means we won’t be starting the 2024 season at Everton Stadium – but, to reiterate, the club has never publicly confirmed an intention to begin the 2024/25 season at our new home. If the project remains on schedule, it raises the question as to whether the club moves in mid-season or alternatively, do we wait and give the Grand Old Lady (Goodison Park) a fitting send-off before commencing competitive league games for the senior men’s team at the start of the 2025/26 season.”
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Chong’s remarks followed a tweet from the Everton Fans’ Forum on June 13 that revealed a presentation given to the Everton Fan Advisory Board had been shared with them that stated: “Progress on the build remains good but the club stressed completion is during 2024, not in time for (the start) of the 2024/25 season.”
Following this revelation, the ECHO ran an online poll worded in the following way: “If Everton’s new stadium is completed during the 2024/25 season rather than before the start, should the Blues move in straight away or stay at Goodison Park and wait until 2025/26 to make the switch?”
Some 44% of voters wanted to move into the new stadium straight away with 56% saying they should stay at Goodison Park until the start of the next season. However, after Chong’s formal statement some 16 days later, the ECHO ran a second poll worded as follows: “If Everton’s new stadium is ready mid-season during 2024/25, should the team move in straight away?
This time the result was flipped around with 56% responding “Yes, I’d back a mid-season move to get in as soon as possible,” and 44% saying “No, I’d wait until the start of the 2025/26 season".
Everton aren’t putting the decision whether to move or not to move mid-season directly into the hands of their fanbase, it’s part of a consultation process, not a referendum. But Chong added: “Whatever decision is reached, it won’t be based on sentiment; it will be reached in consultation with fans, while also considering the impacts it will have across our football club in terms of our football operation, our commercial partners and third-party contracts, our staff, seasonal workflows and the impact, of course, on supporters.”
