The 2023/24 campaign might yet prove to be the final full season at Goodison Park but we still don’t know when Everton’s last game at ‘The Grand Old Lady’ will be.
If Everton had been ready to move into their new stadium at the start of the 2024/25 season then Sheffield United’s visit on May 11 next year might have been the Blues’ farewell fixture at Goodison, England’s first purpose-built football ground, their home since 1892 and the venue that has staged the most top flight matches. However, it emerged this week that Everton’s new stadium might not be up and running for the kick-off of the 2024/25 campaign.
Everton Fans’ Forum tweeted that a presentation given to the Everton Fan Advisory Board on Everton Stadium has been shared with them, and 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.” They added: “Discussions around a mid-season move versus an end of season move will be made if necessary once a completion date is known. Test events will be a requirement but it provides opportunities to engage fans.”
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The ECHO understands that contractors Laing O’Rourke are working to a timetable that ends in December 2024 and as things stand, Everton are looking to be in a position to be able to depart Goodison Park by the turn of the calendar year going into 2025 but that raises the dilemma over a potential mid-season move.
Although the Blues would ideally want to get into a facility that majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri said in January was costing £760million as soon as possible, there could be an appetite within the club to wait until the end of the 2024/25 and at the time of publication, an ECHO vote on the issue has 55% of readers preferring to defer until the start of 2025/26 rather than move mid-season.
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