Behind the scenes at Everton's new £800m stadium

New York Times

2 days ago

Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium is a hive of activity.
On the day of The Athletic's visit, cranes fill the north Liverpool sky. One facilitates the installation of the first of what will eventually be four club crests, situated on the far corners of the east and west stands. Other recent work has centred on displaying the branding of naming rights partner Hill Dickinson, a local legal firm come good, on the roof.
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Inside and outside the near-53,000 capacity stadium, there is an urgency about the activity. That is because the countdown to the new £800million facility's opening is very much on. In just over a month, Everton will host Italian side Roma in a pre-season friendly that will serve as the final test event. It is just over 50 days until the club hosts its first Premier League game here against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Structurally, the stadium is complete. A marriage of old and new, red brick and futuristic steel, its American architect Dan Meis wanted to give the impression it had emerged out of the dock on which it is situated.
It is easy now to forget Hill Dickinson Stadium is quite literally built on sand. Construction took three and a half years, during which the project was recognised as the largest single-site private sector development in the country.
The extent of the change has been remarkable. Four years ago, this was a semi-derelict site in a largely abandoned part of north Liverpool — a jaded, post-industrial relic from the city's maritime past.
The infill took three months and involved a dredger making 130 round trips, over 20 miles out in the Irish Sea, and the collection of 480,000 cubic metres of sand from the sea bed, before it was fluidised and pumped into the dock. The stadium's skeleton is made up of around 12,500 tonnes of structural steel, seen predominantly on the north and south stands.
Heritage assets — of which there are many — have been preserved and in some cases restored. Historic features likes cobbles and tramlines have been retained. The walls of the existing dock have been incorporated into the design, with surfaces visible in places. During the construction of the main supporter entrance, individual bricks had to be taken out, catalogued and then put back in the same order. The preservation of the wall means the site can, if necessary, be turned back into a fully functioning dock.
The Grade II listed hydraulic tower and Engine House, built in 1883 and located in the fan plaza housed in front of the east stand has been restored. Its future use is still to be determined. Initial ideas included a museum of Everton memorabilia, but the sense now is that the space is too small to do that justice. With the rooftop area being turned into an outdoor space, it is possible the tower becomes another a bar.
There are subtle nods to Everton's history and heritage too. Everton Way, a collection of around 36,000 small stones bearing the names of club legends and supporters, is close to being finished. Railings feature Goodison Park architect Archibald Leitch's famous criss-cross pattern.
Further attempts to Everton-ify the interior and exterior are underway.
The Athletic starts its tour in the West Stand, where Everton's players will arrive. The media lounge is currently home to the stadium operations team and there we pick up high-vis jackets and hard hats.
The latter is essential when we head pitchside later, with work in the bowl and in particular the corporate lounges above continuing. Some staff have personalised Everton high-vis jackets featuring the club crest and their names.
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A short walk away is the media auditorium where manager David Moyes will hold his post-match press conferences. It seats around 80 and has a high platform where the Scot and his peers will be able to tower over assembled media. The platform is so high that smaller members of the press may end up needing a hand putting their dictaphones in front of Moyes.
We work our way through the bowels of the West Stand towards the tunnel. On one side, there are booths for post-match interviews. Opposite, there will be a glass wall behind which members of Everton's new Tunnel Club can sit and watch the action unfold. There are multiple routes for the players but they will be encouraged to head past that era pre and post match. Temporary wooding flooring has been put in to preserve the carpet as work continues in front of us.
A retractable blue tunnel is being installed during our visit, while there is an acceptance one side of the tunnel will need Everton decorations. Goodison's tunnel had pictures of fans, players and legends in a banner style. Something similar is likely at Hill Dickinson.
The bulk of the remaining work is in the corporate lounges, with hundreds of staff every day said to be helping with the internal fit-outs. As such, some of those areas are off limits. With the stadium move, the club's corporate capacity is set to swell from around 1,500 to 5,500.
Heading outside by the dugout area, the pitch already looks immaculate. The initial surface used for the first two test events was dug up and relaid in April. Goodison had a camber for drainage purposes. Here, there is no need due to an advanced undersoil heating system.
There have been small recent cosmetic changes with the stadium bowl. Numbers have been put on supporter entrances and accessibility markings are now in place.
Sight lines are much improved from the dugouts. Previously, Goodison's camber meant staff were effectively below pitch level, straining for a view of the action. Some preferred to sit in the press box at a higher vantage point.
The home dressing room is far cry from Goodison too — spacious and circular instead of rectangular and cramped. A huge blue Everton crest is emblazoned on the ceiling.
The adjoining rooms house showers and hydrotherapy pools, with a sole TV hanging from the wall of the latter.
There is a faith room for players. Other room functions are still subject to potential change as staff assess how best to use each space.
The two-tiered South Stand will hold around 14,000 home fans and has rail seating in the lower section. Rail seating will also be available in the away end, situated in the corner of the North Stand. At a 34.99° gradient, the South Stand is as steep as it can be while remaining within the rules, with the legal limit 35°.
Meis' idea was to create the sense of supporters being close and on top of the pitch, aiding the atmosphere. The acoustics of the roof have been designed to allow sounds to reverberate around the stadium. There is still space, towards the top of the South Stand, reserved for Hill Dickinson branding if needed.
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The long South Stand concourse offers stunning views of Liverpool's waterfront and city centre skyline. Everton hope supporters will remain there after games, making use of the food and drink on offer. Already selected as a host venue for Euro 2028, the club want the stadium to be used 365 days a year.
In total, there will be 747 toilets at Hill Dickinson Stadium. Everton say it be the most accessible stadium in the UK, with its 279 wheelchair bays the most of any football arena. The club also believe it will the most sustainable stadium in the country, harnessing sun, wind and rainwater to utilise 100 per cent green energy.
Some supporters have called for more Everton iconography inside the stadium. Goodison, with its painted blue and white seats, was unique and instantly recognisable. For now, at least, all seats at Hill Dickinson are blue. While there is potential for blue seats to be changed to white if necessary, the club believes the use of LED displays and big screens will make the stadium feel more 'homely'.
A fan mural, also featuring Everton legends, is still to go up on the west side of the stadium. No plans are in place to bring any of Goodison's statues to the new site.
The idea is that club icons will remain at Goodison, where they forged their legacy. In time, new heroes and statues may well appear at Hill Dickinson too.
A new chapter is just around the corner for Everton. The work to get the new stadium ready for its curtain raiser continues apace.
(Design: Eamonn Dalton for The Athletic; Images: Everton FC, Getty)