Latest news with #HillDickinson
BBC News
4 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Liverpool's new public transport 'not a bus', mayor says
People have had a first look at the latest additions to a city's public transport network - amid fierce debate over what to call have started on Liverpool's roads to see how the new "rapid transit vehicles" will handle things like roundabouts when they start carrying passengers in have described the 59ft (18m) vehicles as "bendy buses" and have said they do not compare with Manchester's Metrolink tram metro mayor Steve Rotheram insisted the vehicle on show this week was a "trackless tram", adding: "If you take the tyres off and put it on rails, it's a tram." Rotheram added: "It doesn't feel like a bus inside because a bus doesn't have the headroom. "It's a very different type of vehicle – it's got three sets of doors, so people can get on and off quickly and its 30% bigger than a double decker bus."In Belfast the vehicles are called gliders. Their official name is rapid transit they have seating and standing areas, dark mustard-coloured padded seats and a grey floor flecked with gold other cities with rapid transit networks, passengers buy their tickets before boarding, speeding journeys up. Initial routes will link Liverpool John Lennon airport with the city centre and Everton's new Hill Dickinson Belfast, gliders use dedicated lanes on the city's roads, and Rotheram said some infrastructure improvements would be needed to in Liverpool to accommodate the vehicles. He said roundabouts might need to be taken out to "make it easier for these very long vehicles to get through the narrow confines of some of the roads". He added: "We want some dedicated road space – not for the whole route, because that causes difficulties for cars, but we want it to have some space where it can make rapid progress and shorten the time people spend on public transport." Plans for a tram system in Liverpool date back decades, but they never came to fruition. The metro mayor said: "We should have had a tram – there should be trams running here now – but that was abandoned because the Lib Dem council in Liverpool didn't believe in it." The Liberal Democrats did run the city at the time the tram project was initially scrapped, but it was the Labour government which said it wouldn't fund the increased said a "future benefactor" may decide to give Liverpool "billions" to spend on a tram system and if that happened, the infrastructure for the tram would be boosted by the work going on to accommodate the gliders. What are people saying? Critics have claimed the rapid transit system is not ambitious enough, that Liverpool should have trams, and be bolder about prioritising public transport on the roads. Leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Liverpool City Council Carl Cashman said: "The fact we've got a bendy bus while Manchester gets more investment in their tram network says everything."Labour are prepared to allow Liverpool to play second fiddle to Manchester. "It's embarrassing that we've got a bendy bus, we need a tram." Leader of the Liverpool Community Independents Alan Gibbons said: "Where is the ambition? We should have been planning and building a Merseyrail extension to the airport and a tram system like the one in Manchester."But some members of the public who saw the branded vehicle for the first time were more who was on a visit to his home city from Dubai where he now lives, said he was impressed with the vehicles but didn't know what to call them. He said: "They are brilliant. "This is a great feature. I like how clean they are, and I like the bend in the middle. Even getting from South Parkway to the airport, you've got to get a taxi – so these will be brilliant."Rotheram added: "People haven't seen what this is, and they've heard this thing that it's just a bendy bus."Well go and ask the manufacturers who manufacture buses whether this a bendy bus, they'll tell you this is completely different. "Basically, if you take the tyres off and put it on rails, it's a tram."He added: "I'm not bothered if people call it a bendy bus, they can call it what they want."What I want people to do is experience it and then they can make their mind up." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
New York Times
07-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Behind the scenes at Everton's new £800m stadium
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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)
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Everton reveal 2025-26 home kit
Everton have launched their home kit for the upcoming 2025-26 season. The club have said the wave design was inspired by the River Mersey that provides the backdrop for their new waterfront stadium. While Everton describe it as a 'mesmeric pattern' that will go perfectly with their inaugural season at Hill Dickinson Stadium, what do you make of it?Choose your verdict here
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Everton reveal incredible never-before-seen seating at new stadium as part of VIP package
EVERTON have revealed an incredible never-before-seen seating feature at their new £802million stadium. The Toffees will officially open the 52,888-capacity venue at Bramley-Moore Dock in August - after playing at Goodison Park since 1892. 4 4 4 Club chiefs unveiled Liverpool-based legal firm Hill Dickinson as the naming rights partner for the waterside ground last month. And now the Toffees have struck a deal with events and hospitality ticketing platform Seat Unique. The London-based company will be Everton's official platform for hospitality tickets and premium experiences. As part of The Seat Unique Experience, and for the first time in English football, fans will be able to buy match-by-match access to cinematic 'loge' seating. Hospitality ticket holders will be able to watch the game from a reclining armchair with a cupholder and a personal TV screen for highlights and replays. The exclusive package also includes a behind-the-scenes stadium tour, and a player meet and greet. Everton fans can purchase tickets on a match-by-match basis shortly after the Premier League fixtures are published on Wednesday. Seat Unique is already partnered with Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, among other famous venues. Seat Unique investors include England captain Harry Kane, Chelsea legend John Terry and cricket hero Ben Stokes. The company connects fans with official premium tickets and packages across sport, music and culture. Hill Dickinson Stadium is expected to attract more than 1.4 million visitors annually and is generating thousands of jobs, boosting the long-term social and economic growth of North Liverpool. Everton have spent £802,121,353 according to new figures covering the year to June 30, 2024. Yet this bill will grow as the club are 'continuing negotiations to secure the next stage of funding'. The club took out two new loans in February with US firms Aramark Limited and Glas Trust Corporation. The original estimate for the stadium — which has — was £500m. But they have already spent more than an extra 60 per cent so far.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Goodbye Goodison, hello ‘Hickory Dickory Dock'? Everton fans battle with Hill Dickinson stadium name
Sunday was Anne and John's final time watching Everton. 'We're hanging up our scarves,' they said, sitting shoulder to shoulder, basking in the late morning sun that rises above the Gwladys Street End. John attended his first game at Goodison Park 60 years ago, a 5-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday. In their eighties, they will not be following the club to their new home at Bramley-Moore Dock. Advertisement The stands are too steep for Anne, and besides, the drive to Liverpool feels longer every week. Goodison is done, and so are they. 'Things move on,' said John. 'We're excited for the Bramley-Moore — it just won't be with us.' Will they be calling it the new name? 'We're just going to ignore that,' they reply. 'Who's come up with the Hickory Dickory Dock?' On Friday evening, less than 48 hours before their final Premier League game at Goodison, Everton announced they had struck a 'long-term' naming rights agreement for their new ground with law firm Hill Dickinson. 'Welcoming Hill Dickinson as our naming rights partner is a bold and strategic step forward,' said the incoming CEO, Angus Kinnear. 'This partnership goes beyond branding – it's a shared commitment to progress, excellence and the regeneration of our city. Hill Dickinson Stadium will stand as a symbol of Everton's ambitions, our values, and the global future we are building together.' Though it may now boast 11 offices worldwide, Hill Dickinson was founded in Liverpool back in 1810 — predating Everton by 68 years. Originally specialising in maritime law, it prospered on the city's docks. 'It brings together two Liverpool institutions, united by a global outlook, a deep commitment to the city of Liverpool, and a shared history that dates back to the very founding of Everton in 1878,' an Everton statement added. Naming rights deals are nothing new. Six Premier League clubs have them, including Arsenal (The Emirates) and Manchester City (The Etihad). Tottenham Hotspur have been searching for a title partner since opening their new stadium in 2019. Internationally, some of the sport's most iconic grounds have seen their names changed — from Barcelona's Spotify Camp Nou to Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. That is not to say they are always popular. Newcastle United fans were furious when former owner Mike Ashley branded St James' Park as the Sports Direct Arena in 2011. Former England World Cup-winning head coach Clive Woodward accused the Rugby Football Union of 'selling its soul' after the board renamed Twickenham Stadium the Allianz Stadium. Advertisement But having received points deductions in two of the past three seasons for breaching profit and sustainability regulations, Everton know the importance of generating income. They say it 'represents one of the largest stadium naming rights deals in Europe', reportedly worth up to £10million ($13.4m) per season. That represents over five per cent of last season's revenue. Goodison may still have had one game left to host, but changes were being made to reflect Hill Dickinson's importance even before kick-off. Behind the rostrum where manager David Moyes was to give his post-match press conference, an Everton staff member was rushing to erect new branding with the law firm's name. At half-time of the 2-0 win over Southampton, the PA system reiterated Friday evening's announcement — Everton were thrilled to announce their new ground would be known as the Hill Dickinson Stadium. Inside Goodison, the quiet murmur that met that announcement was indicative of a wider mood. Later, during post-match festivities, a group of fans react to the same message by shouting: 'The Bramley-Moore!' 'I'm not keen at all,' Phil, an Everton fan from north Wales, told The Athletic pre-match. 'It's awful. I like the name Bramley-Moore Dock, or even if they called it just plain Everton Stadium. 'Obviously it's because of the money issue. But it would have been better if they'd had a poll where Everton fans could pick from maybe three or four names, with the offers attached. But this is a bit sad.' Thirty metres down Bullens Road, Terry agrees. 'It's just the way the modern world is these days, isn't it?' he says. 'It'll be prone to taking the mickey out of, I would imagine — being shortened to Hill Dick. 'I'm surprised with the way it's come out with the Friedkin Group, because there's been a lack of communication. They're keeping Goodison for the ladies, fair enough, I don't mind that. But then to announce the new name of the ground just before this final game at Goodison? They'd have been better off leaving it until the season had finished.' Others are apathetic. 'Honestly, if it's got an Everton badge on it, I don't care what they call it,' says one. But in general, the predominant mood is rationalisation — that this is the sport's reality, that Everton could have done worse, and that Hill Dickinson bring their own benefits. Stuart is at Goodison with his daughter, Caroline, and is clearly an Everton expert. 'Did you know that it is the same distance from Prince Rupert's Tower to the new stadium as it is to Goodison Park?' is one of his opening gambits. Advertisement Asked about the Hill Dickinson name, Stuart is relaxed. 'I'm fine with it, because it's an old, established Liverpool company,' he says. 'They've been going for 200 years, and have links with one of our really old chairmen from the St Domingo days. 'And it's one of the most valuable in Europe. Barcelona have the most valuable — that's worth something like £25m each season — and nobody calls it the Spotify Camp Nou, do they?' The history Stuart references goes back to former Everton executive Will Cuff, the club's secretary from 1892 to 1918, and then chairman from 1921 to 1938. In that period, Everton won their second league title and first two FA Cups — but most significantly, Cuff was the man who signed all-time leading scorer Dixie Dean. But the link to Hill Dickinson? Cuff founded Cuff Roberts, another solicitors' firm, in 1894. Cuff Roberts eventually merged with another company (Halliwells), before being taken over by Hill Dickinson in 2010. For some supporters, this is effectively sponsorship from one of their most significant former director's companies. For others, the finances are the key consideration. 'Having a stadium sponsor is a necessary fact of modern football, so 'officially' naming it Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, Dixie Stadium or anything else unsponsored would be throwing money away and we can't afford to do that,' Nik R wrote on The Athletic's discussion with Everton supporters. 'Surely fans understand that. 'Holding out for an unreasonable figure is daft — it hasn't done Spurs much good. They'll struggle to get a better deal now, so we've done the right thing by finding a sponsor early and at what looks like a competitive rate. Plus they are local — I like that; and I'm told they have decent values — I like that too.' Good company, good deal, bad name is the consensus. Most fans accept two out of three. But does the Hill Dickinson name actually matter? Back on the Gwladys Street, a family stop to chat. Advertisement 'We recognise Dickinson Hill,' says Steven Baker, with his son David and daughter Ashley. 'They've helped pay for it, and the new ground is fantastic. It's on the banks of the royal blue Mersey, the stands are incredible and you can see it from miles away. 'But everyone will continue to call it the Bramley-Moore. And if we want something else? We'll remember a legend — and call it the Hill Dixie.'
