Goodison Park
Goodison Park is one of the oldest stadiums in England and the home of Everton FC. The stadium currently has a capacity of 40,157 seats.
The stadium officially opened on the 24th of August 1892, with the first match played 9 days later between Everton and Bolton (4-2). At its inauguration the stadium consisted of three stands: two uncovered terraces and one covered seating stand.
In 1894 the stadium hosted its first FA Cup final, in which Notts County beat Bolton in front of a 37,000 crowd. In the decades following major improvements to the ground were made with the construction of a double-decker stand at the Park End in 1907, and the large Main Stand in 1909. The stadium was completed with two more double-decker stands built in the 20s and 30s. Two of these stands were designed by the renowned stadium architect of that time, Archibald Leitch.
On the 18th of December 1948 Goodison Park recorded its highest attendance in a match between Everton and Liverpool. A total of 78,299 supporters visited the match.
The stadium was one of the playing venues during the 1966 World Cup, at which it hosted three group matches, the quarter-final between Portugal and North Korea (5-3), and the semi-final between Germany and the Soviet Union (2-1).
The stadium underwent its next development in 1971 with the rebuilding of the main stand into a three-tier stand. At that time the stadium could hold about 55,000 fans, slightly less than half seated.
As with all English stadiums, Goodison Park got converted into an all-seater stadium after the Hillsborough disaster and subsequent Taylor Report. This reduced its capacity significantly. In 1994 the last major development took place in the rebuilding of the Park End.
Due to the stadium’s limitations, it being hemmed in by housing, in the last decade the club has been looking at relocating to a new stadium. However, the club’s proposals were finally rejected by the local government in 2009, and no concrete plans have been revealed since.
Getting there
Goodison Park is located about 2.5 miles north-east of Liverpool’s city centre and Lime Street train station. The stadium is bordered by residential housing, St Luke’s Church, and Stanley Park. On the other side of Stanley Park, just half a mile away, lies Anfield.
By car from the M57, which runs east of Liverpool, take junction 4 and turn onto East Lancashire Road (A580) in the direction of the city. Follow the road for about 4 miles (after Queens Drive it changes into Walton Lane) until you see Stanley Park on your left and the stadium on your right.
Rail station Kirkdale is within walking distance of the ground, an approximate 20 minutes. The station is served by regular trains from Liverpool Central Station. The journey takes slightly less than 10 minutes.
Alternatively one can take bus 19/19A, 20 and 21 from Queen Square Bus Station (almost opposite Lime Street rail station), or line 311 and 350/351 from Sir Thomas Street (in the city centre).
On matchdays Everton runs a shuttle bus from Sandhills Rail Station (north of the centre) to Goodison Park.
Address: Goodison Park, Liverpool, L4 4EL
Tickets
Tickets for Everton games can be bought online, by phone +44 (0) 871 663 1878, or at the Fan Centre Box Office at the stadium. The box office is also opened on matchdays until kick-off.
Standard ticket prices range from £31.00 to £37.00, though a supplement ranging from £3.00 to £5.00 is being asked for matches against more popular opponents. For the matches against Stoke City and Blackburn all tickets cost £25.00.
For more information call +44 (0) 871 663 1878 or email everton@evertonfc.com .
Stadium tours
Everton organises guided stadium tours that include visits to the dressing rooms and players tunnel. Tours last about 75 minutes.
Tours run on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. There are no tours on matchdays or the afternoon before a match.
Booking is strongly advises and can be done by phone +44 (0) 151 530 5212, or email stadiumtour@evertonfc.com. The tours costs £8.50.
Relevant Internet links:
Evertonfc.com – Official website of Everton FC.
Visitliverpool.com – Liverpool tourist information.
Merseytravel.gov.uk – Public transport travel information for the Merseyside area.
Nationalrail.co.uk – Check train times and fares.
