Goodison Park, the beloved home of Everton Football Club for over 130 years, is preparing to turn a new page. With the men’s team set to relocate to a state-of-the-art 52,888-seat stadium on the banks of the River Mersey, Sunday’s match against Southampton will mark the final Premier League game played at the historic ground. For many Evertonians, the move evokes deep emotions loss, nostalgia, but also hope.
For fans like Jamie Yates, Goodison Park is more than just a football stadium; it’s a place of healing and identity. After enduring a severe mental health crisis, he moved into a house just a few hundred steps away from the stadium. Being close to Goodison, seeing its iconic structure each day, became a source of comfort and inspiration. His story is not unique countless supporters see the ground as an extension of their lives and community.
The decision to preserve Goodison Park as the new home of Everton’s women’s team has brought relief and joy to many. Rather than being demolished, the stadium will remain alive with football, albeit in a different form. It’s a significant statement for women’s football and a nod to the site’s enduring legacy, reaffirmed by the club’s new US owners, the Friedkin Group.
Yet, the departure of the men’s team will undeniably reshape the local area. On match days, streets around Goodison come alive with fans flocking to pubs, takeaways, and local shops. Business owners now face an uncertain future. In places like Goodison News and the Winslow Hotel pub, matchday footfall has long been a lifeline. The sense of community, the buzz, the blue sea of supporters it’s all part of the fabric of L4.
The Winslow Hotel, reliant on matchday trade for around 85% of its business, is looking to adapt. Its manager plans to run buses to the new stadium in hopes of keeping pre-match rituals alive. Meanwhile, some businesses are following the club to the riverside. Though the area around the new stadium remains underdeveloped, investment is flowing in. Derelict warehouses are giving way to hotels and fan-favorite food outlets, with business owners betting big on the site’s future potential.
The new stadium is expected to bring an economic boost to north Liverpool and create thousands of jobs. But concerns remain for Goodison’s immediate neighborhood, one of the most deprived areas in England. The community, however, will not be abandoned. Everton in the Community, the club’s charitable arm, will remain rooted in the area, continuing its vital work from facilities surrounding the stadium.
Support for mental health, screenings for chronic illnesses, and dementia care will still be offered at centers like the People’s Place and People’s Hub. These programs are essential lifelines for many residents and reflect the club’s deep ties to its local population.
Goodison Park’s story is not over. With Everton Women taking over from next season, the stadium will continue to echo with cheers, hopes, and memories. Historic moments may still unfold on its hallowed turf. For fans like Yates and his daughter, the magic of walking to the ground on a match day will live on. It won’t be the same but it could be something just as special.
