Around £1m is being spent to make Goodison Park into a specialist women’s football stadium, according to the man overseeing Everton’s transition between its grounds.
In May, the men’s first team said goodbye to L4 after 133 years at their second home in the city.
It had been widely expected that following their 2,791st fixture, the lights would go out on the Grand Old Lady for the final time. However, just weeks before that penultimate match of the 2024/25 season, it was confirmed how the women’s team will call the ground home from August.
The decision follows an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project by The Friedkin Group (TFG) since their takeover in December.
Colin Chong, Everton stadium development director, told a panel at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference at the ACC Liverpool how a six-figure sum was being spent to convert the ground into a specialist women’s stadium.
The move to install the women’s team in L4 addresses Everton Women’s need for a larger, more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park.
Phase one of the transition will include stadium upgrades to enhance the matchday experience and ensure adequate facilities are in place before the start of the season.
After a deal was agreed in 2019, the Blues played their league and cup games just a stone’s throw from their new home. The move from Southport to Walton came about through a licence agreement struck between the Toffees and the local authority.
The relocation will also generate economic opportunities for local businesses through matchday footfall. Mr Chong said the club had intentions to invest in Goodison “over a period of time” and would seek external investment to do so to the tune of “tens of millions of pounds”.