Everton fan group the 1878s are holding a fundraising night so they fan make larger flags for Hill Dickinson Stadium after the ones they used at Goodison Park looked too small
Everton fan group the 1878s are to create a fresh set of flags and banners large enough to suit the scale of Hill Dickinson Stadium after the ones they used at Goodison Park were deemed too small. With a capacity of 52,769, the Blues’ new home by the banks of the Mersey is enabling them to play in front of the biggest regular crowds in their history.
And the fact that they are now playing at a venue approximately a third bigger than their previous base has prompted the 1878s to have a rethink over how they decorate the stands.
A planned display ahead of Everton’s home game with Tottenham Hotspur on October 26 has now been postponed and instead the group of seven dedicated volunteers, who in addition to their day jobs are dedicated to improving the atmosphere on matchdays are to hold a fundraiser night in conjunction with A View From the Bullens the previous evening at Bierkeller Liverpool (Saturday October 25, 7-11:30pm).
An 1878s statement said: “On Saturday the group went to Hill Dickinson to test all of our flags. Unfortunately, with the amount we have compared to the size of the stand, the group would not be satisfied going with what we’ve got and putting on a display for the Tottenham game in October as we wished.
“The issue we have is, we currently don’t have the funds to get what is needed to make this happen any time soon. We are currently awaiting some signed memorabilia from the club to be able to raffle off and raise more funds to be able to get the flags that we need.
“We are disappointed that we are not yet able to do a display at our new home but hopefully in a few months this will be possible.”
However, the group are now determined to use the event plus a general fundraising campaign – fans can make direct donations now – to create a new set of banners that are both bigger and better to inspire Everton’s players.
Group spokesperson Katie Carter told the ECHO: “Our friends at A View from the Bullens have really helped us and the club is as well so hopefully there will be some really good prizes for us to raffle off. It shocked us how back the stadium is in terms of the scale compared to Goodison and how the flags look within it.
“When we were setting it out, it looked massive when we were holding it up, but I went to take a picture, it looked like a postage stamp against the huge South Stand. The issue we’ve got is because everything needs to be bigger, double or triple the size, the prices are doubling or tripling.
“The ‘We built this city’ banner that we had at Goodison Park was 22m by 2m but one of the new one we needed was 66m by 4m, so it’s three times as wide and two times as high.
Images shared by the 1878s show how the flags they used at Goodison Park are now dwarfed by the scale of the South Stand at Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium
Images shared by the 1878s show how the flags they used at Goodison Park are now dwarfed by the scale of the South Stand at Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium
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“At Goodison, we started with nothing but that’s how we feel again now. We want to be able to start at Hill Dickinson Stadium how we finished at Goodison, but at an appropriate scale to the size of the stands as we had Goodison boxed off, and we could do that in our sleep by the end.
“It needs to be all or nothing. Having made Goodison look so spectacular, we don’t want to start off at our new home with something of a damp squib.
“We’re not perfectionists but it needs to look good. When the players walk out on to the pitch, they need to have the ‘wow factor.’
“One of the reasons is to help fans to get up for the game but you also need the players to emerge from the tunnel and think it looks amazing. Right now, it doesn’t, so we’re not happy to do it until we’re satisfied that what we’ve got is enough for a display.”
Katie reveals that the group have also received positive feedback for their efforts from the Everton manager and some senior players. She said: “There is a bit of pressure on us because people are asking where the flags are and saying that they want them. It’s not just a case of us wanting to do it, the fans are demanding it now.
“We spoke to Seamus Coleman and David Moyes at the back end of last season in an interview on TNT and the manager asked whether we were doing them in the new stadium. We told him: ‘Yes,’ and he replied: ‘Good, because they're required and they're unbelievable.’
Readers can scan this QR code to make a donation towards new flags and banners for the 1878s at Hill Dickinson Stadium
Readers can scan this QR code to make a donation towards new flags and banners for the 1878s at Hill Dickinson Stadium
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“When you’ve got senior figures like that coming to you, and James Tarkowski who has also said stuff in the past, it shows that they like them, and it works for them. Seamus told us that it helps the players so much on the pitch in terms of the atmosphere.
“He said it looks unbelievable when you come out of the tunnel and even when he’s been injured, he really notices the difference as he goes to take his seat. We’ve also made a lot of new signings and you want to show it to those players too and that you’re behind them to say: ‘This is us, and we’re here for you.’”
Click here to book a ticket for the 1878 Fundraiser Night or here to make a direct donation towards the new flags and banners.