Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium has been a hit to most fans but Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish is frustrated by one thing.
At the weekend, Everton’s unbeaten start at their new state-of-the-art home came to an end against Tottenham Hotspur.
For David Moyes, it was not a performance that reflected a 3-0 defeat, but their first defeat is now in the books at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
This weekend, the Hill Dickinson Stadium will host a rugby fixture as the Friedkins can finally flex their muscles in hosting outside events on Merseyside.
Up to now, Everton have hosted five Premier League games in their new home on the docks and it has largely been a successful start.
Everton are set to host in the 2028 Euros but there is something that has left Parish frustrated following his visit earlier in the month with Palace.
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Crystal Palace owner disappointed by Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium
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That is actually what has frustrated Parish, who was blown away by his visit to Merseyside at the start of October.
Speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, Parish admitted he was hoping the new ground did not live up to the reputation of Goodison Park.
“And as a football fan that’s trying to compete and win against you, I’m hugely disappointed to say that the new stadium is almost as good (as Goodison),” he said.
“I was really hoping that it would be, you know, big and soulless, and you would have somehow lost something. But unfortunately, when you equalised from the penalty spot against us the other day, it was really unbelievable.”
Parish is not alone, Birmingham City’s owner loved his visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Tom Wagner wanting to replicate the steep stands in his own plans.
There will have been concerns from Everton fans that the club’s identity could have been lost in the new stadium, but it is proving a roaring success.
Hill Dickinson Stadium improvements continue to be unveiled
The stadium may have opened just over two months ago, but there are still small improvements being made on site.
Earlier this week, Everton revealed some of the banners and displays at the stadium that had been installed to increase the feeling of it being their home.
Step by step, Everton are quickly making the Hill Dickinson their fortress and results will go a long way towards that.
Despite the result, there was a lot to take from the defeat against Spurs, which should give fans the confidence that winning ways can be resumed next week against Fulham.