In this weekend's Royal Blue column, Joe Thomas speaks to Colin Chong to consider the importance of the first major non-football event to be held at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium
Everton’s new home will shine on the global stage once again when a sold-out crowd watches the second test in the Ashes Rugby League series between England and Australia on Saturday. The match will be the first major sporting event to be hosted by Hill Dickinson Stadium away from football and is an historic milestone for both the club and the city of Liverpool.
It will showcase the stunning ground to the world while highlighting the immense value the state-of-the-art venue is set to bring to the region for generations to come. Put simply, this is what all the hard work was for.
“It’s hugely significant,” Everton’s chief real estate and regeneration officer Colin Chong told the ECHO: “It signals that this venue is more than a football ground. It’s a 365-day destination that can host world-class sport, concerts, conferences, exhibitions and cultural events.
READ MORE: Everton were the only team I was allowed to support - it hasn't sunk in what I am about to do
“The Rugby League Ashes is the first non-football event at Hill Dickinson Stadium — and the first of many. It is an example of the kind of events Hill Dickinson Stadium can attract – historic, momentous and impactful. Not only will residents have the opportunity to attend but the city will benefit from the tens of thousands of visitors coming in, spending within the local economy on food, drink and accommodation.
“No doubt we will see this replicated many more times based on the different events we’ll have.”
Some of those events are already booked in. Most notable is Euro 2028, when the stadium will be a host venue for the UEFA tournament - one in which Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford will seek to take England to a third consecutive final. There is the potential for so much more and an expectation there will be the demand to match.
Chong added: “We want to stand alongside the UK and Europe’s ‘must play’ venues for sporting events and concerts. The city of Liverpool has an incredible history and attraction for musicians and we’ve seen some of the world’s biggest names perform in venues across the city — and we want Hill Dickinson Stadium to be part of that mix going forward.”
First impressions are crucial and, it is fair to say, they have been overwhelmingly positive. Just this week Crystal Palace owner Steve Parish spoke of being blown away when he visited last month as the Blues came from behind to beat his side 2-1. He admitted he had hoped it would be a different story.
“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 on the Running the Game Men in Blazers podcast, hosted by Evertonian Roger Bennett.
He added: "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.”
Royal Blue newsletter - subscribe now
The Royal Blue podcast logo
The Royal Blue podcast logo
The Liverpool ECHO has launched the Royal Blue newsletter - the latest way to get the inside track on the Blues.
Created by Everton correspondent Joe Thomas, it will provide in-depth insight on the major talking points - on and off the pitch - through an exciting, historic period for the club as the first team moves to the Hill Dickinson Stadium and Everton Women enter Goodison Park.
The idea is to step away from the treadmill of press conferences and player ratings and instead offer a glimpse behind the scenes at the club - and on Joe's travels up and down the country following Everton.
Royal Blue is delivered to your inbox every Wednesday and completely free.
To take a look and subscribe, check it out here
Parish’s is a view that has been echoed throughout the first months since Hill Dickinson Stadium officially opened with the Premier League game against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Chong has been at the forefront of it all. Initially tasked with overseeing the delivery of the stadium, the construction industry specialist became the cool head who steered Everton through the on-and-off-pitch crises of recent years as interim CEO.
Ensuring the stadium continued to rise remained a key part of his job. Reflecting on that process, he said: “There’s no hiding from the fact that it’s been tough. We faced global and local challenges that nobody could have foreseen — a pandemic, global supply chain issues, and other economic pressures that really challenged us.
“But despite all of that, we stayed on schedule and on budget, which is a remarkable achievement.”
Chong said that, even now, after months of rave reviews and a first award - the stadium recently won Outstanding Development of the Year at this year’s Liverpool City Region Property Awards - he was yet to pause and properly take stock of an achievement that has the potential to revive Liverpool’s northern docklands and inspire regeneration that could change the prospects of some of Merseyside’s most vulnerable communities.
The project is expected to generate £1.3bn for the economy and be the catalyst for 15,000 jobs - a game-changing boost for the region.
Gareth Jacques, project director at Laing O'Rourke and Colin Chong, then chief stadium development officer at Everton during the construction of Hill Dickinson Stadium back in 2022. Photo by Colin Lane
Gareth Jacques, project director at Laing O'Rourke and Colin Chong, then chief stadium development officer at Everton, during the construction of Hill Dickinson Stadium back in 2022. Photo by Colin Lane
View Image
He can acknowledge the Brighton match was special though - helped, of course, by David Moyes leading Everton to a 2-0 win as the eyes of the world were drawn to the opening chapter of what could be a bright new future for the club.
Chong said: “It was an emotional day. I remember waking up with a mix of nerves and excitement — even though we’d already had the Roma game the week before. It felt different because this was the start of a new era, the moment we officially announced our new home to the world.
“I heard Mr. Blue Sky on the radio that morning — ‘today’s the day we’ve waited for’ — and it couldn’t have been more fitting. We always knew our fans would be proud of it because they helped shape it. Every design choice was influenced by eight years of consultation.
“To see them experience it for the first time, to feel that connection — it was everything we hoped for. And the fact we won the match made it even better.”
The visit of the England and Australia teams on Saturday is the next step in introducing Hill Dickinson Stadium - and through it Everton Football Club - to the world. And that matters, the impact being one that will filter through to what Moyes and those who follow him can achieve.
Detailing why set pieces such as the Rugby League international matter, Chong said: “Every time Hill Dickinson Stadium stages a major event, it shines a spotlight on Everton. It introduces the club, our history and our stadium to people who might never have engaged with us before and helps drive global recognition and new revenue streams — all of which feed back into the club’s ability to become recognised and financially contributing to compete on the pitch.”