Everton return to the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday for their second home match in the space of a week.
David Moyes welcomes an old friend in Sean Dyche, who will be bringing his Nottingham Forest outfit to Merseyside.
The Hill Dickinson Stadium has been a big positive for the Toffees in the opening months since it was unveiled.
Ahead of the game, Dyche has wished for a welcome reception from Everton’s fans at their state-of-the-art new home.
Everton’s supporters have been able to bring the famous Goodison Park atmosphere to the Hill Dickinson Stadium in these early months.
Having now had a good look at the new home of the Blues, former midfielder Gareth Barry has admitted something has pleasantly surprised him about the new stadium.
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What has impressed Gareth Barry about Everton’s new stadium
Andy Burnham has been wowed by the Hill Dickinson Stadium atmosphere, suggesting it trumps that of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It had big boots to fill, with the Old Lady renowned far and wide for the volume created inside the historic home of the Blues.
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Speaking to TalkSPORT, Barry has admitted he thinks the atmosphere inside the new ground isn’t actually that far off Goodison’s.
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“I’ve been really impressed with their start, I did have a concern, we’ve seen previous teams when they’ve changed stadiums, if you don’t hit the ground running at home, the pressure builds, but I’m glad they’ve had some good results at home,” he said.
“The atmosphere at the new stadium doesn’t seem to be quite as good as Goodison at the minute, but not far off.”
Following their visit last month, Fulham fans were blown away by Everton’s new stadium having witnessed their site torn apart by the Blues.
It has been the dream move across to the docks for The Friedkin Group, who have also seen the club benefitting financially from the Hill Dickinson.
Hill Dickinson Stadium already feels like home for Everton
Ultimately, results are what defines how happy football fans are going to be in their stadium.
Everton have unveiled club mosaics and improved the branding around the stadium to help the new place feel like home.
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However, it is the performances on the pitch which will have the biggest impact.
For the large part, Everton have been able to provide the goods at the Hill Dickinson, with the loss to Newcastle United a real shock.
Moyes is delighted with the new stadium and it seems as if the atmosphere is living up the expectations of Dan Meis.
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