Men in Blazers will be hosting their first UK show at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Monday. For host Roger Bennett, it will be an emotional night for all sorts of reasons
David Moyes and Roger Bennett during the Men in Blazers event in New York on July, 25, 2025
David Moyes and Roger Bennett during the Men in Blazers event in New York on July, 25, 2025(Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC Official Photography Library/SmartFrame)
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The stage is set for what should be an incredible warm-up to the start of Everton's Premier League season with Men in Blazers set to make Hill Dickinson Stadium bounce on Monday night.
The hugely successful show - a major voice in the US football scene - will be the first to be produced in the UK when the cameras start rolling on a star-studded night.
It may be the first time Blues are able to hear from summer signing Christian Norgaard. But it will be special for a host of other reasons - particularly for Everton-supporting MiB founder Roger Bennett.
Born in Liverpool, Bennett has made a name for himself across the Atlantic through founding the biggest independent football platform in the US. With the likes of former players such as Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, he is one of several influential figures in the sport with rich connections to the Blues - one of the reasons the club remains confident it can continue to grow its fanbase across North America.
Bennett has made no secret of his love for Everton through his rise and has already hosted two shows with the club - the first in Washington DC during the Frank Lampard reign and then, last summer, in New York.
But this will be his first at the home of the club - a fitting climax to a UK tour.
Excited for the occasion, Bennett told the ECHO: “The show is the culmination of a 10-day stretch in which we are criss-crossing England to set up the season for our viewers. We are filming with Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, mighty Wrexham, and live streaming a Tottenham pre-season game, which is a first for us.
“But as a third generation Blue, to return home and set up the Everton season, filming live, at Hill Dickinson is really humbling. It is an honour and a total joy - like being able to talk about The Odyssey with Odysseus himself.”
Roger will be joined on stage with some big names from the current squad, with Norgaard appearing along with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner and another new signing - Hayden Hackney.
He hopes it will be a night on which Blues can come together in an intimate setting, discuss the upcoming campaign and get to know some of the players who will be at the heart of it.
Yet for Bennett, the most special guest will be someone in the audience - this will be the first show recorded with his mum in attendance.
He said: “The show is the first one we have ever done in England, which is really meaningful. We tour all over the United States, and have done shows with travelling Blues in Washington DC and New York City.
“But to come home and film a show at Hill Dickinson is a very full circle moment. It will be the first time my mum will be at one of our shows, which is very moving. I am honestly looking forward to raising a pint with her and with fellow Blues as much as anything.
“That is what football is about - the sense of connection. The sense of possibility. And the week before the season kicks off is such a magical one. A mix of blind hope, manic fear, and collective delusion, the good stuff.”
Ticket details and further information for the show, to be held at 6.30pm on Monday, August 17, is available here