Everton fans having a drink outside The Bramley Moore Hotel before the friendly against Roma today
Everton fans having a drink outside The Bramley Moore Hotel before the friendly against Roma today
Everton supporters were full of smiles as they experienced the Hill Dickinson Stadium with a full capacity crowd for the first time. The final test event for the ground, located at Bramley-Moore Dock on the banks of the River Mersey, saw the Blues take on Roma.
It was Everton's final pre-season game before the Premier League kicks off next weekend. The Toffees lost 1-0 to Roma after a goal in the 69th minute from Matias Soule. This was followed by a legends match between former Everton and Roma players. The Everton team were 2-0 victors thanks to goals from Phil Jagielka and Steven Naismith.
There had been some anxiety before kick-off about how Everton fans would get to the match. Merseytravel had drawn criticism this week after asking Evertonians to “get their steps in” by walking from Moorfields station instead of Sandhills, the closest to the stadium, to manage capacity.
But foot traffic appeared to move well through Sandhills, where a new footbridge has been built to manage the traffic. The ECHO spoke to fans on the day to get their thoughts. John Jones, 34, who had travelled over from Helsby with son Cameron, 2, said it has "got to be the best stadium in the country, if not Europe." Others like David Phealan hope the stadium can be a stepping stone towards success on the pitch.
In an amusing moment after the first game, newly married couple Adam and Elizabeth Horn had to walk through the crowds of Everton fans as they couldn’t get a taxi from St George’s Hall to the Malmasion Hotel.
Here is a selection of the best photos the ECHO captured on an historic day.
Everton fans having a drink outside The Bramley Moore Hotel before the friendly against Roma today
Everton fans having a drink outside The Bramley Moore Hotel before the friendly against Roma today
Everton fans making their way to the Hill Dickinson stadium on Regent Road before the game
Everton fans making their way to the Hill Dickinson stadium on Regent Road before the game
It was the final test event for the ground
It was the final test event for the ground