I was given a tour of the stadium today and this is what I thought
Jamie Greer is the under-35s writer for the Liverpool Echo and other Reach titles. He mainly covers stories relevant for 16 to 35 year-olds, along with general and breaking news. He focuses on young entrepreneurs, property stories, health and interesting places to visit in Merseyside. Jamie studied History and Politics at the University of Manchester and completed a Master’s Degree with an NCTJ qualification at the University of Salford before joining the ECHO. He has worked with other media publications covering news and sport.
ECHO reporter Jamie Greer visits Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium
ECHO reporter Jamie Greer visits Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Football has changed drastically over the last 30 years. Players wages have skyrocketed, clubs search more and more for commercial opportunities and football teams have moved from stadiums surrounded by terraced houses to purpose-built venues.
Everton are the latest to follow the latter trend, with the men's team upping sticks from the traditional but flawed Goodison Park to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium on the banks of the Mersey. I was given an exclusive tour of the stadium today ahead of the blue’s first competitive fixture against Brighton on Sunday.
Let’s get some things clear at the start - I’m a Liverpool fan. I’ve never been to a football match at Goodison Park either, so I can’t tell you about what it was like to watch a match there.
But I have visited Goodison before for work. I was shown around the pitch and the facilities it had to offer. I’ve also watched matches at other stadiums around the country, from the historic Brammal Lane in Sheffield to Anfield, which has a mix of old and new areas, and Wembley, which opened in 2007. I've also watched from afar in horror as fans like West Ham have complained that their club have ditched their old but much-loved homes for soulless corporate bowls.
After having a look around the ground at Bramley-Moore Dock today, I think the Hill Dickinson could offer a better matchday experience for modern fans than all of these.
The first reason why I think this is because of the efforts that have been taken to make the concourses as good for fans as possible. They should have a decent amount of space for fans to enjoy their food and drinks.
The self-pouring drinks machines and through pass sections have been designed to make getting the products you want as quickly as possible and hopefully keep queues to a minimum.
Me with a Kopparberg cider from a self-pour machine
Me with a Kopparberg cider from a self-pour machine
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
I have visited Wembley for matches several times in the last three years for cup finals and haven't taken any of these measures to reduce queuing. Upon further research, it seems one frictionless bar did open there in February.
Of course, it will feel different when these areas are full of supporters, but it’s good to see that they have been built with fans in mind.
The ECHO was also told that the stadium is part of a Distributed Antenna System (DAS). This is a network of strategically placed antennas that enhance wireless coverage and capacity within a building or area. This means you should be able to get good internet access through the ground.
It feels like many stadiums have not caught up to how important having phone signal is these days. Again, this is something I’ve struggled with at Wembley. If the DAS system and the free Wi-Fi work at the Hill Dickinson, that could be another plus point.
The range of hospitality areas were also far more impressive than the ones I’ve seen on my trip to Goodison. I’ll admit, these type of areas are not really my cup of tea and it’s pretty unlikely I’ll have the cash to pay for a padded seat and a three-course meal anytime soon.
But those who can pay should get value for the money and it’s hard to see why they wouldn’t with these range of options, from Beyond where you can see into the tunnel to Village Street which will contain four different pubs.
In an era where the need for commercial revenue is more important for clubs, this should provide an important earner for Everton too.
I’m sceptical about a lot of modern football, but it’s impossible not to be impressed by a stadium as up-to-date as this. In the next few months, we’ll see if Evertonians feel the same way.