New-look Toffees can be top six side

FORMER BLUE PREDICTS SUCCESS

- By CHRIS BEESLEY

EVERTON’S move to Hill Dickinson Stadium is a “fresh start” for the club and can help revive their fortunes.

That's the verdict of a former Premier League star who loved his time with the Blues despite injuries curtailing his time on Merseyside.

After 133 years at Goodison Park, David Moyes’ men signed off from their home since 1892 with a 2-0 win over Southampton on May 18. Although there were 16 occasions that Goodison attracted crowds of over 70,000 for Everton games, including a record 78,299 crowd for a Merseyside Derby against Liverpool on September 18, 1948, the Blues have only ever enjoyed an average gate of over 50,000 once (51,603 for the 1962/63 title-winning season) and have not had a crowd of over 50,000 for a home match since 53,323 watched the League Cup quarterfinal against Liverpool on January 21, 1987.

With a capacity of 52,769, though, such numbers are now set to become a new normal for Everton on the Mersey waterfront.

And Terry Phelan, who played for the club under Joe Royle, Howard Kendall and Walter Smith is excited by the prospect.

The 58-year-old told the ECHO: “They've been fighting relegation year in, year out. We don’t want to see that.

“Everton is a massive club. Let's stamp that up there.

“It’s a top-six club. I don’t care what anyone says, they might think I'm a bit mad, but I believe that, and this is something new for those Everton fans, a fresh start and forward-thinking.

“Going to the new stadium can only help.

“The players, the manager and all the staff will be up for it.