New ground, owners and boss can be catalyst to success

JORDAN PICKFORD wants the move from Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson Stadium to be the springboard to ending a trophy drought for both Everton and himself.

- By CHRIS BEESLEY ECHO Reporter

Today, when they host Brighton & Hove Albion in their new 52,769 capacity base on the Mersey waterfront, the Blues will play the first home game in the league away from Goodison Park since they tackled Bolton Wanderers in their Anfield finale on April 18, 1892.

After 133 years at the first purpose-built football ground in England, which was also the venue for the most top flight matches, two FA Cup finals (it was the first English club ground to be awarded the showcase fixture in 1894) and the only English club ground to stage a World Cup semifinal (one of five matches it staged in the 1966 tournament), Everton’s first team have waved goodbye to ‘The Grand Old Lady’ and relocated to Bramley-Moore Dock.

It’s a switch that financial experts have tipped will bring David Moyes' men an additional £60million-a-year. Despite being the preeminent club ground in the country for most of her history, having been overtaken by so many rivals in recent years, Goodison was named as being the third lowest stadium in the Premier League in 2023/24 for generating matchday revenue.

Although only neighbours Liverpool and Manchester United can top Everton's record for lifting major silverware across nine separate decades, their current trophy drought, which now goes beyond 30 years to when Pickford was just 14 months old, is the longest in their history.