'It's breathtaking': Everton savour slice of history but Park spoils party

Some home supporters were getting their first view of the new stadium but United refused to be overawed

- Tom Garry

“Oh, this is lovely, isn’t it?” remarked Marc Skinner as he opened the door, merely at the sight of the media theatre as he walked into his press conference after his Manchester United side had won the first Women's Super League fixture to be staged at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Before kickoff similar sentiments had been expressed around the concourse as 18,154 gathered for Everton women's first game beside the docks.

Walking around the plaza outside the East Stand, it was clear that, for many of those in attendance, as well as being able to watch this WSL game, they were here because this was their first chance to see this stadium; there are understood to be more than 25,000 people on the waiting list for a men's season ticket at this ground and many of them were therefore making their debut.

Many families were searching for their loved ones' names on the personalised bricks along Everton Way, some clutching printed-out maps as they tried to locate them, others visibly emotional as they posed for photographs by a relative's brick. Some were simply admiring the architecture, such as Eloise from Merseyside, who has watched women's games at the comparatively primitive Walton Hall Park. “It’s breathtaking, isn’t it?” she said.