Everton successfully completes first test event at new waterfront stadium

Everton FC has successfully completed the first of three test events at its new 52,888-seater stadium.

The club welcomed 10,000 spectators to the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium last night with the aim of gaining a safety certificate from Liverpool City Council for the new ground at full capacity.

Last night’s friendly between Everton U18s and Wigan Athletic U18s saw fans fill the South Stand of the ground.

A further 25,000-capacity test event is scheduled for next month, followed by a full-capacity event at a later date before the stadium opens officially for the 2025-26 football season when Everton will relocate from its Goodison Park home.

The event saw the introduction of new parking restrictions around the ground, which has led to more than 7,000 residents and businesses signing a petition  calling on the council to re-examine the scheme.

It restricts parking as far south to the city centre and north to Bootle, not just on match days but throughout the week, as well.

Limited services were open last night, including food and drink vendors, although the ground has no licence to serve alcohol, as yet.

The test event passed off successfully with fans able to access the riverside ground, using new e-ticket technology, and navigate around the South Stand complex.

Egress was also relatively easy, through several new exits incorporated into the historic dock wall.

A new crowd-marshalling area at the nearby Sandhills rail station was used for the first time to handle access to the platform, while traffic lanes on Derby Road, which serves access to the city, were restricted to just one lane on full time, allowing more room for fans to make their way to the station, or to a fleet of buses.

The match ended in a 2-1 win for Wigan, with Ray Robert being the first Everton player to score in the new ground.