Everton held their second test event at the new stadium on Bramley-Moore Dock.
Everton’s under-21s played host to Bolton Wanderers B team and there were 25,000 supporters in attendance.
The young Toffees won 1-0 with Kingsford Boakye becoming the first Blues player to score from open play at the new state-of-the-art ground.
Supporters had to evacuate at the 65th minute as part of a pre-planned test, which will ensure all certificates are obtained ahead of the grand opening at the start of next season.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, many were full of praise about their experience, however, there was one common criticism which needs to be addressed.
- READ MORE: Everton ignored Cenk Tosun’s transfer recommendation in 2021, now he plays for Real Madrid
Everton fans criticise transport and traffic around Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium
Everton fans, for the most part, enjoyed their experience at Bramley-Moore Dock, though, there was a lot of criticism about the transport to the ground and traffic.
@LesShort13 posted: “Parking was a nightmare! Getting in and out of the area was a worse nightmare! The ground itself needs treble the electronic advertising it has now.”
“Traffic around the ground is chaos. Trying to get 2 elderly parents close to the ground is impossible. Single lane traffic for buses on Derby Road is ridiculous. Why not send them down Regent Rd from Bootle? 4 years to sort this!! Stadium is stunning,” @ANCBlues said.
@FantaScruffsJaw added: “Public transport horrific. Exterior of the ground is great. The concourses are still chocker, toilets too. Food is good but overpriced. Stands are uninspiring and not close enough to the pitch.”
“Amazing stadium. Amazing view. Managed to sit in our season ticket seat before going to test event seat. Lol. It’s unbelievable. Sounded great when everyone sang. Can’t wait for the real thing. Need to sort out the transport side of things. But that’s what test events are for,” @hendrixevo147 commented.
@EFC_Centre said: “Trains on the way were shocking, on way back much better. Stadium itself is a thing of beauty. Needs more murals etc to really feel like home. Food and beer was all good. Overall very impressed, once they crack the transport side of things it’ll be a lot better experience!”
“The stadium is fabulous. However, as echoed by others the transport needs a lot of work,” @HelenGuest482 posted.
When is the next test event?
Everton have not yet confirmed the date for the next test event but there is expected to be another one before the season ends in May.
The capacity will likely increase from 25,000 as the club obtain the relevant health and safety certificates to house 52,000 fans in August.
Once Bramley-Moore has passed all its checks, the club are planning to host Rugby games there, too, with September eyed as a potential date to host England.
It will also stage concerts and other entertainment events, thus helping Everton’s finances tremendously.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
