History and description

The opening day of Goodison Park saw an athletics event take place, with Everton facing Bolton 9 days later. The first match at the new stadium was a 4-2 victory for Everton. In 1894, Goodison Park hosted its first FA Cup final. Notts County beat Bolton 3-1 in front of a 37,000 crowd.

The stadium quickly developed in the early 20th century, first with the construction of a double-decker stand at the Park End in 1907, and next with the large Goodison Road Stand in 1909. The running track was also removed.

The new Goodison Road Stand had been designed by renowned architect Archibald Leitch. At that time, Goodison Park was considered the best ground in Britain.

Archibald Leitch designed the next two new stands for the ground. The first was the new Bullens Road Stand in 1926, and the second was the new Gwladys Street End in 1938. All stands were two-tiered.

On December 18, 1948, 78,299 people attended a match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park.

The 1966 World Cup was held at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, during which it hosted three group matches, the quarterfinal between Portugal and North Korea (5-3), and the semi-final between Germany and the Soviet Union (2-1).

The stadium remained largely unchanged until in 1971 a new three-tiered main stand was built in place of the Goodison Road Stand. The new stand could hold about 55,000 fans, slightly less than half seated.

In the 1990s, following the Hillsborough disaster and Taylor report, Everton Park underwent a major redevelopment which reduced its capacity significantly. In 1994, a new stand was built at the Park End.

Everton have been in active pursuit of a new stadium for the past fifteen years, first at King's Dock and then in the Kirkby area. However, both times plans fell through. Recently, after a break during which efforts were paused, Everton recommenced their pursuit of a new stadium and decided on a site near Liverpool's waterfront north of the center.

In 2019, the club submitted planning permission for a new 52,888-seat stadium. They will move into the new stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, at the start of the 2023-24 season.

(photos of the present Goodison Park below)

How to get to Goodison Park

The Goodison Park stadium is located about 2.5 miles north-east of Liverpool's city center and Lime Street railway station. If arriving by car from the M57 (which runs east of Liverpool), take junction 4 and turn onto East Lancashire Road (A580). Follow the road for about 4 miles until you see Stanley Park on your left and the stadium on your right.

Rail station Kirkdale is an approximate 20-minute walk from the ground. The station is served by regular trains from Liverpool Central Station, which takes around 10 minutes to travel.

One can take bus 19/19A, 20, or 21 from Queen Square Bus Station (almost opposite Lime Street rail station), or line 311 and 350/351 from Sir Thomas Street (in the city center).

On matchdays, Everton run a shuttle bus from Sandhills Rail Station (north of the centre) to Goodison Park.

Address: Goodison Park, Liverpool, L4 4EL

Eat, drink, and sleep near Goodison Park

Goodison Park is located in a residential area, bordered by St Luke's Church and Stanley Park. On the other side of Stanley Park, just half a mile away, lies Anfield. The few pubs and fast food places in the vicinity of the stadium do not provide many better options in Liverpool's city centre. There are many better options in the city centre, such as restaurants and bars.

There are no major hotels in the vicinity of Goodison Park, but a few smaller guesthouses and bed and breakfasts for those wishing to stay as close to the stadium as possible. Click here  for an overview of available hotels near Goodison Park.

Most people will decide to spend the night in Liverpool's city centre or even travel in from other destinations in the UK.

Everton Tickets

Tickets for Everton games can be bought online, by phone (+44 871 663 1878), or at the Box Office at Goodison Park. The Box Office is opened on matchdays until kick-off in the event tickets remain available. However, Everton increasingly sells out and it is advised to book in advance as soon as tickets go on general sale (which is usually a few weeks before the fixture) to avoid having to settle for a ticket with restricted view.

Tickets for the match may be unavailable at the game, but they may be available through Stubhub. Everton's official ticket market place is a good option if tickets are sold out.

You can expect to pay from £43.00 for a lower-tier seat at the Bullens Stand to £49.00 for a seat at the Park End. A limited number of tickets are available for £35.00.

You can find a seating plan here. For more information, please call +44 (0) 871 663 1878 or email [email protected]

Goodison Park stadium tours

Everton organise guided stadium tours that last about 75 minutes. The tours include visits to the dressing rooms and players tunnel. Tours generally run from Monday through Sunday at 11:00am and 1:00pm, but schedules can be revised so please check the website for the most up-to-date times. There are no tours on matchdays or the afternoon before a match.

Booking is required and can be done online. The tours costs £12.00.

Relevant Internet links

The official website of Everton FC is at evertonfc.com. Liverpool's tourist information can be found at visitliverpool.com, while Merseytravel.gov.uk offers public transport information for the area around Liverpool. Nationalrail.co.uk provides all the latest train times and fares for travelling in and around Liverpool The crowd has always been characterized by partisan attitudes, with the atmosphere ranging from tense to rowdy very quickly. Everton is still a hostile environment, but it's coming to its natural end.

Goodison Park is an iconic stadium which, during the mid-1960s when I first attended, was one of the leading stadiums in England. The crowd has always been extraordinarily partisan though the atmosphere ranges from quiet to raucous very quickly. Goodison is still a bear pit but it's coming to its natural end.

Bongo wrote: This is a traditional old English football stadium unfortunately, three of the four stands have too many obstructed views (main stand, Bullens Road and Gwladys Street). However, you can still get decent seats within these stands with no posts in your way; you are seated very close to the pitch in all stands apart from the top tier of the main stand (top balcony) and when the locals are in the right mood, you can get a great atmosphere at Goodison Park. Easy to get to from the city centre with public transport and taxis, but rail links are not so great.

This is an old English stadium unfortunately three of the four stands have too many obstructed views. You can still get decent seats within these stands with no posts in your way, but you are seated very close to the pitch in all stands apart from the top tier of the main stand (top balcony). And when the locals are in the right mood, you can get a great atmosphere at Goodison Park. It's easy to get to from the city centre with public transport and taxis, but rail links are not so great.

The Growler writes: I will never go back to this ground. I did like the mixture of new and old stands at Goodison. The big main stand has to be one of the oddest stands I have seen. The stand I was in though was frustrating as I had a restricted view. The reason I won?t return though is that my team was walloped!!!

I will never again visit this ground. I did like the mixture of new and old stands at Goodison. The large main stand has to be one of the oddest stands I have seen. The stand I was in though was frustrating as I had a restricted view. The reason I won?t return though is that my team was trounced!!!!