When he arrived at Goodison Park as manager over 22 years ago, David Moyes struck a chord with Blues by dubbing them 'The People's Club'. But while the demand for Everton tickets is at an all-time high, the people of 'The People's Club' are changing.
Mindful of the economic hardships across the country and in Merseyside in particular, Everton say they remain committed to keeping football affordable. However, while they froze prices across their kids (aged 10 and under) and junior (11-17) categories when announcing season ticket prices in February for their final campaign at Goodison Park, with increases elsewhere they claimed if they kept their rates stagnant across the board they would be operating at a loss due to rising matchday operation and labour costs.
Indeed, later that month, contained within the Appeal Board's full written reasons when Everton got four of their initial 10 points back after being hit by what was at the time the most severe sporting sanction in 135 years of English top-flight football the previous November, is an explanation as to why the much-loved 'Grand Old Lady' is now a financial millstone around the Blues' neck and the long-awaited move to a new stadium cannot come soon enough from an economic point of view.
READ MORE: Everton confirm transfer talks, exits and new contracts and give Dele Alli update
READ MORE: Sean Dyche could unleash Everton experiment as players prepare for final goodbyes at Arsenal
Paragraph 10, the third of nine regarding background material on who Everton are, states: "In 1892, the club moved to the first purpose-built football stadium, Goodison Park, where it still plays. It is a grand and historic ground, in the past hosting FA Cup Finals and a World Cup Semi-final; but the evidence before the Commission was that it is no longer fit for purpose or economically sustainable due to its age, condition, configuration and capacity constraints – its capacity is just under 40,000 – which has a direct, adverse impact on the club’s financial performance compared with its peers. The matchday revenues from Goodison Park rank 18th in the Premier League."
That final sentence is the crux of the matter. A venue which for the greater part of its first century in existence was considered the finest club ground in the country - and in 1913 became the first in England to be visited by a reigning monarch when King George V and Queen Mary stopped by to watch a musical drill of physical exercises - is now in the relegation zone when it comes to generating cash.
Everton - who are also in the bottom three of the Premier League net spend table for the past five seasons - have had to embark on some serious belt-tightening in recent years. As manager Sean Dyche admitted in the January transfer window, with no new faces coming in for the second straight window: "There’s no on-pitch advantage there, yet we get an on-pitch sanction."
So while there are barely two miles between Goodison and Bramley-Moore Dock, Everton's relocation is a game-changer for them in terms of revenue. The Blues now have over 30,000 people on their season ticket waiting list with the move to the banks of the Mersey enabling them to play in front of the biggest regular crowds in the club's entire history.
Although Goodison's record attendance is a whopping 78,299 for Everton's 1-1 draw against Liverpool on September 18, 1948, with the ground now holding little over half that figure, it is only the 10th largest in the Premier League. The Blues have only ever enjoyed an average gate of over 50,000 once (51,603 for the 1962/63 title-winning season) but they can eclipse that if they are playing in front of capacity crowds by the waterfront.
Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to lock horns in a huge clash this month with each fighter attempting to etch their names in boxing history as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since 1999. The stakes couldn't be higher as the pair will go head to head for the prestigious WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF titles.
£24.99
DAZNIt's not just the sheet numbers though that will make the difference for Everton though. With just one season remaining at Goodison Park, Vicky Jaycock, head of premium sales, and her team have sold out 80% of ALL Seasonal Memberships.
'Corporate' is treated as something of a dirty word by Everton to put into the Bramley-Moore Dock swear box, given aspirations to move away from perceptions of stuffiness and formality. But whatever you call it, there will be far more at the new stadium. At present, there are around 1,300 at Goodison (approximately 3% of the overall capacity) but Everton Stadium has 5,500 (over 10% of a ground which in turn is a third bigger to start with).
Ranging from fine dining and international cuisine restaurants to sports bars, traditional pubs and tapas-style social spaces, the breadth of ‘ALL’ premium experiences on offer at Everton Stadium will be unprecedented. Following three previous sell-out phases for restaurants, a further 2,000 fans have now secured seasonal memberships across Village St and Trinity Place Bar, leaving only limited availability within the ‘ALL’ bars packages.
Village St and Trinity Place Bar make up the fourth, largest and final offering within the revolutionary re-set of traditional football hospitality, which allows supporters to choose from a variety of bars, restaurants and experiences.
Supporter Tony Harland, who recently signed up for a seasonal membership, said: “It’s great to be the 2,000th seat holder within the ‘ALL’ bars experience. The new stadium already looks world class and is something all of us Evertonians will be proud of.”
Located in the West and East Stands respectively, Village St and Trinity Place Bar represent new destinations for members to enjoy on matchdays, including food and drink, as well as some of the best seats in the house across the half-way line. Taking its name from the road in L4 that housed The Queen’s Head where, in 1879, St Domingo’s became Everton Football Club, Village Street has been designed to replicate a busy high street in the heart of the West Stand.
The street is home to four individual pub and bar spaces, offering a unique experience that has never been seen before in football, ranging from traditional pubs to a lively social bar and a sports bar, featuring all the latest action form around the world. Members can sample all four of the pubs and bars, where food, wines, beers and soft drinks are inclusive for pre-match and half time, and also benefit from premium padded seats spanning the half-way line in the upper tier of the West Stand.
Trinity Place, located in the East Stand, celebrates the club’s history through immersive media and treasured memorabilia, which members can explore each matchday. Live entertainment add to the pre-match atmosphere and fans can stay close to the match build up across the many big screens.
A feature of Trinity Place is the striking central island bar, making it the perfect space for Evertonians to socialise, eat and drink within in a unique matchday environment. As well as inclusive drinks and a choice of freshly prepared street food dishes, Trinity Place members also enjoy direct access to some of the best views the stadium has to offer on the halfway line, close to the pitch and with convenient access to the bar.
Supporters who have previously registered their interest for these memberships will be contacted by the Everton Stadium sales team in the coming weeks. To find out more about how to secure Village Street or Trinity Place Seasonal Memberships, fans can click here.
