Inside Everton’s new stadium on day one as followers flock to Bramley-Moore Dock web site for first sport on the floor

10,000 fans flooded into Everton‘s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on Monday evening for the first game at the ground.

The Toffees will wave goodbye to Goodison Park at the end of this season as they swap homes for Bramley-Moore, a £550million stadium that will hold 52,888 fans for what will almost certainly be, once again, Premier League football.

Everton will put on several matches and events at the Bramley-Moore Dock site early on this year and that began on Monday with the Everton Under 18 side taking part in a friendly.

Tickets were priced at £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions. The second test event will see 25,000 be allowed in for an Under 21s friendly in over a month’s time.

Everton are not permitted to play competitive fixtures at the stadium yet. The test events – a third one will likely take place at near-full capacity later in the season – will allow the club to get the required licence and safety certificates.

The Under 18s were managed by former Everton and England left back Leighton Baines, who played 420 Toffees games across 13 seasons. Since he left to join David Moyes‘ first team coaching staff, Keith Southern has taken over. Everton considered having a women’s fixture open the stadium but the schedule made this difficult.

Everton fans flocked to Bramley-Moore Dock for the first game at the Toffees’ new stadium

10,000 fans were in attendance at the 52,888 seater as supporters attended for the first time since its completion

Tickets were priced at £5 for adults and £2.50 for concessions to watch Keith Souther’s side

The game, which was played against Wigan, kicked off at 7pm with the match streamed live on the club’s YouTube channel.

An X account for the stadium shared footage from an interview with two fans, with one explaining how they felt ‘excited like a kid at Christmas’.

‘I’ll be devastated to leave Goodison, but this is something else, this,’ the added from inside the ground.

Footage was also shared of fans sat inside the new South Stand, as the club encouraged supporters to send in their photos and videos from the event.

Everton have been at Goodison Park for nearly 134 years but decided to leave in 2017, with Bramley-Moore Dock the preferred site for the new ground.

Construction began in July 2021, and the ground was declared structurally complete after the final concrete terracing panel was put in in February last year.

The contractor handed over the stadium in December, and Everton will now begin playing games in order to obtain the relevant licensing.

By kick off against Wigan, the ground was not even one fifth full, but fans sat in the South Stand to watch the friendly game.

The game kicked off at 7pm and was streamed live on the club’s YouTube channel

Everton have been at Goodison Park for nearly 134 years but decided to leave in 2017

The contractor handed over the stadium in December, with the Toffees first team to move in next season

Fans young and old were in attendance, with one saying that the ground was ‘something else’

Construction began in July 2021, and finished in 2024 before being handed over by the contractors working on the structure

The first goal in the new ground was scored by Wigan, who took the lead through Harrison Rimmer.

Rimmer celebrated put putting up six fingers – likely in reference to Liverpool winning the Champions League six times. 

Everton’s side play in the U18 Premier League, while Wigan feature in the U18 Professional Development League.