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Goodison Park
(Everton)
Address: Goodison Road,
Walton,
Liverpool,
Merseyside,
England,
L4 4EL
Capacity: 39,414 (All-Seater)
Experience it while you still can.
Goodison Park has been the home of Everton Football Club since way back in 1892.
The Toffees actually spent eight years beforehand at Anfield, the home of their red city rivals across Stanley Park, but moved out after the stadium’s owner kept increasing the yearly rent, to the point that Everton considered it unacceptable to stay there anymore.
Location and Getting There
The stadium is based in Walton, around 2.5 miles north of Liverpool City Centre. Stanley Park is to the south, Walton Hall Park is to the northeast, and the River Mersey is around two miles to the west.
Given its location in Walton, I would recommend against travelling to Goodison Park by car. Finding parking within close distance of the ground is extremely unlikely, and there’s no secure, paid parking within the area surrounding the stadium itself.
The best way to reach the ground instead is to come by public transport.
The closest station to Goodison Park is Kirkdale, a 15 minute walk west from the ground and part of the Merseyrail Northern Line from Liverpool Central.
It is a very small station though, and you’ll find when heading home that a lot of people use this Merseyrail service to either get back towards Liverpool’s two main stations, or on towards Ormskirk and Kirkby, leaving both platforms packed in the process.
Outside the Stadium
If you are coming from Kirkdale, the first stand you will likely get to is the Main Stand on the west side of Goodison Park.
The exterior of this stand has a blue brickwork base but most of it is taken up by giant pictures of some of Everton's most iconic players, including Bob Latchford, Dixie Dean and Graeme Sharp.
Turnstiles are spread across the brickwork base, with the Everton Reception and Players' Lounge over towards the northwest corner.
Just above the brickwork base is the Everton Timeline, a long picture board that reflects on the most notable moments in Everton's history. The timeline starts in Goodison Park's southeast corner and runs around the eastern, northern and western sides of the stadium.
On the opposite side of the road to the Main Stand is the Winslow Hotel, a very popular pub with Everton fans on a matchday. It prides itself as being 'The Peoples Pub' and has plenty of blue trim across its brickwork exterior.
Continuing round in a clockwise direction and past the Church of St. Luke The Evangelist brings you to the North Stand, better known as the Gwladys Street End after the road that runs along outside of it.
The exterior here is very similar to the adjacent Main Stand, with a blue brickwork base and giant pictures higher up which show more iconic Everton figures.
Turnstiles are spread across the brickwork base of the Gwladys Street End and the Everton Timeline continues just above.
The stand has sometimes been referred to as the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End, after the Toffees' late player and manager.
Born in Ryton, Tyne and Wear on 22nd May 1946, Kendall won the old First Division Title as a player in 1970, and then as manager of Everton he would win two more in 1985 and 1987, also guiding the Toffees to the FA Cup in 1984 and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1985.
Regarded as one of Everton's finest players and their greatest manager, Kendall passed away on 17th October 2015 at the age of 69 following a heart attack.
Everton's Official Club Shop is based right on the northeast corner, and continuing round brings you to the Bullens Road Stand, which takes its name from the road that runs right outside of it.
Much like the Gwladys Street End and the Main Stand, the exterior has a blue brickwork base with giant pictures higher up, and the Everton Timeline runs all the way along.
You can also find the two Ticket Collection Points and a Matchday Information Centre by the southeast corner of Goodison Park.
The South Stand at Goodison Park is known as the Sir Philip Carter Park End after the late life president of Everton Football Club.
Its exterior is noticeably different when compared to the rest of Goodison Park, made up more of large white panels with a brown brickwork base and a cantilever roof on top. Everton's Main Reception and Box Office are based in the centre of the stand, whilst most of the area out beyond it is taken up by car parking spaces.
Turnstiles into the stand are based more towards either end near the southeast and southwest corners.
Inside the Stadium
The Main Stand is the biggest of the four stands at Goodison Park, also housing the changing rooms, dugouts and tunnel for the teams that play.
The stand is three-tiered, consisting of a very small bottom tier, and two much larger tiers above. The middle and top tier are stacked directly on top of one another, so if you have a seat on the back rows of the middle tier, your vertical view is going to be restricted slightly by the roof above.
Additionally, there are two large pillars that connect the Main Stand roof to the front of the middle tier, and smaller pillars that connect the middle tier to the top tier. All of these will restrict your view in one way or another.
The southwest corner completely covers one side of the ground and there is a large windshield over by the northwest corner that protects all the rows in the middle and upper tier. You can find a large electronic screen above the seating blocks in this corner of Goodison Park.
The Gwladys Street End is a two-tiered stand and directly connected to the Bullens Road Stand by the northeast corner. The letters EFC are spelt out in white along the bottom tier, with EVERTON spelt out in white along the top tier.
The lower level is larger than the top and provides the better view as well since pillars run regularly down from the stand's roof to the back rows of the lower tier. Much like with the Main Stand, if you are in one of the rows towards the back of the lower tier, there is a good chance that the roof above will restrict your vertical view.
A windshield is in place next to the northwest corner that protects both tiers of the Gwladys Street End from this side.
The Bullens Road Stand follows a similar design to the Gwladys Street End.
It consists of two tiers of blue seating with the letters EVERTON spelt out in white across the upper tier blocks.
Supporting pillars come down from the roof and will restrict your view if you are sat in the upper tier. The lower tier stretches a good way back and so the roof above this could well get in your way if you have a seat in one of the back rows.
Both end of the Bullens Road Stand however are well covered and offer good protection from the elements.
The best stand for views is the Sir Philip Carter Park End.
This is the smallest of the four, being only single-tiered, but clearly the most modern, and with no pillars in sight, you get a perfect view of the action coming towards you whether you are sat in the front row or the very back row.
The letters EFC are spelt out with white seats against the backdrop of the club’s famous blue colour, and there’s a small electronic scoreboard hanging off the roof of the stand.
It is also very well protected from the sides and this makes the Sir Philip Carter Par End arguably the best stand at Goodison Park, although the Gwladys Street End opposite is the place to go if you want to experience the best atmosphere on a matchday.
Away Fans
Away fans are not put behind the goal, they are instead placed in both tiers of the Bullens Road Stand, taking up the blocks closest to the southeast corner.
This can make for what is sadly one of the worst away experiences in England, and that was certainly the case for me when I first visited Goodison Park back in 2012. One of the unlucky ones who had tickets on the back rows of the bottom tier, watching the game from there was like watching a football match through a post box. That's the overall memories I have of that day.
Pray your ticket puts you either down the front or in the upper tier!
Matchday Pubs
Pubs available for supporters on a matchday includes:
-The Arkles Pub (77 Anfield Road, L4 0TJ) (Popular with Away Supporters on a Liverpool or an Everton Matchday)
-The Thomas Frost (177-187 Walton Road, L4 4AJ) (JD Wetherspoon Pub, Home and Away Supporters)
-The Winslow Hotel (31 Goodison Road, L4 4EH) (Right outside Goodison Park and Home Supporters Only)
-Plenty of pubs can be found around Liverpool City Centre and Liverpool Lime Street Station, including The Crown (43 Lime Street, L1 1JQ) and Head of Steam (85-89 Hanover Street, L1 3DZ)
Overview
There are admittedly a number of seats in this stadium that provide a restricted view, but that should not deter you from coming here.
Goodison Park has an excellent nostalgic feel, from its iconic Gwladys Street End to the more modern-looking Sir Philip Carter Park End opposite, this is a football ground that is bound to have something about it which you will like.
Everton's plans to build and move into their proposed 'Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium' are rapidly taking shape, so the opportunities to come and visit this long-standing English football ground are decreasing in number.
It's well worth taking the chance to come here while you can.
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