Everton Fans Have Worrying New Complaint After Second Test Event at £800m Stadium
Everton fans have all been left with the same complaint after the club held its second test event at its new stadium located at Bramley-Moore Dock. The Toffees are set to make the 52,000-seater their home next season and have been holding youth games in it ahead of their move, with supporters getting a chance to see a glimpse of what the future might be like when Premier League action arrives at the new ground.
On Sunday, the club’s Under-21s took on Bolton Wanderers’ B team in a friendly that saw 25,000 people in attendance as the hosts secured a 1-0 victory. However, those who made the trip to the £800m stadium were left frustrated by one major problem that must be fixed prior to the stadium’s official unveiling next season.
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Everton Fans Left Stranded While Leaving New Stadium
Fans have called the situation ‘inadequate’
As can be seen in the footage above, fans trying to leave the stadium found themselves stuck in a mass queue as it was claimed that they were forced to wait by the Bascule bridge located close to the stadium, as it allegedly couldn’t handle the weight of all the fans crossing it at the same time.
According to a report from the Mirror, supporters had to wait patiently as they were gradually ushered through in order to protect their safety, with those at the game posting photos online of the congestion. Furthermore, there were some claiming to have been waiting hours to get inside Sandhills train station, which serves fans attending the stadium, a complaint that was also made during the first test event where the Under-18’s were beaten by Wigan Athletic.
Despite the concerns, transport bosses hailed the event as a success, telling the BBC that “99% of people had fairly decent experiences.” Meanwhile, Merseyrail claimed that 12,000 fans passed through Sandhills station with no safety incidents reported, though Tony Scott, host of the All Together Now Everton fan podcast, travelled to the test event and said he believed Merseyrail should have put on more services earlier in the day in order to avoid delays:
“It’s an accident waiting to happen. Everyone was shoehorned into some kind of tunnel, and you fear for your safety. When you come out of the Sandhills platform it’s fine, but when you come off that platform it’s extremely dangerous.”
Considering the stadium’s full capacity is set to be more than double the number of fans who attended the test game over the weekend, it is not a good look for the Toffees, and fans have voiced their criticism regarding the situation.
One person took to social media to write: “This needs sorting in my opinion. Having to stop every few steps because the bridge can’t handle more weight. This will be chaos at full capacity. They had four years to sort it,” while a second added, “It’s inadequate. I’m a local resident, and it’s bad enough on a sunny day when loads decide to go to Southport and also Aintree races. Factor in this is a dry day, wait till it’s winter, lashing down, people aren’t going to want to wait in a conveyor belt for a train.”
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If the situation isn’t sorted, it could have serious consequences for the club, as the stadium is meant to be one of those selected for use at the 2028 European Championships. There were also further complaints following the first test event that the fanzone in place was not fit for purpose, with many left shocked at the number of portaloos surrounding the stadium.
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt – accurate as of 25/03/2025.
