Goodison Park will stay standing! Everton Women to move into famous old stadium as men's side prepare for life at Bramley-Moore Dock

In a transformative move for women’s football in the UK, Everton Women will officially relocate to Goodison Park, making it the first major stadium in the country to become a permanent home for a professional women's team. This shift follows a thorough feasibility review conducted by The Friedkin Group (TFG), the club’s new owners, who took over in December.

Originally, Everton had planned to transform the 3.39-hectare Goodison site into a mixed-use community project. This legacy initiative featured an ambitious blueprint that included affordable housing, a medical hub, educational and enterprise centres, office space, and residential developments, alongside a park area for local residents.

However, following the club’s change in ownership, the legacy concept has been revised. Instead of a full redevelopment, Goodison Park will now be partially reconfigured to serve as a high-quality, purpose-built venue for Everton Women. The capacity will be scaled down from the current 39,500 seats to better suit Women's Super League (WSL) matchday atmospheres.

Angus Kinnear, CEO of Everton, said: “We know how treasured Goodison is, not only to every Evertonian, but to the game itself, and being able to keep such an iconic stadium at the heart of the legacy project is something that has been incredibly important to us. From next season, we are proud to say our women will have an unrivalled permanent home in the WSL – another statement of intent as we look to build the foundations that will help us challenge for trophies.

“The women’s game has grown significantly in recent years, and we believe that growth will continue and accelerate. We’re under no illusions; there are obstacles we need to overcome to make this a success both practically and economically, but we’re confident that we will overcome those challenges. The value of investing in the women’s game has been demonstrated by our ownership group at AS Roma, with impressive results on the pitch. We believe Everton Women can emulate that success and go even further, with one of the most revered grounds in the history of the game as their permanent home.”

Everton confirmed that the internal transformation will begin in the off-season. One of the key elements will be a strategic seating realignment aimed at creating a more intimate matchday experience. This will likely involve closing upper sections of the Main Stand, as well as areas within the Gwladys Street and Bullens Road stands. The fate of the Park End has yet to be determined.

Other significant upgrades are planned for facilities throughout the ground. The dressing rooms, fan concourses, hospitality suites, and fan engagement zones will undergo comprehensive renovations. Aside from WSL matches, Goodison Park will also host select fixtures for the club’s Academy teams and expand the reach of Everton in the Community’s initiatives within the L4 district. This includes additional programming and facilities dedicated to the growth of girls’ and women’s football at grassroots and elite levels.

The men’s team will bid an emotional farewell to Goodison Park on May 18, when they play their final home match against Southampton. They will move into their £800 million new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock for the start of the 2025-26 season. That facility, which can seat 52,888 fans, is owned by Liverpool City Council and leased by Everton. Any future enhancements must be approved in partnership with the council.