Work on Bramley-Moore Dock is not slowing down. In recent weeks, the stadium has gained more facade elements, and new seats have been installed in the stands. At the same time, the water connection between the docks is being restored, and Everton has formed a new partnership while focusing on securing a sponsor for the stadium by the River Mersey.

Metal, bricks and thousands of cubic meters of sand

The facade of Everton Stadium is patchy and consists of a brick facade at the bottom and barrel-shaped panels at the top. Both elements have been added in recent weeks. Metal panels have already almost completely covered the East Stand side of the stadium (from the waterfront), and the west side is also being installed, albeit at a slower pace.

The last brick panels are being installed at the West Plaza steps on the river side, where work is also underway to restore the water connection between Nelson Dock and Sandon Half-Tide Dock. That connection was lost when Bramley-Moore Dock was backfilled with 450,000 m³ of sand. Now a part of the sand will be removed to create a channel between the docks.

Work on the roof is nearing completion; the support rails and support frame are ready, and the photovoltaic panels will soon be installed. Also, some equipment has disappeared from the pitch, and the grass planting process, which we described in a previous update from the blue part of Liverpool, will begin in the next few weeks.

© Mister Drone UK

Seats for club, bar for fans

In recent days almost all the chairs in the stands of the planned 52,888 seats have been installed. Comfortable seats for the substitutes as well as for the manager and his staff have also been installed, and new media seats have been added to the West Stand.

On the upper tier of the South Stand, the first works has begun on the bar, which will offer fans food and drink during matches, as well as views of the city and river thanks to a glass facade. In the stands, vinyl panels are being laid on the floors and new restrooms are being built.

The first stadium tours

In June, the nascent stadium was visited twice by former players of the club. First by Kevin Sheedy and Leon Osman, and less than two weeks later by Alan Stubbs. Osman pointed to the attention to details which according to him characterize the stadium, while Sheedy compared the facility to Goodison Park.

Goodison has such good memories, but you have to move on and you look at the facilities here, it can only be for the better - Sheedy concluded. Stubbs was surprised by the short distance of the stands from the pitch, and looking at the Toffees' new locker room, he longed to play for Everton. I’m probably 20 years too late for this - joked the former Everton captain.

© Mister Drone UK

Search for a sponsor

The club's administration is currently focusing on the search for a naming rights sponsor for Everton Stadium. According to the Liverpool Echo, the search is intense, and Keith Wyness, the club's former chief executive, quoted by the newspaper, believes the sponsor will be announced in August. According to him, a top agency is handling the search. Finding a sponsor may be difficult, however, because Manchester United has similar plans for Old Trafford.

Instead, Everton has already signed a deal with HPE Aruba Networking, a company specializing in network technology. As part of the deal, the company will ensure the operation of Wi-Fi networks at The Toffees' stadium.

Everton's stadium is expected to be ready for use this December, but the club will not move by the River Mersey until the 2025/26 season, to be able to bid a fond farewell to Goodison Park, home of the Toffees since 1892. The last game at Goodison will be played on May 18, 2025 against Southampton in the penultimate round of the Premier League.