After three and a half years of intensive construction work, Laing O'Rourke has officially handed over Everton FC's new stadium to the club. The ceremony marks a milestone for all those who have eagerly awaited the completion of the development.

Ceremonial moment of stadium handover

Present at the ceremony to mark the completion of the main detailed works, were key project representatives Gareth Jacques, project director Laing O'Rourke, Marc Watts, Everton's executive chairman, and Colin Chong, the club's interim chief executive. However, the handover of the stadium does not mean all the work is complete - for the next six months Everton will oversee the final stages of finishing Everton Stadium, in order to prepare the venue for its first game, scheduled for the start of the 2025/26 season.

Project director Gareth Jacques made no secret of his pride, highlighting the unique nature of the project: This is a momentous day for my team, for Laing O’Rourke, for our supply chain, all the design consultants and everyone involved with the project. We’ve spent 178 weeks on site, and a year-and-half before that in pre-construction and planning. All those people, everyone from Everton and all the fans who have been ardently watching the progress have all been a big part of this, so to deliver it, as we have, on time, is phenomenal. The team has taken an old disused dock and created what is, I believe, the best stadium in this country, so I couldn’t be prouder.

© Everton FC

Difficulties and challenges during construction

The construction of the stadium has not been without its obstacles. Although the completion schedule remained on schedule, the project encountered difficulties due to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. These external factors increased the cost of the investment - originally estimated at £500 million - to £550 million. The increase was mainly due to sharp rises in the price of building materials.

Colin Chong, Everton's interim CEO, expressed his gratitude to everyone involved: Construction has not been without its challenges, but we have remained on schedule despite a worldwide pandemic and a war in Ukraine, which threatened to affect the delivery of materials and destabilised financial markets.

Everton's new 53,000-capacity stadium is expected to strengthen the club's position, but also provide a boost to the regeneration of the nearby Ten Streets area. The development will bring new economic development opportunities to the local community and the stadium will become a symbol of the city's rebirth.

Although the main works have been completed, Laing O'Rourke will still be present on site to monitor the quality and compliance of the facility with the design brief. Already in the summer, the roof was ready and the seeding of the pitch had begun, and in recent weeks we have learned about the search for a new title sponsor for the stadium or the amount of tickets at Everton Stadium.

© Everton FC