The test event at Everton Stadium exposed major organizational issues. Chaos at Sandhills station, parking restrictions, and concerns over matchday transport—can the city and club find a solution before the full-capacity opening?

“It’s dangerous!”

The biggest issues, however, arose right after the youth team match between Everton and Wigan Athletic. Tony Scott, host of the All Together Now Everton podcast, was among the fans at Sandhills station. He recalls, I waited outside for over 40 minutes, packed like cattle in the so-called ‘fan zone,’ before reaching the platform, tightly squeezed with my son. Scott posted on X, criticizing the transport organization: It’s dangerous! Shocking decision to have trains every 30 minutes with only four carriages! There were 10,000 fans today—how will they cope with more than 50,000?! Terrible!

In this first test event, Everton Stadium’s audience limit was set at 10,000 spectators. Eventually, the stadium will hold 53,000, and another test event planned for the end of March will accommodate around 25,000 fans.

© Everton Stadium

Everton responds to fan criticism

The following day, the Everton Fans' Forum issued an open letter to the Mayor of Liverpool Metro, Steve Rotheram, calling Sandhills station dangerously overcrowded. Fans urged quick action to improve the situation. In response, the club invited representatives from all concerned parties—including Rotheram, city authorities, transport providers, and fan groups—to a meeting at the club’s headquarters in the Royal Liver Building on Friday.

Sandhills station, located less than a mile from the new stadium, is expected to be the main access point for fans traveling by train. Everton allocated over £1 million to improve its infrastructure as part of the original planning agreement. Decisions regarding how these funds are used were left to the transport authorities. A spokesperson for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority emphasized: The aim of these test events is to identify and eliminate problems to ensure smooth and safe matchdays and major events. The layout of the queue at Sandhills is modeled on solutions used during the Grand National at Aintree.

Rotheram has announced plans for further improvements at Sandhills station, including the construction of a new bridge, ramps, platforms, and the creation of a more attractive fan zone with toilets, food stands, and digital screens.

© Everton Stadium

City authorities explore alternative solutions

The idea of building a new railway station near the stadium was dismissed due to financial constraints. Carl Cashman, leader of the local Liberal Democrats, proposed an alternative solution involving a tram network, but this was also considered too expensive. Authorities are now exploring the possibility of introducing trackless trams that would run between Liverpool city center, the Everton and Liverpool stadiums, and John Lennon Airport. This system is expected to be operational by 2028 at the latest. In the short term, the Everton Fans’ Forum is calling for more frequent train services and longer trains with up to eight carriages.

Parking dispute

An additional issue has been the new Experimental Parking Zone introduced by Liverpool City Council on the day of the first test match. These restrictions prevent most fans from parking near the stadium, and about 3,000 nearby businesses must apply for special permits. Business owners, grouped under Blackstock Market, have called for an immediate repeal of these regulations: A year-round zone paralyzes our businesses, threatens jobs, and harms the local economy. We demand that restrictions apply only on matchdays. However, Liverpool authorities emphasize that the regulations are temporary and may be adjusted based on the needs of residents and businesses.