Following the club’s second test event at its new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, Everton supporters have unanimously expressed the same grievance. In preparation for their relocation, the Toffees have begun hosting youth games in the 52,000-seat stadium, giving fans a preview of what the future may bring when Premier League activity moves to the new venue. The team is expected to make the stadium their home for the upcoming season.
In a friendly match against Bolton Wanderers’ B squad on Sunday, which drew 25,000 spectators, the club’s Under-21s won 1-0. However, one significant issue that needs to be resolved before the stadium’s official unveiling next season left people who travelled to the £800 million stadium feeling let down.
Everton Fans Left Stranded While Leaving New Stadium
Fans have called the situation ‘inadequate’
This was what it was like for 25,000 Everton fans getting out of the new stadium yesterday after their test match yesterday.
If this is what it’s like with 25k fans, it’s going to be absolute chaos when it’s a it’s 52k capacity… 😨pic.twitter.com/vNYqmlfSd7
— Football Away Days (@FBAwayDays) March 24, 2025
According to the video above, spectators attempting to exit the stadium were stranded in a long queue because they were told they had to wait by the Bascule bridge near the stadium since it was apparently unable to support the weight of all the fans crossing it at once.
Supporters had to wait patiently as they were escorted through the crowd gradually to ensure their safety, according to a Mirror article. Those who attended the game shared pictures of the crowd on social media. Additionally, some people complained that they had to wait for hours to enter Sandhills rail station, which serves stadium patrons. This criticism was also expressed during the first test match, in which Wigan Athletic defeated the Under-18 team.
Transport officials praised the event as a success in spite of the worries, telling the BBC that “99% of people had fairly decent experiences.” Although Tony Scott, host of the All Together Now Everton fan podcast, attended the test event and stated that he thought Merseyrail should have added more services earlier in the day to prevent delays, Merseyrail asserted that 12,000 fans passed through Sandhills station without any safety incidents being reported:
“It is an accident in the making. You’re afraid for your safety because everyone was forced into a tunnel of some sort. After leaving the Sandhills platform, everything is good, however leaving that platform is quite risky.
It is not a good picture for the Toffees, and supporters have expressed their disapproval of the situation, given that the stadium’s maximum capacity is expected to be more than twice as many as the number of spectators who attended the test game over the weekend.
One user posted on social media: “I think this needs to be sorted out. The bridge cannot support much more weight, so you have to pause every few steps. At maximum capacity, this will be anarchy. One said, “It’s insufficient,” while another said, “They had four years to sort it out.” I live here, and it’s already awful when plenty of people choose to attend the races in Southport and Aintree on a nice day. Considering that it’s a dry day, people won’t want to wait on a train on a conveyor belt till winter arrives.
The stadium is expected to be one of those chosen to host the 2028 European Championships, therefore if the issue isn’t resolved, the club may face severe repercussions. Following the first test event, there were more complaints that the fanzone was unsuitable, with many people being taken aback by the sheer quantity of portaloos encircling the stadium.
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