Goodison Park is very, very old — there’s no two ways about it.
[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s PL coverage ]
Everton’s longtime home ground opened in 1892, making it the fourth-oldest stadium in the Premier League this season. (Only Stamford Bridge, Turf Moor and Anfield opened prior to Goodison Park.) As such, Farhad Moshiri, Everton’s new majority shareholder, has made a new stadium a top priority as he attempts to increase Everton’s financial foothold and take the club to the next level.
According to exclusive photos made public by the Liverpool Echo, Moshiri, alongside Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson and a number of high-ranking club executives, spent time visiting prospective sites — along the banks of the River Mersey — upon which they may one day build a brand new stadium.
[ MORE: Prince-Wright’s PL picks | TV, stream info ]
American architect Dan Meis was also said to be among the traveling party. Meis has reportedly been counseling the Toffees as they navigate the complicated stadium-building process.
With a capacity of just under 40,000 — and without the allure of living in London — it’s hard to imagine Everton achieving much more than they’ve done over the last decade, having established themselves a top-half Premier League side, but ultimately failing to break into the elite group of mega-clubs at the top of the table. With the increased revenue of a 50,000- or 60,000-seat stadium, on par with the recent expansion at Anfield, the gap could close that much further.