Johnny Phillips: A glimpse into the future at Everton

Swansea’s old ground was full of character, but the move to the Liberty Stadium tied in perfectly with the club’s progression from the bottom division all the way up to the top.

More recently I was at Upton Park during West Ham’s final season at their old home for a win over Spurs that produced one of the best atmospheres I can recall.

The move to the Olympic Stadium was troubled at first, with fans taking a long time to find any affection for it.

Gradually that has changed as memories have been created, including some fantastic days in Europe in recent seasons.

All this came to mind on Thursday when I had a sneak preview of another new stadium taking shape that will herald the end of one of the most traditional grounds in the country.

Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite agreed to meet up for a chat in what will be the directors’ box at the Toffees’ new Bramley Moore stadium for a feature you can catch on Sky Sports today.

The impressive structure is taking shape and promises to be one of the most eye-catching additions to the new ground list.

Rising from a disused dock, which had to be drained of water and then filled back up to provide solid foundations, the waterfront stadium has changed Liverpool’s northern skyline dramatically.

On the banks of the Mersey, the stadium’s concourses offer incredible views back to the city centre in the south, up past the working docks of the north and across to the Wirral and North Wales in the west.

It was a beautifully crisp winter’s day for our filming, which showed off the stadium in its best light with a clear blue sky and low sun shining on some of the 7,500 seats that have already been installed in the structure.

A flag stood proudly in the middle of what will be the pitch, marking the centre spot.

Site workers went about their tasks, some on sky high cherry pickers attaching fittings to the giant stadium screen where 1250 LED panels are slotted together, others helping cranes lower in blocks of concrete that will form the seating.

To the untrained eye – namely mine – the tasks looked too enormous to comprehend.

Where do you begin to work out how to do everything in the correct order?

How can you ensure no job or detail is missed?

How is every bit of equipment and stock accounted for?

When complete, Everton’s new stadium will be one of the most sensational venues in the country.

But it will mark the end of Goodison Park, for so many years one of the most atmospheric grounds in the Premier League.

Despite it being unfit for purpose in 2023, Blues fans have an almost unbreakable bond with the old place.

For many, this dates back to the period of sustained success under Howard Kendall in the 1980s when Everton lifted two league titles, an FA Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup.

The night they saw off Bayern Munich is still talked about to this day as the greatest game under the Goodison Park lights, but there are many more that have gone into folklore.

With its stands tightly knitted together so close to the pitch, and plenty of wooden seating amid the many cast iron pillars that restrict the odd view here and there, Goodison Park is a throwback to a different era.

I love working there or visiting as an away fan – it has incredible character, packed as it is among the many rows of terraced houses which flank three sides of the ground.

There is no doubt Goodison Park will be sorely missed when the time comes to say goodbye.

Nobody quite knows when that will be. The new stadium is scheduled for completion at the end of 2024, but the club is not putting a timescale on moving into the venue.

It is most likely that football will begin for the 2025/26 season, although which division Everton will occupy by then is another matter.

The supporters’ resolve is being sorely tested at the moment with the controversial points deduction and an appeal was launched by the club yesterday.

I hope when the turnstiles do open to fans, it will be Premier League football they are watching at such a magnificent waterside arena.