Everton's New Bramley-Moore Dock Ground Appears to Be on Course for 2024

Construction work on Everton's new Bramley-Moore Dock home continues at pace, with the signs being that the stadium will be ready at some point next year - the Toffees are expected to begin playing games there in time for, or during, the 2024/25 season.

That will bring the curtain down on Goodison Park, one of the oldest and most storied grounds in English football, which opened its doors for the first time in 1892.

The Everton Way

But what division will Everton be in? They will be desperate not to herald in their new era in the Championship, although some improved form from Sean Dyche's men of late has seen their Premier League status become more certain.

Their sports betting odds for EPL relegation have been eased out to 10/3, with Sheffield United (1/12) and Luton (1/8) now long odds-on to face the dreaded drop and Burnley (11/10) considered the most likely to join them.

All of this could mean that the Toffees unveil their 53,000-seat new home in the Premier League, which will not only improve attendance but also provide some much-needed funds for the club's impoverished coffers.

It's been a big day on site today...pic.twitter.com/KnPRmqRboo
— Everton Stadium (@EvertonStadium) October 20, 2023

The framework is now very much in place for the modern structure, which sits on the banks of the River Mersey in Vauxhall. The colossal stands are taking shape, while the first turnstiles have also been installed - a nod to suggest that the project is on time for delivery.

To help commemorate the unveiling of the new stadium, the club's fans have been purchasing a slice of history on the Everton Way - a walkway made up of stones engraved with personalised messages.

Big Occasions

Aside from domestic action, one of the first major engagements for the Bramley-Moore Dock site will be a truly international affair.

The grounds that will be used to host Euro 2028 matches have been revealed, with Everton's new home controversially selected ahead of Anfield as Merseyside's representative.

The reason? Bureaucratic red tape.

Although it has hosted international games before, a new directive from UEFA means that the pitch dimensions at Anfield are now considered to be too small to host big tournament matches such as the Euros, World Cup, or a continental European final.

Four metres might not sound like too great a distance between friends, but the compactness of Anfield - particularly at its ends - means that the playing surface at Anfield measures 101m long as opposed to the 105m that is now UEFA's minimum requirement.

CONFIRMED: #EURO2028 will take place in the UK and Republic of Ireland!

Proposed venues include Belfast, Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, London (x2) Manchester and Newcastle.

Congratulations to our confirmed hosts! pic.twitter.com/elnLbjWgam
— UEFA (@UEFA) October 10, 2023

For that reason, Everton's new home will join the Etihad Stadium, St James's Park, Villa Park, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and Wembley on the hosts' list for Euro 2028, alongside the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Glasgow's Hampden Park and a soon-to-be redeveloped Casement Park in Belfast.

That's assuming that the Bramley-Moore Dock stadium is ready in time - if it's delayed beyond 2028, something truly awful has gone wrong!