Everton has announced today (Tuesday) that Goodison Park will become the new permanent home of its Women’s Super League club from the start of the 2025-26 season.
On Sunday, Everton’s men’s team will play its last ever match at Goodison Park ahead of the club’s move to a new 52,888-capacity stadium on Bramley Moore Dock.
Reports emerged recently that Everton was weighing up the possibility of retaining Goodison Park as the new home of its women’s team. The stadium has hosted the men’s team since 1892 and it will now undergo renovation work to adapt for Everton Women.
The Friedkin Group (TFG), which completed its takeover of Everton in December, has carried out an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project, which was launched in 2020 to define the future of the historic stadium. TFG is keen to create a women’s team that is capable of challenging for honours, with high-quality facilities key to this vision.
Everton Women currently plays at Walton Hall Park, but the stadium only has a capacity of 2,000, with just 500 seats. It will soon be too small for WSL requirements.
Phase one of the team’s transition to Goodison Park will include stadium upgrades to enhance the matchday experience and ensure adequate facilities are in place before the start of next season. Everton said the relocation will generate economic opportunities for local businesses through matchday footfall.
Everton on Thursday released a conceptual rendering showcasing how Goodison Park might look when hosting the club’s women’s team.
Goodison Park will also stage selected academy matches and expand Everton in the Community’s L4 campus. Walton Park Hall will continue to serve grassroots, community and development programmes for women’s and girls’ football.
Angus Kinnear, Everton chief executive, said: “We know how treasured Goodison is, not only to every Evertonian, but to the game itself, and being able to keep such an iconic stadium at the heart of the legacy project is something that has been incredibly important to us. From next season, we are proud to say our women will have an unrivalled permanent home in the WSL – another statement of intent as we look to build the foundations that will help us challenge for trophies.
“The women’s game has grown significantly in recent years, and we believe that growth will continue and accelerate. We’re under no illusions; there are obstacles we need to overcome to make this a success both practically and economically, but we’re confident that we will overcome those challenges.
“The value of investing in the women’s game has been demonstrated by our ownership group at AS Roma, with impressive results on the pitch. We believe Everton Women can emulate that success and go even further, with one of the most revered grounds in the history of the game as their permanent home.”
Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women’s Super League Football, added: “This is a defining moment for Everton Women in a move that will play a key role in the continued progress of women’s football in England. Establishing Goodison Park as a purpose-driven home for the women’s team sends a powerful signal – not just about ambition, but about belief. Belief in the players, the fans, and in what the women’s game can become when given the stage it deserves.”
The final men’s game at Goodison Park will see Everton take on Southampton on Sunday afternoon. Last week, Everton announced that fans will be given the chance to purchase seats from the stadium as a souvenir.
Everton’s new stadium has staged two test events, with a third scheduled before it officially opens at the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season. The stadium will be a host venue during UEFA Euro 2028 and will also host a match during the returning Rugby League Ashes series later this year.
