Reinventing Hospitality

She is looking stunning.

I noted they announced that beer pipes had been fitted.

Talk about priorities!!

I live in Canada, two major stadium builds, one forgot to install the pipes so no draft beer. The other forgot to insulate them and given it reaches –20C to +35C, it doesn't work so well.

Maybe starting to get things in order…

Just recently moved back from the USA. Can anyone tell me what the odds are on getting season tickets for the new ground?

a) Where I am on the list?

b) Will that get me one in the new stadium?

These questions might be unimportant from the lofty perspective of the PR spinmeisters, but not from my vantage point.

In answer to Dean (6), not a scooby….

I've visited the Tottenham stadium on several occasions. Mostly to watch Everton, but I did work for a company who had business with them and got a similar tour after our meeting on the roof top lawn of their offices before they showed us around two weeks before they were opening with a trial match with the U21s in front of 20,000.

We are obviously adopting a similar approach.

It's the way forward to generate revenue.

But can we bring the Winslow, the Brick and most importantly, the Goodison Supper Bar along?

And I keep repeating myself as I do a lot, but what are we doing with the statues? Take them with us or leave them? I am genuinely torn.

And get one at the new stadium for the 80s side with Sheedy in the middle.

I get very upset about the thought of leaving Goodison. I'm dreading that final day as it gets closer. But Bramley Moore Dock is going to be special.

Meanwhile, Manchester City next.

813th on the waiting list.

The offering includes free booze, a meal from one of the food options and a padded seat with a halfway line view. But, the cheapest option still available is around £3,000 – and they want people signing up now to commit to 3 years.

If I lived a short public transport distance away, I'd be tempted, but since I'm an hour or so's drive away, and public transport isn't a reliable or practical option, it doesn't stack up for me. I might be tempted for a one off experience though, if we ever get an interesting cup game again.

How do you find out where you are on the list?

At present, my seat is in the Upper Bullens but I am reading that seats on the side of the new stadium will be at prime rates.

Where are the real pics?

This is a revamped 1970s Labour club – what's going on?

I might have a go at that!

I forgot to mention another place. Not one I frequent, but my middle brother was a regular when he used to attend. The Taxi Club. He still has a season ticket but has transferred to one of our cousin's friends.

So many places and memories.

It's going to be tough.

Thanks but no thanks, we've already sorted our pint out after the games at BMD. Wetherspoons in James Street.

I've never drank in the ground or neither have my brothers and mates anyway.

I fear once we get there, season tickets prices and the price of a pie and a pint will be astronomical. They'll try and claw the money back somehow.

You can't have a brand spanking new state-of-the-art stadium and expect Goodison prices.

Financial realities.

I was just looking at prices. Everton's most expensive for next season is £720, Liverpool's cheapest is £699. Those are both for adults under 65.

Obviously Liverpool can charge more as their team is good while we need to charge more to pay for our stadium. But putting aside stadium costs, if you were a prospective fan looking for a crap team that used to be good to support other than Everton, Wolves tickets run £525 / £833 and like Everton they're based in a low-income area.

So out £550 or £720 has room for upward movement as it is without taking into account necessity.

They're gonna jump like a high jumping jumpy thing, believe me. 😱

Ray, enjoy your concession (as do I) because there's not likely to be any at BMD.

Prices for next season were sent out recently. Old codgers are £410 wherever.

Does this mean when the average fan arrives in the equivalent of the Lower Gwladys Street, there'll be the same facilities that we have now? I was so enthusiastic when they did all them surveys and I said I'd like airport style bars etc. Little did I know that ALL that will be for exclusive customers.

It's a bit disappointing to see ALL this in the new stadium and realise you have to fork out £3000 or something along those lines.

Yes £410. I added the £50 increase twice… fuck that, if I start losing it with money, that'll be the end of me!!

It says 30 percent are reserved on a first come basis per match. But I assume you pay a surcharge? You don't have to get the £3,000 ticket to go unless you want it every time.

But aren't there supposed to be other pubs and restaurants around the facility in addition to these club members type things inside?

I expected a band of hospitality seats to go around the ground like at Wembley. . . . I did not expect all seats within the two 18-yard boxes to be available to prawn sandwich brigade fans only. What a great atmosphere they will generate... not!

Yet again, Everton rewards its loyal fans with a kick in the teeth.

I could do with it mate. £50 is a lot of money.

With that £500 I could pay off some debts. 😇

Regarding food and refreshments for the rank and file, I hope the club don't get greedy. If they keep prices competitive and due to limited transport links, it will encourage fans to head straight to the stadium before kick-off, and stay on after full time.

I've been on the waiting list for 7 years or so, I emailed Paul Colgate and got redirected to fanservices@evertonfc.com … still waiting a reply.

At first I got the £3,000 index-linked for 3 years sales speil but that's above my pension limits as I was looking to buy 4 STs for family, 3 of whom don't qualify for any age concessions.

Nobody is going to be paying £3k for a season ticket, unless, of course, they are buying one for the corporate facilities which this thread is all about.

I made enquiries a few months back for the facilities which I think will be located in the west stand, and was informed that the prices start from £2.5k upto £3.95k. This includes drinks, pre-match and at half-time, traditional pub grub, plus a padded seat, located right on, or just either side of the halfway line on the upper tier. The bars will all remain open after the final whistle but you will then have to pay.

As some have said, you have to agree to a minimum 3 years, but you can pay monthly instalments for your ticket. At £3k divided by 12 months is £250 per month. Sounds a lot, but it's usually at least two home games per month, so £125 per game… doesn't sound so bad when you consider what you're getting. Unfortunately there will be no concessions for over-65s.

What happens though, if after 3 years you decide you can't really afford another ticket in there, or just want to move to a different seat? Will there be any available, and if not, do you join the waiting list? After careful consideration I decided against buying one, not because I can't afford it, but the lads I go the home games with weren't keen on the idea.

Brian (32), And you can “Do one” as well, trying to kid a poor befuddled very old pensioner.

I remember you lending Dave £5,000 at one of the first get togethers. Has he paid you back yet?

You know very well Brian gave me that money when I told him I was going through a very hard time and it was only £2,500 — bleedin' brass hinge, that Brian.

"After careful consideration I decided against buying one [higher priced seat with hospitality etc], not because I can't afford it, but the lads I go the home games with weren't keen on the idea".

Rob, I heard a whisper the lads are secretly having a whip-round to get you a seat where you'll be well away from them!

Thanks for the info, but the point I was making is that our seats are right above the halfway line in the top balcony and looking at the stadium layout, these (and thousands of other seats in between the penalty boxes) will be hospitality seats at BMD.

So if we want equivalent seats, we have to stump £2.5k - £3.95k.

Who knows where existing season ticket holders who currently have equivalent seats will be offered seats if they can't afford hospitality seats? Will it be on a take it or leave it basis?

If I wanted to go to one match – I live far away – how much is the average price of a ticket going to be?

There was a survey from club a few weeks ago, asking fans for their three options as to where they would like a season ticket? Also, as to who should get first preference when picking their seats?

I don't think the results of that survey have been published yet, but they'd better get a move on in publishing not only season ticket prices, but also giving well over 40k people the opportunity to view then pick their preferred seat.

I'm not sure if you were implying this but, when I returned to Liverpool and got my season ticket, they said I could go to Goodison Park to see some available seats.

I would imagine that, at the new stadium, they won't allow that and will only allow people to view seats in a virtual reality.

Would we all be given a time as to when we could take a virtual look, and how long would we be given? I personally can't see that being the way to go about it, but who knows?

As Roy Keane said some years back, some of their supporters he referred to as the prawn sandwich brigade, and when you prioritise corporate customers over real fans, that's what happens.

But let's remember... we are not one of the "Big 6", we are not in the Premier League clique, so the prawn sarnie brigade will not be as prevalent as other grounds.

Our support is not as world wide as others and we are definitely not a tourist club.

Once the "newness" has worn off, I see tickets being available for the non-season ticket holders but at what price?

I don't want to change our heritage or forget our history. Too many memories for that. But we have to look to the future and this is it. We have to change to compete.

Many have long bemoaned our scant amount of executive boxes and facilities. Several lounges, but we've fallen way behind other clubs. This will address that gap for those who can afford it and maybe attract and expand our support base.

Opportunities to host concerts, boxing, maybe even NFL? And listed as a host stadium for Euro 2028

The rest of us will still be in the stands as usual.

I keep coming up with random thoughts. As well as those plush surroundings, I wonder for nostalgic reasons, the club would consider a couple of old-fashioned Gwladys Street / Bullens Road style bars in serving sausage rolls and warm lager and still allow me to not get served at half time!

On a serious note, is it time to allow supporters to take drinks back to their seats? It happens in Germany.

Not that most of us would throw away a cold drink that we've paid for, but for those who chose to do so, would that be as harmful as throwing a scolding hot cup of coffee? Treat fans as adults and with respect.

I am in the Upper Bullens too and I am guessing that we will be paying around £950 for a regular priced season ticket at BMD.

It's recently gone up to £720 for next season, it's only a guess but I think it will be in the £800s for the last season at GP and then increase to the £900s for the first season at BMD.

Hopefully for you there will be concessions and for me too in the 2nd season at BMD when I hopefully reach that age!

Even at half the price it's too much, the players, managers and the odd owner or two are the only ones who benefit financially out of this sport.

When your wage bill is 95% of your revenue it's almost stolen money.

If I was a player, I would be very happy though and I don't deny that.

I've left that to the family who will attend.

Me, ideally I would rather be in the Everton corner, but if necessary I would sit with the United supporters as I did last season.

I think there is an element of me not being trusted to behave!

Your equivalent seat in BMD, should you be lucky enough to get it, will set you back about £1,100.

At present, there are two sides of Goodison Park for those who want to sit in the middle third, pitchwise. In the new stadium, there will only be one side available, unless you wanna pay £3k of course, so there may be more bums than there are seats available in that prime middle third.

I was looking at it from a perspective of where our seats are now (above the dugouts) and where they are going to be at BMD. The seats on the dugout side of the ground are hospitality only.

I assume it means that Upper Bullens, Main Stand and Top Balcony folk will all be fighting over "roughly" the same tickets. . . .

I was hoping that the extra capacity seats for hospitality folk would be allocated as a band of say 10 rows that would go right around the stadium halfway up the tiers. I expected the new ultra expensive hospitality seats to be in a similar area as they are at Goodison behind the dugouts and perhaps extend back a bit to reach the cheaper hospitality seats. I was wrong.

There will be lots of unhappy people.

I guess we always have our favourite spots.

As a youngster when I had a season ticket, it used to be in the middle of the Gwladys Street right behind the goal just above the ledge. No seats then, you just had to get in early to grab your spot as a then relatively small teenager, get crushed in the sway of the crowd and miss half of the match as grown men barged their way past to stand in front of me and my mates. Happy days!!

As I got older, it's the Upper Bullens for me or if I get a decent seat, which I have at the last two matches I've been to, Upper Gwladys. I also like the Main Stand.

I like to be higher up these days to watch and study the football.

But in honesty I don't mind where I am as long as I am in the ground home or away.

And at away matches lately, it doesn't matter what seat you have. Everyone stands up for the entire game anyway!!

Talking of which, does anyone know of any proposed plans on so called safe standing?

Just went on official website and it said the game is sold out. I'm a bit worried I won't be able to go. Some advice pleeeeease1

I assume it means that Upper Bullens, Main Stand and Top Balcony folk will all be fighting over "roughly" the same tickets.. . .

You've hit the nail right on the head mate!

Sorry I didn't realize you meant keeping the same seat with regard to the tunnel and dugout etc, thought it was just in relation to the halfway line, which, incidentally,is where I am in the TB. But we won't fight over it.

Just went on official website and it said the game is sold out. I'm a bit worried I won't be able to go. Some advice pleeeeease!

Rather than a Glastonbury style online ticket stampede.

Make sure you join the proper group (the one with 12.3k members) and you should get tickets from there

I believe that's exactly what the club will do. I think there's to be three or four groups of choice depending, as you mentioned, length of time being a ST holder.

Going in groups from longest "serving" to most recent.

Does it count if you bring their ashes?

I expect the biggest increases at the new stadium will be the concessions especially for the younger groups. I am not sure what my last full price ST cost but I think it was still more than the £410 I will be paying next season, which is roughly 130 times the price of my first.

It's a different operating model.

Let's use me. Pay for a ticket. Maybe get a drink at half time if I'm lucky.

Maximum spend to Everton is about £55-60 per match.

This is a different operating model to generate more revenue.

I have faith in Everton to respect their tradional fan base just as Tottenham have done.

But capitalise on the opportunities the new Everton stadium will provide.

1) Anyone who had had a season ticket for over 21 years.
2) All those who attended all away games.
3) A first come first served basis.

If there was a fourth, then it may have been simply a season ticket holder, irrespective of how long it had been held.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants Old Trafford to become the 'Wembley of the North' in bold £2billion project funded in part by Government money to rebuild Manchester United's decaying home

So £250 per month and 2 games a month = £125. But what about June and July when you are paying £500 to watch the grass be re-seeded.

3000/19 = £157 per match. Extra for cup games?

How about variable pricing on the beer. £4 a pint, 90 mins before KO; £8 a pint 15 mins before KO and £6 a pint in the middle. Same for the food if you don't want too many drunks in the stands.

Think the WHU tickets are not on general sale yet and that is why they are shown as sold out. Same happens with things like booking.com if the hotel hasn't put up availability yet.

And I still remember – Main Stand, in line with the goal line at the park end, 1967-68 and £14 for 21 games.

The new stadium is part of the neoliberal, late capitalist racket where cynical 'stakeholders' and shareholders, depending on club structure, inflate a price and then build layers of pseudo-luxury around the 'product' in order to justify the greed and hyper inflation.

The new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is a classic case – it will not benefit EFC, we are abandoning our roots and history all for some perceived notion of 'competing' and 'adjusting to the times'. Utter bollocks.

How can anyone look at these pictures, and read this marketing crap and not think 'This is not my club'? Goodison could have been spruced up, another 10,000 seats fitted in, but there is not enough money to be made in that.

Everton do not start to make money until they start to win games. That is the basic, complex point which will not be fixed by a new ground. The new stadium guarantees absolutely nothing, other than a debt-laden club, and a synthetic, phoney, processed version of being an Evertonian. Meaning derives from experience and history, not a good view and a £20 burger.

Clearly at the age of 59, I have become an old fart, out of sync with modern values. It just upsets me to see this great club naively walking into the arms of modern day, hard-nosed, callous modern capitalist practice.

If you scroll down far enough, it shows a view of the relevant stand with the area covered by the hospitality seats shown in a different colour.

I have had a season ticket for over 50 years, and my 2 sons have had tickets for at least 15 years. But my grandson who is 14 got a season ticket next to me in the Upper Bullens when he was 7.

So for me to sit next to him at BMD, my 50 years as a season ticket holder won’t count – only his 7 years as a season ticket holder will count for both of us.

I can see where my only option is to sit with him behind the goal, where fans are up and down all through the game, and I wouldn't enjoy that if it!s my only choice.

Has anyone heard about the executive boxes going on sale? Not that I can afford one!!

But the best news for all of us: no restricted reviews, pillars and craning your neck.

I've always been intrigued by the patronising attitude of Premier League clubs and many of their supporters to clubs and fans from lower divisions; as though, somehow, supporting a team that wins the Champions League has been earned. If you want vicarious glory, just go somewhere different on a Saturday.

I support Everton because of the history of the club, because of the memories I have of it and, most of all, because of the people I share the experience with. I want us to win every game — ,and that will be the same whoever we play at whatever level.

This was in a reply I received from Sir Philip Carter. Date: 14 June 1999.

If we want to be in the Football League, then yes let's make it a ground without all the corporate stuff.

2. I understand he hated that nickname. Has the club no compassion? If you need to use the nickname, at least honour the great man with "The William Ralph "Dixie" Dean Sports Bar" - or even call it the Dublin Packet Sports Bar, in honour of the pub in Chester he used to manage.

I have a season ticket and have a round journey of some 400 miles to every home game. I sit in the Upper Bullens and, by the sound of it, if I want to have a similar seat in BMD the cost will quadruple.

Oh, but I'll get food (that I don't want), drinks (that I'd rather get in a pub outside the ground), and a padded fucking seat.

Fuck this club.

Fuck this club, made me smile, Michael. Fantastic loyalty doesn't mean much unfortunately, so it will be very interesting to see if Everton will be able to regularly sell every seat.

Maybe they never made the stadium too small after all?

There's nae mention of Bagpipes though! :-)

He must have been present at your birth, so surely that will count in Dave's eyes!!

I think Joe Mercer at Goodison costs circa £2,200 (without food / drink thrown in).

So, for hospitality packages, not that much change.

No idea when normal seats will be sold nor how much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yj_3scEyVoI

And those first three all have the best national anthems.

May not be official but all preferable to me

What are the facilities going to be like for the 47,000 rest of us? That's what is appropriate for the rest of us.

Some of them come with free drink and sit-down meal, etc - but committing to 2 seats at £3.5k a seat for 3 seasons is signing up to £21k + VAT. Not for the average punter and most will be from £2k to £3.5k. Note: this is for the "exclusive ALL" membership packages.

I suspect they will continue to sell these and, when this is done, they will release season tickets. There is no doubt the "normal" season tickets will need to be more expensive and there will be a balance between raising prices to raise revenue vs not too much to scare folks away.

That said, if the waiting list is high, they might gamble with the higher prices – it will be a balancing act to generate more revenue.

Ultimately, Goodison has been run down, the prices reflect that. No such thing as a free lunch.

Derek T, how are you mate (?) and sadly true, but there are glimmers of hope, both with the possible, but improbable points situation, but on the pitch too, the penny has dropped with the players. Just got VAR and Refereeing to be more impartial! (A pig has just flown over my neighbour's roof!)

My middle brother was named after Alan Ball. My youngest brother's middle name is Howard.

Me? Named after my Grandmother's favourite Irish song, Danny Boy!!

I've had a season ticket since the mid-1960s, the first one being £2 2s 0d (£2.10p) in the Gwladys Street terrace.
As a teenager, I'd occasionally get a Higson's DT but that was about it and I haven't bought anything inside the ground for years. That's my choice.

If I make it to the new stadium, all I'll be buying is a season ticket but good luck to the club in trying to maximise the match day revenue. It's about time we stopped being run like a corner shop.

If I felt a desperate need for a pint, I'd take my chances in the Bramley Moore pub or one of the many other bars which are certain to spring up.

The staff there are great.

I am sure they will renovate, but I hope they retain the character.

Shame, as I too thought us moving there would be a great thing for them.

It could be done up and renamed the New Brick.

As an aside, as I keep saying, I do fear for the pubs and eateries around Goodison who thrive off match days once we depart for Bramley-Moore Dock.

I'm looking forward to it but it still upsets me thinking about leaving Goodison.

Come the day, I'm going to need some strong people around me as I will probably go all Bill Kenwright (RIP).

If only the same principles had been applied to the first team!

The only thing I've ever brought to Goodison Park, besides my season ticket or entrance fee, has been my voice, lost that many times in the past.

It looks like we'll need many voices like mine while Everton cater for those who can afford it and good luck to those who can.

They just need to get some decent beers in!

Dean and his family disliked his nickname, and preferred people to call him "Bill" or "Billy".

The popular theory regarding how Dean acquired his nickname is that he did so in his youth, perhaps due to his dark complexion and hair (which bore a resemblance to people from the Southern United States).

In Dean's obituary in The Times, Geoffrey Green suggested that the nickname was taken from a "Dixie" song that was popular during Dean's childhood; there was "something of the Uncle Tom about his features".

Alternatively, Tranmere Rovers’ club historian Gilbert Upton uncovered evidence, verified by Dean's Godmother, that the name "Dixie" was a corruption of his childhood nickname, Digsy (acquired from his approach to the children's game of tag, where Dean would dig his fist into a girl's back, hence "Digsy").

Maybe a petition to Everton: don't call the bar ‘Dixie’.

Can't remember the countries though, Saudi Arabia and Brunei were two I think.

Just looked it up and there's arguably 14!

As we've strayed into national anthems, I'll bring up a personal grate of mine. Why do England use God Save the Queen/King?

That is the UK national anthem, not England's. I've always argued that England should have its own.

Leave the national anthem to represent the UK, not England.

Does anybody know what the total number of equivalent seats are at Goodison (hospitality, Directors Box and media seats)?

If the prices are extortionate then most like me will go into town for a pint before and after the game. Lion/Railway always good and three or four in a cab won't be so bad.

I haven't bought anything in Goodison for years and don't think I will in BMD, if the prices above are anything to go by, but then I'm just a legacy supporter.

Just hope the over 65 discount is kept and the age for discounts doesn't increase.

Trinity Place is located in the Lower Tier East Stand straddling mid 1/3 - from the map given looks about 400 seats.

Village Street is in the West Stand Upper Tier straddling the mid 1/3, looks like about 1500 seats.

The Exec boxes have increased from around 500 to near 2500 seats.

That accounts for near 4,000 seats of the extra 15,000 created, but all in prime locations. If anybody knows the facts please post it.

I gave up a season ticket long ago and have only become a regular since I retired in 2018 and been on the waiting list since then - but even with inside connections cannot find out where on the list Danny O'Neill must have crystal balls to come up with 813th

My spend on football is about £1000 per season, for a mix of some crappy restricted view seats and some decent ones, plus a pie & a pint.

It goes against the grain because I really enjoy the traditional trip to the match - I really don't want the 'American dream' being foisted upon us, purely with the intent of relieving us of more shekels BUT I'm seriously considering a Trinity seat at 2200+vat even though its x2.5 current costs - just to ensure a seat and avoid the booking hassle.

That was nearly four days ago. Given that were committing up to £18k over the minimum 3-year period, I would have expected at least some initial contact in return. Either they are inundated with enquiries, or don't have the staff numbers to cope.

A little disappointing though.