Season › 2023-24 › Opinion › Talking Points The Everton Stadium by Brian Winstanley | 12/10/2023 75 Comments [Jump to last] Our potential new owners, 777 Partners, expressed many a fine sentiment in their recent open letter to the fans. For this fan, however, fine words butter no parsnips. Actions, we are told, speak louder than words. There is an opportunity for the new owners and custodians to leave an indelible mark of their tenure. An opportunity to re-position the club as slightly different, as befits its history. An opportunity for an instant connection with the fanbase. An opportunity to show the City of Liverpool and the football authorities that they do indeed “get it”. The new owners should forego the money that comes with the “Naming Rights” and let the Stadium be known as: The Everton Stadium. At a stroke, they rid themselves of the image of modern-day carpet baggers. At a stroke, they elevate themselves to custodians of a proud heritage. Or am I being a romantic old fool, perhaps? What is wrong with that? Return to Talking Points index : Add your Comments » Reader Comments (75) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Jerome Shields 1 Posted 13/10/2023 at 05:28:51 No chance. Danny Broderick 2 Posted 13/10/2023 at 06:29:14 We are not in a position to reject a naming rights deal which could potentially inject over £100 million into the club. Pie in the sky I'm afraid… Ben King 3 Posted 13/10/2023 at 07:12:38 Wishful thinking, I'm afraid.They're in it for the money as are most owners. Lee Courtliff 4 Posted 13/10/2023 at 07:13:18 The New Goodison Park would be my choice. So we can still say things like, "we've got 'em at Goodison on Saturday", etc. But, like others have said, that isn't possible as we need the money. Very badly! Derek Thomas 5 Posted 13/10/2023 at 07:51:20 The W R Dean Stadium.New Goodison ParkBramley-Moore DockRegents Road L3 blah blah blahBut money will talk... The Acme Widget Stadium Ian Jones 6 Posted 13/10/2023 at 07:53:49 Well, when we appear in European football competitions, we'll have to come up with a name for the stadium that ignores any sponsor's name as it's my understanding that in UEFA competitions, sponsor's names aren't recognised so City of Manchester, The Arsenal Stadium etc are used.The Everton Stadium works for me (and include The). I can see arguments for utilising Bramley-Moore Dock in the name instead, perhaps add Arena at the end as I imagine there will be various other types of events taking place in and around the actual stadium...I also think our name has to be included. Helps with the identity of the club. Christine Foster 7 Posted 13/10/2023 at 21:46:26 I think naming rights are too lucrative to be dismissed (sadly) as references to the docks, the club, the city are in my opinion, much more representative of identity. Preferences for the supporters or media perhaps would just be "The Bramley-Moore" . (Not just "Bramley-Moore" as the sounds like a windswept barren field at the top of the of the Yorkshire Moors!)"The Dockers Doorstep" no, not a chip buttie.. but due homage to its heritage, just to me smile, as I remember my Grandfather working on the docks and meeting him at the gates when he got off.. :-)"The City of Liverpool Stadium" puts the other lot forever in the shade and takes back ownership of the city… 2nd class and always will be.Alas it will be the "Apple Stadium" or the "Tesla Colosseum" or the "Dyson Arena" – or Littlewoods for that matter... Dennis Stevens 8 Posted 13/10/2023 at 21:52:08 The Everton Stadium is simple, it works, and can be preceded by the name of a sponsor: The "[insert sponsor's name] Everton Stadium". Mark Taylor 9 Posted 13/10/2023 at 22:02:35 Unless you want us to be signing donkey players from the Championship, it won't be called 'The Everton Stadium'.As it stands, with £750M debt added to our club, the new stadium is non viable in this era of normalised, but relatively high to recent past, interest rates.Let's not hamstring ourselves further. Barry Rathbone 10 Posted 13/10/2023 at 22:20:39 Call it "Dixie Land", it's catchy has the familiarity of echoing Disney Land and has its own song whilst celebrating our greatest ever. In terms of sponsorship, it couldn't get better: billionaire companies from the south hiding a confederate flag in the boardroom will be queuing around the block. Mike Allison 11 Posted 13/10/2023 at 22:21:59 The naming rights will be sold, no doubt. But otherwise, it already has a name – “Bramley-Moore Dockâ€.Nothing with ‘The' or ‘Stadium' in it, ever.In reality, I'd accept most easily the sponsor's name followed by ‘… Dock'. Paul Kossoff 13 Posted 13/10/2023 at 22:50:16 Call it The Royal Blue Mersey Stadium. That will piss off the red shite for all time.👮👮👮 David West 14 Posted 13/10/2023 at 22:56:22 Yes, you're a romantic old fool!!! Nothing wrong with that! "The Everton Stadium" is awful for a name. We need to get every last bit of value that the new stadium can bring. So someone will give us some amount of money and we will accept the highest bid. It's our last chance to bridge a gap to the top sides that's getting bigger every year. As someone said, it's already called Bramley-Moore Dock. Names stick. Someone may pay to put their name on it, and we should take the money, but Blues will probably still call it Bramley-Moore Dock. The M&S Bank Arena in town has been sponsored by them for years now; I've never heard a single scouser call it that. It's known as the Echo Arena because that was its first name. We as Evertoians need to use the name Bramley-Moore so it is established as the name now, before it's sponsored, then when the sponsorship changes over the years we have a constant. Colin Glassar 15 Posted 14/10/2023 at 00:12:45 The City Of Liverpool Stadium. Ian Davis 16 Posted 14/10/2023 at 00:48:11 The Fourth Grace. Richard Pike 17 Posted 14/10/2023 at 00:51:31 Another reason King's Dock was a missed opportunity; while I'd settle for "Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium" it's a bit more of a mouthful than "King's Dock Stadium" (which is a belter of a ground name IMO).We could go a bit Yank and call it "Kendall-Harvey-Ballpark"... Don Alexander 18 Posted 14/10/2023 at 01:09:21 I take no pleasure at all in stating that it's certain to become "The White Elephant Stadium" (or near as dammit) as a consequence of Dumb and Dumber for the past 30 years, Dumber having merely been responsible for the past 7½ horrible years, I suppose. Ernie Baywood 19 Posted 14/10/2023 at 02:49:01 I think we're caught between criticising the club for not maximising opportunities and holding our traditions dear.You can't have both. Naming rights will bring in a lot of money – same as shirt sponsors and everything else we need to be maximising.Yes, it's soulless. No, I don't want an equivalent of the Tough Sheet Stadium.But you can't reject the money.I might just refer to it as Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium regardless. Danny O’Neill 20 Posted 14/10/2023 at 07:58:08 It will be the 5th Grace, Ian. The first one the ships will see as they enter the Mersey estuary. Loud and Proud.I know there will no doubt be sponsorship and naming rights, but I like the idea of just referring to it as Bramley-Moore Dock, whatever the official name becomes. And that can / will change over time as sponsors come and go.Referring to Goodison doesn't give the new stadium its own identity.If I was on the naming committee, Goodison can be named as one of the stands and I've given my view on that before (not that it will be listened to): Goodison, St Domingo, Prince Rupert and St Luke.I commented on another thread, Ernie. There is indeed a balance to be struck. We have to be conscious of where the majority of our match-going fanbase comes from. Many of us travel many miles, but we are not a tourist attraction like the cousins. If we are to project, we need to generate revenue and capitalise on the opportunities the new stadium will provide.I am under no illusion this will see matchday and season ticket prices go up. There will be more corporate activities. We need to increase our matchday revenue as we are poor performers in that area.But yes, it's a balance. We need to project our brand in order to attract a wider support base and be able to compete. Otherwise, despite the new stadium, we end up remaining plucky Everton. A fallen grace from yesteryear. We need to grasp this opportunity and get us back to competing where we should be. Eric Myles 21 Posted 15/10/2023 at 03:28:27 Isn't it officially known as The Everton Stadium now? Not Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium? Michael Kenrick 22 Posted 15/10/2023 at 08:28:24 Yes, Eric @21,It's been the Everton Stadium ever since the club dedicated its own website and logo — along with that 'All' marketing campaign a long while back. Bramley-Moore is strictly the name of the dock they filled in to build it. Not the name of the stadium. The Bramley Moore (no hyphen) is the name of the pub opposite. Tony Abrahams 23 Posted 15/10/2023 at 09:26:00 Plucky Everton, is one dirty horrible phrase isn't it Danny?I once knew a man who lived in the worst house on the best street, and he fought tooth and nail to continue living there. The neighbours hated him but he was a very plucky man, and didn't care, because the house prices continued to rise and he eventually made a fortune, even though he had done nothing to improve that house.Plucky little Everton? 🤮 plucky Bill Kenwright?🤑 Daniel A Johnson 24 Posted 15/10/2023 at 10:17:14 Given the stadium its location and the fact its going to be one of the best stadiums in Europe we could probably ask a nice sum for naming rights.Companies will be queuing up to put their name on it.We couldn't afford to turn that down over stupid sentimentality.The whole point in this stadium is to generate revenue for EFC.Bring on the naming rights £££££££££££ Paul Hewitt 25 Posted 15/10/2023 at 10:32:32 Daniel. Spurs are right bang in the middle of London and have a fantastic new stadium. But they still haven't got naming rights yet. There simply isn't the money out there at the moment Ian Jones 26 Posted 15/10/2023 at 10:39:27 Don, I ask this out of interest. I appreciate supporting Everton has been difficult for decades butDo you ever have anything positive to say about anything related to Everton?Am sure there may have been something but I probably missed it. Daniel A Johnson 27 Posted 15/10/2023 at 10:46:01 Incorrect Paul Spurs have had numerous offers but Levy has held out waiting to blag something bigger. Ian Jones 28 Posted 15/10/2023 at 10:53:50 It seems that trying to find a name for the stadium that people can generally agree with will be as problematic.Can anyone see a time when the club ask the fanbase to share their names for the stadium with perhaps the top 5 resulting in a vote to choose the final official name...As mentioned in an earlier post, due to current UEFA rules, when we start playing in European competitions and presumably when we host games in the Euros, we can't use any sponsored names associated with the stadium so have to revert back to the official nameI can see reasons for and against The City of Liverpool Stadium but would it draw more attention to the other lot or annoy them. Rob Halligan 29 Posted 15/10/2023 at 11:07:10 Ian, I would call it the KAGS stadium. (KopitesAreGobShites stadium). Imagine them in the lead up to a derby game………..â€We're going to the KAGS stadium next away gameâ€. Brian Williams 30 Posted 15/10/2023 at 11:38:04 Personally I would hate the word "Liverpool" in the stadium's name. I live amongst them as many of us do and they'd take great smarmy, gobshitery joy from it being called "The City of Liverpool stadium." Dave Abrahams 31 Posted 15/10/2023 at 11:40:28 Whatever they name the stadium, Brian Wilkinson, you might get to see your second team, Wigan Warriors, win another league title there, congratulations on a hard win yesterday to clinch the title against the Frenchmen. Danny O’Neill 32 Posted 15/10/2023 at 12:03:04 Tony, using the plucky phrase almost causes me to go to confession. I wouldn't like a reference to Liverpool. I correct people when they call me a Liverpudlian.Paul, you've called out the Geography geek in me. Charing Cross is deemed the centre of London (so when you see those signs on the Motorway, that's what the miles relate to.The Tottenham Stadium is just shy of 8 miles from Charing Cross. A similar distance from the Pier Head to Kirkby!!! Paul Hewitt 33 Posted 15/10/2023 at 12:04:16 Whoever buys naming rights, it should still have Everton stadium in it. Like the coca cola Everton stadium. Brent Stephens 34 Posted 15/10/2023 at 12:43:38 "The Everton That Stadium"? Mark Murphy 35 Posted 15/10/2023 at 13:11:34 Dave @31, Pie eaters on hallowed ground??? Wash your mouth out with soap! Dave Cashen 36 Posted 15/10/2023 at 13:23:03 Brian.I don't agree mate. You would hear the howls of protests from all four corners of the earth if we named it the City of Liverpool stadium. They would be besides themselves. They would forget we were the first team in the city and their purple necked outrage at what they would see as our identity theft would provide endless fun for us blues. It would almost be worth it.I say "almost" because you are right. We do not want to be associated in any way with them. The naming rights will go to the highest bidder, but we can have our own name for the new stadium. One which will piss them off whilst securing our ties to the city.Let's nickname it Scouse House! Barry Rathbone 37 Posted 15/10/2023 at 13:42:40 Airline sponsors seem successful – the Etihad and Emirates spring to mind – and I just wonder if "Hindenberg Zeppelins" are still going, we'd fit like a glove. Tony Everan 38 Posted 15/10/2023 at 13:53:48 Tennent's brewery? As that's probably what we will be soon after the takeover. Eric Myles 39 Posted 15/10/2023 at 14:09:39 Talking of airlines, Barry @37, don't our potential new owners have interests in airlines and insurance companies that they could use to provide outrageous megabucks sponsorship to circumvent P&S rules?We might never see a penny of it if some of their bad press is to be believed but once it's in the books we're minted, especially if we can get those Enron accountants in as auditors. Dave Abrahams 40 Posted 15/10/2023 at 14:15:56 Mark (35, The pie eaters are okay mate although they talk a bit funny. I was in Wigan one afternoon, when it wasn't closed ! having a drink and this Wigan fella asked me did I want to buy someI' Turps' I asked him were they video tapes or cassette tapes, he said no ‘ Turps, you know to clean your paint brushes with' I never I bought any! Don Alexander 41 Posted 15/10/2023 at 15:14:06 Ian (#26), quite frankly I don't. Every season the Premier League has existed has seen our performances pale more and more against our fellow founding clubs - by miles since 2016. Moaning about this or that player's/manager's performance on a weekly basis whilst our ship, with Dumb and Dumber in charge, continues to be sucked ever nearer the centre of the vortex is something I can't get my head around.Sorry! Paul Birmingham 42 Posted 15/10/2023 at 15:47:57 The St Domingo Stadium, probably not likeable by the business marketing Teams, but it keeps a connexion to the origin of Everton FC.Viva, Santo Domingo! Ian Jones 43 Posted 15/10/2023 at 17:13:38 Don, fair enough. I do enjoy reading your comments...Just wondering if there was any smile in 1995 for our trophy win. With that being our last trophy, I guess I know the answer :) Eric Myles 44 Posted 16/10/2023 at 08:18:40 Another good call Paul @42, Santo Domingo is a coffee brand that is looking to expand its markets. Geoff Gordon 45 Posted 22/10/2023 at 16:51:19 Blue Mersey Stadium Richard Duff 46 Posted 31/10/2023 at 13:19:42 The Everton Mosh Pit. Paul Hewitt 47 Posted 31/10/2023 at 13:38:14 The very expensive going to keep us in debt for years stadium. Pete Clarke 48 Posted 31/10/2023 at 14:50:45 Given the way we have fallen behind as a top club and also allowed Liverpool to just simply take all the headlines, it is about time to do something about it and start claiming the City back whilst climbing back to the top. I would personally like ‘The Liverpool Dock Stadium – Home of Everton Football Club. We can also go one further and have two big blue liver birds put on the roof and call them Dixie and Howard. This Stadium will put us back on the map when big European matches are played there along with Boxing, UFC and also concerts. There has to be somebody else out there who can see the potential in our club with a new stadium in that great location. Craig Harrison 49 Posted 31/10/2023 at 14:54:06 I thought the club was trying to distance itself from the Bramley-Moore name given his links to the slave trade. John Gall 50 Posted 31/10/2023 at 14:56:46 Arsenal play at 'The Emirates'; Man City play at 'The Etihad'. Leave your roots, sell your soul and this is what you get. Money, money, money – it stinks, and it has ruined the game. We'll be in the 'Birds Eye Arena', or 'Jacob's Crackers Stadium'. Forget about a name with meaning beyond commerce. It simply will not happen – we have neo-liberal gangster capitalist Americans about to slit our throats. Jay Harris 51 Posted 31/10/2023 at 15:26:14 The Coca Cola Royal Blue Mersey Stadium incorporates a sponsor and makes us sound bigger than Liverpool.I don't want the word 'Liverpool' anywhere near our stadium. Kevin Naylor 52 Posted 31/10/2023 at 15:43:05 Call it the 'Everton Waterfront Stadium', Waterfront (Simple Minds) belting out while the teams are in the tunnel and then run out to Z-Cars. Sean Mitchell 53 Posted 31/10/2023 at 15:59:49 777 COYB Stadium. Stephen Vincent 54 Posted 31/10/2023 at 16:04:40 The Holy Trinity Arena. Steve Johnston 55 Posted 31/10/2023 at 16:21:44 Ohhh We Hated Shanks, And We Hate St John, And Most All We Hate Big Ron And We'll Hang The Koppites One By One On The Banks Of The Royal Blue Mersey (Stadium) Joe McMahon 56 Posted 31/10/2023 at 16:23:07 The Stake Stadium. I'd like something in reference to docks or the river but, in the grand scheme of things, as already stated, Man City (who win everything) play at The Etihad. I just hope in this stadium we see regular Champions League football and actually win something while I'm still young enough to enjoy it! Barry Hesketh 57 Posted 31/10/2023 at 16:55:21 We won't need to put the name of the city into the name of the stadium, its location more than speaks for itself. I have noticed in recent times that much of the reporting on TV when it relates to the city, seems to be viewed from a different perspective to what it used to be, prior to the construction of the stadium. Perhaps, it's just a case of new taller buildings getting in the way of the traditional shots? Perhaps not… Tony Abrahams 58 Posted 31/10/2023 at 16:59:38 It's definitely eating away at them slowly, Barry, especially when you hear the “It's good for the city†shout. I can't wait until we become like Man City and start beating our self-superior gobshite neighbours on a regular basis Duncan McDine 59 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:10:17 'Blue Mersey Stadium' would be nice but, as others have said... it will be a sponsor's name. Hopefully we'll make it a fortress regardless. Lee Courtliff 60 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:19:31 Why the fuck would anyone want 'Liverpool' in the title of our new home?!?!?!That's just asking to be ridiculed by them and everyone else – and we'd deserve it too!!When you say Liverpool, people will automatically think of them rather than the City itself, especially football fans. We want a name that means something to us, but it will be named after the sponsor unfortunately. Bill Gall 61 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:19:57 I still believe that, when you sail into the River Mersey, the first building you notice on the horizon is the Royal Liver Building. This view will be taken over by the new Everton Stadium, and to keep the same theme, an apt name to keep any corporate name out of it, it should be named "The Blue Horizon Stadium".But then, as supporters, as per usual, any suggestions good or bad will be ignored, and it will end up as the Triple 7 Stadium. John Hughes 62 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:21:15 Kopites are Gobshites Everton Stadium. Has a nice ring to it. 😉 Brent Stephens 63 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:41:09 "Somebody Once Said They'd Never Build it Stadium" Danny O’Neill 64 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:54:57 Lee, it may be the name of my home city, but we should never include that name in our stadium.Bramley-Moore Dock or the Everton Stadium does me. The 5th grace on the banks of the Mersey. Kevin Molloy 65 Posted 31/10/2023 at 17:56:25 I hate to say it, but it'll end up with a sponsor's name. How could it not? With our firepower, it'll probably be the Vanguard Arena UK. Ian Jones 66 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:03:04 Remember that whilst the stadium name is bound to incorporate a sponsor's name, Uefa's current rules don't allow for a sponsor's name to be included in European matches including the Euros matches so we need a separate name. For example, The Etihad goes by the name of City Of Manchester Stadium, The Emirates is Arsenal Stadium etc Lev Vellene 67 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:03:45 The sponsor-name Mersey Stadium! Everton FC would still claim its own thing, that way. And the redshites would have heart-attacks in droves! What's not to like??? ;DBut if I was a billionaire owner who didn't really have to worry about income etc, it would have been the Dixie Dean Stadium! Lev Vellene 68 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:15:17 Ian, so our name could be The Mersey Stadium by those rules, maybe? I'd love that! Paul Ferry 69 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:35:23 We'd have to make it into Europe first, Lev. The current crop of Euro cups will soon disappear once the saintly 16, 18, 20, 22, or whatever form their super-duper league. Lev Vellene 70 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:45:31 Paul #69, we might as well take it to the far borders of possibility while we have fanciful thoughts! :D Of course, we'll eventually end up with something like the Barcodes had under their business-minded "fan" owner, anyway. But dreams will stay until they are firmly shot down, after all! :) Lev Vellene 71 Posted 31/10/2023 at 18:55:31 But would the English teams eventually be willing to go that way, Paul? It was very much their own fans who helped shoot down that idea, I seem to remember. Would the English fans stay true if their once-English team went truly international and broke their ties to the English league system? Would we, if some Sheik Golden-Ass-Hairs came in to sweep us up just to compete with his local rivals in such a league? Peter Gorman 72 Posted 31/10/2023 at 19:12:20 It's an interesting problem to have. The stadium was all set to be named the USM Metalloinvest Megafon Bowl.Now it is anybody's guess. Ian Pilkington 73 Posted 31/10/2023 at 19:49:50 City of Liverpool Stadium or Mersey Stadium must surely be chosen.Everton Stadium would leave us with the same identity problem as the club itself; a surprising number of international football followers (and some in the UK) do not know that we are based in Liverpool, let alone that we are the city's senior club.Because London clubs do not carry the capital city's name, many think we are also based there.The new stadium with its spectacular river setting will give us a hugely higher profile and the club must use either “Liverpool†or “Mersey†in its name. Phil Bellis 74 Posted 31/10/2023 at 19:53:23 Merseyside Stadium? Lev Vellene 75 Posted 31/10/2023 at 20:02:11 Peter #72, that's a bullet dodged, and millions missed, I guess. Which would the average fan think is worst?Ian #73, as others have said, I think we should avoid the name of Liverpool, unfortunately. But Mordor have little claim to the Mersey, after all. And yet, the Mersey is very much what the city of Liverpool is associated with by most people both within, and outside the UK. Tony Everan 76 Posted 31/10/2023 at 20:29:58 We can't have ‘Liverpool' in the name in any context, and if 777 Partners somehow miraculously get past the fit and proper owner financing tests, the naming rights will go to the highest bidder. Doesn't matter to them if it's the Saudi Aramco Stadium or the Goodison Supper Bar Stadium, if they are paying a £50M contract for it. Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW © ToffeeWeb