Season › 2024-25 › News Under-18s will be the first test event in new Everton Stadium Michael Kenrick 02/01/2025 58comments | Jump to last Everton will hold the first of three test events in the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock on Monday 17 February when the Under-18s will play a friendly fixture in front of 10,000 spectators. The restricted capacity is a requirement of the testing process that will allow the club to obtain the necessary licence and safety certificates to operate the new stadium at full capacity after it officially opens for the start of the 2025-26 season. The capacity will increase to 25,000 for the second test event. The second test event will be a friendly for the Under-21s in either late March or early April. Tickets for the first two test events will be allocated by way of ballots. The ballots will be open for a week from 10 am on Friday 3 January. More info here: Everton Stadium Test Events Reader Comments (58) 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 () Jay Evans 1 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:15:01 Anyone else having trouble accessing the ballot ? Danny O'Neill 2 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:21:09 Jay, it says the ballot doesn't open until 11.59pm Friday 10th January. I don't know if that means midday today or tonight. Mark Murphy 3 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:28:51 11.59PM is one minute before midnight. Rob Halligan 4 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:32:44 Ballot is open now and runs until Friday 10th Jan. I assume 11.59pm is one minute until midnight? David Reed 5 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:34:03 Have received the email opening the ballots to me but when I hit "apply" on either it tells me I'm not eligible for senior tickets. What's the point in inviting me in the first place? Anyway I'm quite happy to pay the adult price. Pete Neilson 6 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:37:51 Same issue. Says I’m not eligible even though I’ve a season ticket. Paul Hughes 7 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:43:33 Yeah - I've got the same problem. Get through the queue, but says I'm not eligible for 'Accessible' tickets. I've even tried logging in separately via my eticketing account, and I get the same message.It's probably because the ticketing is now underpinned by TicketMaster - and they are fucking useless Paul Hughes 8 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:51:03 Tried again, and got through this time. Someone at TicketMaster must have put a shilling in the meter Brian Williams 9 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:52:43 Log into your account then try again.Just got my confirmation I'm in the ballot! Rob Halligan 10 Posted 03/01/2025 at 10:55:48 David, I think at the moment the system is “Taking a £1 Deposit” from every person who enters the ballot, and keeping it in reserve. Should you be successful in the ballot you will then pay the difference, either £4 or £1.50 depending on your age. No point in taking any payment if you are not successful in the ballot for either of the first two games. Anyone un-successful for the first two games is guaranteed a ticket for the third game, and I assume payment will then be taken nearer the time. David Reed 11 Posted 03/01/2025 at 11:07:09 Thanks for the advice guys finally got in to both ballots via my members account. Have had problems with Ticketmaster in the past so no surprise here. Jay Evans 12 Posted 03/01/2025 at 11:22:37 Ye thanks Dan. Hope your Xmas and new year went well all things considered mate. I’m in the ballot. Just took a few logins. I’ve been called a lot of things over the years but never ineligible. Neil Copeland 13 Posted 03/01/2025 at 11:24:38 Well after some cursing and swearing followed by much advisable patience I am in the ballot for both games - wahaay! John Raftery 14 Posted 03/01/2025 at 11:36:06 Why the rush? Peter Mills 15 Posted 03/01/2025 at 12:05:42 John, I wanted to test the system. I’ll be applying for 3 season tickets a week on Monday, two of them with friends’ money, and I suspect there will be a bit of tension around!These applications were successful. The process was pretty good although it could have been a bit clearer. I fear there will be some of Neil’s cursing, swearing and need for patience in my household before the season tickets are secured. Neil Copeland 16 Posted 03/01/2025 at 12:09:44 John, I will forget otherwise!Peter, good luck! The system is ok overall, the delays are probably caused by, at least in some part, the heavy traffic (to Johns point). John Raftery 17 Posted 03/01/2025 at 15:36:35 Good luck Peter. Like Neil I think the system is generally ok although it can be clunky when away tickets become available at 10.00 a.m. on the first morning of sales. It will be a welcome surprise if everything operates smoothly a week on Monday. Hopefully the Head of Ticketing has a good grip of the operation. Otherwise there will be a significant reputational damage sustained at a time when the club can do without it. When Robert Elstone was CEO his maxim was to make the club ‘easy to buy from’. It has not always felt like that in recent years with too frequent ticketing platform changes and insufficient regard to the customer experience. Least of our worries though compared with the deterioration on the pitch! Dave Abrahams 18 Posted 03/01/2025 at 17:01:31 Well where does this system leave fans like me who have never owned a mobile phone and have always used the ticket office when buying my season ticket or for league and fa cup tickets.Maybe it’s my own fault for being backward in learning how to use something that I have never wanted to use or intend to use in the future.One way might be for me to use my landline phone and see if I can make an appointment at the ticket office to sort things out.What did you say Michael Kenrick. “ Good luck with that Dave” No? ———but I bet you bleedin’ thought it! Brian Williams 19 Posted 03/01/2025 at 17:15:54 Dave. You'll have to just make my position as your part-time carer, permanent. 😇 Peter Mills 20 Posted 03/01/2025 at 17:24:12 Dave#18. If you have a pal who a season ticket, if they have your name and membership number they can form a “Network” with you on their account and that might enable them to apply for your ticket/place in the ballot on your behalf when they apply for their own. It’s pretty straightforward to form such a Network (I managed). All you would need to do is make sure you transfer money to your pal. Tony Abrahams 21 Posted 03/01/2025 at 17:51:57 I don’t mind transferring the money to Brian, for you Dave! Brian Williams 22 Posted 03/01/2025 at 17:59:42 That's a good idea Tony. Takes the stress out of it for Dave. Bill Fairfield 23 Posted 03/01/2025 at 18:01:26 Ticket ballot site. Can’t this club get anything right. Just like the football team. Garbage. Rob Halligan 24 Posted 03/01/2025 at 18:48:34 Bill, it’s pretty straightforward as far as I can see. I done it this afternoon for three of us and had no problems whatsoever. I even forgot to do the second game, so went back in and again, no problems. So really, I don’t see what your problem is? Rob Halligan 25 Posted 03/01/2025 at 18:52:19 Dave # 18…….it may be time you to purchase a mobile phone, as I’m hearing that access to BMD next season will be digital only, ie, season ticket downloaded onto a mobile phone. Brian Williams 26 Posted 03/01/2025 at 18:52:32 Same here Rob. Once I logged into my account couldn't have been simpler.What's the problem Bill?Need some help? Brent Stephens 27 Posted 03/01/2025 at 19:04:49 It was all a piece of piss. No problems at all. Even got my wife to lend me the £1 "deposit" - sucker! Rob Halligan 28 Posted 03/01/2025 at 19:07:05 FFS, here’s Brent. He’ll be advertising trial runs for his pedalo next! Dave Abrahams 29 Posted 03/01/2025 at 21:18:05 Remember that time I told everyone on Toffeeeweb that this fella I knew wanted me to sponsor his efforts in making a Time Machine that took you backwards in time, I think I’ll get in touch with him again and it might be a big ‘if ‘ but I’ll take the chance he’ll get me back to the sixties when there was no bleedin’ technology like there is today.Or maybe just listen to Peter Mills and get my grandson to sort it out for me and give my son Tony and Brian Williams a very wide berth! Brendan McLaughlin 30 Posted 03/01/2025 at 21:52:19 Dave #29Feck the technology...how much was a pint back then? Alan McGuffog 31 Posted 03/01/2025 at 22:05:36 Brendan..late 60's a pint of bitter was 1 /10 - 2/-. Double bloody Diamond was 2/6. Head ache included. I blame Thatcher 😉 Peter Mills 32 Posted 03/01/2025 at 22:15:03 Dave, I can just add you to my Network. I’ll send you my bank account details, all you need to do is transfer me £175,000 and I’ll deal with the rest. Mike Gaynes 33 Posted 03/01/2025 at 22:19:59 I'll bid £200,000, Pete. Brian Williams 34 Posted 03/01/2025 at 22:22:19 That hurts Dave! Brendan McLaughlin 35 Posted 03/01/2025 at 22:25:31 Alan #31I didn't expect shillings and half crowns to come up mateBrilliant...took me back big time. Dave Abrahams 36 Posted 04/01/2025 at 11:35:13 Alan (31), Ah, Double Diamond… lovely to drink but remember the headache more. Bents Brewery also had one like that ‘Brew Ten' if you had seven or eight pints of that you knew about it!When I first started drinking at 16, I started late, a pint cost 10 old pennies which meant you got tuppence change from a shilling! Rob Halligan 37 Posted 04/01/2025 at 11:40:42 Big question though, Dave…did it work wonders for you?? Dave Abrahams 38 Posted 04/01/2025 at 11:52:32 Rob (37), I was usually a ‘ happy drunk' so I think it made me happier until the headache kicked off the next morning! Alan McGuffog 39 Posted 04/01/2025 at 12:03:46 Dave... I think you may have a year or two on me. You may be able to shed some light. My aul fella's local was the Crown., Norris Green. It was a Bents pub. There weren't that many Bents pubs in Liverpool but they seemed to have a reputation but for what? Dave Abrahams 40 Posted 04/01/2025 at 13:30:01 Alan (39), I think it was because of the small bottles of fortified wine they sold called Bentox, I never had a go at it but believe it had the same affect as Yates Lodge white wine or red wine, got you bevvied in a hurry especially when drank with Bitter unless you were used to it! Alan McGuffog 41 Posted 04/01/2025 at 13:36:01 Bentox! Sounds delightful. I imagine it went well with fish or pork / chicken. Or add it to surgical spirit to make a long summer cocktail. Dave Abrahams 42 Posted 04/01/2025 at 13:44:51 Alan (41), I think surgical spirit might have weakened it! Rob Halligan 43 Posted 13/01/2025 at 11:38:56 First day of season ticket sales, and it took ages to get two seats together. Anybody else have similar issues? I can’t believe so many seats could have been snapped up five minutes after the sales window opened! Peter Quinn 44 Posted 13/01/2025 at 11:52:23 Rob we had exactly the same problems. Took us 30 minutes to get the two tickets. We eventually go there, like you we were amazed how many seats had already been allocated in the section we tried for within 5 minutes. Good luck to anyone trying to get 3 or 4 tickets together. At least there are no posts to worry about any more! Andrew Grey 45 Posted 13/01/2025 at 11:52:42 Rob - 43.All good here, managed to get a similar view to what I have now in the Upper Bullens. Had to go for Club View though. John Flood 46 Posted 13/01/2025 at 12:07:59 A bit of a mess around this morning, with the system initially only letting me view, but not select the seats, but we got there in the end and I have a seat in the Upper East Stand in a block beside the Club section. Disappointed that a physical season ticket card was not an option on checkout, and subsequently reading the T&Cs for next season it looks like this has been removed, 1.14 now being blank. Very strange as it was £10 extra for club this season for very little expense for them. Mike Keating 47 Posted 13/01/2025 at 12:28:48 Think the allocation of seats process should have a separate thread.I’m wondering to what extent the Fans Advisory Board were consulted over the binning of the physical season ticket and the club’s reasoning behind this decision - as John @ 46 says it was easy money for the club and a useful option for fans.Also, as a fan who has been demoted to Tier 2 so that we can retain seats together, I am concerned by the comment that getting 3 together is going to be a problem. Brent Stephens 48 Posted 13/01/2025 at 12:50:32 Mate of mine went online to buy ticket for himself and his mate - and got a message that he was unable to buy as one person was a staff member! Neither of them are or have ever been staff members! They got there in the end by buying individually but making sure their seats were next to each other as they bought. Mike Keating 49 Posted 13/01/2025 at 13:07:07 Anyone tried to book over the phone or by going to Goodison and joining the queue? Andrew Grey 50 Posted 13/01/2025 at 13:37:35 Brent -48-I had the same thing at first, a couple of page refreshes sorted it. I think it was still set up for Staff to test the system maybe? Rob Halligan 51 Posted 13/01/2025 at 14:21:18 Did anyone notice on the seating plan, where each part of the stands were colour-coded, on the south stand upper which was grey at the front? They were the seats that me and me mate decided to go for, but they were all “Unavailable” ie, Gone. I’ve since found out that they were all gone before the sales window opened! Peter Quinn 52 Posted 13/01/2025 at 14:25:15 It would appear that those with over 23 years as a season ticket holders did not get first choice this morning. Reports in Goodison News suggest the first 1500 tickets went to staff members. It will be interesting to see if Everton confirm this is the case. It might explain why it appeared at 10.05 am so many tickets had already been sold in the West Stand! Brent Stephens 53 Posted 13/01/2025 at 14:33:47 It's interesting that when I go online to buy away match tickets, bang on 10.00am of the day, a whole mass of seats have gone, with only a few left in some areas. Rob Halligan 54 Posted 13/01/2025 at 14:39:54 Peter, that would confirm what I said # 51. Loads were already gone in the south stand upper. Rennie Smith 55 Posted 13/01/2025 at 14:43:51 Anyone try getting a ticket in the family enclosure? Peter Quinn 56 Posted 13/01/2025 at 15:47:11 Rob I guess my main concern in all of this is that 1500 fans on the waiting list, if this is all correct, will not now get season tickets. I can see there could be arguments in favour of what has transpired but it really doesn't sit easy certainly it is a pity about the lack of communication from Everton explaining the decision making twas ever thus. Rob Halligan 57 Posted 13/01/2025 at 16:23:24 Peter, blocks 208, 209, 210 and 211 in the south stand upper, blocks right behind the goal, and maybe 4 or 5 rows deep, have been greyed out since the virtual video was released. Don’t know how many seats this is, but every single one it seems has been taken by club staff, along with family or friends. Basically it could mean someone who has never stepped foot inside Goodison could have one of the best seats in the stadium, although to be fair, every seat is perfect.As soon as the window opened this morning we tried clicking one of these seats but were informed “Not available”. John Raftery has also told me it was a similar situation in the north stand upper. So much for those with the 23 year tenure having first pick on seats, which is clearly not the case. Brent Stephens 58 Posted 13/01/2025 at 21:25:28 Rob, a mate of mine was told that one guy, a ST holder, recently joined the staff at Everton and now gets a staff seat and a family and friends seat as well as his original ST. Don't know how true that is but might explain things. 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