When complete the south stand at the new £750m Everton FC stadium will hold 13,000 Blues fans and its scale is unveiled for the first time. Tony McDonough reports
Everton FC has revealed the scale of its new south stand at Bramley-Moore Dock that will eventually hold 13,000 Blues fans on matchdays.
As work on the 52,888-capacity arena continues to progress the club has released the latest pictures of work being carried out by main contractor Laing O’Rourke at the Liverpool waterfront site.
Virtually all of the double-stepped concrete terracing units are now in place in the south stand. The next major visual change will see blue seats installed in the upper sections.
This is part of the ongoing programme which has spread across the north stand – and the aim is to have them in place across the whole upper tier of the bowl by Christmas.
Externally, the south stand is also showing off its new façade following the installation of glazing in the second level concourse. Everton is aiming to be playing matches at the stadium during the 2024/25 football season.
Angled panels, which stretch across the entire face of the stand, have been designed to reflect the water from the adjoining Nelson Dock and help tie the stadium into its maritime surroundings.
And the first giant speakers have been positioned into the roof spaces of the north stand. The curved units will hang from all four stands as part of the PA system.
This has coincided with the departure from site of the last 600-tonne crawler crane, which was used mainly in the complex construction of the roof.
A service tunnel, left open in the east stand to provide vehicular access to the pitch area, can therefore be closed off now in preparation for lower terracing units being installed.
Work also continues to finish off the restoration of the historic Hydraulic Tower and Engine House.
READ MORE: ‘Bill Kenwright was a force of nature’ says Moshiri
READ MORE: UEFA confirms Everton will stage Euro 2028 matches
The buildings, dating back to 1883, have been renovated using existing and salvaged brickwork, new zinc roofing and the installation of windows sympathetic to the original design.
A decorative capstan was this week reinstated at the entrance to the hydraulic tower, again as a nod to the building’s huge importance in the dock’s rich maritime history.