FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Everton v Manchester City - Goodison Park, Liverpool, Britain - April 19, 2025 General view inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Phil Noble/File Photo
(Reuters) - Everton's women's team will become permanent residents at Goodison Park, which will host the men's side's final Premier League game there on Sunday after 133 years at the ground before they move to a new stadium, the club announced on Tuesday.
The decision follows an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project by The Friedkin Group (TFG) since their takeover of the Merseyside club in December. Goodison Park will be the largest dedicated women's football ground in England.
The Goodison Legacy project was launched in 2020 to decide the future of Goodison, and with the men's team moving to the new 53,000 capacity Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock after this season, the Friedkin Group decided football must be kept at the heart of the old ground's community.
"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," Everton's new CEO Angus Kinnear said in a statement.
"From next season, we are proud to say our women will have an unrivalled permanent home in the WSL (Women's Super League) – another statement of intent as we look to build the foundations that will help us challenge for trophies."
The move addresses the women's team's need for a more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park, and the club said enhancements will be made at Goodison, English football's first purpose-built ground, with a current capacity of 39,572.
The stadium will also stage selected Academy matches.
"This move is a testament to where the women's game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading," said women's team captain Megan Finnigan, who guided Everton to an eighth-place finish in the WSL this season.
"Goodison is a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community. Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight – and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting."
(Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England; Editing by Ken Ferris)
