Everton’s women’s team have played at Walton Hall Park, one mile away from Goodison, since 2020. The stadium has a capacity of 2,200, but only 500 of those places are seated, and its pitch is a hybrid of real and artificial grass.
Previously one of the strongest women’s teams in the country — including winning a league title in 1998, two domestic cups in the late 2010s, and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2011 — Everton underwent a gradual decline in performance under previous owner Farhad Moshiri.
The Blues finished no higher than fifth in the Women’s Super League (WSL) during the Iranian’s time in charge, and ended this season’s campaign in eighth. Their average home attendance was 2,062.
BBC Sport understands Everton plan to improve Goodison Park’s changing room facilities, and rebrand the exterior of the stadium to reflect the women’s team’s history and current squad, while Walton Hall Park will continue to be used to offer a space for grassroots football in Liverpool, predominantly in the girls’ game.
«I’m beyond thrilled for the women’s team,» Julie Clarke, secretary of the Everton Fan Advisory Board, told BBC Radio 5 Live. «Men’s teams think Goodison is one the hardest grounds to go to, so hopefully that can become the case for the women’s team.
«It’s a huge commitment from our new owners. They wasted no time and spotted this opportunity. We’ve always said that Everton is more than a club, it’s a community.
«The easy option would have been to sell up the land and make a profit. But they’ve done the right thing by continuing to invest in the community.
«We’re not going to fill up a 40,000 capacity stadium immediately. But now, however big women’s football gets in England, Everton will be ready for it in an iconic ground.»
Former Everton and England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis added: «It is fabulous news. The women’s team including myself have played at Marine Football Club, we’ve played at Widnes Rugby League, we’ve played at lots of different homes but they have never felt like homes.
«It feels like this is Everton Women coming home.»
