Everton confirms Goodison Park as home for women’s team
The Toffees’ 132-year home become the largest stadium in the Women’s Super League when the club’s women’s team moves in
The announcement confirms what Colin Chong, then chief executive of Everton FC, told Place North West at MIPIM 2025.
The decision comes after a review of the Goodison Park Legacy project by the club’s new owners The Friedkin Group.
Everton Women will relocate from Walton Hall Park in Walton – currently the smallest ground in the WSL – to Goodison Park for the beginning of the 2025/26 football season, following the men’s team’s move to the £500m Bramley-Moore Dock stadium.
Walton Hall Park is expected to remain a grassroots sport and community hub, with a distinct emphasis on developing women’s football.
According to the club, the idea of a Goodison Park Legacy project has not changed and the ground will “not be vacated or sold off to the highest bidder”.
Instead, the regeneration scheme, previously a housing-led vision, will be “reimagined” to deliver “a modern footballing legacy for Everton Women”.
Nikki Doucet, chief executive of Women’s Super League Football, said the move was a “defining moment for Everton Women”, and one that “sends a powerful signal” of the future of the women’s game.
She added: “Everton’s vision for Goodison Park is about more than football. It’s about regeneration, equality, and long-term impact.
“This move provides a blueprint for how clubs can build the future of women’s football in ways that are bold, authentic, and sustainable.”
The recently appointed chief executive of Everton FC, Angus Kinnear, said: “We know how treasured Goodison is, not only to every Evertonian, but to the game itself.
“Being able to keep such an iconic stadium at the heart of the legacy project has been incredibly important to us.”
He added that he understood the financial and practical risks of such a move and is “under no illusions” about the difficulty of the task.
He said: “The value of investing in the women’s game has been demonstrated by our ownership group at AS Roma, with impressive results on the pitch.
“We believe Everton Women can emulate that success and go even further, with one of the most revered grounds in the history of the game as their permanent home.”
An interesting move by our owner. I suspect he has half an eye on his domestic customer base back in the USA, but no matter: the women’s game is clearly growing here in Blighty and this should help things. Well done, Mr Friedkin.
By Saint Domingo
It massive good news for Everton woman football…Well done
By G J Kitchener
Delighted by this news and that the name of Goodison Park will live on, feel that we could see some modifications as the big, two-tier main stand is not really needed.
So I would remove the top tier and maybe part of the lower tier, as I think no more than a 30,000 capacity is required.
The place can be used by the women, as well as the men’s under 21’s, and be used for exhibition games too.
By Anonymous
With property values as (relatively) low as they are in the immediate area, i suspect this was more of a numbers decision when weighing up the demolition and build costs. Notwithstanding, a really positive decision and hopefully Goodison can remain a key hub and asset within the community. Hopefully the vacated spaces of the stadium can be used by community groups/NHS/council and other key services. Well done Everton!
By T.D.Smith
Fantastic news! So glad to hear this. Great news for women’s football. Long overdue! Let’s hope the other clubs step up as women’s football has been held back and neglected for far too long! From the story of the original lionesses to the ladies stopped from playing after the war. Shocking!
By Bob Dawson