Everton goodison park
The bustling streets of Walton and County Road have experienced a noticeable decline in activity on weekends following Everton’s men’s team’s departure from Goodison Park. The team relocated to the newly constructed Hill Dickinson Stadium at the start of the season, leaving behind a legacy at Goodison Park that dates back to 1892. The move has sparked the development of new pubs, bars, and cafes around the new stadium, situated at Bramley-Moore Dock, with hopes of revitalizing the Ten Streets area and integrating it with the city center. However, the absence of matchday crowds in Walton is taking a toll on local businesses.
The Winslow Hotel, a historic pub that opened in 1886 and stood opposite Goodison Park, closed its doors last week. The pub’s manager, Dave Bond, cited the drastic drop in matchday business as the primary reason for its closure. Despite attempts to attract customers by offering transportation to the new stadium, the initiative failed to gain traction. Dave Bond, who managed The Winslow for 12 years, is now focusing on a new venture, Dixies, near Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Dave Bond said: “And many people have said to me over the years, ‘Oh, if you opened every week or every day, you wouldn’t be so reliant on matchday trade’ – I said, ‘Not necessarily because of the location.’ I tried that, and you would actually lose money. We would’ve gone out of business years ago if we had done that. We did matchdays, and after that were bookings and events. We did a lot of birthday parties, funerals or what have you. You’re getting 100 people in a booking; you’re not just opening the doors willy-nilly and just losing on wages and everything else. We became so reliant because of the dynamics of our business. But it worked because it kept our overheads down as well. Just because you’re open doesn’t mean you’re making money. You can lose money by opening. And I think that’s what kept us going for 12 years – focusing on match days and bookings and events. But the lack of match days took away 90% or so of our turnover.”
The impact of Everton’s move is not uniform across Walton. While some businesses like The Winslow have struggled, others, such as The Craic House, have found success by catering to different clientele. The Craic House, managed by Natalie Jones, has positioned itself as the area’s first Irish bar and has seen an influx of customers, particularly Liverpool fans, on matchdays.
Natalie Jones said: “We’re flying. There are other places that are closing down, but we’re doing well. I think that it’s because we’re the only Irish place around here. Jordan, his background is Irish. On Friday we have Irish singers in. It’ll be quite busy later with the Liverpool game. We’re promoting more on social media. We’re getting another pool team.”
Despite the challenges, some businesses have managed to adapt. Laser Schoolwear, run by Pam Kendell and Chloe Jones, recently relocated to Walton and has not seen a decline in trade due to Everton’s move. However, they acknowledge that nearby pubs have become quieter, and the closure of the local KFC, a staple since 1965, is attributed to the loss of matchday patrons.
Pam Kendell said: “I think the area’s been a bit forgotten. You don’t see anyone by the ground during the winter, really. On matchdays, there used to be loads of people, but now there’s not. You used to see the crowds here. As a whole, it didn’t really affect this business. It was more places like the KFC which closed a few weeks ago.”
The transition to Hill Dickinson Stadium marks a new chapter for Everton, but it also underscores the economic ripple effects on Walton’s community, highlighting the dependence of local businesses on matchday revenues.
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