Everton Hill Dickinson
Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium has become a focal point of discussion due to a recent reduction in seating capacity. Although the reduction involves only 119 seats, representing a mere 0.2% of the total structure, it has sparked debate among fans and stakeholders. The stadium, which has already been hailed as a new landmark in Liverpool’s renowned maritime cityscape, is set to host the largest regular crowds in the club’s history. Despite this, some critics argue that the stadium should have been designed to accommodate a larger audience.
US architect Dan Meis, who designed the stadium, has consistently defended its capacity. In 2019, he shared his perspective with the ECHO:
Dan Meis said: “Sometimes people are pretty aggressive and say ‘it’s got to be 70,000 or you don’t have any ambition’ or ‘it’s got to look like this’ but when I pushed back it really has created a dialogue so, in lots of ways, I feel like I’ve been doing public consultation for a couple of years now. I think it is the right number for a lot of reasons. I don’t mean this to sound flip, but I’ve never met anyone that said: ‘God I really hate that stadium – it was too small!’ When a stadium is loud and full, that experience is great and it doesn’t matter if it’s 40,000 like Juventus or 90,000 but it’s got to be full. So, to go from where we are at Goodison, to something much larger, would be a mistake and that’s not to say there wouldn’t be a lot of demand but I don’t know if that’s necessarily better. What I do know, architecturally, those last 10, 15, 20,000 seats they cost the most and they are not generating the (same) kind of revenue because they are furthest away from the pitch.”
Meis further elaborated on the physical constraints and design philosophy behind the stadium:
Dan Meis said: “So that would be disregarding the site. On this site we’re pretty tight and so there is a physical limit to how much we could build, and I think that’s good because it’s part of what has driven us to what we’ve spoken about already, keeping the pitch tight and seats right on top of the pitch. I guess you could argue ‘is 53,000 better than 52,000?’ but I’m certainly an advocate, for now, that smaller – it’s obviously a lot bigger than Goodison – is better.”
The debate over the stadium’s capacity is reminiscent of West Ham’s experience after relocating from the Boleyn Ground, where they found nearly 30,000 additional match-going supporters. Everton’s season ticket waiting list last season mirrored this figure, suggesting a potential demand for a larger venue. However, Meis’s design prioritizes an intimate atmosphere, with seats positioned close to the pitch to enhance the fan experience. As Everton embarks on this new chapter at Hill Dickinson Stadium, the balance between capacity and atmosphere will continue to be a topic of interest.
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