Goodison Park has stood in the Walton district of Liverpool since 1892, when it opened as England’s first purpose-built football stadium with stands on three sides. For 133 years it served as the home of Everton Football Club, hosting First Division and Premier League football, FA Cup semi-finals, and matches at the 1966 World Cup.
In May 2025, Everton’s men’s team played their final match at Goodison Park before relocating to the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. Goodison Park had already hosted occasional Everton Women fixtures, including a Women’s Super League Merseyside derby against Liverpool on 17 November 2024. It became the club’s official permanent home for the 2025-26 season, with Everton Women’s first match as full-time tenants coming against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 September 2025, making it one of the largest dedicated venues for women’s football in the United Kingdom.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Everton F.C. Women (formerly Everton F.C. men’s team, 1892-2025)
- Location: Walton, Liverpool, England
- Opened: 24 August 1892
- Capacity: About 39,414-39,572 (men’s era); reduced configuration for women’s football
- Record Attendance: 78,299 vs Liverpool, 18 September 1948
- Notable Fact: Nicknamed the ‘Grand Old Lady’, it was England’s first purpose-built football ground
A Ground Built for the Game
Goodison Park was constructed specifically for football at a time when most English clubs played on repurposed fields, making it a landmark in stadium design. It opened just before Celtic Park in Glasgow and quickly became a model for enclosed, multi-stand grounds across the country.
Over more than a century, the stadium hosted World Cup matches in 1966, FA Cup semi-finals, and thousands of Everton league fixtures, earning its ‘Grand Old Lady’ nickname from a 1999 newspaper description of the aging but beloved venue.
From Men’s Icon to Women’s Football Home
When Everton’s men’s team departed for the Everton Stadium in 2025, plans to demolish Goodison Park were scrapped in favor of preserving the historic ground. Historic England granted it a Certificate of Immunity from Listing in September 2024 while the club finalized its new purpose.
Everton Women had already tested the venue with occasional fixtures, such as the November 2024 Merseyside derby, before moving in permanently for the 2025-26 season. That transition made Goodison Park one of the most significant dedicated women’s football venues in England and ensured the stadium’s century-old story continued under a new chapter.
Explore more: Explore more legendary stadiums.
Goodison Park FAQs
Is Goodison Park still in use?
Yes. After Everton’s men’s team relocated to the Everton Stadium in 2025, Goodison Park became the permanent home of Everton Women starting with the 2025-26 season.
Did Everton Women play at Goodison Park before it became their permanent home?
Yes. Everton Women played occasional fixtures at Goodison Park before 2025, including a WSL Merseyside derby against Liverpool Women on 17 November 2024. Their first match as full-time tenants came against Tottenham Hotspur on 14 September 2025.
What was Goodison Park’s record attendance?
The record attendance was 78,299, set on 18 September 1948 for an Everton versus Liverpool derby match.
Get More from Goodison Park
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Goodison Park, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Photo: Arne Müseler from Salzburg, AT / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.