HeadlinesBriefing favicon HeadlinesBriefing.com

Everton's New Stadium Accessibility Challenges Anger Disabled Fans

BBC Sport •
×

Everton supporters with disabilities report mounting frustrations over access at the club's Hill Dickinson Stadium, with multiple long-term season ticket holders considering abandoning their seats. Elderly fans describe inadequate parking for blue badge holders and excessive walking distances from transport links as key barriers at the 58,000-capacity waterfront venue that replaced Goodison Park in 2025.

John Roberts, a 77-year-old supporter since 1959, detailed how arthritis makes the required walks "painful" despite wheelchair assistance. Fellow octogenarian Barry Harrison called current blue badge parking arrangements "unworkable," recalling how a half-mile trek from Sandhills station "damn near killed" him. Multiple fans praised staff efforts but criticized the stadium's fundamental design limitations.

Everton offers 100 disabled parking spaces at Nelson Dock and free taxi vouchers as mitigation, while Liverpool City Council directs supporters to official Blue Badge guidelines. The accessibility issues mark an ongoing challenge as the club transitions to its new £760m home ground.