Everton have been playing football at the Hill Dickinson Stadium since the beginning of the season, and although the club's home form has tailed off after a bright start, there is no doubt about the quality of the stadium.
Few visiting fans have left Bromley-Moore Dock with a sense of disappointment about the stadium, so the club, the architects and the construction workers all deserve plenty of credit.
Speaking of the architects, the man who was responsible for the stadium's design, Dan Meis, has recently given an interview to The Stadium Business, where he spoke at length about the design features he included based on the changing habits of sports fans.
Putting fans close to the athletes
The main reason why the Hill Dickinson Stadium has gone down so well with supporters across English football is the fact that the stands have been designed so that they are on top of the action.
This is most obvious in the large single-tiered South Stand at one end of the stadium, which is one of the steepest stands in world football. Even those high up in this part of the stadium feel close to the action, and that is no accident.
The view from the back of the South Stand Upper. ☁️ pic.twitter.com/KE7b54FUl6
— Hill Dickinson Stadium (@EvertonStadium) February 17, 2025
Meis explained:
“Over the past five years, one of the biggest changes in fan habits is that people now want a more collective experience. It’s no longer just about going to your seat, suite, or club – fans want to gather and share the experience, almost like being at a concert.
“Another change is that fans now want to be right in the action. Even if it’s not the best sight line, they want to feel part of the game. This has influenced design with features like tunnel clubs, field-level clubs, and areas that put fans close to the athletes.”
While the South Stand is no tunnel club, it certainly puts the Everton fans close to the players on the pitch, which can only be a positive for the Toffees.
FGG says: A stadium to be proud of
Meis should be immensely proud of what he has created for Everton Football Club. In the same interview, he mentions that the stadium ‘feels like it belongs in that area of Liverpool, almost as if it grew out of the traditional docklands site' and that is a beautiful way of summarising how most supporters feel after a visit to the stadium.