Goodison Park lies in Walton, roughly two miles north of Liverpool city centre, and for over 130 years it was one of English football’s most recognisable grounds. Built in 1892 to house Everton F.C., the stadium was the first major purpose-built football ground in England, with an all-seated capacity of 39,414. In 2025, Everton relocated to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and Goodison Park became the home ground of Everton Women.
A Ground Built on Dispute
Before Goodison Park existed, Everton had a complicated history with their previous home. The club originally played at Stanley Park from as early as 20 December 1879, when a match against St. Peter’s was staged following the club’s renaming from St. Domingo’s. After a brief spell on donated land at Priory Road, Everton moved to Anfield Road in 1884, where covered stands were erected and the club turned professional. At Anfield, Everton became founding members of the Football League and won their first championship in 1890-91. They were also the first club to introduce goalnets to professional football. However, a prolonged dispute with John Houlding – Anfield’s majority owner and Everton’s chairman – over rent, land purchase and the running of the club eventually forced Everton to leave. Rent had climbed from £100 in 1889 to a demanded £370 per year, and disagreements extended to Houlding insisting Everton sell only his brewery’s products and that players use his public house, The Sandon, as changing facilities. By 1892, the split was complete, and Everton built a new home at Goodison Park. Houlding, left with the Anfield ground, went on to found Liverpool F.C.
History and Notable Fixtures
Goodison Park quickly established itself as a venue for major football occasions. It hosted the 1910 FA Cup Final and was selected as one of the stadiums for the 1966 FIFA World Cup, bringing international attention to the ground. Over the decades it also hosted numerous other international fixtures, cementing its place in the broader history of English football. The ground’s location in the Walton area of Liverpool, close to Stanley Park – where Everton had first played over a century earlier – gave the club a geographic continuity across its long history in the city.