EVERTON STADIUM’S SECOND TEST EVENT: EXIT DRILLS AND BLUE DOUGHNUTS

Test events are a vital part of the readiness programme for any new stadium. Not only are they a safety licencing requirement but also provide an opportunity to make practical observations and subsequently adjustments ahead of an official (“hard”) opening. Everton are following the textbook testing programme starting with a first event held last month with a crowd of 10,000. I attended the second test event- a match between Everton’s U-21 team and Bolton Wanderers “B” with 25,000 spectators invited. A key focus of this second event was a pre-planned “emergency” evacuation before the end of the game. A third test event will be undertaken as part of this process and will add further increments to the crowd and other activities.

The second event was hailed as a success by the club, although other sources have raised concerns over traffic management, public transport and exit routes around the stadium. But let me share my experience before reflecting more broadly on the stadium itself.

Testing, testing, one, two…

Despite being excited about visiting the largest new stadium development in a while, I was struck by how low-key the whole event was. There was a hushed reverence around the place before Everton scored in the second half and the planned evacuation had the feel of an office fire drill.

But let’s start at the beginning, pre-match communication consisted of emails linking through to the club’s website. These were comprehensive and covered transport, the planned evacuation exercise, bag policy/restricted items along with what was available at the stadium. With hindsight, the information was accurate without major omissions- so a tick there, although something more dynamic and interactive would have been better suited to smart phone usage and real time updates.

Coming from out-of-town, I drove to Liverpool and parked with a 25–30-minute walk to the stadium. I didn’t notice any vehicular or pedestrian signage for the new stadium on approach. Indeed, it wasn’t until ten minutes out that I caught a glimpse of the stadium structure and the last five minutes before you felt for sure that you were on-route to the match.

On approach you see the old dock walls which have been retained and re-purposed to form an outer security perimeter. Whilst staff were on hand to direct people (which worked well), the industrial look and feel of the entrance signage is not clearly visible. A security check was in place here and although bags were searched, there was no apparent searching of spectators.

The old dock wall provides an outer perimeter boundary- note the under-stated gate “C” signage and kerb drop close in front.

Beyond the dock walls, lies an open plaza and the club provided a giant screen, live music and a selection of mobile food units. This was okay for a test event, but a much stronger and comprehensive offering is promised by full opening. The industrial signage was replicated at the turnstile entrances, which again were not obvious. Queues had started to form in front of the turnstile block and by 20 minutes prior to kick-off these stretched back towards the outer perimeter walls and were conflicting with the general flow of spectators around the plaza. The flow rate through the turnstiles did speed up and once you had established yourself in a queue, it was less than five minutes before you were inside the stadium. Just like at Goodison Park, e-tickets are loaded onto smart devices and validated by a proximity reader.

Wayfinding signage within the stadium concourse was clearly visible and positioned above head-height. The concourse and sanitary facilities are thankfully more commodious than the narrow alleys that run under the stands at Goodison. However, the finishes and overall feel is quite industrial and functional- lacking a wow factor. Another bugbear was the use of wheelie bins for waste collection and recycling- I hope that something more inspiring and interactive can be introduced in due course.

The food and beverage operation seemed to work fine- although the club had taken pains in its pre-match information to stress that this was a reduced offering compared to full opening. Service points were adequate (at least pre-match) and screens above the kiosk highlighted the products and prices. The offer (despite being reduced) was a step up from Goodison- including a selection of three locally sourced pies and chilli-fries. But the blue toffee-filled doughnuts were the real showstopper.

Throughout the stadium staff appeared to be cheerful, knowledgeable, and keen to help. This was evident at the vomitory and entrance to the stadium bowl although the physical lay-out didn’t complement this. Narrow entrance points to the gangways conflicted with the movements of both stewards and other supporters which was exacerbated at half-time by the cross-over of flows in and out of the bowl.

The test event culminated in a planned evacuation before the end of the game.

After 65 minutes, the pre-planned evacuation was implemented and the match ended. The “evacuation” was orderly and good-natured with stewards positioned along the route to the exits. Whether this would be the case in the event of a real emergency is another matter. Exit from the stadium was quick and efficient- although it was noted that a number of spectators didn’t return to the stadium bowl for the second half.

Immediately after exiting the old dock gates (outer perimeter) where there is a kerb that drops down to the roadway. This could be an issue if more people were moving in a more agitated state.

 A landmark stadium?

But what about the stadium itself? First you have to get past the fact that it’s not Goodison. When compared to the grand old lady’s personality and shabby chic, the new stadium is stark and brutal. For those approaching on land (most of us) it takes a while before the steel upper façade emerges from the urban landscape. This is an obvious consequence of being located next to the sea- almost everything around it is on higher ground. No doubt the best view of the stadium is to be found from on the water where it can be appreciated in the context of its surrounding buildings- as envisaged in architect Dan Meis’s original design. As noted above, the use of the old dock wall is a real win and sets it apart. Bold vertical stripes and huge glass windows are then revealed on the lower facade- inspired by its maritime location. All very worthy but (in my opinion) lacking something that screams “EVERTON.” Maybe some dressing will be added to address this?

This test event was never going to test the atmosphere within the stadium, and although not as intimate as Goodison (and it was never going to be) the enclosed stadium bowl and steep upper tiers should capture the crowd noise. The stands are not too far away from the action although from my seat in the North Stand, I wasn’t privy to the views across the city through the great north window.

Not much leg room…

One disappointment was the lack of leg room -my knees were just about touching the back of the seat in front when seated. The tread depth of the row was roughly measured at 65cm and the centre-to-centre seat width at 44cm- compliant for safety regulations, but both quite a way short of accepted international best practice of 80cm and 50 cm respectively. Sightlines were good and the giant video screen was a smart addition to the experience. The pitch surface looked good and didn’t appear to cut up on impact.

The search for identity and challenge to innovate.

The second test event passed without major incident and offered some practical learning opportunities- particularly getting people to and from the stadium- and the area just beyond it known as Zone Ex.

But the overriding challenge for the new stadium is how to embody the very essence of Everton Football Club. It also needs to establish what legacy this development could have for stadium design and operations in a wider context. If this stadium is to be considered iconic, it will need to establish an identity and a record for innovation beyond blue doughnuts.