Bramley Moore Dock negative emerges after new Everton test event held
Everton held their first test event at Bramley Moore Dock on Monday evening but Lewis Steele has shared an early negative.
As things are finally looking up at Everton with form significantly improving under the management of David Moyes, supporters will no doubt be looking forward to the future.
However, to ensure a smooth transition from Goodison Park to the new Everton Stadium, the Blues must learn from these test events to allow a strong experience.
Bramley Moore Dock test event shows improvement
The Blues held an Under-18s game against Wigan at Bramley Moore Dock on Monday (17 February) to test the new facilities before the move in the summer.
The stadium was kept to a 10,000 capacity, allowing for a quieter and more controlled experience.
Unfortunately for the young players, it was a 2-1 loss that followed although for many, the result was not the main takeaway of the evening.
Although the test event was largely well received and enjoyed by supporters, naturally there were going to be some early issues.
Writing in the print edition of the Daily Mail (18 February, page 58), Steele detailed a couple of issues: “Roads around the vicinity of the dock were shut at 5 pm, meaning one elderly gentleman on X said he had to arrive at 4:30 pm then stand in the cold, just to get close enough.
“That was perhaps the only negative to report from this first official event, aside from the score – a 2-1 defeat – and the pitch, which was cut up a number of times, although it will be laid again ahead of the first official match here in the summer.”
Better times ahead for Everton
Moyes’ management seems to have completely turned things around at Goodison Park and the Toffees now find themselves sitting 13 points above the Premier League relegation zone, suggesting they will easily be safe this season.
With this in mind and new owners now in Merseyside, supporters will no doubt be feeling a lot more positive about what the future holds ahead of their new era.
The boss will be keen not to get ahead of himself until safety is mathematically confirmed but assuming they can see this term out, making the move away from Goodison will surely be softened with it framed in optimistic circumstances.
As Kevin Thelwell has warned supporters, the Blues will not be in a position to immediately change everything all at once, but a more ambitious project should be well underway in the summer.
Furthermore, based on Moyes’ management so far, there is no reason not to look towards the new era at Everton with plenty of excitement.
Some things need to be ironed out ahead of the new season which is why these test events are being held now and why they are so important.
Supporters will, however, be hoping that the first result at Bramley Moore Dock doesn’t set a precedent for all the games that are to come in Merseyside.