Farhad Moshiri ‘deserves praise from Everton fans’ after new stadium admission
Farhad Moshiri is an unpopular figure at Everton, but he has played a huge part in the long-term future of the club.
Moshiri was the majority shareholder of Everton between 2016 and 2024, but this was a dismal period for the club on and off the pitch.
Everton were taken over by the Friedkin Group in December 2024, and are set to leave Goodison Park to move into Bramley-Moore Dock at the end of this season.
This stadium move has caused a mixture of sadness and excitement as Everton prepare to say an emotional goodbye to the iconic Goodison Park, and Moshiri has now opened up on the move.
Moshiri explains why Everton had to leave Goodison Park
The Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium project has been in the works since 2017, when Everton and Liverpool City Council agreed a deal to acquire the dock for the new stadium site.
Moshiri was a driving force behind the new stadium, and invested a lot into the project, and he has now told Sky Sports (12 May) why it is the right move for Everton.
“I was in love with Goodison, nobody wanted to move,” he stated.
“The reason we had to leave was because partly infrastructural, partly financial and the reality of the situation is we had the 11th biggest stadium, 18th lowest gate.
“Not only could we not compete against the top six, we had difficulty competing with the top 12 coming down.
| Stats | Goodison Park | Bramley-Moore Dock |
| Capacity | 39,414 | 52,888 |
| Years open | 132 | <1 |
| Construction cost | £3,000 | £750million |
“Our maintenance cost was one of the highest. I had to put in £400 million, the rest had to come from other investors.
“The [new] stadium is complete, two tests have been done successfully and the club has managed to finance £800 million with a £350 million loan.
“That shows how strong the balance sheet is. There is no risk. We have achieved the objective.
“There were risks on the pitch. Goodison, which we love so much, was our salvation for a few seasons, we knew that.
“We knew the magic of Goodison, the fact we pulled through but sometimes you have got to take risks.”
Everton Stadium project set to be a success
So far, Everton fans have taken to their new stadium well after several test events, and fans are excited to move into their new home.
Commercially, Everton’s Stadium project is set to be a success, with an expected increase in revenue and gate receipts, and Bramley-Moore Dock will lead the way in facilities in English stadiums.
The stadium will host games at Euro 2028, and in the long term, it will hand Everton the financial firepower to be able to compete with the top clubs.
Moshiri deserves credit for his role in the stadium project, but the next step for The Friedkin Group is to back David Moyes in the transfer market to build a team that can move up the Premier League table.