Everton mark historic ground-breaking at Bramley-Moore Dock

Grand! We need some good news.

Delighted to read this, I just hope I get to visit the new ground with my Dad. He will be 68 by the time the work is completed and I know he will be chomping at the bit to hop on a plane from the Philippines and see his beloved team.

That's assuming he can ever get home of course. The virus has kept him away from home since he left for work in December 2019! He was at sea when the pandemic struck and we haven't seen him since then.

# Annika. Would be a great moment for you and your dad. Hope everything goes to plan for you, and you can enjoy the new stadium and a win with any luck.

I too hope to be at the ground with my son, I will be 67. Can’t wait. Now let’s get it right on the pitch as well.

Here we go!

Wonderful news at an uncertain time for us on the field.

It will be interesting following its development, albeit from afar. I just hope I’m still around to fly over and attend once we have moved in. Great stuff, well done to all who have made this happen.

My guess is by post number ten. ;-)

It’s getting more to a point where I must visit Goodison Park while it’s there! And of course the new stadium at some point. Not an easy trip in these times, and from Greenland to Liverpool. Someday though, in the near future.

Minik, if you can make it, then i'll give you my ticket for the match, don't miss Goodison! You've got a couple of years yet though. :)

Hope they're not starting with a trap door cos that's where we're heading if we don't improve this one-dimensional squad!

Great news! Sorry Brian!

Kenny, you're a bit miserable on this of all days.

Like to know more about the infrastructure around the new stadium. Public transport and refreshments mainly.

Annika #2 - really hope you get to go to the new place with your dad.

Thought I'd never see the day. Good luck to all, I hope all the construction crew stay safe and well. A new era without doubt. Now if only we could build a decent team at the same time... ;)

Fantastic news - sorry to say Goodbye to Goodison Park but needs must.

Brent#10.
Haha, no apology necessary mate. We've got as far as fourteen and still no sign of what I thought would be a foregone conclusion. ;-)

Have they brought a spade?

If not, there will still be sceptics……

Bill Kenwright ate my hamster.

Damn, eighteen. I was eight out!

Pleasing news for once.

Given that I will be 79 on the proposed opening date, I can't afford any more hold-ups!<->The doctors give me a generous 50-50 chance of being around, but hey, what do they know?

Yes, Colin @ 12, I'm sure this will become clearer in time. I'm also looking forward to staying at Bramley-Moore Dock for a couple of bevvies after a game, I'm sure this was mentioned. Plus being able to visit the ground and environs on non-match days.

Bernard, I can imagine you've been going to Goodison since the fifties. You're too important to start thinking about not turning up to the Bramley Moore! A momentous day in the history of our club. This is a great boost to us all.

One of those workers is going to be in the Echo next week holding a spade and a sandbag full of money. The man who found the Arteta money. I can see the headline now!

On the 25th, I'm going to walk back from the Bramley Moore to the Atlantic Tower. Just don't let me get curious or emotional and venture into the dock!!

Great news for the club and the fans, however, that "in a few years time" part of Bill's quote is pretty open-ended isn't it?

On another note, it's very important that we as fans play our part in ensuring that each game at Goodison is cherished, becuase there aren't that many games left at the 'Old Lady' should the new stadium be opened on the current schedule.

We had tickets booked to fly from Australia last year so I could take my son to his first game at Goodison. Here's hoping we are able to leave the country before we make the move to Bramley-Moore Dock so he can experience the amazing atmosphere. Of course, followed by another trip to the new cathedral.

At 73 and living in Australia, I am looking forward to watching a game or two at Bramley-Moore Dock together with my wife and Family plus long-term friends fwho live in Liverpool and on the Wirral.

While still performing in the top echelons of the Premier League, of course...

Thanks Jim #23, appreciated.

Spot on. My first game, 8 September 1956 vs Aston Villa. Result: 0-4. Jackie Sewell scoring twice.

Sewell was once the most expensive footballer in England, costing Sheffield Wednesday £34,500 when they bought him from Notts County.

Oddly, Villa only paid £20k when they signed him, aged 28, from Wednesday in 1955 just in time to spoil my day the following year. Still, as my mother told me, learn from it son, you can't win them all.

Brian - I knew what you were alluding too - I got one in on Facebook when he was mentioned - anything for a free buffet

Hi Bernard, [21 &n 28] I am 83 and I have been attending games since 1948 but I'm afraid I can't recall my first game. My ambition generally, is to wake up each morning, but I now have an incentive to broaden my horizons. I'm placed in the vulnerable category, because of the number of ailments I have gathered over the years, necessitating in 18 tablets daily, plus weekly and monthly injections. The main problem is that I suffer from "Evertonitis" and it's apparently incurable, but I'm hoping a regular dose of "Bramley Moore" tonic can ease the concern. You never know we may be allocated seats in close proximity, in the ''Old-Boys'' pen.

John #30

Lovely response. At our ages, the ability to get up each morning is a true blessing.

I can identify with your ailments, experiences and pills regime!

Love the idea of the Old Boys Pen. Sure Bill would approve.

Jim @ 11. You're right; today's a good day. One we should applaud the club for, not knock them.

That pic's just propaganda – no-one was even in the digger!!!

No spade, no stadium!

Mike Hayes #29

Ah I see! :-)

Daniel A Johnson - 33 - no doubt you will come onto TW after the first game at BMD with a list of complaints.

Bernard; Jim and Mr McFarlane Snr, sir - at 70+, I am also in that bracket so praying we all make it to the first game at BMD. Bob Parrington, if you can pick me up on the way across, it would be appreciated! Good luck to you all.

Well said, Kenny! It is a groundbreaking day indeed!

Ian, you'll make it.

Daniel; it was his tea break!

ps: John McFarlane Snr. A wonderful post, and none of us should take things for granted, especially after the last 18 months. The "Old Boys" pen should be a right royal place to be.

John Senior, you're going to be there. And in the distance, you will be able to see the Royal Liver Building lit up in Royal Blue.

John at 30,

I am 87 and I too can't remember my first game but who knows – we could have stood next to each other in the Boys Pen.

The game I really remember was England v Eire because it was the only time I had the courage to skip rugby at St Edwards! Let's hope they hurry along with the building and we oldies have a chance to see our beloved Blues!

Best photo since almost 5 years ago when Lyndon or Michael posted the picture of Moshiri, Kenwright, etal at the dock.

Over that time, Moshiri's made the mistakes we're all too aware of. Not on this, though. He's delivering.

Good News.

Given that, like a few others on this thread, I'm in the mid-70 category, I've had to scale my ambitions back from attending the first game to just hoping there's no more delays and Moshiri keeps fit and well.

Good to see the first box ticked and hoping to be around to see the first bit of the stadium going up.

Yay! Booking my flights now.

Brian, stay on top of this project for me, will you? Kick a few keisters and keep those workers at it. You and I are going to a game together. The tickets are on me.

Annika #2, condolences on the long separation from your dad. The virus and the interconnected politics have kept many families cruelly separated for great lengths of time. My wife and her family were locked down in Wuhan for six months last year. Got my wife back but Mom, who lived with us, was denied boarding on the plane twice. They were still 6000 miles apart when Dad passed last month, mourning on video calls. And because of the situation between the US and China, it may literally be years before my wife sees her mom and sister again in person.

John Sr. #30, I'm right there with you... only ten pills for me, but five injections a day. But you must keep it going, sir, because we have another sip of Guinness together in our mutual future.

Danny #38, well said.

Bill #42, you'll make it there too. Guaranteed.

Onward to BMD!!!

Great moment in our history... only spoilt by the man who wanted to move us to a Tesco-owned shed in Kirkby. He probably will still be around in 100 years, like he said.

I will be viewing the webcam intensely.

Fantastic news regarding the new stadium project.

The charity continues to enrich peoples lives, and goes from strength to strength.

The Women's team is showing positive signs of improvement. They appear to have bought wisely adding a combination of proven ability and promising players from other leagues.

Our youth team has promoted several youngsters whilst continuing to find good loan clubs for others in their development.

The first team.. hmm.. why spoil a good day.

Colin, I said when the new stadium got the go ahead, anyone wanting or hoping a certain person would step aside before then, forget it. The guy will not pass on a moment of being there when the ribbon is finally cut, and our new ground is unveiled.

Until then, the guy is going nowhere... so, for any Kenwright bashers, you have a while yet before he takes his final bow, you can be certain of that.

Now to the great news of Everton and work finally commencing on the new stadium. Realisation is sinking in; we are finally getting a state-of-the-art new stadium, with no obstructed-view seats, a stadium that can offer more Evertonians a place in the stadium, a new chapter in our history.

We need this stadium, it will be great, but god it is going to tug on your heart strings, when we wave off Goodison Park for the last time. I would say to people: take it in while you can, let's get Goodison rocking again, before we bid farewell to the Old Lady.

An historic day in the life of our great club. Not quite the same emotions being felt as we'll all feel on the day we leave Goodison Park for the final time, nor indeed on the day when this magnificent new stadium opens its doors to the great and the good, but a day that is a small part of our history.

It is not quite the the sound of the first death knell over the old lady but it feels as though the bellringers are being called to church. Sad but inevitable and about time too. Great news... NSNO

According to DBB, the club is launching a new website later this month.

At 69 last week, I wonder if I will be around to enter the new protals of Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium?

At present, my son-in-law, who is an Arsenal season ticket holder, wants me to get tickets for any home game at Goodison as he has not had the chance before to sample its unique atmosphere.

I saw the last pre-covid game at the Emirates in March 2020 as his friend could not go. Now that's a stadium with zero atmosphere, the ground is soul-less, unlike the old Highbury! It seems that Bramley-Moore Dock will have its own special atmosphere and traditions because the architect seems to have listened to the fans before getting his pencil sharpened!

I'm waiting for the shot of Kenwright with a spade emptying dirt into a big yellow bucket held by Moshiri, all with hard hats on, with Phil Jagileka and his Destination Kirkby tee-shirt on in the background.

>Just jesting... it's really happening, isn't it? Always thought I wouldn't live to see a new stadium.

Likely the only time Everton will be referenced with the words “ground breaking” this season.

Positive news at least!

Bill Kenwright at Bramley-Moore Dock is like inviting Guy Fawkes to cut the tape of a new wing opening at the Houses of Parliament.

Don't think I will be able to go to the final game at Goodison. I'm getting a lump in my throat typing this. After 50 years, it's going to be heartbreaking.

Colin, getting a ticket for that game is going to be a bigger problem. 😞

Colin, true enough, mate. It's over 60 years that I was in the Boys Pen and many others, with John over 70 years. An extremely emotional day, that last day in our ground for over 100 years.

Fantastic to see the start being made on our new one and we can look forward to seeing it rise. I don't live far from the Dock so I'll be having regular walks down there to see the progress.

We nearly ended up in Kirkby, except for the wonderful work by the members of KEIOC. (Well done all, your work has got its rewards, thank you all.)

This is a massive boost to Everton FC and Evertonians across the world.

Hopefully this will lead Everton into deliverance to a better place, in football terms.

Now to beat Southampton.

You've got to hand it to Billy Boy: just when you think he has disappeared into the background there he is... front and center.

"To know that Evertonians and people of this great City are together with us on this journey is a special feeling"

If it was up to Billy Boy, we would have long since faded into insignificance playing at Tesco Park in Kirkby.

"Us"?????? Cheeky fucker!!!

Haha, Darren, Excellent!! and too true!

Still some miserable gets on here, though.

Brian, yes a fair comparison.

Taking the positives and to have team that puts a full 96 minutes shift in v Soton.

It’s not too much to ask but could it be too much to expect?

I’m expecting a positive reaction on Saturday, but we shall see.

Hi Bernard [31], Ian [35], Jim [37], Danny [38],and Mike [41] thank you for your kind words.

I know there are some on this site who consider me a 'Grumpy old 'Snowflake' who lives in the past and lacks a sense of humour. I think that they would be surprised to learn that they are absolutely correct. I only log on to ToffeeWeb to feel as one with the many 'Angry Young Men', in fact some of their post's bring a smile to my otherwise miserable face.

Since the appointment of Rafa Benitez, my 'Young Lady' tells me I've been laughing in my sleep, so I would like to thank them for all the pleasure they bring me. "Happy Days!"

Don't want to be a misery guts, but there is plenty of time for things to go wrong. Loads of major building work have been mothballed before they are finished. This is Everton don't forget. Just hoping it gets done.

Darren, you have to hand it to the eternal showman. While his new bestie, Farhad, is sweating over a financial spreadsheet looking at the loss column going deeper and deeper into the red, his unmovable “football adviser” is smiling like an overweight Cheshire Cat hogging all the attention. Mr Blobby knows all the tricks in the book.

DBB, Moshiri and Usmanov should’ve been there not him who hasn’t put a penny into the club.

Paul # 63. The only building work mothballed is the building that you've been involved in. This will get finished, providing you stay away of course! 😁😁😁

Darren@57 & Colin@64
You have both provided a perfect summarisation of Mr Kenwright’s contribution to the fortunes of Everton Football Club over the last twenty odd years.

Aw, c'mon Ian (#66), Dazza and Colin, what responsibility for the seemingly impecunious, devoid-of-European-hope state the club's now in can the current Chairman, in his "enhanced" role according to the main source, be expected to take after a mere thirty years?

That said, I think the incompetent, unaccountable, devious shyster would disdain having the new ground named after himself, no, he'd expect to see "the River Kenwright" floating past BMD as a fitting tribute to his self-proclaimed status as the "Greatest Evertonian".

Fat, weirdly demented narcissist front and centre…posing and attempting to steal the limelight at any given opportunity. There really is something sinister and unhealthy about Kenwright, without who….we’d have done an awful lot better and men and kids up to the age of around 32 could remember some success. The clown is a shameful embarrassment to this club and needs removing, quickly.

Absolutely momentous day in our clubs history.
I am going to try and ride my bike down to BMD every weekend to watch this go up because I never thought it would happen after Kings Dock.
This is an achievement by Moshiri, a proper legacy.
Now please let us have a team to at least excite and entertain for these last few years of Goodison.
We have to go out with a bang and not a whimper, something fitting to Goodison.

Mal @3, thanks for the kind wishes and I hope to see you there!

Mike @ 43, that’s sad news, sorry to hear about you’re Dad. I can only hope your wife’s family are allowed to travel soon. At least I know my Dad will be home when travel to the Philippines is allowed again.

I can’t imagine how upsetting the situation must be for your wife. Best wishes to the future for you all though.

The news about BMD has cheered me up though.

I won't believe it's happening until Tony Marsh says so :-))

To all you regular - but oh so monotonous - Kenwright haters - please note in his interview he heaped all of the praise onto Moshiri, saying without him this would never have happened.

My advice to you guys is to make sure you get your STs reserved as early as possible because you might find you’re seated in the Bill Kenwright Stand.

I'm indifferent to the Kenwright thing Ian but that made me laugh. Imagine if it's the Bill Kenwright Arena, sponsored by Blood Brothers.

I can see the cold sweats and hear the dry baulks on the approach now!

Clearly the stadium will be named by a sponsor and seemingly Usmanov, but stand naming will be interesting.

Will we go for the obvious in terms of famous former players and managers? If so who? For me, even though I never saw the player, but surely for his lifelong dedication to Everton (boyhood supporter, revered player, title winning coach, manager, youth coach), Colin Harvey deserves recognition.

Or landmarks? The river, the dock itself? Or dare I say, another sponsorship opportunity?

Anyway, we're on our way. Although there may be turbulence and a degree of trepidation about the immediate expectations on the pitch, this is strategically positive for the club.

Looks like the digger has been ring fenced by kenwright and co.

We now need about 40 more of them lol

I was 5 when my Dad first took me to Goodison.

It was a friendly against some Dutch side whose name I can't recall but I remember the experience vividly, even down to the taste of the pork pie and cup of tea at half-time.

My Dad will be 80 when the new stadium opens. Fingers-crossed I can take him to see one of the first few games that's played there.

Tony #75

I hope you didn't end up in the state I did with the meat pie, an evening kick off rushed home from work quick sandwich changed and ready for the pub after the game. Once inside GP minutes before KO I got a hot meat pie and a Higgy's brown ale bit into the pie and the greasy fat ran all down my shirt.

I'm no lover of BK, in fact the thought of being his lover would definitely have brought the meat pie and brown ale back up, but don't be surprised if the Kirkby Ski Slope appears strategically placed so inexperienced users will end up in the Mersey rather than a dual carriageway. I'm sure Bill & Jenny love being on the piste, especially Jenny it clouds the eyes when you look at an overweight white haired old bloke and makes them look attractive ( there's hope for me yet). The slope and it's paraphernalia has been taking up his garage since it was demolished ( I wonder if he has the Bike Track too becoming very popular now, might offer him a couple of bob for the thousands of tons of concrete).

Trevor #49, but don't forget, that architect is no longer on the project which has been turned over to a Design and Build contractor.

You ever seen that sketch of a garden swing on a a tree? What the architect envisioned and what the contractor built?

Eric, someone's got to do the design work.

I would have liked Meis to still be involved on our side, but we do still have the architect/lead consultant involved who led the design review and planning processes.

If we cave on things, it's because we caved. And we could have done that with Meis on board too.

Ian Burns,

If it hadn't had been for Kenwright, we'd have had the Kings Dock by now, so think on that one. 😡

Ian@72, surely it will be named the ring fenced stand.

Danny @ 73, "Clearly the Stadium will be named by a sponsor and seemingly Usmanov, but stand naming will be interesting".

You mean, like 'The Jabba The Hut Stand', 'The Space Bar' and 'The Ukraine End'? Hmm! :-)

Still somewhat bumming with the on the field stuff but I do extend Absolutely Fabulous congratulations to the staff and citizens of Liverpool. This is a fantastic achievement and we will benefit from it in the very near future.

And good luck Tony, I hope you both witness some decent football to go with that lovely view.

The biggest danger for me on this project will be material costs as currently everything is rising. If the build contractor cuts corners using inferior material or cheap design changes to the internal, facade etc etc the final outcome may seem inferior to expectations. Trust the club have appointed someone with a strong enough tongue to ensure the quality and design is not compromised by the contractor.

Went for a stroll p.m. to the Dock, 28 mins from Billy Fury statue to gates

Wagons coming and going, security men very friendly

Had a nice coupla pints sat outside the Bramley Moore in the evening sun

5 lads came over for a beer at 5ish... All working on the site, all local, jobs being created already... Good start 👌

Laing O'Rourke's website advises:

"A pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) for a design and build contract is due to be signed after a competitive procurement process. Both parties will now work in partnership to develop a detailed and robust design and delivery programme."

Laing O'Rourke's website does not state when the PCSA was signed, the assumption then being they have not reached that 'gate' yet.

Everton are reported to have "appointed" Laing O'Rourke as their "preferred contractor". Do we understand the nature of that appointment ?

It would be nice to understand the following or at least have some transparency on the following:

Also what is the status of the procurement process ?
when will the PCSA be signed ?
As Everton's preferred contractor in what capacity will Laing O'Rourke participate during the D&B Phase ?
Have Laing O'Rourke been involved in the selection of tenderers for the D&B Phase ?

Conversely the following info is readily available:

On 31 July 2021 Liverpool City Region Combined Authority contracted KPMG

"The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is looking to appoint an advisor to liaise with our Investment Team as described in the brief for the project."

Ground breaking is nice ceremony, headline grabbing and photos for the archives but what is truly happening ?