Everton have made a special request to the Liverpool City Council to allow celebrations to be extended at Goodison Park following the club’s final fixture there against Southampton on May 18.
The match is expected to be an emotional affair as the Blues will bid goodbye to the 133-year-old ground ahead of their move to the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
While Everton, broadcasters, and the Premier League are yet to confirm the development, it is believed that fans will be allowed to stay at the ground after the final whistle to bid their goodbyes. As such, the club has lodged a special request to the city council’s licensing department to vary the stadium’s license to allow operations to go on beyond full-time. This includes the sale of alcohol in the bars throughout the ground.
The club is seeking special permission to use the ground for an additional 90 minutes following the final whistle, but no later than 11:00 pm. As a result, closing time for the ground for those with a ticket is likely to be extended for two hours after the game, but no later than 11:15 pm.
Before the fixtures for the season had been announced, Everton had lodged a formal request to the Premier League so that the final fixture at Goodison would be played on the penultimate weekend of the season. This was done to ensure that the farewell to the Grand Old Lady would not get lost in any permutations with the league title, European places, or relegation on the final day.
While the match is currently scheduled to be played on the same weekend as the FA Cup final, it could be moved. The licensing application submitted by Everton suggests that there could be a change to the kickoff time, rather than the May 18 date that it is currently scheduled on. A decision from the Premier League and the broadcasters could be made official soon.
Fans without a ticket are also expected to witness the farewell to Goodison Park on the penultimate weekend. Everton recently issued guidance on its ticketing policy to ensure that those with the highest attendance at Premier League home games are given first priority.
The club has already completed two test events in the new Evertonn Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. A third event is expected to be confirmed soon as these are necessary to obtain the licenses and certifications to operate the 52,888-seater at full capacity from next season.