Everton have released the first details of the process by which existing season ticket holders can purchase their spot in the new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.
Starting in December, supporters will learn the date from which they will be able to secure their seat at Everton Stadium, with priority given to those Blues who have held season tickets for the longest and special arrangements made for younger supporters.
In a letter to fans, Interim CEO Colin Chong spelled out the process as the Club begin the migration from Goodison Park to Everton’s new dockside home, where they will play their first competitive match in August next year:
For our current Season Ticket Members, it has been of paramount importance to us that the move into our new home is well thought-out, fair and straightforward. Over the last two years we have carried out a range of surveys and consulted with fans through workshops to ensure our insight team has had all the information necessary to shape the biggest move in our Club’s long history. I’d like to thank everyone who has taken part in those surveys, workshops and focus groups. The information has been absolutely invaluable.
The sale of Season Tickets for the first campaign at Everton Stadium will be phased based on Season Ticket tenure.
In December, we will provide all Season Ticket Members with details as to the date from which they will be able to secure their seat at Everton Stadium. To manage the sales process in a fair and controlled way based on tenure, supporters who have held a Season Ticket for 23 years or longer will be part of the first phase of sales. Between January and March, the eligibility criteria will drop incrementally, until every Season Ticket Member has had the opportunity to select their seat.
If you are a Season Ticket Member wishing to sit as part of a group, with friends or family members, you will have to wait until the person with the lowest level of eligibility in your group is able to buy. It is important to stress that, with such a huge number of seats to choose from, there should be no anxiety related to the point at which you purchase.
We have modelled the sales process in this way because our fan surveys and focus groups told us unequivocally that Evertonians felt this was the fairest process. It has also been supported by research into the most successful migrations elsewhere in football. We want to ensure families, friends, fan groups and Supporters’ Club members are united and in their preferred seating locations together at our new home.
It is important to stress that, by waiting for others, nobody will be sacrificing choice. Obstructed views are a thing of the past. As you will hear frequently from those who visit the site, there is not a bad seat in the house. This is one of the many benefits a new state-of-the-art stadium gives us.
To ensure the process is fair to junior fans and adults who have been bringing the next generation of Blues to Goodison for a significant part of their young lives, we have put in place a formula that recognises that commitment by way of an enhanced tenure. Simply put, this means existing Kid and Junior Season Ticket Members aren’t penalised by that fact and can select their seat sooner. Enhanced tenure – again informed by supporter feedback – will bring forward the date from which any fan who was under the age of 18 as of 1 September this year will be able to purchase their seat. It is important to stress, no supporter’s first eligibility date will be pushed back because of the enhancement to the tenure of our young fans. More information will be shared by email with the parent/guardian(s) of our young Season Ticket Members in the next few weeks.