Fan Comment

Stadium Design Questions

With regards to the new stadium proposal I would like to momentarily turn our attention to key stadium design issues that affect the regular matchgoing fan. We cannot just believe that the architects will consider all of these.

Building for Expansion

A central key to any stadium build, that will also affect other design issues, is the stadium being designed for expansion. A simple example of this, with fairly flexible stages, is:

Original build of 50,000 capacity;
Stage 1: Side Stand additional tier added – 57,000;
Stage 2: Opposite Side Stand additional tier – 64,000;
Stage 3: End Stand additional tier – 68,000;
Stage 4: Opposite end tier – 72,000;
Stage 5-8: Four Corners, reaching 80,000.

The numbers used and methods for expansion are merely loose suggestions and a worthy discussion in their own right. A clever design should ensure that if, Everton only ever reached Stage X of this expansion plan, then it will still look aesthetically complete. They could mix up how they chose to expand. So we could for example end up with just a 63,000 stadium but it would still look good, plus within the new tiers they could be fitted out to the modern requirements of that day.

Should Everton go with a stadium built for expansion even? Perhaps go with a 60-65,000-seater stadium straight off? As football is ultimately a competition to be the best, would we be happy to cap our potential at 50,000 or 55,000 and so knowing that Liverpool and Man United will always have a bigger stadium – despite that for the majority of our existence they had a smaller support than us?

External Appearance

It seems to boil down to a spaceship versus a traditional look. It is subjective. However, an expansion program would require a change in the external appearance so is it worth going over the top with expense regarding how it looks on the outside to begin with? If no expansion program is in place, would you be in favour of the spaceship or traditional look?

Shallow vs Steep Stands

People often say that the new stadiums lack the atmosphere of the old stadiums. A big reason why the older stadiums have a better atmosphere is that the stands are shallower. Steep stands can look imposing, creating the illusion they are better for atmosphere, but it is a myth that they actually are better for atmosphere.

Steeper stands are designed for sightline reasons, which is again what people want. They fit the computer formula, but they are at the expense of atmosphere which isn’t part of their formula. Different fans want different things. If they want to fill a large stadium, then they must please as many fans as possible. We (the fans) are not all the same.

Further considerations include stands that are parabolas meaning they get steeper further back. A limit is put on the steepness for larger stands as, after all in Row ZZZZ you still need to see through the clouds.... The number of tiers, and leg room influence gradient too. Again then, the question of building for expansion has an impact on the gradient of the stands. Let's hope they don't have a 'computer says no' attitude when considering this....

Number of tiers

A general rule is that too many tiers will filter and so lose the atmosphere. I certainly would not like Everton to have more than two tiers, particularly in the end stands. Goodison Park was originally built single-tiered but, over the decades, we expanded it to double tiers. The Gwladys Street was a single tier for the first 47 years of its existence before we expanded it with the overlapping upper tier.

Building for expansion, then, raises the question: Do we start with single tiers then add a second tier in an expansion program? Perhaps we can start with a double tier but have the option of adding 15 to 20 rows at the back of the second tier?

All the design considerations above are affected by building for expansion. In a sense, perhaps it would be an idea to design the ultimate potential of a new Goodison, and then work backwards, to see how the original build would look like.

Non expansion issues:

Internal appearance

The three graces of Goodison: Leitch criss-crosses, the church, the old Main Stand Gable.

The church has in my opinion been shamefully hidden to remove a Goodison grace that cannot be replicated on a move. For me, the church is a reason enough to stay but that’s for a separate debate. The other two: please include.

Executive boxes

We’re going to get loads of them, but please please keep them away from the End Stands. The thought of the Lower Gwladys Street equivalent having executive boxes directly behind those that want to generate the atmosphere will just cause problems, making the atmosphere harder to generate... meaning it will be created less often.

An idea for one executive box would be a Tech Zone. A specialised room for fans to watch the match that is full of all the up-to-date gadgets, stats galore, ongoing Opta indexes, using the window or headsets for heat maps, other match updates etc. Well, use your imagination on other technological advances, but it would be a good alternative to the standard executive boxes. I’m sure you’d get 15-20 people paying a premium to experience it.

Away fans

Where do we want them? Out of the way? By the end stand? In the end stand? Or somewhere else?

Type of Tiers

In the event of getting double tiers, then it is either an overlapping double tier, or a non-overlapping double tier. Avoid the non-overlapping double tier. Atmosphere is generated in only one or two areas and then the rest of the ground feed off the atmosphere they generate. The requirements of those areas have to be considered so that there is nothing there that will stifle them, and that, when it is generated, it is maximised. An overlapping double tier with the good acoustics on a low overhang as well as the roof would be great.

Focussing on the End Stands, this leaves the options being either an overlapping double tier, or a large single tier. If both are designed at their best, with the same capacity for comparison purposes, what is the best? Do the research, Everton, and report back on the results.

Corners

Squared or rounded? Open or closed? Rounded gives the bowl effect. Squared, more of a Goodison look (well Gwladys St/Bullens Road corner only, actually). Closed, like the Park End, acoustically very good; open, you have more seats...

Rows in End Stands

The Lower Gwladys has 41 rows with the noise generated at the back. The idea is for the acoustics at the back to make the noise loud enough for the rest of the Lower Gwladys to be compelled into joining in with them. A larger stand can naturally have the potential of being louder as there’s more people in there. So ideally we would like more rows than now. There is a point, though, where the stand can be too big, whereby the noise generated at the back is just too far away.

There is a criticism of the Stretford End (90 rows), Holte End (80+) and the Kop (76 rows) where the sound is lost before it reaches the front. Ideally, then, anywhere from 50 up to 65 rows for a lower tier or single tier?

Future Considerations

It's highly possible that safe standing areas may be introduced; could we earmark one area that would meet the standing criteria for easy conversion?

Very few of those decisions are actually a question of expense. We should expect Everton FC to be able to give informed reasons for whatever they decide on all of the above.

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