Latest news with #TheFriedkinGroup
The Herald Scotland
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Iliman Ndiaye stars as Everton sign off from Goodison Park with Southampton win
The 2,791st men's senior match at the ground was a celebration from beginning to end as fans said farewell to the old in anticipation of the new with the pending move to Bramley-Moore Dock. Everton's women have been handed the keys for next season after new owners The Friedkin Group abandoned plans to demolish the first purpose-built football stadium in the country but this was the final time Goodison will be packed to the rafters. Everton fans celebrated the final game at Goodison Park (Martin Rickett/PA) There were 39,201 inside but thousands more turned up with their blue smoke and pyrotechnics to mark the occasion, with pleas for any spares falling on deaf ears of those lucky few with a golden ticket – reportedly selling for over £1,000 on some resale sites. It resulted in disorganised scenes outside the ground, with the streets flooded hours before kick-off, creating a logjam which blocked roads and meant the planned team coach welcome was aborted. Unfortunately few supporters seemed to be aware of the fact, which led to more congestion problems – former world cruiserweight champion and Evertonian Tony Bellew had to beat a path through the crowd to escort one supporter in a wheelchair – and concerns from some they would not get to their seat in time. But everyone did make it and the volume at kick-off, which had been preceded by a parade around half the pitch by several club greats, was possibly the loudest it had ever been. The Everton Toffee Lady threw sweets into the crowd before kick-off (Martin Rickett/PA) Everton's club colours flew at half-mast above the Bullens Road Stand but inside the ground it was party time. The game was almost secondary to soaking up the historic surroundings and atmosphere for one last time but the action on the pitch did not disappoint. Beto was denied early on by Aaron Ramsdale, who was beaten after just six minutes when Ndiaye became only the second player to reach double figures this season with a casually-stroked shot from 20 yards beating the goalkeeper's right hand. Captain Seamus Coleman, the club's longest-serving player, started his first match since Boxing Day after injury but lasted just 18 minutes. He turns 37 in October and is one of 14 players out of contract but has been reassured by boss David Moyes that he will stay on next season. Abdoulaye Doucoure may have played his last game for Everton (Martin Rickett/PA) The same cannot be said for his replacement Ashley Young, three years his senior, who is not being retained. Beto had two goals disallowed for offside, the second from a header which came from a brilliant passage of one-touch football around the penalty area, before in added time Ndiaye sidestepped Ramsdale from Dwight McNeil's through-ball for his 11th of the season. The out-of-contract Abdoulaye Doucoure's wave to the crowd when he was replaced by the on-loan Charly Alcaraz in the second half suggested he knows his future lies elsewhere, while in-demand centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite could also have made his last appearance for the club after limping off with a hamstring injury. In the closing stages all the old songs were belted out at full volume but there was no fairytale final goal in front of the Gwladys Street End.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Long live Goodison Park' or 'I'm surprised'? Fans on stadium decision
We asked for your views on Everton's decision to relocate their women's team to Goodison Park, saving the stadium for football use moving forward. Here are some of your comments: Steve: Fantastic news - shows real vision and understanding. Well done to The Friedkin Group! Anton: Wonderful news, absolutely wonderful! Goodison Park couldn't be anything other than a football stadium. This news is music to my ears. Hopefully now we'll have a men's team and a women's team to be proud of, challenging at the right end of the table and for cups. Thank you to The Friedkin Group for being so decisive and so quickly too. Goodness gracious, is the future of Everton Football Club really going to be rosy? Graham: Is it financially viable? One of the reasons for Everton seeking a new ground was the cost of keeping Goodison safe for spectators. The women play 11 home league games a season and the revenue from those minus the cost of opening and policing the stadium will not see much cash in the coffers. If Friedman is prepared to subsidise the women at Goodison, all well and good but it won't be self-financing. Steve: I think this is a good decision and totally logical. The legacy will continue within the club as a whole. There is too much history and tradition to just remove the ground and delete it from the memories of so many Evertonians. Long live our club... long live Goodison Park. Let the history continue. Macca: I've watched Everton since 1963, I am a season ticket holder, and Goodison Park holds lots of golden memories for me. But the original plan was to build community-based buildings with a central park, gardens culminating with a central area to mark the kick-off spot. This would have benefited the local area, shops, tourism, the local businesses, and local communities. That being said, the actual viewing and seating inside the stadium is dreadful - it's outdated. With poor facilities for fans, I'm surprised by the change of plans to continue to use the stadium.
Sky News
13-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Goodison Park to become new home of Everton Women as stadium saved from demolition
Everton's women's team will play at Goodison Park from next season after the club scrapped plans to demolish it. The famous ground, which was the first major football stadium built in England, has been home to the club's men's side since it opened in 1892. The Toffees are moving to a newly-built stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock from the start of the 2025-26 season and the club has been deciding what to do with Goodison Park. Plans, referred to as the Goodison Legacy project, to demolish Goodison Park and develop the site into a mix of new homes, retail, leisure and office space had previously been submitted to Liverpool Council. The move to save the stadium comes after The Friedkin Group (TFG), the club's owners since December, assessed the project. The club said in a statement that after an "in-depth review", TFG decided that "football must be kept at the heart of Everton's community". The statement said the move "addresses Everton Women's rapid growth and need for a larger, more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park". It also means the ground will "remain a central part of Liverpool's sporting and cultural identity". The women's side currently play at nearby Walton Hall Park, a little over a mile away. Everton captain Megan Finnigan said the move to a stadium that has hosted Premier League football showed "where the women's game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading". She said Goodison Park was "a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community. "Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight - and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting." Everton chief executive Angus Kinnear said: "We know how treasured Goodison is, not only to every Evertonian but to the game itself, and being able to keep such an iconic stadium at the heart of the legacy project is something that has been incredibly important to us. "The women's game has grown significantly in recent years and we believe that growth will continue and accelerate." Julie Makin, secretary of the Everton Women Supporters' Club, said it was "a real statement of intent, which shows just how committed they are to backing the women's team and making Everton a force at the very top of the women's game in this country, once again". Goodison Park will also stage some academy matches, while there will be a programme of stadium upgrades ahead of the new season.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Goodison Park to become home of Everton's women
Goodison Park is to become the home of Everton's women after the club scrapped plans to demolish the 132-year-old stadium. The Blues will move to their new 53,000-seater arena at Bramley-Moore Dock this summer. During construction of the new facility on the Liverpool waterfront, Everton's previous ownership group announced plans for an £82m post-demolition renovation project at the Goodison site, which was set to include housing, a care home, retail units and a park. But after being taken over by private equity firm The Friedkin Group in December, the club conducted a feasibility study about maintaining the stadium as a home for the women's team, and have now opted to continue operating the site. With a capacity of 39,572, Goodison Park will now be the largest dedicated women's football stadium in the country. ""This long-term vision reflects the club's commitment to investing in the women's game and ensuring that Goodison Park continues to play a vital role in both football and the community," Everton said. "The club's regeneration plans will retain Goodison Park's proud identity while giving Everton Women a world-class platform in the heart of Liverpool 4. For supporters, it offers the chance to be part of a new era in one of football's most iconic venues." "The ambition is to create a team capable of challenging for honours - backed by high-quality facilities and a world-renowned home." The club's CEO Angus Kinnear added: "We know how treasured Goodison is, not only to every Evertonian, but to the game itself, and being able to keep such an iconic stadium at the heart of the legacy project is something that has been incredibly important to us." Everton's women's team have played at Walton Hall Park, one mile away from Goodison, since 2020. The stadium has a capacity of 2,200, but only 500 of those places are seated, and its pitch is a hybrid of real and artificial grass. Previously one of the strongest women's teams in the country - including winning a league title in 1998, two domestic cups in the late 2010s, and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2011 - Everton underwent a gradual decline in performance under previous owner Farhad Moshiri. The Blues finished no higher than fifth in the Women's Super League (WSL) during the Iranian's time in charge, and ended this season's campaign in eighth. Their average home attendance was 2,062. BBC Sport understands Everton plan to improve Goodison Park's changing room facilities, and rebrand the exterior of the stadium to reflect the women's team's history and current squad, while Walton Hall Park will continue to be used to offer a space for grassroots football in Liverpool, predominantly in the girls' game. Everton will play their final men's first-team match at Goodison Park on Sunday (12:00 BST) against already-relegated Southampton. Everton also announced that Goodison Park would host selected academy matches from next season. The club's under-21s side currently plays its home fixtures 16 miles away at the 6,000-capacity Haig Avenue stadium in Southport, but last week Everton opted not to renew that agreement. The only player in the current Everton first-team squad who graduated from the club's youth academy is backup goalkeeper Joao Virginia, who signed from Arsenal at the age of 19 before spending a single season in the Blues' youth set-up. Emma Sanders - BBC Sport senior women's football reporter Everton's women's team's future under the club's new owners - who have ambitions to return them to former glories - is an exciting one. One of the eight founding clubs of the WSL - the first professional league in England - Everton's history runs deep. Goodison Park is a stadium rich with memories and the club hopes familiar surroundings can help grow the fanbase of the women's team and enable them to embark on a new journey under The Friedkin Group. The signs have already been positive with investment provided in the January transfer window to improve Brian Sorensen's squad, and the Blues are looking to add more quality this summer. The Friedkin Group has a strong track record of investment in women's football. Following their acquisition of a majority stake in AS Roma in 2020, they have won the women's Supercoppa Italiana twice in the past three years, and compete in Serie A - the top tier in Italy.
News18
13-05-2025
- Business
- News18
Everton Women To Make Historic Move To Goodison Park In 2025/26 Season
Last Updated: Everton Women will make Goodison Park their permanent home in the 2025/26 season. The Friedkin Group's review of the Goodison Legacy project led to this decision. Everton Football Club is proud to announce that Goodison Park will become the permanent home of Everton Women, transforming English football's first purpose-built ground into one of the most iconic venues in the Women's Super League. The decision follows an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project by The Friedkin Group (TFG) since their takeover in December. The Goodison Legacy project was launched in 2020 to define the future of Goodison. After an in-depth review, The Friedkin Group decided that football must be kept at the heart of Everton's community. 'This move is a testament to where the women's game is right now and, more importantly, where it is heading. Goodison is a magical stadium with a deep heritage and close ties to the local community. 'Leading the team out for that first home match of next season will be nothing short of a career highlight – and the prospect of what Everton Women can become with such an iconic ground to call our home is hugely exciting," said Megan Finnigan, captain of Everton Women When the Men's Senior Team moves to the new stadium, Everton Women will relocate to Goodison for the start of the 2025/26 season. The move addresses Everton Women's rapid growth and need for a larger, more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park. The move to Goodison will include enhancements that will be made over time and will ensure adequate facilities are in place before the start of the season. The relocation will also generate economic opportunities for local businesses through matchday footfall. Their previous stadium, the Walton Hall Park will continue to serve grassroots, community, and development programmes for women's and girls' football. First Published: May 13, 2025, 22:03 IST
