Everton Women Make Goodison Park Permanent Home

Everton Football Club has announced that Goodison Park will become the permanent home of Everton Women, transforming English football’s first purpose-built ground into the most iconic venue in the Barclays 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.

When the Men’s Senior Team moves to Everton 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.

Phase one of the transition includes stadium upgrades to enhance the matchday experience and 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.

In addition to hosting Everton Women, it will stage selected Academy matches and expand Everton in the Community’s L4 campus, whilst Walton Hall Park will continue to serve grassroots, community and development programmes for women’s and girls’ football.

Angus Kinnear, CEO of Everton, 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.

“From next season, we are proud to say our women will have an unrivalled permanent home in the WSL – another statement of intent as we look to build the foundations that will help us challenge for trophies.

“The women’s game has grown significantly in recent years, and we believe that growth will continue and accelerate. We’re under no illusions; there are obstacles we need to overcome to make this a success both practically and economically, but we’re confident that we will overcome those challenges.

“The value of investing in the women’s game has been demonstrated by our ownership group at AS Roma, with impressive results on the pitch. We believe Everton Women can emulate that success and go even further, with one of the most revered grounds in the history of the game as their permanent home.”

Megan Finnigan, captain of Everton Women, added: “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.”

Julie Makin, FAB member and secretary of the Everton Women Supporters’ Club, added: “We are absolutely delighted that Goodison Park’s legacy will live on and we are proud to continue to call Goodison Park our home.

“This is 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.”

Backing the move, Nikki Doucet, CEO of the newly branded Women’s Super League Football, and leading advocate for the growth of the women’s game, expressed her support for the club’s decision to transform Goodison Park into the new, permanent home of Everton Women.

Doucet, said: “This is a defining moment for Everton Women in a move that will play a key role in the continued progress of women’s football in England. Establishing Goodison Park as a purpose-driven home for the women’s team sends a powerful signal—not just about ambition, but about belief. Belief in the players, the fans, and in what the women’s game can become when given the stage it deserves.”

“Goodison Park is one of the most storied stadiums in world football and has played an iconic role in the women’s game having hosted the famous Dick, Kerr Ladies fixture that held the attendance record at a women’s game for 103 years. To see it become a hub of excellence, inspiration and community for the women’s team is not just fitting—it’s transformational.”