Everton make major announcement over season ticket migration timeline for new stadium

Season tickets for Everton’s new stadium are set to go on sale in January. Supporters who have held their tickets for 23 years or longer will be the first to choose where they sit as part of a process that will see every current season ticket holder get the chance to select a spot by March.

Sales windows will be staggered by the length of time supporters have owned season tickets following feedback from fans and detailed research, Everton said.

In a letter to fans, interim chief executive Colin Chong explained: “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.

READ MORE: Everton contract admission made as 13 players could leave after Friedkin Group takeover

READ MORE: Richarlison fumes at Ballon d'Or result as ex-Everton hero slams Vinicius Jr. decision

“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.”

Further information will be released in stages ahead of the first tickets going on sale so that every supporter has the opportunity to make an informed decision about where they would like to sit.

In November, stand-by-stand details will be made available, setting out what is on offer, and where in the 52,888-capacity stadium that has risen on the Liverpool waterfront. In December, the pricing will be made public and each existing season ticket holder will be told at what point in the new year they will be able to buy their ticket.

Seats will have to be chosen virtually, with state-of-the-art visual tools to be made available showing the views on offer.

Season ticket holders wanting to sit in a group will have to wait until the supporter who has held their ticket for the shortest period is eligible to select their seat. With just over 30,000 current season ticket holders, the belief is that the final group to confirm their seats at Bramley-Moore will have at least 13,000 to choose from.

Mr Chong said: “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.”

Mr Chong added a formula would be used to make the selection process fair for those with kid and junior season tickets, stressing the process would not push back the selection date for any adult season ticket holder.

The next stage of the process will see the club contact every season ticket holder to confirm the data held about them is correct.

Supporters on the season ticket waiting list will be told before the end of the year whether they will be eligible to buy a season ticket. Those who are will have the opportunity to buy them from March, once the process for existing holders is completed.

Mr Chong said: “Next summer we will open the doors to our new home. It will have huge boots to fill, that much we know. But while leaving Goodison Park evokes emotions and memories, it is also true to say that the new stadium brings great cause to be optimistic and excited for our future.

“A little over three short years ago, the site of Bramley-Moore Dock was just that - a dock. Today, the site is home to a truly breathtaking stadium. And we are now at a point where we can begin to lay out our plans for our transition from L4 to the Liverpool waterfront, and start to provide Evertonians with the information they need before sales of season tickets start in January.”

It is understood finance options will be available throughout the purchase periods January to March and that no supporter will be left spreading the cost of their season ticket over fewer months than they did for the current campaign (10 months).