Everton have continued to focus on improving the matchday experience at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in the weeks since the Carabao Cup tie with Mansfield Town — and Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa suggested many of the early concerns have been addressed.
00:00Everton have continued to focus on improving the matchday experience at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium in the weeks since the Caramel Cup tie with Mansfield Town
00:11and Saturday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa suggested many of the early concerns have been addressed.
00:19The club had already enjoyed a positive start to life at their new ground opening with a win over Brighton before travelling to Wolves.
00:27The international break then provided valuable time to reflect on how the first fixtures had unfolded both inside and outside the stadium.
00:37Officials reviewed feedback, identified issues and worked to put solutions in place before Villa's visit.
00:44One problem area had been the club view suite.
00:48Supporters reported queues, delays and frustration with the preloaded cards used to buy food and drink.
00:55Everton believe they have now fixed those technical problems.
00:59As a goodwill gesture, an extra £10 credit was loaded onto the cards of full-season members ahead of the Aston Villa game.
01:07Staffing levels were also increased and more sales points were introduced.
01:11Those changes appeared to have the desired effect with reports of a smoother experience on Saturday.
01:17However, the club maintained those were specific to that fixture and the Villa game largely supported that view.
01:25Kick-off took place on time, digital systems worked well and congestion was noticeably reduced.
01:32Teething problems were always expected, particularly as many fans are still adapting to digital ticketing.
01:39But the system itself has not been blamed for major difficulties.
01:43Crucially, the early weeks have produced plenty of positive feedback and the Villa fixture reinforced a sense of progress.
01:52Everton to continue to engage with supporters to share their experience and are committed to refining the matchday offering.
01:59With a busy run of home games ahead, including West Ham United and Crystal Palace,
02:06confidence is growing that the Hill Dickinson Stadium is fast becoming the home that supporters hoped for.
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