In a move that screams ‘modern football’ louder than a VAR decision overturned at the death. Everton FC has announced that the gleaming new arena rising at Bramley-Moore Dock will not, perhaps, be known by a new Everton stadium name that trips off the tongue with poetic Scouse lyricism. Instead, the Toffees fan should prepare themselves for the “Hill Dickinson Stadium,”. The title that, while undeniably carrying the weight of a “significant” financial deal, has already sent ripples of debate, resignation, and a touch of legal jargon through the passionate Toffees fanbase.
The official confirmation landed on Friday, 16th May 2025: Everton Football Club has indeed sold the coveted Everton Stadium Naming Rights for their soon-to-be home to Hill Dickinson, a commercial law firm with deep roots in the city of Liverpool. This long-term agreement, hailed by the club as “one of the largest stadium naming rights deals in Europe”. This Move signals a new financial chapter as Everton prepares to bid an emotional adieu to the iconic Goodison Park. The new Everton Stadium Name is now set in stone, or rather, will be, on the impressive 52,888-capacity structure.
The Toffees are now gearing up for their final Premier League match at Goodison Park against Southampton this coming Sunday. This fixture is destined to be laden with a century’s worth of memories – the focus inevitably shifts to the future. Construction on the Bramley-Moore Dock site, which began in August 2021, is nearing completion, with the grand opening slated for August 2025.
Test events, including a maiden football match featuring Everton’s and Wigan’s under-18 teams, have already offered a glimpse of the action to come within the Hill Dickinson Stadium. While the men’s team transitions, Goodison Park will not fall silent. The stadium is set to become the permanent home for Everton Women, ensuring its storied legacy continues in a new capacity.
Unpacking the Deal and “Who is Hill Dickinson in Everton?”
The partnership is being framed as a meeting of two historic Liverpool institutions. Hill Dickinson, the firm lending its name to the New Everton Stadium Name, was founded in 1810, a full 68 years before Everton Football Club itself. It’s a commercial law firm with its headquarters in Liverpool and a significant international footprint, boasting 11 offices across the UK, Europe, and Asia.
Everton CEO Angus Kinnear lauded the agreement as a “bold and strategic step forward.” He is emphasizing that “this partnership goes beyond branding – it’s a shared commitment to progress, excellence and the regeneration of our city. Hill Dickinson Stadium will stand as a symbol of Everton’s ambitions, our values, and the global future we are building together.”
Echoing this sentiment, Craig Scott, Chief Executive Officer of Hill Dickinson, described the opportunity to put their name to Everton’s new home as “once-in-a-generation.” He added, “We believe deeply in what this project stands for – a bold, transformational vision for Liverpool and its future. As Hill Dickinson continues to grow internationally, we remain proud of our Liverpool roots – and we are honoured to be part of one of the most exciting waterfront developments in Europe.”
While the precise financial figures and duration of this “long-term agreement” remain under wraps. The club sources suggest its value places it among the most lucrative in European football, potentially around the £10 million per annum mark. This is a significant uplift, especially considering Everton had to sever ties with Alisher Usmanov’s USM, which had previously paid £30m for an exclusive naming rights option before the geopolitical landscape shifted.
The deal also includes a commitment for Hill Dickinson to work closely with Everton in the Community, the club’s charitable arm, and its own Hill Dickinson Foundation, aiming to amplify their impact across Merseyside.
The Broader Canvas of Everton Stadium Naming Rights: Football, Finance, and Fading Ghosts
This renaming, the adoption of the Hill Dickinson Stadium moniker, doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s a stark brushstroke on the ever-evolving canvas of modern football, a world where the romance of history often finds itself in a pragmatic clinch with economic imperatives. The new Everton Stadium Name is, in many ways, a monument to this era. As clubs strive for bigger revenues to fund ambitions on the pitch, the selling of stadium naming rights has transformed from a novelty to a near-necessity for those building new cathedrals of sport.
There’s an undeniable identity struggle at play. Goodison Park, “The Grand Old Lady,” is more than just bricks and mortar; it’s a repository of collective memory, echoing with the ghosts of Dixie Dean, Alan Ball, and countless moments of elation and despair. Its name resonates with a history intrinsically linked to the club’s very soul.
The transition to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, a name that, for now, evokes legal statutes more than last-minute winners, represents a cultural shift. It’s a lens into how societal values, particularly the pervasive influence of commercialism, are reshaping even our most cherished sporting institutions. The hope, of course, is that new ghosts, friendlier and more victorious ones, will soon populate the new dockside arena.
“Love It,” “A Big Let Down”: The Fan Verdict on the “New Everton Stadium Name”
Everton Football Club is proud to announce Hill Dickinson as the official naming rights partner for the Club’s new stadium, in a long-term agreement that will see the iconic venue named Hill Dickinson Stadium.
— Everton (@Everton) May 16, 2025
As news of the Hill Dickinson Stadium reverberated, the Everton fanbase, never shy of an opinion, offered a predictably mixed bag of reactions. The emotional spectrum ranged from pragmatic acceptance to outright dismay, a classic tale of head versus heart.
On one side, there’s an understanding of the financial realities. To BBC Sports, Phil expressed, “Love it, a proper company with a long-term commitment. Everton moving up!” Noel chimed in with a call for unity: “I knew this new name would come as a shock to a lot of fans, however, it sounds professional and will grow on us all. Embrace the phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Yet, for many, the news landed with a thud. Niamh articulated a common critique: “We don’t like it, and we prefer Bramley-Moore. The new stadium name highlights how society has become obsessed with economic opportunity, yet where instead football should be a social and cultural celebration rather than a liquified commodity.” Sydney was even more direct: “Think it’s a big let down from an iconic name of Goodison Park to Hill Dickinson. First big thing they had to get right, and they messed it up.”
Former manager David Moyes commented to the Guardian, who shares a deep connection with the club, acknowledged this delicate balance. He stated, “We’ve got to watch that we don’t stay in the past. We have got to move on. Everton needs a new stadium, undoubtedly.” However, he also cautioned, “The new stadium might attract a different breed, but I hope we still keep the community.” His reference to the “prawn sandwich brigade” is a subtle nod to the anxieties that such commercial steps can evoke among a traditional fanbase.
An Unresolved Echo by the Mersey
As Everton prepares to close the Goodison chapter and open a new one at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, the overriding feeling is one of transition, tinged with both excitement for the future and a poignant nostalgia for what’s being left behind. The New Everton Stadium Name is a pragmatic choice, a financial stepping stone. But football, at its core, thrives on passion, history, and an almost intangible sense of identity.
Whether the “Hill Dickinson Stadium” will, over time, weave itself into the fabric of Evertonian folklore, becoming a fortress of new memories and triumphs, or whether it will remain a slightly sterile, corporate reminder of the game’s commercial trajectory, only time will tell.
