Goodison Park will become the permanent home of Everton Women from the 2025/26 season.

It comes as the men’s senior team move to the Everton Stadium this summer, located at Bramley-Moore Dock, keeping Goodison Park as a key part of the club.

Everton will make upgrades to the stadium to ensure it is in the best condition to welcome the women’s team when their season begins, with a club statement adding it will ‘also generate economic opportunities for local businesses through matchday footfall’.

Goodison Park will also host selected academy matches and expand Everton in the Community’s L4 campus.

Since 2020, the women’s team have been playing their home games at Walton Hall Park, which will continue to serve grassroots, community and development programmes for women’s and girls’ football.

They have also previously played games at Goodison Park, including the Merseyside derby against Liverpool Women.

An Everton statement also said: “The decision follows an in-depth review of the Goodison Legacy project by The Friedkin Group (TFG) since their takeover in December.

“The move addresses Everton Women’s rapid growth and need for a larger, more suitable venue than Walton Hall Park.

“TFG’s commitment to the women’s team has been evident through recent investments in players and staff. The ambition is to create a team capable of challenging for honours – backed by high-quality facilities and a world-renowned home.”

Everton CEO 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. 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.”

Everton Women’s head coach Brian Sorensen added: “Moving to Goodison Park is a huge moment for everyone connected to Everton Women. To call one of the most iconic stadiums in world football our permanent home is a privilege and a clear sign of the ambition this club has for the women’s team.

“Our players will now have a stage that matches their potential, our fans will have a place to build an even stronger matchday culture, and young girls across Merseyside will see that this is a club where dreams can grow and come true.”

Goodison Park has a rich history in women’s football

As Everton Women move permanently in to Goodison Park, it is a reminder that the ground has played a part in the history of women’s football in England.

On 27 December 1920, the stadium played host to one of the landmark events in women’s football: a match between the Dick, Kerr Ladies and St. Helens Ladies, with an attendance of more than 45,000 people and thousands more outside.

The Dick, Kerr team – made up of munitions factory workers from the North West – were the most famous and successful women’s team of their era. They won the game 4-0.

Such was the interest, a police escort was required to help the teams get through the crowds of fans as they made their way into the stadium. £3,100 (worth £130,000 in 2025) was raised for servicemen’s benevolent funds.

Just months later, the FA banned women from playing on affiliated pitches – a rule that was not overturned for the next 50 years and stunting the progress of women’s football in England.

That game 125 years ago at Goodison remains a symbol of what women’s football could be, and what it could mean to fans.

“This is about more than just bricks and mortar – it’s about building a legacy,” said Richie Gillham, Secretary of the Everton FC Heritage Society and Member of the Everton Fan Advisory Board.

“The women that graced Goodison Park that represented both Dick, Kerr Ladies and St Helens weren’t just footballers, they were pioneers. At a time when society placed strict limits on what women could do, these players challenged the boundaries and captured the imagination of huge crowds up and down the country.

“Evertonians have a saying of ‘if you know your history’, that is why it is fitting and deeply meaningful that the very same ground that held the record attendance for a women’s fixture for so many years will now become home to Everton Women and they will now have the honour of inspiring the next generation.”