FOREST AWAY: Everton, Saturday 6th December – Fan Guide

It wasn’t a particularly pleasant visit to Molineux on Wednesday. Traffic issues, combined with a heavy build-up of fans at the turnstiles close to kick-off caused many to arrive into the away end late. The performance wasn’t great but there was at least the reward of three points for our efforts, and in our current predicament points at very much what we need.

The VAR check on Igor Jesus’ goal was ridiculous and I felt took away what little momentum the game had built up. Wolves have had their much-publicised run-ins with VAR already but I found it admirable that their supporters were keen to show their disdain for it, even when it was of potential benefit to them.

We also experienced what I’m pretty sure was the first time Forest have had an announcement announced by the referee. A silly little moment which I’m not sure really achieves anything given the decision is clarified on the screen. It feels like we are coming back to that discussion around whether it’s simply not worth the pain to have games disrupted to such an extent. Wolves had the courage to propose its removal previously, maybe others should consider whether it’s really that vital to keep it.

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Myself and other fan representatives were invited to an event at the City Ground on Thursday evening where the updated stadium plans were showcased. This included words from chairman Nicholas Randall KC and the East Midland mayor, Clare Ward.

The images around the room indicated upgrade and renovation to the Peter Taylor Stand and the Trent End, with a prospective future development of the Brian Clough Stand. It was stated that initial works (presumably the Taylor and Trent End works) would take the capacity to 45,000 with a second phase (possibly the Clough Stand expansion) increasing it further to 52,000 but I stress I’m not certain on the phasing. There did not appear to be any upgrade to the Bridgford End, as had previously been indicated in earlier revisions.

The evening launched a wider consultation period which involved an open drop-in session for fans to see the plans for themselves over Friday and Saturday.

In a brief Q&A section, it was suggested that planning permission for this new vision will be submitted in the near future, that construction was still earmarked for commencement in the summer of 2026, and that the club anticipated to be able to undertake the redevelopment without reducing the current capacity. The approximate timeline, it was advised, would have a completion target of 2030.

Almost seven years on from the original announcement of the City Ground redevelopment, hopefully this might now be the beginning of some tangible progress at long last.

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Among the away end on Saturday will be David Marples who will be earning his place in the 92 club, by attending a competitive fixture at all 92 current grounds in the Premier League and Football League. A fine achievement, although if you see him on Saturday then please do ask him about whether Exeter truly does count. Well done, Dave.

 

Away Day No.11: Everton, Saturday 6th December, 3pm KO

Last Visit: Clearly, they hadn’t been a previous visit to the Hill Dickinson but the Reds recorded a 2-0 win last December at Goodison against Sean Dyche’s Everton.

Famous Visit: In terms of Goodison, Forest second away game back in the top flight in 2022 was against Everton. A late Brennan Johnson goal looked like it had earned all the points but the Reds had to settle for a draw.

Away End: Away fans are located in one corner of the stadium in Block 24. We’ll discover for ourselves on Saturday what it’s like, but there has been plenty of decent feedback from visiting fans so far.

The following guide on the Everton website is worth a look and will advise on travel and considers other useful recommendations and advice for away supporters: Away Supporters Stadium Guide – Everton Football Club

Sunglasses / Hat Requirement: Not sure yet 5/10.

 

TRAVEL

RAIL: There is a direct service to Liverpool from Nottingham, although certain journeys will involve a change. The two direct services that are likely to be most popular is the 07:46 (arriving at 10:29) and the 08:45 (arriving at 11:29). Fares vary, but it appears that a standard return should be £50.50. Just make sure you use the same train operator there and back as the price increases if you switch.

As noted for the recent Liverpool trip, there are group save options on this line but they are only available in person at the train station. They can save a third off if travelling in a group of 3 or 4 so are well worth looking into.

Coming back, the first realistic train is the 17:51 (arriving into Nottingham 20:29), but there are plenty of other options through to later in the evening. The last direct service leaves Liverpool at 21:37, arriving into Nottingham at 00:30.

It is a 1.7 mile walk from Liverpool Lime Street Station

As you may have seen, there has been some issues with getting to and from the new stadium on public transport or on foot back to the city. There is a local station at Sandhills which connects to Moorfields station on the edge of the city centre. However, there are apparently huge queues that build up after the game so it might be best to avoid it. The best advice is to get yourself to the stadium earlier than normal.

There is a dedicated travel section on the Everton website which might be worth a look: Travel Hub – Everton Football Club

ROAD: It is advised to not attempt to park in residential areas due to parking enforcements, so I think it’s case of seeing how close you can get. Unfortunately, I don’t have any specific parking recommendations close by but I have heard plenty of stories about it being painful to find suitable parking without a long walk attached.

If I was to do my usual glance at a map to identify some potential parking areas, I’d be thinking north of the stadium around South Park but I’m afraid this is only speculative.

If a bit of a walk isn’t a problem then I will also throw out the idea of using the old recommended parking for Goodison / Anfield up near Walton Hall Park. But this would likely be a 40-50 minute walk and over 2.5 miles.

 

PUBS

There are a few places close to the stadium, although no designated away venues. The Bramley Moore is a smaller place and there probably best avoided. The Bluehouse and the Terrace seem better options. I’m not certain on their stance on away fans but it’s usually pretty relaxed on Merseyside and I’m aware Villa fans wearing colours had no issues drinking at the Terrace recently.

If you are using the option to park up near Goodison, then the pubs around there will help break down the journey. For the recent trip up to Anfield, we visited the Thomas Frost (Wetherspoons), the Royal Oak and The Brick. I’d imagine a few Evertonians will still be using the old Goodison pubs so they may still be fairly busy. It was suggested that The Brick run a bus to the ground to retain matchday custom but I’d imagine this is for regulars and not away fans. Be warned, it’s a 2 mile walk from Goodison to the Hill Dickinson.

 

Have a good trip. See you all there.

You Reds

Matt