EVERTON
Premier League, Goodison Park, Saturday 2 March 2024, 3pm GMT
West Ham United make the 456-mile round trip to Merseyside to take on Everton on Saturday.
Everton were one of the founding members of the Premier League ahead of the 1992/93 season and have never dropped out of the tier since – surviving by the narrowest of margins last season. Academy of Football graduate Frank Lampard was replaced as manager in late January last year after a 2-0 defeat against the Hammers at London Stadium left them second bottom of the table.
Sean Dyche was appointed to steady the ship at Goodison Park, and they battled their way to Premier League survival with a final day win over Bournemouth. A ten-point deduction, handed to them in November 2023 for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules, has put them in a similar position this campaign, though that has subsequently been reduced to six points.
Goodison Park has been an unhappy hunting ground for the Hammers over the years, and that tradition continued last time out, as Neil Maupay’s solitary second half strike sealed the points.
Whatever the result, a visit to Goodison is always trip down memory lane, with sections of the stadium, dating back nearly 100 years. And with Everton’s move to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock confirmed for the start of the 2025/26 season, it could well be a last visit to Goodison Park for some.
Liverpool is also a great destination city, so supporters will be delighted by the opportunity to make a weekend away of this fixture.
How to get there...
If you are taking the train up from London on the Saturday, direct services leave Euston at 07.43, 08.43 09.43, which should get you to the ground in time for kick-off!
Liverpool Lime Street station is situated 2.5 miles from Goodison Park, but is well served by public transport, with a number of different options that can take you to the stadium. Take one of the many bus services which leave Queen Square Bus Station, including the 19, 20 and 21.
Alternately, from Liverpool Lime Street, you can take a taxi from the rank at the station (£7-£9).
After the match, trains depart at .43 past the hour and take two hours and 40 minutes to get back to London.
For those who wish to drive, parking is available near Goodison Park, with the Stanley Park Car Park situated half-a-mile away along Priory Road at the junction with Utting Avenue. Prices are displayed upon entry, but supporters are advised to get there early to avoid disappointment!
Accessible parking is available. Please email [email protected] for details.
Where to stay...
As one of the United Kingdom’s most popular tourist destinations, Liverpool has a wide array of different accommodation options to choose from all over the city.
There are some sensational hotels in the city centre and also around the redeveloped Albert Dock, so if you pick any hotel within that area, then you will be sorted for food and drinks, and will be able to get to and from the game with relative ease.
For those for whom price is more important than style, there are the usual well-known budget hotels within the city centre.
What to do…
There is no shortage of interesting attractions in Liverpool, such as historic buildings and things to do.
The city is known best for its football and music, most notably legendary band The Beatles, so why not fill your visit with a bit of both? You can visit The Beatles Story or British Music Experience, take a Beatles Magical Mystery Tour around the city, or even visit the childhood homes of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
If music is not your thing, the World Museum tells the story of the Earth, the Museum of Liverpool and Mersey Maritime Museum do what you’d expect which gives plenty of information about the city’s proud history.
For further information, head to visitliverpool.com.
What’s happened there before…
As mentioned in the introduction, West Ham’s record at Goodison Park has been traditionally underwhelming, though it has improved in recent years, with three wins and two defeats in our five most-recent Premier League visits.
Andriy Yarmolenko inspired the Hammers to a 3-1 victory in September 2018, before a 1-0 success on New Year’s Day 2021, courtesy of Tomáš Souček’s goal. Angelo Ogbonna’s glancing header did the business in October 2021 and was our most recent win on Merseyside.
West Ham also faced Everton in September 2020 in the Carabao Cup fourth round, but the Toffees ran out 4-1 winners. Premier League-wise, the 3-1 win in September 2018 was our biggest at Goodison Park.
West Ham’s biggest-ever top-flight win there was a 4-0 First Division victory way back on 10 April 1929, when Vivian Gibbins helped himself to a hat-trick.
