A minimum of 25,000 supporters will descend on Everton Stadium on Sunday as the club hosts its second test event. For many, it will be the first time they have stepped into the magnificent new ground.
But the fans' excitement will be shared by the players who will be out on the pitch.
Everton Under-21s will be taking on a Bolton Wanderers 'B' team (2pm kick-off). They will be following in the footsteps of the Blues' Under-18s side, who became the first team to play at Bramley-Moore Dock last month when faced their Wigan Athletic counterparts in front of 10,000 supporters on an historic night for Merseyside and English football.
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A further 15,000 Evertonians will walk excitedly through the turnstiles on Sunday at what will be the second of the three test events that will allow the club to obtain the necessary licence and safety certificates needed to operate the stadium at its full 52,888-capacity when it officially opens before the 2025-26 campaign.
And Everton U21s boss Paul Tait and his team cannot wait. “There's a real buzz as we get closer and we’re preparing,” Tait told the club website.
“The lads were looking on a little bit enviously when the U18s got the first test event, so they have all been champing at the bit to get to Bramley-Moore Dock.
“(It’s the same for) staff as well. It’s going to be a fantastic occasion for them and their families to get on that turf and play in front of a crowd of 25-30,000, we're hearing.
“It will be just a fantastic experience, something that they will never forget for the rest of their lives.”
The U21s went down to a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at Southport's The Big Help Stadium last Friday after back-to-back wins at West Brom and Aston Villa.
Those victories have helped the Blues in their push for a play-off position in Premier League 2.
“I’ve already told them that they'll all play,” said Tait about Sunday's big match. “So however long we play, they'll all get some minutes on the pitch.
“It's only fair, and I've actually got a couple of lads who've been injured and they're fit next week.
“They're all queueing up together together on that pitch, so they’re looking forward to it.”
The game will end early with the club set to perform a test evacuation.
Further information for supporters attending can be found HERE.
