Everton fans to evacuate Bramley-Moore Dock stadium during second test match

The 25,000-plus supporters attending the friendly between the Blues' Under-21s and Bolton Wanderers ‘B’ at Everton’s new stadium this weekend will have to evacuate during the second half.

The planned evacuation test will enable Everton to obtain a safety licence for the 52,888-capacity waterfront venue and will take place before the full-time whistle, signalling the end of the match. After the evacuation, attendees will not be allowed to re-enter the stadium.

Everton Football Club said the process will “allow the emergency services and local authorities to monitor a large-scale evacuation from the Bramley-Moore Dock site” and is asking supporters attending the event to play their part in making the exercise a success.

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Attendees will be safely guided out of the stadium and will not be required to muster or congregate. Instead, once out of the stadium, fans will be encouraged to leave as they would if they were leaving after a game.

Everton is working with transport authorities to ensure local services are timed to manage the flow of people away from Bramley-Moore Dock as they exit the stadium.

Alix Waldron, Director of New Stadium Development at Everton Football Club, said: "Being able to demonstrate the evacuation routes and processes that have been put in place for Everton Stadium is an important part of us obtaining the required safety certificate and licence.

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"It will allow us to demonstrate as well as understand how supporters exit the stadium and we are asking fans to play an important role in supporting us by taking it as seriously as if it were a real emergency.

"That means supporters staying in their seats until the evacuation protocols begin and exiting the stadium in a calm, considerate manner, paying attention to instructions from stewards and being respectful of others also trying to leave the area.

"We hope that this will be the only time we ever need to evacuate the stadium but we are asking everyone to help us in this vital exercise so that we can look forward to opening the stadium to more than 52,000 people from this summer."