Everton's Goodison Park will host a Carabao Cup clash between Preston North End and Huddersfield Town this weekend. The match is a result of Preston's pitch renovation at Deepdale. The Championship side is currently carrying out a significant £1.5million renovation to install a modern hybrid pitch at their home, Deepdale. Although the upgraded surface will be fully operational for their Championship home opener against Wolves on Saturday, August 22, the club decided against risking the turf prematurely.
Why is Preston vs Huddersfield being played at Goodison Park?
Preston submitted a formal application to the EFL requesting permission to host the tie elsewhere. Following successful talks with Everton, the League approved the request, enabling Preston to relocate the fixture.
What comes next?
The Carabao Cup tie between Preston and Huddersfield will take place at Goodison Park on Saturday, August 8. The match will kick off at 3pm, and fans are in for a rare treat as senior men's competitive action returns to the famous ground. Goodison Park has not hosted a competitive men's first-team football match for 15 months, dating back to Everton's emotional 2–0 victory over Southampton in May 2025.
What happened to Goodison Park?
Goodison Park has become the sole permanent home for Everton Women and their youth development squads since the men's team departed the stadium. The impressive new venue, Hill Dickinson Stadium, accommodates nearly 53,000 fans, offering roughly 13,000 more seats than Goodison Park.
What's next for Everton?
Everton's men's team now play at the state-of-the-art £800million Hill Dickinson Stadium, located along the scenic waterfront at Bramley-Moore Dock. The team is currently 36 points behind leaders Arsenal in the title race and has scored 47 goals this season, conceding 50. Their recent form has been poor, with a loss in their last four matches. The team's next fixture is against Ipswich at home on September 19.
