New home curse of the Premier League? Analysis of Everton s prospects for relocation

As Everton bid farewell to the century-old home court Goodison Park, the newly completed Hill Dickinson Stadium ushered in its first match (versus Brighton), and the discussion on "the performance of the club will decline in the first season after the relocation" has heated up again. This article sorts out the first season data of seven relocated teams in the Premier League era and provides reference for Everton with objective facts.

Data sample description

Only cases that meet the following conditions are counted:

clubs moved to a permanent new home court during the Premier League era (excluding temporary arrangements such as Tottenham's temporary residence in Wembley);

are both fighting in the Premier League before and after the relocation (excluding non-Premier comparison cases such as Bolton's migration from Burton Park to Reebok Stadium in 1997). Comparison of the first season of the 7 major relocated teams

1. Middlesbrough (1995-96 season)

Old home court (Aya Sumei Park) last season (1992-93 Premier League): 8 wins, 5 draws and 8 losses, averaging 1.6 goals and conceded 1.3 goals (relegation).

New home court (Riverside Stadium) first season: 8 wins, 3 draws and 8 losses, averaging 1.3 goals and conceded 1.3 goals (successfully relegated).

Conclusion: The record is almost flat, and no significant fluctuations were caused in the new home court.

2. Derby County (1997-98 season)

Old home court (baseball stadium) last season: 8 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses, 9th in the home standings.

New home game (Pride Park) first season: 12 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses, ranked 6th in the home standings, and average goals per game rose from 1.3 to 1.7.

Conclusion: The only case with significant improvement, the home record jumped after the relocation.

3. Southampton (2001-02 season)

Old home court (Dale Stadium) last season: 11 wins, 2 draws and 6 losses, 9th in the home standings.

New home court (St. Mary's Stadium) first season: 7 wins, 5 draws and 7 losses, and the home standings fell to 14th.

Conclusion: Home points decreased by 9 points, losing 0-2 to Chelsea in the first game, with a significant adaptation period.

4. Manchester City (2003-04 season)

Old home court (Maine Road) last season: 9 wins, 2 draws and 8 losses, 12th in the home standings.

New home court (Manchester Municipal Stadium) first season: 5 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses, 17th in the home standings, only 2 more wins than the relegated team.

Conclusion: The record declined significantly, but it was reversed due to capital injection in the later period.

5. Arsenal (2006-07 season)

Old home court (Haibrey) last season: 14 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses, third in the home standings.

New home court (Elder Stadium) first season: 12 wins, 6 draws and 1 loss, fourth in the home standings, with averaging slightly dropped to 2.3 goals.

Conclusion: The record has a slight pullback, but it maintains its top competitiveness.

6. West Ham United (2016-17 season)

Old home court (Boring Stadium) last season: 9 wins, 7 draws and 3 losses, 7th in the home standings.

New home court (London Stadium) first season: 7 wins, 4 draws and 8 losses, 16th in the home standings.

Conclusion: The home winning rate plummeted, and fans still miss the original home atmosphere.

7. Tottenham (2019-20 season)

Old home court (White Hart Lane) Last season: 17 wins, 2 draws and 0 losses (best home record in Premier League history).

New home court (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium) first season: 12 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses, third in the home standings.

Conclusion: Although it is not as good as the mythical performance of Bailuxiang, it is still the top in the league.

Comprehensive conclusions

7 teams only had Derby County's home points increased after relocation, 5 teams declined, and 1 team tied;

4 team won the first game of the new home game (Miburg, Derby County, West Ham, Tottenham), and Southampton failed to win the first game with Manchester City;

' home relocation is not an absolute "curse", but the team generally needs to adapt to the period, and the fluctuations in record performance are intertwined with factors such as lineup and management.

Everton prospects

Everton only won 5 wins, 9 draws and 5 losses at Goodison Park last season, ranking 14th in the home standings. If following historical laws, Moyes' team needs to be vigilant about the adaptability of the new home court and strive to grab points and relegate away. However, the morale improvement and business potential brought by the new stadium may become a turning point in the long-term recovery.

The match against Brighton this Sunday will become the first touchstone of Everton's new era.