'Wow' - Veteran commentator blown away at Hill Dickinson ahead of Everton vs Chelsea

Everton were given a glowing compliment after veteran commentator Rob Palmer was wowed by Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday evening.

Palmer was once again behind the microphone for the visit of Chelsea, a crucial match in the Toffees’ bid to secure European football next season.

Having appeared on Sky Sports since 1996 and worked for numerous other broadcasters, he has voiced countless games at grounds up and down the Premier League.

But Everton’s stunning new home clearly left an impression on his very first visit, with Palmer taking to social media to share a photo of his view from the gantry.

David Moyes will now hope his players can use the energy of the 52,000-strong crowd to propel them on to all three points against a vulnerable-looking Chelsea.

What did Rob Palmer say about Hill Dickinson Stadium?

Sharing an update on X shortly before kick-off, Palmer wrote: “Office view for the day. Wow. Amazing first impression of Everton’s Premier League palace.”

He then jokingly added: “Thankfully Jim Beglin brought his binoculars.”

While Everton haven’t always got it right with the venue, having been criticised after a DJ set followed October’s loss to Tottenham, the experience has largely been positive.

The club, of course, spent 133 years at their previous home, which built a daunting reputation for opponents, while its replacement hasn’t quite had the same impact yet.

David Moyes also muddied the waters somewhat by opening up on his love for Goodison Park in a recent interview, and results at Hill Dickinson Stadium have been just as mixed.

“We all love Goodison,” Moyes told the Men in Blazers YouTube channel. “Maybe I’m saying the wrong thing here, but in some ways I wish we could have rebuilt it and made it better.”

However, the stadium has opened up new commercial opportunities, as shown by Everton signing a new sponsorship agreement with Heinz, the US sauce conglomerate.

Everton’s patchy home form in numbers

The transition to the state-of-the-art waterside ground started strongly, with Everton winning two of their first four home matches at the start of the season. But the tides then turned.

After beating Nottingham Forest 3-0 on December 6, the Toffees went on a six-game winless run there, losing to Arsenal, Brentford, Bournemouth and Manchester United.

The 2-0 victory against Burnley on March 3 helped to lift that cloud, and they will look to build on that improved showing with arch rivals Liverpool and Manchester City still to come.

All in all, it has been a steady opening campaign at Hill Dickinson Stadium, without it capturing the same magic Goodison Park became recognised for. Still, it’s early days.

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