Championship side Preston North End will host Huddersfield Town at Everton's former stadium, Goodison Park, in their Carabao Cup first round match at 3pm on Saturday, August 8. Despite being the home side, Preston will not play the fixture at their own ground.
Pitch investment at Deepdale
Preston are 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.
EFL application and approval
To protect their substantial financial investment and ensure there are no pitch issues, 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.
Last Goodison Park fixture
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. The famous ground served as Everton's beloved home for 133 years before the club officially moved to their new stadium ahead of the 2025/26 season.
Everton Women
Since the men's team departed the stadium, Goodison Park has become the sole permanent home for Everton Women and their youth development squads. Hosting this Carabao Cup tie gives football fans a rare opportunity to see senior men's competitive action return.
Hill Dickinson Stadium
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 impressive new venue accommodates nearly 53,000 fans, offering roughly 13,000 more seats than Goodison Park.
