Finch Farm
Everton F.C.'s training complex in Halewood, Merseyside.
Finch Farm, the training base of Everton F.C., sits on a 55-acre site in Halewood, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, Merseyside. The complex is home to the club’s men’s and women’s first teams as well as its youth academy. Some fans call it the School of Science, borrowing a long-standing nickname for Everton.
The club originally looked for land in Liverpool but settled on this greenbelt site, off Higher Road and Finch Lane, despite opposition from some local residents. Plans for the Cheshire County Council-owned land were drawn up in 2002. Everton bought the site in 2006, sold it for £2.1 million, and then had it developed to their specifications by ROM Capital (later Hudson Capital Properties). The architects, North-West-based AFL, designed the facility under a contract valued at £9 million. A site worker died during the final stages of construction. Upon completion, ROM Capital valued Finch Farm at £17 million. Everton signed a 50-year lease with ROM Capital, with an option to purchase the site every five years.
The first team officially moved in on 9 October 2007, later than the planned pre-season date. Between the 2006/07 and 2007/08 financial years, the club’s other operating costs jumped from £11.7 million to £21.1 million, a rise largely attributed to Finch Farm. In its annual report, Everton described the extra costs as a necessary investment to provide training facilities befitting a Premier League club of its standing.
In October 2011, Hudson Capital Properties put Finch Farm on the market for £15.3 million. It sold in May 2013 to Liverpool City Council for £12.9 million. In July 2016, the council announced £4 million in improvements to the grounds.
The facility includes ten full-size grass pitches spread across three plateaus, one of which is floodlit, plus a floodlit synthetic pitch, specialist training areas for fitness work and goalkeepers, and an exact replica of the Goodison Park pitch. Inside are separate changing rooms for the senior squad and academy players, a gym, an indoor synthetic training pitch, hydrotherapy pools, a spa, a sauna, physiotherapy rooms, a media centre, and a video editing suite.
Quick Facts
- Nickname
- School of Science
- Address
- Finch Lane, / Halewood, Merseyside, L26 3UE
- Event
- Everton u-18 / Everton Men's Pan-Disability Team / Everton Men's Deaf Team
- Built
- 2006
- Opened
- 9 October 2007 (open 2007 · 10 · 9 years)
- Owner
- Liverpool City Council
- Cost
- £14-17m
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Everton originally sought land in Liverpool but eventually settled on a 55-acre site off Higher Road and Finch Lane in Halewood. Some Halewood residents opposed the plans because the training complex and academy were built on greenbelt land. The club acquired Finch Farm in 2006, sold the land for £2.1 million, and had it developed to their specification by ROM Capital (an arm of the aAim Group), later known as Hudson Capital Properties. A site worker was killed during the final stages of development. The first team squad officially moved to the complex on 9 October 2007, later than the target date of pre-season.
Reader's Guide
Finch Farm represents a significant investment in Everton's infrastructure, with operating costs rising from £11.7 million to £21.1 million between the 2006/07 and 2007/08 financial years, largely attributed to the new facility. The club described it as a necessary investment to provide appropriate training facilities for a Premier League club of Everton's standing. The complex features ten full-size grass pitches on three plateaus, a floodlit synthetic pitch, specialist training areas, and an exact recreation of the Goodison Park pitch. Inside are changing facilities, a gym, synthetic indoor training pitch, hydrotherapy pools, spa, sauna, physiotherapy rooms, a media centre, and a video editing suite. Hudson Capital Properties put Finch Farm on sale in October 2011 for £15.3 million; it was sold to Liverpool City Council in May 2013 for £12.9 million. In July 2016, the council announced £4 million in improvements to the training grounds.
Did You Know?
- Finch Farm was built on greenbelt land, which some Halewood residents opposed.
- Everton signed a 50-year tenancy agreement with ROM Capital for Finch Farm, with an option to purchase every 5 years.
- The complex includes an exact recreation of the pitch at Goodison Park.
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