What’s It Like Driving into Liverpool on a Match Day?
With both Liverpool and Everton boasting grounds on the outskirts of Liverpool city centre, you might think that the more central areas of the city wouldn’t be too bad for traffic on days when one of the two clubs is playing a home match.
That isn’t really true, however, with tens of thousands of people arriving into Liverpool in order to enjoy the bars and restaurants that it has to offer. That means that traffic can be something of a nightmare at certain times, depending on where it is that you want to be driving. You believe that walking is a good alternative, but neither Anfield nor Goodison Park are easy to walk to.
The Clubs Have Different Sized Grounds
The first thing that is important to understand is that the level of traffic is going to be different depending on whether it is Liverpool or Everton that are playing a match at their home ground. Whilst both teams won’t be playing at home at the same time, you are still likely to come across a larger number of people if it is Anfield that is being used rather than Goodison Park.
Anfield has a capacity of more than 61,000, whilst Goodison’s official capacity is less than 40,000. It means that around 21,000 or so more people are going to be heading to the city for a Liverpool game than if Everton were playing, assuming both sell out.
The distance between Goodison Park and Anfield
Everton v Liverpool pic.twitter.com/yeOasjoMKN— TALKINGSPORTSWITHMC (@SPORTSWITHMC) April 24, 2024
Even when Everton make the move to Bramley Moor Dock, which is currently scheduled to take place before the 2025-2026 season, there will be a maximum of just shy of 53,000 people in attendance, so nearly 10,000 less than would be going to Anfield. The bad news regarding the new stadium is that it is located along the waterfront, much closer to the centre of town than either Anfield or Goodison.
That means that match days in the city centre will be even more hectic than they are at the moment, with the likes of the dock road busy with traffic as everyone heads towards the stadium to watch a match being played.
Different Times & Months Will Alter the Level of Traffic
Another thing to bear in mind is that the level of traffic in Liverpool will differ depending on the time of the match and the time of year that it is being played. People are a lot more likely to head to to the game in a car during the winter months, wanting to take advantage of the warmth on offer rather than having to use public transport or walk.
In the summer months, on the other hand, people will be happy to walk up towards the stadium in order to take advantage of the more pleasant temperatures. Matches that kick-off in the evening run the risk of seeing traffic combine with rush hours, which will obviously cause more problems.
The Tunnels will be Busy
If you’re based on the Wirral or heading to the match via the peninsula then you’ll have to drive over through either the Kingsway Tunnel in Birkenhead or the Queensway Tunnel in Wallasey. The problem is that people have to pay for their journey through the tunnels, which is obviously time consuming. When you add in that some drivers will inevitably go into the wrong queue and slow everyone down, that makes it an even more irritating experience.
@grumpsgg timelapse of 3 minute 30second journey through the Kingsway Mersey Tunnel in Liverpool. #merseytunnel #timelapse
The best thing to do is to avoid the queues by heading over to Liverpool at least two hours before the match that you’re watching is due to kick-off, when it should be quieter.
Around the Grounds Will be Heaving
The one place where you’ll really to want to avoid going in the car is close to either of the grounds. The roads in the immediate vicinity are all but closed with a couple of hours to go before kick-off, so you won’t be able to get particularly close anyway.
There is often official parking for disabled supporters close by, but you will then be stuck in the traffic around the ground in the immediate aftermath of the full-time whistle, with supporters both walking and in their own cars making their way home, so it’s difficult for you to get anywhere quickly.
Parking in Town
There are a number of places you can park in the centre of the city, with the likes of the car park for the Liverpool One being a good choice thanks to how central it is and how many spaces are available. You can park in other locations too, but you need to bear in mind any restrictions that might be in place. The big issue with parking in the centre of town is that you need to get out to the ground that they match is being played in.
@liverpoolbars Football day ⚽️⚽️⚽️ #concertsquare #liverpool #liverpoolbars #liverpoolfootball
One of the most obvious choices is to take a taxi, but obviously this is an expensive endeavour, especially if you’re also paying for parking. There are special buses put on for both clubs, but they will often be very busy.
Parking Close to the Stadium
Whether you’re off to see Everton play at Goodison Park or you want to watch Liverpool at Anfield, you can park close to the ground if you’re willing to walk a little bit as well as take a chance with where your car is parked.
Local youths will often offer to ‘look after your car’, so it’s recommended to have a couple of quid on you and give them some when you leave and tell them they’ll get more if they’re still there when you get back. Whatever you choose to do, bear in mind that traffic after the end of the match will be heavy.
Non-Football Fans
It is not out of the realms of the possible that you’re looking to head into Liverpool on a match day but not for the football. The good news is that the traffic will be busy for an hour or so before the game and an hour or so afterwards, but during the time that the game is being played it will be relatively quite.
That being said, Liverpool is a popular city, often seeing the likes of stag dos and hen parties heading into the centre in order to enjoy the pubs and bars that are on offer. This can mean that is busy with plenty of people even without taking the football into account, so parking won’t be easy and traffic will be heavy when the full-time whistle goes.
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