Everton's Carabao Cup Match Delayed for Supporter Access
Kick-off for Everton's Carabao Cup second round match against Mansfield was postponed on Wednesday to ensure supporters had safe access to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The game, originally set to start at 19:45 BST, was delayed by 15 minutes, resulting in a noticeable number of empty seats as the match commenced.
Everton announced on August 16 that the tie was "sold out" at the 52,700 capacity venue, with Mansfield bringing 6,000 traveling fans.
The Hill Dickinson Stadium hosted its inaugural official match on Sunday, where Everton secured a 2-0 victory over Brighton in the Premier League.
On the day of the EFL Cup match, Everton's social media channels, including the fan services account on X, were flooded with complaints from supporters regarding ticketing issues.
The transition to the new stadium from Goodison Park has replaced physical tickets with a digital app; however, some fans reported that they had not received their match tickets in their wallets by Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement, the club explained that the match was delayed "to ensure all supporters have safe access into Hill Dickinson Stadium in time for kick-off."