Published to coincide with the Heseltine Institute’s Annual Lecture 2025, this briefing by Tom Arnold explores how Liverpool’s two Premier League clubs act as anchor institutions within the city, contributing to economic development, community wellbeing and civic identity. As global sporting brands with deep local roots, both Liverpool FC and Everton FC deliver extensive social value and support thousands of local jobs.
The briefing highlights the wider role of football in shaping local economies and neighbourhoods. It examines how stadium developments, including Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, can stimulate regeneration when aligned with local policy goals. It also considers how clubs’ cultural significance and community programmes contribute to Liverpool’s social fabric.
In a momentous year for football in Liverpool, this briefing provides timely insights into the increasingly complex relationship between Premier League clubs and the communities they represent.
Football and the city [PDF 0.5MB]
DOI: 10.17638/03194536
Image credit: Bardhok Ndoji, licensed by Getty Images.
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