Bramley Moore Dock: From Slavery to Football at the New Home of Everton FC

Robert Waterhouse's latest book coincidentally comes at a time when football clubs are grappling with their historical ties to exploitation-based wealth. Waterhouse delves deeply into the complex and often troubling history of the site that will become Everton FC's new home as the club prepares for its historic move to the £760 million Bramley-Moore Dock stadium in summer 2025.
This meticulously researched work weaves together three distinct but interconnected narratives: Liverpool's role as Britain's largest slave port, the story of John Bramley-Moore's connections to slavery through Brazilian coffee plantations, and Everton FC's own historical links to the slave trade through its early patrons and Methodist church foundations. What emerges is a nuanced exploration of how the wealth generated from human trafficking shaped not just a city but the very foundations of English football.
Waterhouse, already respected for his previous works including "Everton: The Fans: Born, Not Manufactured" and "Liverpool FC Ruined My Life," brings his characteristic attention to detail and accessible writing style to this challenging subject matter. His background as a retired teacher serves him well here, as he carefully guides readers through complex historical connections while never losing sight of the human cost at the heart of this story.
The book's examination of Everton's 30-year journey to find a new home is particularly compelling, detailing the failed attempts at King's Dock and Kirkby before finally settling on Bramley-Moore. But rather than simply chronicling real estate dealings, Waterhouse uses this modern narrative as a lens through which to examine Liverpool's 800-year transformation from medieval port to slave-trading hub to its current regeneration.
What sets this book apart is its unflinching approach to difficult truths. While some institutions might prefer to gloss over their connections to slavery, Waterhouse makes a compelling case for why understanding this history is crucial for both football fans and society at large. The author's exploration of how the Methodist church, which played a key role in founding Everton FC, was itself entangled with slavery adds another layer of complexity to an already multifaceted narrative.
The timing of this publication, coinciding with Everton's imminent move to their new home, gives the book additional resonance. Waterhouse's work, as test events prepare to begin at the new stadium, ensures that fans entering this state-of-the-art facility will understand the significance of the ground beneath their feet and the weight of history it carries.
Perhaps the book's greatest achievement is how it demonstrates that sports history is inseparable from social history. Through careful research and compelling storytelling, Waterhouse shows how the beautiful game we know today was shaped by the ugly realities of Britain's colonial past.
While the subject matter is undeniably heavy, Waterhouse manages to maintain an engaging narrative throughout, making complex historical connections accessible without oversimplifying them. The book serves as both a vital historical document and a timely reminder that understanding our past is crucial to building a more equitable future.
For Everton supporters, this book is essential reading, offering crucial context about their club's new home. But its appeal extends far beyond football fans. Anyone interested in British history, social justice, or the ways in which historical injustices continue to shape our present will find much to ponder in these pages. 
Waterhouse has produced a work that does more than just document history; it challenges readers to think deeply about how we reckon with difficult aspects of our past while building for the future. In doing so, he's created what may prove to be his most important contribution to football literature yet. 
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Published: February 17, 2025
Price: £13.99
Paperback: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1836802021
ISBN-13: 978-1836802020
Dimensions: 234 x 250 (mm)