Mansfield Town’s reward for a Carabao Cup First Round victory over East Midlands rivals, Chesterfield, will be an historic trip to Merseyside later this month, and Premier League stalwarts, Everton.

Not only will this Second Round contest be the first cup match to be played at the Toffees’ new, Hill Dickinson Stadium, but it will also be the first competitive meeting between the two sides.

The Toffees were founded way back in 1878, have won nine league titles, five FA Cup successes, and, in 1985, lifted the now-defunct, European Cup Winners’ Cup; on the other side of the coin, the Stags came to life near two decades later, in 1897, and have won the old Third Division once, and the EFL Trophy (then Associate Members’ Cup) once.

To put the difference between the two clubs into even more contrast, Everton’s record signing came in 2017 when they signed Gylfi Sigurdsson from Swansea City, for £45 million, whilst Mansfield’s came in 2024, for striker Will Evans, at approximately £200,000 (undisclosed fee).

Surprisingly, until now, the two sides have never been drawn against each other in either of the FA Cup, or differing variations of the League Cup, whilst the Toffees have only had four seasons outside of English football’s top flight, the latter being in the early-1950s, whilst the Stags have only enjoyed those dizzying heights twice in their history, in 1992-93, and 2002-03.

The only time the two sides have been in opposition, was in the Papa John’s Trophy Second Round, on 30 November 2022, as Mansfield lost 2-1 at Goodison Park (Everton’s now former home) against the Toffees’ U21s side.

Current Mansfield striker, Rhys Oates, scored the opener in this Group Stage match, after just six minutes, with the Toffees not only stealing victory late on with goals from Liam Higgins (now at Bala Town, Wales) and Thomas Cannon (now at Sheffield United), but knocked the Stags out for added measure.

The Stags’ line-up for that late November night was as follows – Scott Flinders, Stephen McLaughlin (Elliott Hewitt), James Perch, Kellan Gordon (Lucas Akins), John-Joe O’Toole, Rhys Oates (Hiram Boateng), Kieran Wallace, Anthony Hartigan, George Maris (George Lapslie), Jordan Bowery, Jason Law (Will Swan)

Fast-forward just shy of three years and the two clubs will now face off, officially, for the first time; in the Everton squad are Nottingham-born central midfielder, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, ex Nottingham Forest loanee midfielder James Garner, and a certain, recent addition to the Toffees squad, ex-Notts County loanee and 2023 Club World Cup, Super Cup, Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup winner, Jack Grealish.

Everton versus Mansfield Town will take place at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, w/c 25 August 2025, ticket information to be released in due course.

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc Mansfield will play at the stunning new Hill Dickinson Stadium.