Proud McManus hopes Langtree can host cup games
“I won’t deny how proud we are of it,” admitted St. Helens Chairman, Eamonn McManus as he finished leading a tour of his club’s new home to members of the media.
Speaking about Langtree Park, and the long-awaited return of Rugby League to the town of St. Helens after a season in exile at Widnes, he told Code13, “It’s a culmination of effort by a lot of people. It’s a very high quality facility by any sporting standard, not just by rugby standards, and it’s something that people will want to come to and be a part of.”
One of the aspects McManus is particularly proud of is the fact Langtree Park carries the Saints heritage and identity in a way which is absent from many new stadia. As fans enter the only 360 degree concourse in Super League, they are greeted by murals of St. Helens legends, and each bar carries the name of a great player or rugby connection. There are currently 20 on show, from the likes of Alex Murphy and Steve Prescott, but by May, all available wall space is set to be covered by as many as 50 murals.
McManus explains, “We’re able to do that because we own our stadium, so we’re able to put our stamp and our identity on it. It was a challenge building this stadium, but it was an equally important challenge to bring our history and our heritage with us. We’ve done quite a number of things, both on the public concourse and internally in the stadium to achieve that.”
The 18,000 capacity stadium, (11,000 seats, 7,000 standing – decided after consultation with fans) also boasts its own special brew, the 4% Saints Gold courtesy of brewing partner, Robinson’s of Stockport. The Chairman laughed that Robinson’s were chosen because he liked it, but pointed out the link-up was also the best deal for the club. It has so far proved popular, selling-out on the stadium’s opening night for the Karalius Cup friendly against Widnes.
The concourse will also play host to markets and trade fairs on non-matchdays. Alongside this unusual method of generating revenue are the corporate facilities, which have already received an influx of bookings,
“The whole point of the exercise is to make the team and the club commercially viable, so every avenue of revenue that we can legitimately exploit we will be doing,” continued McManus,
“Certainly the corporate facilities here are second to none in a radius of 20 or 30 miles. We’re looking to utilise those on a daily basis, and the bookings we’ve got in the first six months recognise that.”
Situated on the site of the old United Glass warehouse, Langtree Park’s pitch is large enough to accommodate the maximum playing dimensions, (68 metres wide) and is watered by a sprinkler system from an underground tank fed by rain water from the roof of the main stand. There is no undersoil heating, however, as it was not seen as a sensible option due to cost as the pitch will not be used during the winter off-season.
The club also hope the RFL see Langtree Park as a potential venue for Challenge Cup semi-finals and internationals such as the Exiles match. Both changing rooms are the same size, and an additional 2 changing rooms for academy teams are also available. There is a corporate sponsors’ lounge large enough to accommodate 350 guests, and the stadium is only 5 minutes’ walk from the town’s train and bus stations.
“We’d be very disappointed if we don’t, (get these games) and something that’s recognised by the governing body is the quality of the stadium. This is a showcase stadium not just for St. Helens, but for the sport; and the sport should be using it,” added McManus, who also pointed-out how not just the club have already benefited from the stadium,
“I think it’s uplifted everybody’s spirits. The town is as big a beneficiary as the club. The sport is also as big a beneficiary as the club -it’s a great shot in the arm for all concerned.
“Our average (season ticket sales) at Knowlsey Road were 5,000 and we’ve sold 10,000 so that’s a great platform for everything.”
Friday 10th February
20:00 St. Helens vs Salford City Reds
