whilst looking around the web i came across this website for st helens new stadium. by the look of the plans it looks very impressive

heres the link

http://www.sthelensstadium.com/default.htm

Looks good. They really need one. Knowsley Rd is really showing its age.

Wow.. and a Tesco extra.

that tesco's will do good business.

Leigh Sports Village, the new home of Leigh Centurions will host matches from this year. Reminds me of Halliwell Jones Stadioum in Warrington.

http://www.leighsportsvillage.co.uk/sta ... adium_id=4

Inside it looks like something straight out of Soviet Russia - a deliberate and considered lack of style. It's like they go out of their way to ensure blandness for the working class fans.

Meantime, in the hospitality areas - well they're fit for a king (just so long as he doesn't wear a replica shirt).

It's a lot better than Hilton Park where Leigh Centurions and Leigh RMI are moving from.

Salford's not the only English RL club to get a new ground. St Helens' Langtree Park Stadium opened last Friday with a friendly between St Helens and Widnes. Capacity is around 18,000 but it is currently reduced to 12,000 after winds blew off part of the new roof. What a coincidence that the two Saints in the world's rugby league competitions have suffered the same fate at their new facilities?

I was at Saints' former home ground Knowsley Road for one of their last ever games. It goes without saying the new venue is a big improvement. World clarsh, city centre location and they've incorporated some standing areas. Here's a slideshow.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/multimed ... -29786967/

More info here: http://www.saintsrlfc.com/news/974

The rush for new stadiums comes as club want to bring their grounds into the 21st century. Super League also has a licensing system that has replace promotion and relegation over the past four years. Besides looking at onfield performances, clubs need to meet certain criteria in terms of finances, stadium and player development. Other SL clubs and non-SL clubs are trying to develop their ground to help meet or strengthen their rating on the criteria. Castleford and Wakefield are in planning stages, Featherstone acquired a grandstand from Scarborough, etc. Good for us stadium buffs.

Super League stadiums look like the perfect small rectangular grounds. St Helens, Salford, Warrington - all have lovely little grounds with mixes of seats and standing, cover for pretty much everyone and they're *cheap*.

Someone should send the plans to A-League, Super Rugby and NRL club owners with a note saying "Learn, guys..."

Or at least send it to the governments that build them. 25m quid to build according to Wikipedia. That can't be right, or can it?

Hells yeah. Love the terraces at SL games.

Nicked from SSC:

Pitchside:


Sideline view:


Along the side:


Up the pitch:


Hillsborough style crush event clearly about to happen, plus eruption of hooliganism, cats mating with dogs, rains of fishes and frogs...

That last photo: build that roofed terrace at Bluetongue, Newcastle, Adelaide, Perth Oval. Brilliant

The main side you could nick from Doncaster or any of the other flatpack stadiums in England. The other three sides and the ellipse-shaped roof set it apart from such venues.