They tried but they didn't have enough money. IIRC I don't think the council were too keen on 2 new stadiums either. You thinking of supporting them next?

We beat Quins a couple of weeks ago with a team almost entirely made up of our Academy products and only one of those had their debut at that match, which shows just how much we have used our locally grown players this season (and indeed last season). We have won games and lost games with our Academy lads in the team (including our older Academy lads, such as Wello, Jammer and Robes). Some fans don't have patience, I agree, but for the most part I think you will find that Saints fans have bought into what has been a deliberate club policy over the last few years to grow our own.


That was down to the RFL, not the clubs. Clubs want to win trophies, that is natural. A governing body sets the rules by which and the climate within which clubs seek to do that.


Nope. Not a bean. They came into the project in order to enable the site to be developed. It's a big site; a former glassworks. Saints could never afford to develop the whole site.


You don't know what you are talking about. Not a penny of the Council investment came out of taxpayers money. It all came from the Council's capital budget, not its revenue budget. Initially the Council's contribution was £10 million, purely for infrastructure works including the footbridge (yet to arrive). However, just before it was dismantled, the NWDA awarded a grant of £4 million towards the infrastructure works, so reducing the Council's contribution. Without the Council's contribution the site's infrastructure works would not have been completed and neither Saints nor Tesco could have built on there. But that is part of the role of a Council: to promote regeneration and invest in the future.

Marie Rimmer will take the glory for everything. She is an idiot, especially when her Labour council, prior to the years we had a hung council (when most of the stuff for the new stadium was passed), offered all of £50,000 towards the development, an offer our chairman was not complimentary about at the time.


Wigan couldn't afford to. They bought their success in the 80s and 90s and got themselves into millions of pounds worth of debt. Selling Central Park was the only way they could get rid of that debt. That's the price paid for buying success. Give me youth development and a stadium to call our own any day of the week!

As for London, I seriously hope that one day the SL club there will have its own identity and I reckon taking it more towards the East End could well pay off, especially if the sponsored project takes off. There is a lot of potential in London but it's just a massive place and so no matter where your club is located there is going to be a long trip involved for some people. That means your on field performance needs to be good enough to attract and retain the commitment from fans.

Are you trying to be a comedian? because you fail badly, I note from many of your responses to others you are such a happy person Not! LOL

At least I appreciate SaintsFan that you are always polite, we all support one Great game even if different clubs.

I think I may a little about what I am talking about, you may just look at it in a different way. I did think that the NWDA did contribute.

Know too well about Marie Rimmer, the way she stood in the middle of the Knowlsey Road pitch wanting to take credit at the end! can't understand why voters allowed her to take control back once more? the hung council seemed to work!

The £250,000 sponsorship is now working in the East End, there are some good youngsters coming through the Academy system, one of LMS cousins now signed, but short term if we are going to spend the money that has been allocated for real marketing to attract larger attendances we need to be winning as you say and that is why for the next few seasons we have had to bring in some good signings starting 2012, just wish the new ground would have been ready for this investment by owner David Hughes.

I'm perfectly happy thanks I just get annoyed with turncoat pretend fans like you (who in reality know very little but are only too happy to make stuff up)and some of the moronic Wigan trolls that infest these boards at times.

I am no Pretend fan, though I am unsure what you mean by that statement I was born and educated in St Helens and still Proud of that! I support West Ham United and did support Fulham RL from their first game because I was working in London full time, if that is a Traitor, so be it!

Your unsubstantiated claim I know nothing sums you up, as calling Wigan fans who visit here as [im*****c[/i, which I see as a stupid comment just because they may think different from you, have you heard of tolerance? do you know we get Saints fans visiting our forum does that mean you also see them as [im*****c[/i

We are never going to see eye to eye, I will just ignore you in future that may be best, most rugby league followers get on well together even if and when we support different clubs, but I suppose everyone is not the same! as most people do not need to call others d * * * s & m * * * * * c and you are No1Saint??

Have you seen most of the trolls who come on here? clearly not. All Wigan fans? nah some are ok. I notice in your little story of crap you forgot to mention the fact you WERE a Saints fans. I post on other boards but I dont troll. You make stuff up to suit yourself, like the fiction on St Helens council

Ok kids, lets calm down, jaybs stop trolling and No1 Saint dont swear at him or rise to the bait

No disrespect intended but why are you here on the saints forum upsetting eveyone? The facts about the stadium have been stated in detail but you still want us to imagine that somehow the Council has bailed us out.
Oh if only that was the truth like warrington.



The issue for many fans is that St H B.C. have not helped enough.
So, I wish you were right then Mac could have kept some money in his pocket for for so called big name signings.

No disrespect taken! especially when you are in Warrington! LOL, so tell me as someone born in Parr and educated in the Town why I should not visit my home birth town's RL team forum? I am upsetting everyone LOL, what about all the stupid talk of Wigan fans sleeping with their sisters, talk about the pot calling the kettle.

On the Quins RL Forum we have many visits from fans of every club! plenty Saints fans have visited, it is not a closed shop, not a lot of London fans will visit here just because they don't know a lot about the club or town, I have Never posted on another club forum as it does not interest me.

So until RL Fans BAN anyone posting on another clubs boards (hopefully Never) I will continue to visit! and read, you will note I do not respond on every thread if I don't know enough or it does not interest me! LOL

You have every right to post here fella, just as we have every right to pull you up on your negative nonsense - especially when it's fictional.

Enjoy your stay.

Seriously?

Tomkins - 22
Richards - 29
Carmont - 33
Tomkins - 24
Charnley - 20
Finch - 30
Leuluai - 26
Coley - 33
McIllorum - 23
Lima - 29
Hoffman - 27
Hansen - 25
O'Loughlin - 28

O'Carroll - 24
Farrell - 21
Tuson - 23
Paul Prescott - 25

Average age of the team that played Catalan was 26 and that included a late withdrawal for Lee Mossop to be replaced by someone who is 2 years older. Carmont is getting on and Coley is leaving. They're the only 2 who are 'old'.

Lee Mossop - 22

Yeah but let's be honest, Tomkins and Leuluai will bugger off to the NRL soon.



As for Jaybs, he's a bit like Rogues, on here all the time boring the pants off us with his little digs at Saints.

BOTH the Tomkins brothers will be playing Union very soon.

The average age of the Saints squad is 23. The average age of the team who beat you last weekend was 24.4. But don't worry, you're getting there.

Wigan arnt that old, but dont seem to have replaced Coley or Carmont or Hoffman (I may be wrong) for next year. Wire on the other hand are aging. Their go two players Briers and Morley are well over 30

I find this age discussion pointless. The average age will change each year as youth are brought in and oldies retire.

For me the question to worry about is what does the future look like. For me we have two half backs potentially for the next 10 years.

Wire big game players are aging morley. breirs monaghan and hodgson. With their target of chase signed up to cas long term they will have to look internally.

Wigan have some good youth both in forwards and backs so they will probably feel the loss of players like deacon and hoffman less.

Hoffman for me has been huge for wigan this year a really quality backrower and for me one of their biggest threats two weeks ago until he was put on his backside. He was really motivated and trying to motivate others.

All teams feel the loss of big name players I'm fairly glad wire have tied up dogger monaghan long term on the wing. For me its an overseas spot wasted. Wingers are a penny a dozen and agood spot to introduce new youth players.

But if we are hoping age stops these teams we are sadly mistaken. I think wigan will suffer most this year with the loss of hoffman and the coach coley and deacon. I dont think gorilla man will last long in the top job if he does get it. I give him one season.

If they don't start well he might be auditioning for the Planet of the Apes sequel before June. I hope they don't realise their mistake a snap up Daniel Anderson

You have well risen to the bait Jay

classic read this, scousers bickering amongst themselves

Yes those Everton and Liverpool fans do bicker amongst themselves dont they? however we are from St Helens , Liverpool is that way (points down the East Lancs) just stop when you hit the river, or not , makes no difference to us

Now what was that OP all about????????

stick to the drums chuckles and leave the trolling to the professionals like Rogues