More CCTV? I saw them install two lots on one side of the bridge last week. My guess is that there were a lot of things identified after the Widnes match, not least how there could so easily be trouble as people file out over that bridge.

Apparently it is due to start in about three weeks' time and will take four weeks to complete. The West and East stands along with the North West and North East corners are due to be clad, costing half a million squid (not sure whether that is per stand or in total; I'd imagine per stand). If this doesn't resolve the problem in the North Stand then the North Stand will also be clad, at the same cost again.

read in the planning application that there will be about a dozen CCTV covering the bridge and it approaches.

I hate to be pedantic, but there shouldn't be a full stop after St in St Helens.

Actually, that's incorrect. There should always be a 'full stop' (which actually isn't a full stop) after an abbreviation; it is just that people have fallen out of the habit of putting one there.

i thought that!, St. is short for Saint

It's not an abbreviation though, it's a contraction. If it starts and ends with the first and last letters of the word it is replacing, there is no full stop. For example Dr, Mr, Ltd and St, but if it doesn't then there is a full stop. Esq. Prof. Co. etc. A good example to explain this is, Rt Hon. which uses both a contraction and abbreviation.

And there was me saying I didn't want to be pedantic.

True, since abbreviation and contraction have the same outcome, ie they result in a shortened version of the word.

However, whether abbreviation or contraction, traditional grammar requires a dot/point/stop to be placed after. Dr, Mr, Ltd, St all require stops. That is simply called full punctuation, as opposed to the more common open punctuation used today. It's purpose is to indicate something missing, which there is in both the contraction and the abbreviation (because a contraction is an abbreviation).

PS: I wouldn't take anything applied in Parliament as an indication of general usage!

I don't know where you're getting this bollox from Saints fan but I can only guess it's from a book from the 1930s.

'St' doesn't require a full stop, it is optional. There is no right or wrong. Refer to any dictionary including the OED.

St Helens College has no dot but often the Council will use 'St. Helens Council' Neither is wrong.

You refer to general usage as the arbiter, that is correct. You neeed to research further the general usage of this.

More lettering going on the stadium this morning.

Mrs G just went to Langtree Park and took these rather nice pictures

Reception is looking nice you can see the pictures they have on the walls there and also the TV`s which i think look very nice



KC`s statue



the Signage covers both sides of the entrance now



and I forgot to mention the entrances are lit up as well



very classy

Clearly you need to return to school as you cannot read. I was responding to the claim of PEDANTRY. Now, go look that word up if you don't understand its meaning.

Back to the topic ...

Since freezing rain is due in tomorrow and hail/snow is due in on Friday (oh so typical - Saints are playing!), I do hope the club thoroughly grit the concourses!

Does anybody have any idea if they will be putting more seating in the founders bar? I went in before the Widnes match and it is a large space and it could benefit from some seating, would be a really great place to drink before the game.

Errm, my post related directly to the topic. In that, I pointed out something out on one of the pictures on the 'Stadium Site pictures' thread.
If you want to prattle on about the weather, I suggest you start another thread.

(Cue the searching of the 200 odd pages for the picture of a puddle, that may ice over)!

If they put more seats in then it will restrict the numbers allowed into the bar.

Yeah I understand that but against Widnes there was large parts of the room empty. There was still a considerable amount of people in the bar so I'd imagine it could be possible without having to restrict numbers.

Have many of you guys been round the stadium yet for a sneak preview? Im really looking forwaed to my first visit which hopefully will be about 3rd or 4th home game, only trouble for me is O/Night stays is the Hilton hotel still there not far from the ground? as thats where i used to stay.

are you kidding? when i went in it was about 10 people deep at the bar, you couldnt breath let alone find a place to sit!

I did go into the stadium at about 6:45 so may have got busier!

yeah, it was rammed afterwards bud. I still say if its nice out they should put tables and chairs outside

The hotel is still there but I think it's a park inn now, very conveniently placed for the stadium.

Ah right fair enough, looks like we'll be standing then.

Some people have yes, either as a freebie or on one of the tours. I'm going to be taking a lookie see in the South Stand on Sunday night when I go to the Van Vollenhoven forum. I'm really looking forward to that (although I'm looking forward to tomorrow night even more!).


The hotel is still there only as has been mentioned it is now called the Park Inn. If you don't mind a short drive (or a long walk) there is also the Premier Inn on the Linkway as you come into the town (it is set back from the road on your right as you approach St Helens).

That won't be allowed due to liquor licensing.