Knowsley Road, St Helens

Correspondent

Knowsley Road Stadium
St. Helens Rugby League Football Club
Dunriding Lane
St.Helens
Merseyside
WA10 4AD

Home to: St Helens (Super League). Also St Helens Town FC.
Capacity: 17,500
Opened: 1890

Impressions: A great shame that St Helens haven't got a ground that matches their on the field success. The shed end for away fans barely keeps the rain off, particularly on a treacherous February evening at the start of the season! The scoreboard isn't up to much either, although at least it works, which is less than what can be said about certain other grounds. The so called executive boxes look more like mobiles. It's a shame too that the club shop wouldn't put up any postcards for Last Tackle when I went in in September too. An effort has been made to improve one of the sides with seating, but in general the ground could either do with a major makeover or Saints could do with a whole new ground altogether. The atmosphere created though is kept within the stands, with the fans fairly close to the pitch, particularly at either end of the ground. However, the near 120 year history of one of Rugby League's traditional grounds must be maintained and remembered, along with all the other famous grounds within the heartlands of our wonderful game.

Records: Highest Attendance: 35,695 v. Wigan, 26 Dec 1949

History:

Ticket Prices: Ground – Adult: £16, OAP: £10, Student: £10
Stand – Adult: £21, OAP: £15, Student: £15
Family Stand – Adult: £16, Junior: £10

Directions: Directions from the A580
Turn off for St Helens at the traffic lights at junction with A570 (Rainford by-pass); there is a BP/Safeway garage at the junction. Turn immediately right on the B5201 (Bleak Hill Road), and follow the brown information signs to the ground (approximately 2 miles).

Directions from the M62
Turn off at Junction 7, take the A570 (St Helens Link Road) and head towards the town centre. After the McDonalds roundabout, turn left at the next roundabout (Ravenhead Retail Park), go past Hilton St Helens, then turn left at the roundabout, and follow the brown information signs to the ground (approximately 1.5 miles).

Car Parking: For parking around Knowley Road, there is very little on site parking so you have to park in some of the side streets. De La Salle school have their school car park open for fans to use for £2 then it's a couple of minute walk to the ground from there. Another good place to park is a road called Millfields which is again a couple of minute walk from the ground.

Local Pubs: There are 3 pubs located near the ground. The Black Bull just outside Knowsley Road and Eagle I'th Hand which is just down the road from Knowlsey Road's main entrance.

Fans View: Knowsley Road is the home of St Helens and one of the oldest ground in Super League. It's old and not a very posh, modern ground. Normally in most places that you stand you can have a good view and the atmosphere can be brilliant. But some of the facilities are very poor. I've heard bad reports about the baby changing facilities and one of the toilets behind the away stand is appalling. But the toilets in the main stand are quite nice. Three stands are standing and one is seating, all of the stands except one has a roof over it. For views, atmosphere and entertainment Knowsley Road is a good ground, but the facilities could be modernised a bit. (Chris Marsden)