Liverpool FC Women to Play at St Helens Stadium in 2024/25
The squad faced a number of pitch-quality concerns at Prenton Park
The club have announced today a new agreement situating the Liverpool FC Women’s matches for 2024/25 at St Helens Stadium in St Helens, Merseyside, with plans for a number of matches to take place at Anfield. The 10-year lease suggests a level of permanence lacking in recent years in terms of the club’s commitment to its women’s side.
St Helens Stadium is home to Rugby League side St Helens R.F.C., and is known for sponsorship reasons in Rugby League as the Totally Wicked Stadium. The stadium capacity is upwards of 18,000.
The ground is further from the city center — about double the travel time on public transportation or for drivers — than Prenton Park, though no detail on supporter transportation for matchdays has been released at present, though interest in a direct coach has already been raised in supporter forums.
The key element of this move is pitch quality: a high-performance Premier League-standard pitch is being laid at St Helens, which will be an upgrade on the pitch at Prenton Park, which occasionally saw matches affected by waterlogged conditions.
Further, the limited Rugby League calendar (men’s and women’s runs February to September) means that LFC Women will be sole occupants for a large portion of the WSL season.
The Reds will have a bespoke dressing room for the first time, an element of the matchday experience that has long been overlooked.
Matt Beard is excited about this step for his side, who recently completed the double over last year’s champions, Chelsea:
“This is the exciting next chapter on our journey, and I’m absolutely delighted with this investment from the club.
“At the heart of this move are the two most important groups at the club: the players and the fans. The players will have a wonderful new pitch and facilities to enjoy, while the matchday experience for the supporters will be so much improved.
“We’ve built up a loyal following at Prenton Park and we look forward to welcoming them to St Helens along with hopefully opening up the women’s game to many new supporters as well.”
St Helens Stadium will also feel more like home. Tranmere play in blue and white, which made LFC Women home games feel a bit like aways; in contrast, St Helens Stadium is red, and LFC-specific branding will be added to make the ground feel more familiar.
Fans will benefit from upgrades in the concourse experience as well — most notably in the coverage and added spaces for vending and enhanced offerings aimed specifically at younger fans.
Susan Black, LFC’s director of communications and Liverpool FC Women executive director, is enthusiastic about the move and what it means for the side:
“This is another step forward for our women’s first team and we’re so excited to relocate to a new long-term home.
“Our players and incredible supporters were at the forefront of our decision-making process. We are confident St Helens will be a great matchday home and will look and feel part of the Liverpool family.
“We would like to place on record our great thanks to Mark Palios and the wider team at Tranmere Rovers for their great support over six seasons at Prenton Park on a matchday and of course at The Campus.
“As founding members of the Women’s Super League, we want to continue the work we’ve put in place and continue to progress in the league both on and off the pitch.
“Our next chapter for our women’s first team is about building solid foundation stones and today’s matchday venue announcement is another positive step forward on our journey.”
For their part, St Helens R.F.C. view this agreement as mutually beneficial:
“The arrangement will provide St. Helens R.F.C. with a new state-of-the-art pitch, as well as additional income streams for our club.
“Liverpool FC is a world-renowned football club and sporting institution, and LFC Women are a leading participant in the rapidly growing Women’s Super League. It is high-profile recognition that our stadium and its facilities meet the ever-increasing requirements of this prestigious competition.”
David Hutchinson, general manager of St. Helens R.F.C., said: “We are very proud to have secured this partnership with Liverpool FC Women at a time when women’s sport is at a pivotal stage in its growth and development.
“This comes at a time when participation, media exposure and commercial awareness for women’s football and rugby are at an all-time high. Hosting Liverpool FC Women will increase visitors to the stadium and offer up fantastic crossover opportunities for both our sports.
“We are very excited to get things under way and thank everyone involved for their hard work in achieving this.”
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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