For some (like me), last night's game was the first experience of Langtree Park. I didn't want to bring up the old thread from after the Widnes game, so thought I would start a new thread to see what people's thoughts were, and for those that went to the Widnes game, if any of the "snags" had been resolved.

There's no doubting that the approach to the stadium is fantastic - it's is a pretty impressive frontage.

Pre match was spent in the founders bar, drinking the very fine tipple of Saints Gold. Service was excellent, and £2.80 a pint is good value.

I have a season ticket in North Stand B (unallocated). We got through our turnstiles pretty quick - no more than 5 mins. The queues for the West Stand looked pretty long around 7.30 - had to walk on the grass to get around the back of the queues.

Managed to get 4 seats more or less where we wanted (back), although we had friends on the very back row keeping them for us. View is spectacular - the South Stand looks really impressive. Pitch looked immaculate too - credit to all those that worked on it during the week. It was absolutely freezing, partly due to the wind, so when the ends gets cladded, it may become a bit more sheltered. Also, aesthetically, it looks kind of unfiinshed without the cladding (I know this has been talked to death).

Got a drink before kick off from one of the North stand bars. No issues with the concourses, although it wasn't raining of course. Service wasn't particulary great (or quick), but they sold Saints Gold for the same price. It looked like the hold ups where with the till operators, as they had pre-poured drinks on the back counter. Hopefully, they will improve over time.

All this Saints Gold meant I had to frequent the toilet, and what a nice change having a roof and not urinating up against a brick wall!! Plenty of room, didn't have to queue.

Managed to hear all the announcements over the PA system fine, including Eamon's speech using the pitch side microphone.

Thought the ceremonial stuff was very good - liked Eamonn's speech (which echoed his comments in the very good programme), nice touch having Murphy, Cunningham and Koslett with the ribbon cutting, guard of honour by past players was excellent, and Tom Van Vollenhoven bringing out the match ball was the icing on a very good cake.

Getting out of the stadium after the game was easy enough - we walked south along the linkway, away from Tescos, and there were no issues with crowd. No hold ups with traffic either once in the car.


Summary - a great night, and extremely impressed by our fabulous new stadium. It's a real credit to all involved, especially Eamonn. Can't wait for 2 weeks time, and some more Saints Gold!

How did the atmosphere compare to kr? Certainly sounded loud on the tele, and the sIngong came over well.

Best atmosphere for a Salford game thats for sure.

Just hope that the two blokes sat behind me weren't season ticket holders. One especially was a know-it-all with verbal diarrhoea, never shut up with what he thought was smart-d critique on the game and individual players. Had a real downer on Perry. Drove me mad.

I think saints learned a lot from the Widnes game and last night was a huge step and massive step forward for the club.

Obviously the cladding wasn't done but I think the club listened to the fans problems from the Widnes game and sorted all of them out.

Great atmosphere for what's deemed as a normally quite game and great to see the old players clap the players out.

Very enjoyable night!

Same problem again in the West stand. A person spent the second half stood near me telling his mates he had switched from the North stand and kidded the steward that he had been in the West from the start.

Very true good atmosphere. Was not blistering but I did not expect it to be. But definately built up during the match. I put that down to people being in general very polite. Most people are sat between strangers and people they don't know so it takes time for some to settle into giving it some.

Had 3 young lads in front of me, so toned it down a bit , but by half time they where giving the ref merry hell so that was quite funny. I think the atmosphere will get better and better as next time there will be less of a looking at the venue and catching up with old friends.

The salford bunch sang all match long and were generally good humoured, 'were only a few but louder than you'

funnily the biggest shout from the east stand was when the young lad got a head high tackle during the half time. I like that we are still doing that, love watching the youth rugby.

All in all good friendly atmosphere not menacing yet for away teams, and we are yet to find our 'forward voice' which would have helped on that first salford try to put a bit more pressure on the ref as it was a very 'line ball'

We need to give merry hell about all the lying on too and robes needs a little more arm waving, they could have boiled a cup of tea during some of those tackles in the first half.

I can see why on a rainy night there may be issues, it was cold but not exposed to the wind where we were, so I can see why cladding is not being done urgently as it's mainly asthetic when dry. I do wonder if there maybe a longer term plan to expand the boxes. The places where they are on the south side is where the gaps would be on the rest of the stands. If they build more boxes in future, then the cladding could go on the back of these, which may not effect the wind loading on the structure itself as the boxes could be a structure within a structure. But I'm not an engineer.

What I will add tho, all the posters on here that gave people stick for posting their problems after the Widnes game might just realise now that without constructive critism then these problems may not have been fixed.

It really pi$$ed me off with all the crap certain posters was posting like, stop moaning it's the first brand new stadium in over 100 years and saying how ungrateful we was because we was stating out problems (not bagging the club or stadium).

Well done saints!

This is my point though, people pay their money and can say what they like. Some may say I had a downer on Lance as he was a bit naff at times. But I don't really want to go to a match and then sit in silence, I'm passionate and want to shout, and discuss things with those I'm with. I'd be bored silly just sitting watching, occasionally clapping for a try.

I think you have to accept people have differing view point on players. I thought Flannery was pap at the game and said so, I was not abusive but said I hope they get dixon on for him soon. Well I may have been right last night , but on another night flannery may have then gone and scored 2 and made my comments look stupid. So long as fans aren't booing Saints players or really giving them abuse, I don't mind anyone having their opinion, even if that was for example, 'that roby is overhyped and a waste of space'. They have paid their money and can say what they like, they may be wrong or right but at least they are there.

Of course they can. But in the predominantly standing KR, you could just move away. Having a season ticket for a particular seat condemns you to have to listen to the moron droning on. And on. And on. And on.

Seriously, he never shut up. Imagine one of those know-everything sorts in the pub, who has an opinion on anything and everything. loves the sound of his own voice, and spouts off regardless that he's annoying the **** out of everyone else.

And you're stuck in the seat in front of him.

Well if it was the seats then I think your stuck, unless it was me. I'm not a season ticket holder so will be elsewhere next time.

I'm sat next to a big fat idiot that takes up two seats and just shouts get them onside.


He also was shouting how he seen the ball touch the ground on a video ref call without seeing the replay yet and sitting at the opposite side of the pitch.

I'm pretty sure he will end up with a black eye before the season is out.

It must have been Rogues

For me the big issue with the night was that the tills were very slow.

Its not the staff. The girl that served me pressed the buttons and was stood there saying sorry while she waited for the till to open. Sort this issue with the tills and the queues will move far quicker as they had a counter full of beer waiting to be given to people. Could be a software issue that needs tweaking, or a network issue due to the lan not having the capacity to send enough data to the till servers quick enough to process payments.Or maybe it was just that the till itself had a rubbish touch screen interface.

I also noticed that in the North West turnstile that i went through that the electronic ticket machine wasnt working, and instead a bloke was in the booth just looking at tickets. He wasnt even scanning them. However the queues were far smaller getting into the groundt han for the Widnes friendly.

A good thing from the night was that they had blocked off the walkway down the sides of Tesco's. I had raised this with the police after the Widnes friendly, and it looks like the problem was taken onboard with people being sent down the proper Boulevard.

Didnt go over the bridge this time post match, instead went via Peasley cross. Quite a lot of people were using this route compared to the Widnes friendly. Probably after seeing the hassle getting over the bridge last time out.

Oh and tried to park on Ravenhead retail park but they had signs up saying they would tow match day cars away. They also had people in yellow jackets walking round taking down number plates. Ended up on Birchley street which is a bit of a trek 15 mins , but was a breeze to park in and get away from.

I also noticed plenty of cars using St.Helens retail park, despite there being barriers to this retail park. The barriers were up, but on another day they may be down, in which case you have a bit of an issue getting out

I understand your frustration as I have heard Wigan friends tell me similar stories, but to be fair people did have a choice. This is precisely the reason we chose not to sit for the season even if the view is better, you are taking a chance if you end up sat next to people that wind you up.