St. Helens R.F.C. is thrilled to confirm that our stadium will be the new home of Liverpool FC Women from the start of the 2024/25 season as part of a ten-year lease agreement.
An agreement has been reached between Liverpool Football Club and St. Helens R.F.C., representing the next exciting milestone in the growth of Liverpool Women’s first team.
LFC Women will play their home fixtures at St. Helens Stadium in Merseyside from the start of the 24/25 season in a hugely positive and progressive step forward for the women’s football team. A brand-new high-performance Premier League standard pitch is being laid and the LFC Women will have use of enhanced and exclusive player use facilities, and there will be an improved matchday experience for Liverpool supporters.
The stadium will continue to be the home and property of St. Helens R.F.C., with our men’s and women’s Rugby League teams benefitting from the pitch upgrade. With the Rugby League season running from February through to September, LFC Women will have sole occupancy of the stadium for almost half the season.
The LFC Women’s team will also enjoy having their own bespoke dressing room for the very first time, and the red stadium will be revamped for home games to make it look and feel part of the LFC family, including the addition of the club crest and other significant branding.
St. Helens Stadium was chosen as part of a wider review of stadium options by Liverpool Football Club with their existing agreement at Prenton Park coming to an end this season, the decision was made in consultation with players, staff, fans via the club’s Supporters Board and fan surveys. LFC women will play their last home game at Prenton Park against Manchester United on Sunday 5th May.
The new ten-year lease at St. Helens demonstrates Liverpool FC’s long-term commitment to its women’s team and the club’s ongoing desire to provide the players and staff with the best facilities possible, fulfilling the ambitions for LFC Women and support its continued growth.
LFC was keen to ensure the facilities provided for the women’s team on a matchday are the best possible for the players and also to provide a great experience for its growing supporter base.
The move enables Liverpool FC to deliver an improved matchday experience, not only around the ground, but inside with the covered concourses so fans can expect to see an enhanced offering from music, face painting, food and drinks through to kids kick abouts and lots more. There will also be an enhanced food and drinks offering for fans, as well as an opportunity to improve the retail provision for match goers.
The move to St. Helens Stadium follows the significant investment in the acquisition and redevelopment of the AXA Melwood Training Centre, making it one of the best women’s training facilities in the WSL. There is also continued investment in the squad, backroom and wider infrastructure the Women’s First Team and Pro Game Academy.
Susan Black, Liverpool FC’s Director of Communications and Liverpool FC Women Executive Director, said: “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.”
LFC Women manager Matt Beard said: “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 match day 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.”
Eamonn McManus, Chairman of St. Helens R.F.C. welcomed Liverpool FC Women to our home ground stating: “We are delighted to welcome LFC Women and their supporters to our stadium for their home games starting next season.
“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 underway and thank everyone involved for their hard work in achieving this.”
All Liverpool FC Women’s season ticket holders have been informed of the new venue and will be contacted in the coming weeks about renewing for next season. For new enquiries on season tickets for next season, please register your interest here.
The LFC Foundation will be expanding their reach and will look to launch projects specifically for the St Helens area to support girls in sport with more funding for community projects.
