Great to see around 300 banner and placard-waving fans supporting Saints' stadium plans by congregating at the town's Morrisons store on Saturday to inform shoppers via leaflets of their displeasure at the food giants' objections to the scheme.

St Helens North Labour MP Dave Watts was also present to add his considerable weight and clout to the fight to bring a much-needed state-of-the-art stadium to the borough which will not only further enhance the status and image of a club already at the top of the Super League tree but will play a part in the continued regeneration of the area.

Everything went off in a peaceful and law-abiding manner with the fans obviously conscious of the remarks made by club chairman Eamonn McManus in a recent programme piece when he urged the people of the town to openly and boisterously express their support for the scheme in a constructive manner.

Well done to everybody concerned and let's up the powers-that-be will take your views fully on board.



Saints have played Warrington 34 times in league and cup football since the birth of summer rugby in 1996 - losing on only one occasion in that time.

It must be extremely frustrating for their large army of fans but spare a thought for the one player who over the years will have suffered more than anyone else - St Helens-born Lee Briers.

Half back Lee was brought up within a stone's throw of Knowsley Road and looked to have a bright future with his home-town, helping Saints to the 1997 Challenge Cup Final with a man-of-the-match performance against Salford in the semi final.

But he was axed on the return of club skipper Bobby Goulding and missed what would have been the highlight of his career.

It was a bitter pill to swallow and when the chance to join neighbours Warrington no one was surprised by his decision.

I don't know how deeply it hurt him to be unloaded by his local club at that time but since then his attempts to 'pay them back' haven't gone the way he would have liked.

The Wire, who last beat Saints in 2001, will be hoping to bring that ignominious record to an end when the clubs meet in the fifth round of the Challenge Cup a week on Saturday.

If they do, then I doubt whether any Saints' fans would begrudge one of their own leading his side to victory at Wembley later in the year.