Swinton Finalise Plans For New Stadium

Swinton have finalised plans for a new stadium and announced a short-term move to Sale's Heywood Road ground. The Lions have been forced to play their league games at Salford and Widnes since their promotion from League 1 because their Sedgeley Park home does not meet the minimum requirements for Kingstone Press Championship rugby. Now the club say they have signed a lease on a 7.3 acre site at Agecroft, within the traditional boundaries of Swinton and Pendlebury, where they plan in conjunction with Salford City Council to build a new community stadium within the next three years. Swinton chief executive Steve Wild said: Like all other Swinton fans, it remains my dream to see the Lions playing back in Swinton where they belong. For the Lions to have been unable to play in the town for the past 24 years is a tragedy which has arguably cost us a generation of potential fans.But the construction of this facility will not only have Swinton playing back in Swinton, but it will also place the club at the heart of the community, both in sporting and non-sporting terms. It's an incredibly exciting project which will help re-galvanise the local population behind the club and consolidate our position in the higher reaches of the sport where we belong.'' In the meantime, subject to gaining approval from the Rugby Football League, Heywood Road will become the club's home venue for at least the rest of the 2016 season, starting with the visit of Featherstone on Sunday week, a move welcomed by head coach John Duffy.Myself and the players fully understand the position that the club is in but, from a playing perspective, we need to find a settled home venue quickly,'' Duffy said. This season we've not really enjoyed home advantage yet, but hopefully we can make Heywood Road a difficult place for our visitors.It's a nice wide pitch which will suit the way we set up and the facilities there are excellent. Myself and the players would urge our fans to back us there in numbers and make it an intimidating ground for the opposition.''

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