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Rugby League

St Helens takeover rejected

20/04/2007

Eamonn McManus, the chairman of St Helens, has revealed he rejected a takeover bid for the rugby league club from an Irish-based consortium.

The 50-year-old owner described the offer as "a total farce" and said it had been "knocked back immediately".

"They had never seen a rugby league game in their lives and didn't even know where St Helens was," he said.

"There is no way I would ever sell my share in the club to anyone unless I felt they could do a better job than me."

McManus was born and bred in the Merseyside town and has turned around the club's fortunes since he joined the board five years ago.

Then, the club was thought to be around £4 million in debt but the business-side of the club has since been transformed so that they are now expected to turn a profit this year.

McManus' business acumen came hand-in-hand with his knowledge of the local community and the sport of rugby league itself and it is this all-round package that has seen an upturn in the club's on-field fortunes in recent years as well.

In 2006, St Helens completed a clean sweep of domestic trophies and followed this up with victory over the Brisbane Broncos in the World Club Challenge last month, and McManus admitted that he was not surprised at the outside interest.

"There are always people interested in buying and selling, like there are in any business," he continued.

"But I have a controlling shareholding in the club and I'm committed to the club for at least another five years, with the new stadium and beyond.

"Within the next few weeks, we should have a detailed announcement and press conference about the new stadium."

McManus is thought to be on the brink of agreeing terms over the proposed move away from St Helens' long-term home of Knowsley Road, one of the most famous venues in the sport.

The club have been housed within the ground since 1890 but the current management want to move away to a brand new home, with McManus believed to have contributed a purse of £2 million from his own money to the relocation cause.

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