Open day important (From Warrington Guardian)

Open day important

WOLVES supporters can try out their match day viewing positions on Sunday when The Halliwell Jones Stadium has its open day.

The stadium's doors will be open from 2pm for an event which is of high importance to the club for putting its health and safety procedures into practice before February 21's new season start.

It will be an ideal occasion for fans to check out their seats or preferred standing spots for Tetley's Super League IX and hopefully Powergen Challenge Cup matches ahead.

Concourse areas below the stands will be operational for the first time with refreshments available and dance teams The Starlights and Independence will be performing.

Behind the scenes, the pressure has been high. There has been a hive of activity each day from before dawn until late at night to make sure the £12m stadium is ready for the opening game against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.

Impressive silver stadium signs and the triangular Wolves logo were put in place at the end of last week while the club shop in the North Stand, at the side of the main entrance, was opened on Friday.

Finishing touches to the 450-seat conference and banqueting facility were being completed this week ready for the room's first private booking on Saturday.

On Sunday the Brian Bevan statue was moved from Brian Bevan Island, near Wilderspool, to its new home outside of The Haliwell Jones Stadium.

The markings are on the pitch and goal posts are due to be put in position this week too.

A new scoreboard is to be fixed in place above the television gantry of the South Stand on Monday and Sky Sports' big screen has been sited on the South Stand back wall.

Plumbers, joiners, fitters, electricians, decorators, carpet layers and dance floor layers have been busy on their various tasks around the stadium. The North Stand hospitality boxes and lounges are currently being furnished.

Caterers Heathcotes have been busy making sure all is well on the kitchen front for providing meals to sponsors, directors and fans.

The kitchen in the North Stand, to service up to 550 people in hospitality on a match day, has been fully fitted and tested ahead of tomorrow night's private 50th birthday party function that is taking up two lounges. The kitchen in the conference and banqueting suite was due to have its final testing last night, Wednesday.

The tasks go on as food has to be shipped in, offices sorted, stationery ordered and equipment transferred from Wilderspool to the new site.

In three weeks time work will start on the first floor community section of the North Stand. This will comprise seven educational classrooms and a control centre and is due to be finished by June.

The two lower floors of the Winwick Road-facing East Stand, beneath the conference facility, are to be taken up by NHS Primary Care Trust. They will be providing 12 services from the site and some of the space will be for offices. All work is expected to be completed by September.

Finally, the stadium has potential capacity on match day for 14,500 supporters but the total figure for the first game will only be known after a certificate, expected next week, is issued by health and safety inspectors.

* See next week's Guardian for details of car parking recommendations on match days.