There is now a two-horse race to open the UK’s first purpose-built indoor padel venue after Connect Padel UK revealed plans for its second club in Blackpool.
Set to open in autumn this year, Connect Padel’s latest offering will be at South Shore Lawn Tennis Club in the famous Lancashire coastal town.
If opened on schedule, the four-court facility will pip Pure Padel’s project in Gosforth to the title of the first purpose-built indoor club in Britain, as the north-east club isn’t set to open until December (‘Purpose-built’ in this instance means built from scratch specifically for padel, rather than adapting a pre-existing building)
Connect Padel’s new facility on the Fylde coast follows its debut club at Birmingham Moseley Rugby Club, which opened last July with the support of founder Charlie Thomson’s sister, the award-winning actress Lily James.
The Blackpool club will boast four panoramic courts featuring “out-of-court play” capabilities and a dedicated feature court. The facility will feature 11.5m high ceilings and bespoke lighting.
The club will also include high-spec changing facilities, a pro shop, and a social mezzanine area with fully licensed bar, on-site pizza oven and café.
The launch is the result of collaboration between Connect Padel UK and a group of prominent local players: Peter Andrews, Phil Barlow, and Nathan Young.
Young arrives at the project as a world record breaker, having last year set the record for the longest-ever padel match at 40 hours.
Connect Padel UK founder Thomson said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce Blackpool as the location for our second club. We’re excited to bring our values of accessibility, affordability and community to the area, paired with a premium social offering – including a new bar and pizza oven – that will create a space where people want to spend time both on and off the
court.
“This launch marks a significant next step in our journey to become one of the UK’s leading padel operators as we continue to grow our national footprint.”
Local partner Andrews said: “It has been a long road through the planning process to get to this point, but we are thrilled to finally bring a facility of this calibre to South Shore. It is exactly what the local sporting landscape needs.”
World record breaker Young said: “I’ve lived in this area my whole life and my love for padel is no secret. I can’t wait to bring such a great facility to local residents. With courts of this quality, who knows, we might even look to break another world record here!”
Padel coach Barlow added: “Connect Padel totally get the importance of coaching and technical development. I can’t wait to work with Charlie and the team to deliver a first-class coaching schedule that helps players of all levels improve their game in this incredible new environment.”
Paul Wainwright, Chairperson at South Shore Lawn Tennis Club, said: “It’s been great working with Peter, Charlie and the team on bringing this project to life. We look forward to our existing members benefitting from such a fantastic new facility on-site and seeing the club continue to thrive as a hub for racket sports.”
Connect Padel Blackpool will commit to 1,000 hours of free court access per year for local schools and charities, ensuring the sport remains inclusive and accessible to the wider Blackpool community.
