A NEW pirate ship playground at a refurbished Sale pub has scored highly with a team of young footballers.

Members of Brooklands Dragons JFC had a ball when they helped unveil the £12,000 pirate ship-style play area at Jackson’s Boat Pub which was designed, manufactured and installed by family firm Creative Play.

Pub manager Dionne Blackshaw invited the footie-mad youngsters from the Lazio U12 side for Brooklands Dragons for the official unveiling after she recently pledged her support to the junior club by giving them free access of the pub’s adjoining playing field.

The pitch has also been given a facelift as part of the refurbishment at the pub which is based in woodland on the banks of the River Mersey.

Dionne said: “The pirate boat is really lovely, we are delighted with it and the new play area has really been the icing on the cake for the refurbishment. It provides a fantastic, safe place for children to play while their parents can sit outside enjoying a drink and food.

“We have also restored our nearby football pitch, bringing it back to its former glory and have agreed that the Brooklands Dragons, a terrific local, community football team, can use it.

“What’s great is that they will also have this fantastic new playground to make the most of and so they seemed the ideal special guests for our official unveiling.

“We are delighted with Creative Play, they have been brilliant. They provide a great service and nothing is too much trouble for them.”

The centre piece for the new play area is a Quartermaster pirate boat, featuring a deck slide, ship’s wheel, gang plank and a net climber. The equipment is designed to encourage physical and imaginative play over multiple levels.

Creative Play’s Sales Manager Tim Broster, who worked closely with Dionne Blackshaw, Jackson’s Boat’s manager on the project, said: “Our client knew they wanted a boat-themed play area and we worked closely with them to ensure the design and resulting equipment was perfectly tailored to their needs.

“The result looks terrific and I’ll be visiting soon with my four-year-old daughter Poppy who likes to try our play areas.”

Brooklands Dragons coach Mick Higgins said: “The new play equipment is terrific, very impressive. The nearby football pitch has also been refurbished and we are delighted to be able to use it as a team.

“During training sessions and matches we often have players who are substituted. Previously they would just have run up and down to keep active and warm but now they’ll be able to be occupied and keep fit using the play equipment.”

Young Brooklands Dragons player Ryan Hill, 11, who is part of the Lazio side who have been the champions of South Manchester for two seasons, said: “It is really fun and is a very good play area,” he said. “I think it’ll help to attract the younger children and I particularly like the climbing net on the side which you have to scramble up.

“Parents of players can eat their Sunday lunch, watch their children play and watch the matches we are playing, it’s ideal really.”