Tranmere Rovers will tomorrow launch a new esports venue, the first step in a 5 year plan which is designed to see Tranmere establish itself as Merseyside’s leading centre for esports, with a unique holistic offering encompassing recreational facilities, education and job creation.
Tomorrow’s launch sees the opening of a new esports venue in the Recreation Centre at Prenton Park, kitted out with state-of-the-art gaming computers and ergonomic chairs, which members of the public will be able to book from Monday. But the Club has also revealed its plans to move to a much larger venue from which they will be able to offer a range of facilities from casual gaming through to LAN tournaments and boot camps for esports professionals seeking to benefit from the infrastructure of a professional football club.
The Club will also be expanding its existing successful education business with the introduction of the esports BTEC qualification in September 2023 and is hoping to team up with local businesses in the tech space who may be able to offer work experience and potential exit pathways for some of our students, or give guest lectures on technical aspects.
Tranmere’s Head of Education, Philippa Law, said : “Studying esports is not about playing games – students cover serious modules including business, digital marketing, production and broadcast and much more which makes them well equipped for a wide range of career pathways including in digital and tech businesses. We will offer education to young people who may want to do something a bit different from the traditional curriculum, with the prospect of an exciting array of careers both within esports and the wider digital world of business.”
The launch day sees talks from a number of individuals who have made careers within esports, followed by some friendly competition between some of Tranmere’s first team footballers and esports influencers.
Nicola Palios, Tranmere Vice Chairman, said: “The new venue in the Recreation Centre will be a great facility for the community, offering young people a space to socialise and practice. We hope also to work with people who may find traditional sports difficult to participate in, such as wheelchair users, as esports can offer a great opportunity to compete on a level playing field with others and our venue is accessible. When Mark and I came to the Club we planned to build commercial revenue streams which would support the Club, but also bring economic and other benefits to the Wirral community. We believe that by being the first dedicated esports venue in Merseyside, we have a great opportunity to do both.”
The launch day is limited to invited guests but on Saturday 10th December from 10am the Club will be opening the esports hub free of charge to members of the public who wish to try out the facilities for themselves.
Spaces in the esports hub at Prenton Park will be available for bookings from 12th December 2022 through - https://letsbookfor.com/merseyside-esports-arena
Businesses or sponsors interested in working with the Club on this project can contact esports@tranmererovers.co.uk