SAINTS Heritage Society has announced the launch of its latest pioneering initiative - the Saints Heritage Way.

It is another first for the club, town and the St Helens supporters.

The 6.8 miles looped heritage trail links 22 stopping points around St Helens, commemorating important locations connected with the history of the Saints.

The SHS, whose homepage features an unbelievably comprehensive guide to the club's players and matches, explain:" It correlates the progress of our great Club with the social and economic development of the town.

"Walkers will explore the genesis and historical success of the Saints in the context of times when huge industrial enterprises dominated both the life and landscape of St Helens.

"The Saints Heritage Way illuminates where our former players plied their trades during the week; the coal mines, glass factories and pharmaceutical sites.

"It visits the public houses and playing fields where former Saints changed and played before the days of the Northern Union and several neighbourhoods where Rugby League proliferated.

"Throughout, the stories of 60 players are investigated, each one hyper-linked to the Saints Heritage Society website for instant access to their full Saints’ careers."

Free digital access to the Trail is available via the homepage of the Saints Heritage Society - www.saints.org.uk

The trail is in PDF format and can be directly downloaded to mobile phones or compatible devices.

They continue: "In normal times the Trail would commence and end at the Totally Wicked Stadium (Stage 1), however given its use as a NHS Vaccination Centre, we request that you start and end the Trail on the Steve Prescott Bridge (Stage 2).

"That said the Trail can be accessed at any point. There is no need to complete the full route in one attempt.

"Indeed, we encourage participants to explore the historical way in manageable sections to allow greater time for reflection.

"The introduction to the Trail provides safety advice which should be followed by all participants.

"For now we recommend everyone to familiarise themselves with the route virtually from the site and look forward to days when we can explore the Heritage Way in safety and with confidence."