Manchester’s first padel club opens doors to beginners and paddicts alike
A new club offering courts to play the new emerging sport of padel has opened between the iconic towers of Deansgate Square in Manchester’s New Jackson neighbourhood.
Backed by four investors Club de Padel will be Manchester’s first dedicated padel club and has already had players knocking on the doors in full kit to play at 7am when it opened yesterday.
Matt McKinlay, co-founder, told TheBusinessDesk.com: ‘We’re 100% self funded, we’ve put blood sweat and tears into this and we really believe in it. It’s a great sport, the response has been incredible and the opportunities are unfolding in front of us.”
McKinlay, who is backing the project alongside his colleague at Inflexion private equity James Wigglesworth, and leading hospitality marketeer Lucy Noone Blake and her husband David Blake, said as a team they are already looking at further sites. The site has also secured sponsorship from Hyperoptic, Serotonin Digital and law firm JMW, who’s senior partner Marc Yaffe is a padel fanatic.
“We’re looking at sites 2/3/4 and hope to have another open this year. We’ve got a great relationship with the developer who own the land here at New Jackson (Renaker Build Ltd) who have been great, it’s a resi led neighbourhood which continues to grow so this is a brilliant amenity for their residents as well as the wider market,” he said.
Club de Padel from the tower
Lucy Noone-Blake said all the courts were being used at 7am in the morning when she opened the site, which includes four panoramic glass courts, handmade in Spain and imported to Manchester.
Club de Padel brings the world’s fastest growing sport to Manchester launch has been huge following a low key announcement earlier this year.
“We can’t get over the support we’ve had from the city so far, our inbox hasn’t stopped with people asking when we’re opening, when they can book, how they can learn to play – it’s been great,” says co-founder James Wigglesworth. “We’ve also discovered a hardcore element of ‘paddicts’ who travel miles every week to play and are just delighted that we’re landing on their doorstep.”
Club de Padel has partnered with global sports brands Adidas and Head to offer top-of-the-range equipment for both rental and purchase, and has recruited one of the UK’s top padel competitors, Alberto Cubero Torregrosa, as head coach to offer both group and 1-2-1 sessions.
“I can’t wait to get started at Club de Padel. Having grown up in Malaga, I have been playing padel for over 25 years, so I’m delighted to see it finally arrive in Manchester, where I now call home,” says Alberto. “It is important to me that everyone can enjoy this amazing sport, so it doesn’t matter if you are a complete beginner or an experienced player, I am committed to helping you improve and have fun while doing it.”
