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Pete Madigan has a passion. You can see it when it walks into a room. You’re enveloped in it when he sits down to chat with you. You feel it when he shakes your hand. Madigan’s passion is soccer. His obsession is his life.
A native of Liverpool, England, Madigan has begun to spread his passion for the game around the little hamlet of Hampden and surrounding towns. Madigan is the owner and operator of the Maine Sports Complex in Hampden. His dome-shaped soccer complex off interstate-95 at exit 44, might be the next big thing when it comes to indoor athletic recreation.
“The opportunities which we present are specifically in sport,” said Madigan. “On a private hire basis or league basis, soccer, flag football, field hockey, baseball and softball.”
“People travel from 60 miles around to play,” said Madigan.
Madigan has long been a enthusiast of the game. He opened the complex in January 2002 after purchasing the land more than a year before.
Madigan doesn’t stop with sports. He hosts a array of other activities and is eagerly in pursuit of others.
“I am waiting for my first marching band,” said Madigan.
The plan to establish an artificial grass facility in the Hampden woods has long been in the works.
“I had a great love of New England and had been coming over here for years,” said Madigan. “I had been doing business with a gentleman from Hampden, which lead me up to this part of Maine. Then he suggested four years ago that I consider selling my businesses in the U.K. and moving over to New England.”
As an established businessman in the United Kingdom and a Liverpool soccer club aficionado, the decision to leave his beloved homeland was a extremely tough choice.
“One of the businesses was selling soccer and rugby souvenirs to the U.K., continental Europe and Africa, as well as the far East,” said Madigan. “That was a company I enjoyed being a part of. I was sorry to say goodbye to the business but also to the closeness to soccer.”
The plan to form the complex with three partners fell through and Madigan was stuck building the establishment on his own.
“It turned out that I was the only one out of three that was prepared to follow it through,” said Madigan.
The creation of the complex was not easy for Madigan but the gentle Englishman weathered the storm.
“The building took place, regrettably, during the winter,” said Madigan.
Although the complex was closed due to various difficulties during its tenure, Madigan is confident in the development of the site.
“I am hoping in the next few years, we progress and advance and increase our facilities here,” said Madigan.
Nearly four and half years since the complex’s inception, Madigan still has half his heart in England.
“We haven’t turned our backs on the U.K.,” said Madigan.
If you have time enough to listen, Madigan could talk for hours on his beloved Liverpool team. Madigan, who traveled to see many of Liverpool’s illustrious matches, misses the close-knit family atmosphere that the games brought.
“It was great when you used to get to the ground, it was one big family being in the pubs before the game and singing the songs,” said Madigan. ”
That atmosphere is what Madigan hopes to bring to the pine tree state. Madigan still dreams of better attendance when it comes to the complex.
“Wee are not getting enough interest from university students who don’t realize the opportunities to play in our soccer leagues,” said Madigan. “I also don’t think there is enough use by university students setting up things on their own.
No matter what the preference, the instantly likable and approachable Madigan is eager to provide recreation for UMaine students just a corner kick away in Orono.
Bangor Daily News