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{{short description|Sports ground in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England}}{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}{{Use British English|date=September 2011}}

factoids

| broke_ground = | built = 1878| opened = | renovated = | expanded = | closed = 1992| demolished = | owner = | operator = | surface = Grass| scoreboard = | construction cost =| suites = | architect = | project_manager = | structural engineer = | services engineer = | general_contractor = | main_contractors =| capacity = 5,000 (reduced from 36,000 and 28,000 in its later years)| record_attendance = 35,136 Challenge Cup Semi Final 19 April 1947| Suites = | dimensions = | acreage = Huddersfield Giants>Huddersfield RLFC (1878–1992)}}The Fartown Ground or just simply Fartown is a sports ground located in the Huddersfield suburb of Fartown in West Yorkshire, England and is predominantly famous for being the home ground of Huddersfield Rugby League Club from 1878 to 1992. The grounds consisted of a rugby ground, a cricket ground used by Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Bowling greens and a running track as well as a pavilion. It was the scene of many great games, including the Challenge Cup finals of 1908 and 1910, several Challenge Cup semi finals, John Player Cup finals and international matches.Although the stands were all demolished, the pitch, floodlights and bankings where the terraces once stood are still there, Huddersfield RLFC played their last game there on 23 August 1992, up until the mid 2000s the club's junior and reserves sides still played on the pitch at Fartown but the stands were already demolished by then. The ground had fallen into serious decline in the 1980s, The Main stand was closed in 1986 due to safety issues after the Bradford City stadium fire in 1985 and partly reopened in 1989,WEB,weblink Fartown - Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage, www.huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk, 2 June 2022, a large chunk of the terrace side was condemned and never reopened, the supporters club building was demolished in 2009 after a fire.WEB,weblink Fartown supporters' club to be demolished, 13 June 2009, YorkshireLive, 2 June 2022, It also hosted an FA Cup semi final game between Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday in 1882.WEB,weblink Football Club History Database – F.A. Cup 1881–82, www.fchd.info, 8 August 2021, Huddersfield are still known as "Fartown" or "the Fartowners" by many of their older supporters. The highest attendance at the stadium to watch a Huddersfield game was 32,912 against Wigan on 4 March 1950, although a Challenge Cup semi-final played 19 April 1947 attracted a crowd of 35,136.(File:Fartown.stand.jpg|thumb|Looking at the Main stand side from Richmond Avenue/Scoreboard end in 2015)

History

The ground was originally known as the St John's Ground, after Huddersfield St John's Cricket Club who became its original occupants in 1868, the ground had previously been owned by the proprietor of the George Hotel in Huddersfield.In 1875 St John's Cricket Club merged with Huddersfield Athletic Club to form the Huddersfield Cricket and Athletic Club. The name of the stadium was also changed to Fartown Grounds.WEB,weblink The Home of CricketArchive, cricketarchive.com, 18 March 2020, Although the athletic club had formed a rugby football section in 1867, Fartown was initially used for athletics festivals alterations made in the summer of 1878 meant that rugby could begin at the start of the 1878–79 season with the visit of Manchester Rangers on 2 November. The venue quickly became synonymous with Huddersfield RLFC.Senior football was played at Fartown just once, an FA Cup semi final in 1882, organised as part of an attempt by the Football Association to promote the game of association football in what was, at the time, a predominantly rugby focused town. Blackburn Rovers drew 0–0 with Sheffield Wednesday, forcing a replay at Fallowfield in Manchester. Blackburn eventually won 5–1, and went on to lose 1–0 in the final to Old Etonians.On 10 April 1882 (Easter Monday), the North of England v South of England men's Lacrosse match was played at the Fartown ground, with the North winning 2–0, "in the presence of a large number of spectators". (see match report: 'Athletic News' 12 April 1882).The Challenge Cup finals of 1908 and 1910 were played at Fartown with a replay at the ground required in 1910.WEB,weblink Fartown – Current Name: Fartown – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 18 March 2020, On 11 August 1943 an exhibition baseball game was staged between two teams of American soldiers which attracted 2,400 curious spectators.In March 1973 the ground hosted its first John Player Trophy final, 10,102 spectators saw Leeds beat Salford 12–7.WEB,weblink Players No 6 Trophy 1972/73 – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 8 August 2021, Leeds would feature in 2 semi finals a decade later, in December 1982, Leeds beat Widnes 8–2 in front of 7,247 fansWEB,weblink John Player Trophy 1982/83 – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 8 August 2021, and a year later the Loiners would beat Leigh 18–11 in front of 5,740 fans in what was the ground's last major fixture.WEB,weblink John Player Trophy 1983/84 – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 8 August 2021, The ground hosted its last Challenge Cup semi final in April 1976 when St Helens narrowly beat Keighley 5–4 in front of a crowd of 9,829.WEB,weblink Challenge Cup 1975/76 – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 8 August 2021, The 1980s saw the stadium decline rapidly as Huddersfield RLFC struggled to pull in spectators. The main stand was closed due to storm damage in 1986. A new board of directors took over in 1989 when and injected some much needed financial resources into the club. As well as beginning to improve the playing staff, the new owners also carried out a considerable amount of work on the Fartown stadium and by the end of the 1989–90 season significant progress was being made.Huddersfield RLFC moved to Huddersfield Town F.C.'s Leeds Road stadium in 1992, and then to the McAlpine Stadium in 1994, although they continued to use Fartown as a training base until 2004. The ground is now rather dilapidated, and is only used for staging amateur rugby league games.(File:Fartownterrace.jpg|thumb|Looking onto the terrace side from Richmond Avenue/Scoreboard end in 2015)

Cricket

The rugby ground was adjoined by a cricket field, once considered to be the finest wicket in Yorkshire. A total of 76 first-class and 9 list A one-day matches were played on the pitch,WEB, First-Class Matches played on Fartown, Huddersfield (76), Cricket Archive,weblink Web list Yorkshire also played games against the touring Australians and South Africans at Fartown and an England XI played the Australians there in 1884.WEB, England XI v Australians, Cricket Archive,weblink Web match review Yorkshire's highest score at Fartown was the 579 for 6 declared they accumulated against Glamorgan in 1925 while Middlesex scored 527 in 1887. Worcestershire were dismissed for 24 in 1903 while Yorkshire were humiliated for 31 by Essex in 1935. AJ Webbe scored an unbeaten 243 in Middlesex's run spree in 1887 while the prolific Percy Holmes scored 220 not out for the Tykes against Warwickshire in 1922. A.W. Mold took 9 for 41 for Lancashire in a Roses Match in 1890 while CT Spencer took 9 for 63 for Leicestershire in 1954.

Rugby League Test Matches

The list of international rugby league matches played at Fartown is.WEB,weblink Fartown – Results – Rugby League Project, www.rugbyleagueproject.org, 18 March 2020, {| class="wikitable" style="background:#bdb76b;"! Game# !! Date !! Result !! Attendance !! NotesENG}} def. {{rl| ENG}} def. {{rl| AUS}} def. {{flagiconGreat Britain Lions>The Lions 13–3 9,403 1937–38 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France The Ashes (rugby league)>Ashes seriesENG}} def. {{rl1947–48 European Rugby League Championship>1947–48 European ChampionshipOther Nationalities rugby league team>Other nationalities def. {{rl1952–53 European Rugby League Championship>1952–53 European Championship

Rugby League Tour Matches

Fartown also saw Huddersfield, the county team Yorkshire and a Northern Rugby Football Union select side play host to international touring teams from Australia (sometimes playing as Australasia) and New Zealand from 1907 to 1973.{| class="wikitable" bgcolor=#bdb76b! Game !! Date !! Result !! Attendance !! NotesKiwisNew Zealand national rugby league team>New Zealand def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 19–8 >1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain>1907–08 All Golds tourEnglandRugby Football League>Northern Union XIII def. {{leagueicon16}} Australian Kangaroos 14–9 >1908–09 Kangaroo TourHuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} Australian Kangaroos 5–3 >| 9,700HuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} Australasia rugby league team 21–7 >1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1911–12 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralasia rugby league team>Australasia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 36–2 >1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1921–22 Kangaroo TourHuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} New Zealand national rugby league team 12–10 >1926–27 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain List of New Zealand Kiwis matches>New Zealand Kiwis tourYorkshireRugby League War of the Roses>Yorkshire def. {{leagueicon16}} New Zealand national rugby league team 17–16 >| 3,000AustraliaAustralasia rugby league team>Australasia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 18–8 >1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1929–30 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 13–5 >1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1933–34 Kangaroo TourHuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} Australian Kangaroos 17–7 >1937–38 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1937–38 Kangaroo TourHuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} New Zealand national rugby league team 12–7 >1947–48 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France>1947–48 New Zealand Kiwis tourHuddersfieldHuddersfield Giants>Huddersfield def. {{leagueicon16}} Australian Kangaroos 22–3 >1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1948–49 Kangaroo TourKiwisNew Zealand national rugby league team>New Zealand def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 34–12 >1951–52 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France>1951–52 New Zealand Kiwis tourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 27–9 >1952–53 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{flagicon16}} Rugby League War of the Roses 55–11 >| 3,737AustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 20–10 >1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain>1956–57 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 21–7 >1959–60 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France>1959–60 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 6–5 >1963–64 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France>1963–64 Kangaroo TourAustraliaAustralian Kangaroos>Australia def. {{leagueicon16}} Huddersfield Giants 32–2 >1973 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France>1973 Kangaroo TourHuddersfield also faced Australia in the first game of their 1992 Rugby League World Cup final tour, losing 66–2 at the Leeds Road ground on 9 October 1992.

Gallery

File:Fartown.stand.jpg|View of the site of the Fartown Stand from the scoreboard endFile:Fartownterrace.jpg|The old terracing at Fartown now long gone and overgrownFile:Fartown grounds.jpg|Fartown Cricket and Rugby grounds from 1934 courtesy of "Britain from Above"WEB,weblink EPW045318 ENGLAND (1934). The Fartown Cricket and Football Grounds, Norman Park and the Britannia Works, Huddersfield, 1934, Britain from Above, 2 June 2022,

References

{{reflist}}

External links

• Fartown on cricketarchive.com
• weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090725112932weblink">Huddersfield Hawks American Football, current tenants

{{Huddersfield Giants}}