115 replies to this topic

[Leyther_Matt]

Ah, my mistake.
I visited the old Hilton Park ground many times over the years but haven't been to Leigh for ages, well since they dropped from SL. There used to be an amateur ground somewhere between a quarter and half a mile further out of town from HP(leigh Miners?) which we always used to pass on the way in, is that where it is?

The LSV is nearer to the East Lancs Road where the old BARLA training facility used to be. As it is now, if you drive down the A579 from the East Lancs Road, you will first have the LSV main stadium on your right, immediately followed by Leigh East's new gaff and then cross the canal bridge with Leigh Miners immediately on your right hand side.

Think it's a little strange to include grounds in this list that are still standing (Gigg Lane, Deepdale and the like), so of grounds that no longer exist I've got the following rather short list;

Hilton Park (as you'd expect - I played in one of the last 3 games there in a curtain raiser against the GB All Stars side)

Central Park (as much as I hate to say it, I agree with others that that place had a tremendous aura about it. Still a little strange driving down from Scholes and seeing Tesco instead of the floodlights)

Knowsley Road (ended up going to the last game there, glad I did although I'd been a good few times previously watching Leigh and neutral games)

Wilderspool (only a couple of times to watch Leigh, one of which was a Challenge Cup Quarter Final in 2001. Technically still standing but I believe in a bit of a sorry state these days).


Have also watched Blackpool at both Bloomfield Road and Fylde RU before their demise and Chorley at Victory Park.

All three of those grounds still exist though so I'm breaking my own rules there!

[fieldofclothofgold]

The LSV is nearer to the East Lancs Road where the old BARLA training facility used to be. As it is now, if you drive down the A579 from the East Lancs Road, you will first have the LSV main stadium on your right, immediately followed by Leigh East's new gaff and then cross the canal bridge with Leigh Miners immediately on your right hand side.

Think it's a little strange to include grounds in this list that are still standing (Gigg Lane, Deepdale and the like), so of grounds that no longer exist I've got the following rather short list;

Hilton Park (as you'd expect - I played in one of the last 3 games there in a curtain raiser against the GB All Stars side)

Central Park (as much as I hate to say it, I agree with others that that place had a tremendous aura about it. Still a little strange driving down from Scholes and seeing Tesco instead of the floodlights)

Knowsley Road (ended up going to the last game there, glad I did although I'd been a good few times previously watching Leigh and neutral games)

Wilderspool (only a couple of times to watch Leigh, one of which was a Challenge Cup Quarter Final in 2001. Technically still standing but I believe in a bit of a sorry state these days).


Have also watched Blackpool at both Bloomfield Road and Fylde RU before their demise and Chorley at Victory Park.

All three of those grounds still exist though so I'm breaking my own rules there!

Central Park definately had an Aura,as did all the other old grounds .I'm not trying to take the P---,but all these supernatural shows going on over the media/internet ,there was /is one from the Y E P ,i think if they did one at these old grounds and see what they can on us with or come up, with.

Ok once again ! I'll get me coat

[Methven Hornet]

Thank you - That was great. Was York on there??

The Boulevard was awful. Bramleys Daisy stand was moved to cover the teraces but actually only covered the walkway at the back - it was bonkers.

Nostalgia is wonderful - all my 70's trips to these grounds were great days out. but yes the grounds themselves weren't that great, but many were historic.

I guess some you showed were the "nomadic" grounds that the small "new" clubs of the 1980's inhabited, I didn't go chasing to those grounds as many weren't RL grounds from the birth of the game.

In order I did not recognise 15, 16, 18, 19, 21.....

Anyone oblige??

Thank you again for that..............

Thank you - That was great. Was York on there?? Number 1

In order I did not recognise 15, 16, 18, 19, 21
Dark side...

15 Waterloo RUFC Old Stand
16 Taunton RUFC Stand (Old Ground)
18 Halifax RUFC Old Stand
19 Huddersfield RUFC Old Ground
21 Wilmslow RUFC

...but you recognised number 17 (Gloucester RUFC Kingsholm Old Stand)?

The full list:-

1 York RLFC Wigginton Road/Clarence Street
2 Wigan RLFC Central Park "Back o' Sticks"
3 Wigan RLFC Central Park Douglas Stand
4 Widnes RLFC Old Stand
5 Swinton RLFC Station Road
6 Leigh RLFC Hilton Park
7 Leigh RLFC Hilton Park Main Stand
8 Hull RLFC Boulevard Threepenny Stand
9 Hull RLFC Boulevard Main Stand
10 Huddersfield RLFC Fartown Stand
11 Halifax RLFC Thrum Hall Stand
12 Doncaster RLFC Tattersfield Stand
13 Bramley RLFC Cover
14 Bramley RLFC Stand
15 Waterloo RUFC Old Stand
16 Taunton RUFC Stand (Old Ground)
17 Gloucester RUFC Kingsholm Old Stand
18 Halifax RUFC Old Stand
19 Huddersfield RUFC Old Ground
20 Blackpool Borough RLFC Stand
21 Wilmslow RUFC
22 St Helens RLFC Knowsley Road Stand
23 St Helens RLFC Knowsley Road Covered Side
24 St Helens RLFC Knowsley Road Covered End

[The Parksider]

I did not recognise 15, 16, 18, 19, 21[/i]
Dark side...

15 Waterloo RUFC Old Stand
16 Taunton RUFC Stand (Old Ground)
18 Halifax RUFC Old Stand
19 Huddersfield RUFC Old Ground
21 Wilmslow RUFC

...but you recognised number 17 (Gloucester RUFC Kingsholm Old Stand)?

Sorry MH for some daft reason I had 17 down as Saints. Great to see Borough Park again.
Best ground photos ever though were the two of Knotty ash that came up last year......

Thanks for your assistance.....

[Blind side johnny]

Nostalgia is a wonderful thing , and many of these grounds referred to in this thread are sadly missed by those of my generation , but having looked at this photostream on

makes you think ! maybe time has clouded our view of them

Brilliant photostream Moorman. Is there some kind of link for this?

[Blind side johnny]

With Salford now having vacated the Willows and Saints leaving Knowsley Road by my reckoning ALL the traditional RL grounds in Lancashire are now consigned to history ,though in Yorks we still have the old stadiums at Leeds Cas and Wakefield .

Not forgetting Batley, of course.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Ive been chatting elsewhere as towhat now are the oldest grounds still in operation, Belle vue, wakey, Headingley,or Mount pleasant?

[Methven Hornet]

Brilliant photostream Moorman. Is there some kind of link for this?

http://www.flickr.co...ith/4834389825/

The way I found the link was to press the reply button to Moorman's post. The code of his post then comes up on the screen, including the above link.

[Blind side johnny]

http://www.flickr.co...ith/4834389825/

The way I found the link was to press the reply button to Moorman's post. The code of his post then comes up on the screen, including the above link.

Thanks MH.

Us old gimmers struggle with this new fangled technology.

[timhammonds]

Not forgetting Batley, of course.

And Odsal and Post Office Road, there are no new Cumbrian superdomes either.

[fieldofclothofgold]

And Odsal and Post Office Road, there are no new Cumbrian superdomes either.

I think Odsal opened in the 30s,perhaps some of the historians on here can tell us of the other sites for their ground

[Steve Fox]

On the subject of the Widnes ground, the club played on at least 5 other sites in the town before moving to the current location a few weeks into the first Northern Union season.

Two of the other grounds were also on Lowerhouse Lane (respectively next door and next door but one to the current North Stand) and at one point in the 1880s the club used a fourth site on the same road for reserve team games, probably about where Paul's chippy now stands.

[MrPosh]

I think Odsal opened in the 30s,perhaps some of the historians on here can tell us of the other sites for their ground

I was about to suggest Park Avenue - I don't know if Northern played occasionally there in later years and I would be very surprised if anybody is old enough to remember it when it was the home of the club.

I have seen cricket there (on the adjacent pitch) and have wandered around the football pitch.

Bradford also played at Birch Lane - between PA and Odsal - which was in the West Bowling area, so not a million miles from Odsal.

[Tin Soldier]

A few pics of Wilderspool (Click on any of them and then arrow sidewards)

My link

[Trojan]

I was about to suggest Park Avenue - I don't know if Northern played occasionally there in later years and I would be very surprised if anybody is old enough to remember it when it was the home of the club.

I have seen cricket there (on the adjacent pitch) and have wandered around the football pitch.

Bradford also played at Birch Lane - between PA and Odsal - which was in the West Bowling area, so not a million miles from Odsal.

Wasn't Park Avenue the original ground of Bradford? The club then split into the soccer club and Bradford Northern (Union)
When Park Avenue when bust in the seventies I believe Northern had the chance to move to Park Avenue but turned it down - Park Avenue was also a Yorkshire CCC ground. I remember Jim Laker once saying he started his career for Yorkshire seconds there.

[The 4 of Us]

Wasn't Park Avenue the original ground of Bradford? The club then split into the soccer club and Bradford Northern (Union)
When Park Avenue when bust in the seventies I believe Northern had the chance to move to Park Avenue but turned it down - Park Avenue was also a Yorkshire CCC ground. I remember Jim Laker once saying he started his career for Yorkshire seconds there.

Bradford Northern were formed after splitting from the soccer section in 1907. Bradford FC being founder members of the Northern Union together with Manningham who moved to Association Football at turn of the 20th century. They of course played at Valley Patade where they are today known at Bradford City

Edited by The 4 of Us, 03 January 2012 - 11:53 PM.

[fieldofclothofgold]

I once went to see Bradford PA play Birmingham city in the league cup.I was a very young schoolboy at the time ,we were on school holidays.At that time over 50 years ago the ground looked very good

[fieldofclothofgold]

Leeds St Johns ,the forerunner of Leeds RFLC before they moved to Headingley used to play at Cardigan fields ,on Kirkstall road.its now Warner village multiplex cinema ,bars restaurants etc.Itused to be recriation grounds and William cody,Buffalo Bill had his wild west shows there

[Bulliac]

Wasn't Park Avenue the original ground of Bradford? The club then split into the soccer club and Bradford Northern (Union)
When Park Avenue when bust in the seventies I believe Northern had the chance to move to Park Avenue but turned it down - Park Avenue was also a Yorkshire CCC ground. I remember Jim Laker once saying he started his career for Yorkshire seconds there.

It wasn't the first, no.

That was opposite Park Avenue, on the other side of Horton Park Avenue (and the former railway line) and on what was, until a few years ago, a cricket field. Not certain about this, but I think that when the railway cutting was filled in, the land, along with the cricket field was sold for building. I remember playing cricket on that ground many years ago.....

They then had at least one ground near Apperley Bridge, going towards Rawdon, again I don't really know exactly where, but I'd guess it was one of the two areas, one used by Bradford City as a training ground quite recently and and ditto for the Bulls on the other side of the road near the school, before they moved to Park Avenue. This was all in the 19th century of course, going back to 1863.

As MrPosh has correctly said, they moved to Birch Lane (I think/assume this was where Bowling Old Lane played Bradford League cricket) before moving to Odsal.

Info gleaned from Bradford Northern the official history, 1863 - 1989 by Nigel Williams who was club historian in 1989 when it was published.

[Ripon Boy]

Great memories

my best
Central Park Wigan v Manly
Wiggington Rd York v Hull KR
Boulavard Hull v Wigan in the CC