grounds used for professional league

[Mike S]

I have been attempting to work out how many there have been. I have used the date of 1980 as a cut off simply because that was my first game and when new clubs joined but there was litle movement in the previous 20 years ( Hunslet and Liverpool). I have only allowed for the UK not France

I reached about 125 as below. Who have I missed

one for Leeds, Castleford, Salford, Wakefield St helens, Batley, Halifax Featherstone, Barrow, Whitehaven, Workington, Widnes, Keighley, Hunslet( I think) and South Wales.

two for Leigh, Rochdale, Hull, Hull Kr, Warrington, Huddersfied, Wigan and Dewsbury plus Skolars who I believed used Finchley RU

Crusaders is I think only Bridgend, Newport and Wrexham

For London I have ten Fulham, Chelsea, C.Palace athleitcs, Charlton, Copthall, Watford, Polytechnic, Hendon plus Kingstonian and Crawley for cup games. They may have used Wealdstone

Sheffield also have a good total Owlerton, Don Valley, Sheffield utd, Rotherham RU and an athletic stadium plus all or most of Rotherham FC, Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley and Chestefield

York is 3 the present ground the old one and the football club

Doncaster as a minimum is Tattersfield and the old and new football grounds plus Stainforth

I was less certain on the following Gateshead at the stadium and Kingston Park plus about three others Percy Park? High Heaton?

Oldham have used apart from grounds of others Whitebank, Boundary Park and Watersheddings plus I think Ashton Utd, Hyde and Stalybridge

Swinton have used Station Road, Bury and Sedgley Park

Blackpool is more confusing and in various guises I have the dog track, FC and Fylde plus Preston NE and Grasshoppers and Chorley. Did they use mechanics in the league or just the conference?

For defunct clubs I have Scarborough, carlisle at two and possibly Penrith, Bramley at Barley Mow and Farsley, Maidstone and Southend, Trafford at Altrincham and I also have Huyton, Runcorn, Wigan Athletc, St Helens FC and Prescot. Nottingham/ Mansfield were nomadic and played at Field Mill, Alfreton, Sutton Town, Harvey Haden and one or both of the Nottingham football stadia.

In Wales Bridgend FC, Arms Park, Swansea Morfa, Ninian Park, Ebbw Vale? Aberavon? (but certainly used for Fulham V Widnes)

I have then added Wembley ( one or two?) Millenium stadium, Murrayfield plus World cu, internationals or on the road games at Reebok? but definatley at Burnden Park, Northampton FC, Llanelli RU, Blackburn. Anfield, Leicester RU, Gloucester RU, Reading FC and I think Hearts and Swansea City.

I have not counted iDublin or the Isle of Man nor Scottish or Welsh internationals not venues used for the challenge cup such as Castleton, Hull Ioanians or Robin Park

How many more are there?

[Matt J]

Wakefield COULD count as 2, using Oakwell just once.

[Mike S]

Wakefield COULD count as 2, using Oakwell just once.

I have Oakwell down as a probable for Sheffield but out of curiosity when and why did wakefield use it?

[marklaspalmas]

Ive seen...

Sheffield v Fev at Wakey (1989?)

Fev v Batley at Wakey (1983)

Oldham v Fev at Maine Road (1987)

Donny played a few home games at Fev last year.

There will be a lot of other oddities like these.........

[West Country Eagle]

Sheffield have played 'home' games at:

Don Valley Stadium

Owlerton Stadium

Bramall Lane

Hillsborough

Clifton Lane (Rotherham RU)

Tattersfield (Doncaster RLFC)

Saltergate (Chesterfield FC)

Oakwell (Barnsley FC)

Hillsborough Sports Arena (home of Sheffield Hillsborough Hawks, friendly match v South West Yorks amateurs)

Woodburn Road Athletics Stadium (reserve games/Youngers Alliance League matches)

Thrum Hall

Belle Vue (Wakefield)

Cardiff Arms Park (Super League 'on the road' game)

Sixfields Stadium, Northampton (Super League 'on the road' game)

The McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield (boo! etc)

There was also a pre-season friendly one year at some non-league football ground (v South West Yorks amateurs), but I can't remember where. I was at the match but it was years ago.

I have also seen London Broncos play at Welford Road, Leicester

Other random grounds used: Kingsholm, Gloooooooooooooozterrrr (2000 WC match), Madjeski Stadium, Reading (2000 WC match)

Edited June 30, 2010 by West Country Eagle

[West Country Eagle]

The Welsh historians would be able to tell you more, but if you count the Welsh Northern Union sides/early RL sides, there's a few.

Rodney Parade, Newport (Crusaders)

The Gnoll, Neath (South Wales Scorpions)

The Racecourse (Wales international matches, Crusaders)

Aberavon RU (Celtic Crusaders)

Brewery Field, Bridgend

Ninian Park (Cardiff Blue Bulls)

The Vetch Field, Swansea (internationals)

The Millennium Stadium

Cardiff Arms Park

Sure places like Pontypool, Ebbw Vale etc have been used too in the dim and distant past.

[Chronicler of Chiswick]

As Fulham we did play two games at Wealdstone in 84/85, only GB games have been played at Watford and we've played a couple of 'on the road' games at Rodney Parade, Newport.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Chronicler of Chiswick

[Matt J]

I have Oakwell down as a probable for Sheffield but out of curiosity when and why did wakefield use it?

Wakefield v Saints 1999, because BV was unavailable.

[WSCR]

Swinton have also played at Moor lane Kersal.

[sallywt]

Boothferry Park in Hull

[Ackroman]

Gateshead played at Darlington FC last year.

[Derwent]

Hunslet have played their home games at 4 grounds since 1980 - Batley, Elland Road, Bramley and finally South Leeds Stadium.

Blackpool played a season of pro RL at the Blackpool Mechanics football ground.

Workington have played a small number of games at Borough Park football ground in the 80's before Derwent Park got floodlights.

[saints10coach]

Oldham also played Batley at Bloomfield Rd Blackpool.

[Saint Billinge]

Tha Saints have played a couple of games at Anfield.

[MrPosh]

I can't see a mention of Bradford. I can't think of any away from Odsal or Valley Parade in that time.

And Halifax would be two (Thrum Hall and The Shay), not one.

Edited June 30, 2010 by MrPosh

[Blind side johnny]

Get hold of a copy of "The Grounds of Rugby League" by Trevor Delaney (ISBN 0-9509982-1-4; 1991) which will provide all of the missing gaps up to and including 1990.

All the rest should be easy after that date.

[deluded pom?]

Fulham played several games at Naughton Park and I'm sure they also played a game at Stamford Bridge.

[deluded pom?]

For defunct clubs I have Scarborough, carlisle at two and possibly Penrith, Bramley at Barley Mow and Farsley, Maidstone and Southend, Trafford at Altrincham and I also have Huyton, Runcorn, Wigan Athletc, St Helens FC and Prescot. Nottingham/ Mansfield were nomadic and played at Field Mill, Alfreton, Sutton Town, Harvey Haden and one or both of the Nottingham football stadia.

In Wales Bridgend FC, Arms Park, Swansea Morfa, Ninian Park, Ebbw Vale? Aberavon? (but certainly used for Fulham V Widnes)

I have then added Wembley ( one or two?) Millenium stadium, Murrayfield plus World cu, internationals or on the road games at Reebok? but definatley at Burnden Park, Northampton FC, Llanelli RU, Blackburn. Anfield, Leicester RU, Gloucester RU, Reading FC and I think Hearts and Swansea City.

GB definitely played Australia at the Reebok. Kent/Southend Invicta played at Maidstone FC (not sure of the name of the ground) and Roots Hall. New Hunslet played at the Elland Road Greyhound Stadium and Hunslet also played at Elland Road Stadium (home of Leeds Utd)

Edited June 30, 2010 by deluded pom?

[Mumby Magic]

Bradford also @ Welford Road (Leicester Tigers) and also Tynecastle (Hearts). The second is an on the road match circa 98 me thinks. Do these count?

[deluded pom?]

I think you should either take BSJ's advice or dedicate a single thread to every professional British rugby league team and ask for people to post which grounds they have played on.

[Methven Hornet]

GB definitely played Australia at the Reebok. Kent/Southend Invicta played at Maidstone FC (not sure of the name of the ground) and Roots Hall. New Hunslet played at the Elland Road Greyhound Stadium and Hunslet also played at Elland Road Stadium (home of Leeds Utd)

Maidstone - London Road?

[Mike S]

so what have we got so far.

To my original list I overlooked

Darlington even though I was at the game;

Boothferry Park

Salford Fc, Moor Lane

Thrum Hall

Maine Road

Elland Road

Workington FC

When was Elland Road dog track used?

Any confirmation on Reading, was this the Madjeski or the old ground Elm Park

Did South Wales use Ebbw Vale

Thats over 130 now and I bet there are still more to come.

Most of these post date the grounds of rugby league book rather than predate it.

There seem to be few football league grounds not used in the heartlands, Burnley, Everton and Tranmere plus Accrington on the fringes are all in Lancashire. What about Stockport? everyone in Yorkshire ( unless you count Middlesbrough which would be a thread of it's own) has staged games

[Blind side johnny]

so what have we got so far.

To my original list I overlooked

Darlington even though I was at the game;

Boothferry Park

Salford Fc, Moor Lane

Thrum Hall

Maine Road

Elland Road

Workington FC

When was Elland Road dog track used?

Any confirmation on Reading, was this the Madjeski or the old ground Elm Park

Did South Wales use Ebbw Vale

Thats over 130 now and I bet there are still more to come.

Most of these post date the grounds of rugby league book rather than predate it.

You obviously haven't read the book!

How about Broughton Rangers, St Helens Recs, Liversedge, Heckmondwike, Streatham & Mitcham, Pontefract, Morecambe, Stockport, Leeds Parish Church etc?

[Blind side johnny]

....also, Bramley played at the Barley Mow and McLaren Field, which weren't one and the same despite what some may believe.

Hunslet played at Mount Pleasant for a season, as did Dewsbury for at least two seasons.

[Jill Halfpenny fan]

so what have we got so far.

When was Elland Road dog track used?

The greyhound stadium was used in the 1970's, they were called New Hunslet at the time if my memory is correct.

London played Widnes at Aberavon RFC.

Also Charity shield games at Douglas IOM, Swansea, Anfield and think one was played in Dublin.

Edited June 30, 2010 by Jill Halfpenny fan