Huddersfield Giants

[DI Keith Fowler]

7 minutes ago, Just Browny said:

Wow. I saw this being tweeted by Gledhill earlier and assumed it was made up. It really seems confusing on a number of levels for Huddersfield to spend a load of money on upgrading a stadium in another town for a short term stay. But if they're serious and are willing to pay, Calderdale will surely bite their hand off.

Well, a broken clock is right twice a day, and Mick is right twice a year it seems. 

[JohnM]

From BBC Sport

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c9dpdq1j4l6o

[Agbrigg]

1 hour ago, Coggo said:

If Huddersfield move to Halifax, they will become Halifax. 

I’m not making a comment for or against, but it takes a while for the penny to drop with these things. 

Yes I would also expect if Ken backed it financially to the same level as Huddersfield, the fan base in Halifax would rapidly grow bigger than anything that could be achieved in Huddersfield.

[gazza77]

Let's say he buys the Shay, and a new stadium is built. What happens to the Shay then? Who is likely to both want and be able to afford buying it?

[M j M]

There surely must be something urgently pushing Huddersfield out of the John Smith's Stadium?

There can't be any other reason for upsetting the status quo which has worked very, very well for the RL team since the stadium was built, small utilisation % or not. Leaving your home town entirely whilst there is a perfectly good stadium there is a dangerous game that only clubs who have lost their existing ground play at, often with sad results.

[Agbrigg]

18 minutes ago, gazza77 said:

Let's say he buys the Shay, and a new stadium is built. What happens to the Shay then? Who is likely to both want and be able to afford buying it?

I presume you are asking about the Shay if a new stadium for the giants is eventually built in Huddersfield ?

Personally I believe if Ken buys the Shay and develops it, a new Huddersfield stadium will not materialise. For one or more of the following reasons.

A new merged club will be in SL

Huddersfield as a club will not exist, or be a re formed smaller club in the lower leagues

Ken will have lost interest in going back to Huddersfield.

The time span of all this happening would be at least 10 years and practically far longer. Ken is getting on and most likely would not be around to bank role the project

Edited January 8 by Agbrigg

[gazza77]

29 minutes ago, Agbrigg said:

I presume you are asking about the Shay if a new stadium for the giants is eventually built in Huddersfield ?

Personally I believe if Ken buys the Shay and develops it, a new Huddersfield stadium will not materialise. For one or more of the following reasons.

A new merged club will be in SL

Huddersfield as a club will not exist, or be a re formed smaller club in the lower leagues

Ken will have lost interest in going back to Huddersfield.

The time span of all this happening would be at least 10 years and practically far longer. Ken is getting on and most likely would not be around to bank role the project

Yes, that's the principle I was asking about. It's one of the reasons I'd find it unlikely Huddersfield would ever move on from Halifax, as they'd the be lumbered as a landlord to FC and the Panthers in a stadium they no longer wanted.

[Henson Park Old Firm]

3 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

There isn't really anywhere to build one.

Is Huddersfield the Monaco of the North now?

[wroteforluck87]

Not sure where to start with the latest news involving The Shay.. so I'm just going to brainstorm a few points that come to mind.

• It strikes me as a very expensive short term solution.

• Fans of Halifax Football & Rugby clubs should be delighted that massive improvements to The Shay appear to be imminent yet remain septical about the long term future of the Stadium ownership.

• Hudds fans should be concern that a new stadium may never materialise.

• Managing fixtures for 3 clubs in one venue with a track record for postponements is going to be challenging. 

• Is the start of a merger.. THE WEST YORKSHIRE GAINT PANTHERS 

 

 

[Dullish Mood]

Shuddersfield PanGiants Sox.  Sorted.

[The Future is League]

9 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

There isn't really anywhere to build one.

What's the situation with the old fartown ground nowadays?

[wroteforluck87]

11 hours ago, The Blues Ox said:

There isn't really anywhere to build one.

Couldnt Leeds Road (council owned) be developed 

[bamfordsbeans]

Always thought the Shay was ideal for SL.Present capacity is about 10,000 and if Davy was to develop the Skircoat stand that would increase to 13,000.

[whatmichaelsays]

12 hours ago, M j M said:

There surely must be something urgently pushing Huddersfield out of the John Smith's Stadium?

There can't be any other reason for upsetting the status quo which has worked very, very well for the RL team since the stadium was built, small utilisation % or not. Leaving your home town entirely whilst there is a perfectly good stadium there is a dangerous game that only clubs who have lost their existing ground play at, often with sad results.

This would be my take on this too. 

It is one thing to say "our current home isn't really suitable and that makes it hard to attract new supporters", but it's quite another to say "we're upping sticks to another town entirely until we can sort out our new home". I know there have been issues with the ownership of the John Smiths recently, but there does seem to be a sub-plot to this that hasn't yet come to light. 

I personally, don't see the new Huddersfield stadium happening. I know Ken has made a huge contribution to RL in Huddersfield and I'm sure he wants to leave a legacy, but this seems like such a big project for a man in his 80s to see through and I also don't see the local authority being particularly enthusiastic should they be called on to provide support. It's not as if they have a surplus to play with anyway. One poster suggested the Leeds Road site, but that's one of the few KAL sites that actually generates a profit - that site may not be on the table. 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

Nobody has yet pointed out that if/when this happens both 'fax and Huddersfield lose 0.5 catchment area points and potentially (if Dews remain in L1) Batley and Dewsbury gain 0.5......

[AB Knight]

From the articles I’ve read it doesn’t sound like Ken Davy would be doing a huge renovation of The Shay (not that it needs it anyway, always seems a tidy ground). New pitch, scoreboard, toilets and LED lighting. Talk of new stands etc seem like fantasy in my opinion. Dare I say it won’t cost tens of millions to achieve?
 

I agree it sounds like the first step of a merger or at best a permanent relocation to Halifax. Keep academy teams at their training base in Huddersfield so they at least retain a presence, provide match day shuttle buses from Huddersfield for a few years, everyone is happy. 

[Worzel]

10 minutes ago, AB Knight said:

From the articles I’ve read it doesn’t sound like Ken Davy would be doing a huge renovation of The Shay (not that it needs it anyway, always seems a tidy ground). New pitch, scoreboard, toilets and LED lighting. Talk of new stands etc seem like fantasy in my opinion. Dare I say it won’t cost tens of millions to achieve?
 

I agree it sounds like the first step of a merger or at best a permanent relocation to Halifax. Keep academy teams at their training base in Huddersfield so they at least retain a presence, provide match day shuttle buses from Huddersfield for a few years, everyone is happy. 

New pitch with hybrid plastic will be the best part of £1m alone. It's the fact it's such a sizeable investment (for allegedly only 2 or 3 seasons) that makes me confident the real plan is permanent to be honest. 

[Eddie]

If Huddersfield and Halifax were going to merge they’d be best off playing in the middle of the two towns, like in Elland, could call them the Elland Roads. 

[Just Browny]

2 minutes ago, Eddie said:

If Huddersfield and Halifax were going to merge they’d be best off playing in the middle of the two towns, like in Elland, could call them the Elland Roads. 

Huddersfield Amateurs FC already play in Elland, could go for a super ground share.

[Coggo]

11 hours ago, wroteforluck87 said:

Not sure where to start with the latest news involving The Shay.. so I'm just going to brainstorm a few points that come to mind.

• It strikes me as a very expensive short term solution.

• Fans of Halifax Football & Rugby clubs should be delighted that massive improvements to The Shay appear to be imminent yet remain septical about the long term future of the Stadium ownership.

• Hudds fans should be concern that a new stadium may never materialise.

• Managing fixtures for 3 clubs in one venue with a track record for postponements is going to be challenging. 

• Is the start of a merger.. THE WEST YORKSHIRE GAINT PANTHERS 

 

 

 

 Huddifax Giant Panthers?

[Eddie]

1 minute ago, Coggo said:

 Huddifax Giant Panthers?

You need Blue Sox in there too. 

[graveyard johnny]

19 minutes ago, Eddie said:

If Huddersfield and Halifax were going to merge they’d be best off playing in the middle of the two towns, like in Elland, could call them the Elland Roads. 

Elland Toads

[Coggo]

12 minutes ago, Eddie said:

You need Blue Sox in there too. 

Huddifax Giant Blue Pant-Sox? 

[Les Tonks Sidestep]

49 minutes ago, Coggo said:

 Huddifax Giant Panthers?

 

46 minutes ago, Eddie said:

You need Blue Sox in there too. 

 

31 minutes ago, Coggo said:

Huddifax Giant Blue Pant-Sox? 

Where's the 'S' at the beginning?

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Les Tonks Sidestep said:

 

 

Where's the 'S' at the beginning?

Shuddersfieldfax Giant Panthers in Blue Socks?