View source for Fartown Ground

{{short description|Sports ground in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2011}}
{{infobox venue
| stadium_name        = Fartown Ground
| nickname            = 
| logo_image          = 
| logo_caption        = 
| image               = Fartown1.jpg
| caption             =
| fullname            = Fartown Ground
| former_names        = St John's Ground
| location            = Fartown, Huddersfield
| coordinates         = {{coord|53|39|46|N|1|47|4|W||display=inline,title}}
| 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             = 
| tenants             = [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield RLFC]] (1878–1992)
}}

'''The Fartown Ground''' or just simply '''Fartown''' is a sports ground located in the [[Huddersfield]] suburb of [[Fartown, Huddersfield|Fartown]] in [[West Yorkshire]], [[England]] and is predominantly famous for being the home ground of [[Huddersfield Giants|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, [[League Cup (rugby league)|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 Giants|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,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk/Archive/Written/Club/Fartown.html|title=Fartown - Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage|website=www.huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk|accessdate=2 June 2022}}</ref> a large chunk of the terrace side was condemned and never reopened, the supporters club building was demolished in 2009 after a fire.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/fartown-supporters-club-demolished-5018214|title=Fartown supporters' club to be demolished|date=13 June 2009|website=YorkshireLive|accessdate=2 June 2022}}</ref>

It also hosted an [[FA Cup]] semi final game between Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday in 1882.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fchd.info/cups/facup1881-82.htm|title=Football Club History Database – F.A. Cup 1881–82|website=www.fchd.info|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>

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 Warriors|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, Huddersfield|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/539.html|title=The Home of CricketArchive|website=cricketarchive.com|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref>

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 Giants|Huddersfield RLFC]].

Senior [[Association football|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 football|rugby]] focused town. [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] drew 0–0 with [[Sheffield Wednesday F.C.|Sheffield Wednesday]], forcing a replay at [[Fallowfield Stadium|Fallowfield]] in [[Manchester]]. Blackburn eventually won 5–1, and went on to lose 1–0 in the final to [[Old Etonians F.C.|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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/venues/fartown/summary.html|title=Fartown – Current Name: Fartown – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref>

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 [[League Cup (rugby league)|John Player Trophy]] final, 10,102 spectators saw [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] beat [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]] 12–7.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/players-no-6-trophy-1972/final/leeds-vs-salford/summary.html|title=Players No 6 Trophy 1972/73 – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref> Leeds would feature in 2 semi finals a decade later, in December 1982, Leeds beat [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]] 8–2 in front of 7,247 fans<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/john-player-trophy-1982/semi-final/leeds-vs-widnes/summary.html|title=John Player Trophy 1982/83 – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref> and a year later the [[Leeds Rhinos|Loiners]] would beat [[Leigh Centurions|Leigh]] 18–11 in front of 5,740 fans in what was the ground's last major fixture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/john-player-trophy-1983/semi-final/leigh-vs-leeds/summary.html|title=John Player Trophy 1983/84 – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>

The ground hosted its last [[Rugby League Challenge Cup|Challenge Cup]] semi final in April 1976 when [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]] narrowly beat [[Keighley Cougars|Keighley]] 5–4 in front of a crowd of 9,829.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/challenge-cup-1975/semi-final/keighley-vs-st-helens/summary.html|title=Challenge Cup 1975/76 – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=8 August 2021}}</ref>

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, Huddersfield|Leeds Road stadium]] in 1992, and then to the [[Galpharm Stadium|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,<ref>{{cite web| title =First-Class Matches played on Fartown, Huddersfield (76)  | publisher =Cricket Archive | url =https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/539_f.html | format =Web list 
  | access-date =16 January 2008 }}</ref> the first on 28 August 1873 when [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] played [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club|Nottinghamshire]], and the last on 17 August 1955, when Yorkshire defeated [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] by 67 runs.

Yorkshire also played games against the touring [[Australia national cricket team|Australians]] and [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africans]] at Fartown and an England XI played the Australians there in 1884.<ref>{{cite web| title =England XI v Australians | publisher =Cricket Archive  | url =https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/2/2848.html | format =Web match review
  | access-date =16 January 2008 }}</ref> The first county one day game played there was held on 1 June 1969 in the [[Player's County League]] against [[Sussex CCC|Sussex]] while the last came on 9 May 1982 in the [[John Player League]] when Yorkshire played [[Worcestershire CCC|Worcestershire]].

Yorkshire's highest score at Fartown was the 579 for 6 declared they accumulated against [[Glamorgan CCC|Glamorgan]] in 1925 while [[Middlesex CCC|Middlesex]] scored 527 in 1887. [[Worcestershire CCC|Worcestershire]] were dismissed for 24 in 1903 while Yorkshire were humiliated for 31 by [[Essex CCC|Essex]] in 1935. [[A J Webbe|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 CCC|Warwickshire]] in 1922. [[Arthur Mold|A.W. Mold]] took 9 for 41 for [[Lancashire CCC|Lancashire]] in a [[Roses Match]] in 1890 while [[Terry Spencer|CT Spencer]] took 9 for 63 for [[Leicestershire CCC|Leicestershire]] in 1954.

==Rugby League Test Matches==
The list of international rugby league matches played at Fartown is.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/venues/fartown/results.html|title=Fartown – Results – Rugby League Project|website=www.rugbyleagueproject.org|access-date=18 March 2020}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Game# !! Date !! Result !! Attendance !! Notes
|-
|1 || 1 November 1923 || {{rl|ENG}} def. {{rl|WAL|1807}} 18–11 || 11,066 || 
|-
|2 || 18 March 1931 || {{rl|ENG}} def. {{rl|WAL|1807}} 23–18 || 6,000 || 
|-
|3 || 18 December 1937 || {{rl|AUS}} def. {{flagicon|GBR}} [[Great Britain Lions|The Lions]] 13–3 || 9,403 || [[1937–38 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|4 || 25 October 1947 || {{rl|ENG}} def. {{rl|FRA}} 20–15 || 14,175 || [[1947–48 European Rugby League Championship]]
|-
|5 || 18 October 1952 || [[Other Nationalities rugby league team|Other nationalities]] def. {{rl|ENG}} 31–12 || 20,459 || [[1952–53 European Rugby League Championship]]
|}

==Rugby League Tour Matches==
Fartown also saw Huddersfield, the county team [[Yorkshire rugby league team|Yorkshire]] and a [[Rugby Football League|Northern Rugby Football Union]] select side play host to international touring teams from [[Australian national rugby league team|Australia]] (sometimes playing as [[Australasia rugby league team|Australasia]]) and [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] from 1907 to 1973.

{| class="wikitable"
! Game !! Date !! Result !! Attendance !! Notes
|-
|1 || 12 October 1907 || {{leagueicon|Kiwis|16}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 19–8 || 10,000 || [[1907–08 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain|1907–08 All Golds tour]]
|-
|2 || 12 October 1908 || {{leagueicon|England|16}} [[Rugby Football League|Northern Union XIII]] def. {{leagueicon|Australia old|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} 14–9 || 7,000 || rowspan=2|[[1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain|1908–09 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|3 || 20 February 1909 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Australia old|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} 5–3 || 9,700
|-
|4 || 2 December 1911 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Australasia|16}} [[Australasia rugby league team|Australasia]] 21–7 || 17,000 || [[1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain|1911–12 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|5 || 19 November 1921 || {{leagueicon|Australasia|16}} [[Australasia rugby league team|Australasia]] def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 36–2 || 12,000 || [[1921–22 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain|1921–22 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|6 || 6 November 1926 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Kiwis|16}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] 12–10 || 5,000 || rowspan=2|[[1926–27 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain|1926–27 New Zealand Kiwis tour]]
|-
|7 || 15 December 1926 || {{flagicon|Yorkshire|16}} [[Yorkshire rugby league team|Yorkshire]] def. {{leagueicon|Kiwis|16}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] 17–16 || 3,000
|-
|8 || 12 October 1929 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 18–8 || 18,560 || [[1929–30 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain|1929–30 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|9 || 18 November 1933 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 13–5 || 7,522 || [[1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain|1933–34 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|10 || 20 November 1937 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} 17–7 || 9,383 || [[1937–38 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|11 || 22 November 1947 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Kiwis|16}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] 12–7 || 8,872 || [[1947–48 New Zealand rugby tour of Great Britain and France|1947–48 New Zealand Kiwis tour]]
|-
|12 || 18 September 1948 || {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] def. {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} 22–3 || 26,017 || [[1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1948–49 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|13 || 10 October 1951 || {{leagueicon|Kiwis|16}} [[New Zealand national rugby league team|New Zealand]] def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 34–12 || 9,859 || [[1951–1952 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain and France|1951–52 New Zealand Kiwis tour]]
|-
|14 || 1 November 1952 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 27–9 || 25,494 || rowspan=2|[[1952–53 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1952–53 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|15 || 26 November 1952 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{flagicon|Yorkshire|16}} [[Yorkshire rugby league team|Yorkshire]] 55–11 || 3,737
|-
|16 || 10 November 1956 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 20–10 || 12,127 || [[1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1956–57 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|17 || 2 December 1959 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 21–7 || 2,349 || [[1959–60 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1959–60 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|18 || 16 September 1963 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 6–5 || 13,398 || [[1963–64 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1963–64 Kangaroo tour]]
|-
|19 || 10 November 1973 || {{leagueicon|Australia|16}} {{rlnt|Australia}} def. {{leagueicon|Huddersfield|16}} [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] 32–2 || 1,333 || [[1973 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France|1973 Kangaroo tour]]
|}

Huddersfield 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.

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Fartown,-Cricket-Pitch,-Stand-003.jpg|thumb|A view of the complex in 1992 before Huddersfield RLFC's final game, showing the pavilion, rear of the main stand, cricket field, some of the cricket ground seating and the running track, by then used as a car park]] -->

==Gallery==
<gallery>

File:Fartown.stand.jpg|View of the site of the Fartown Stand from the scoreboard end
File:Fartownterrace.jpg|The old terracing at Fartown now long gone and overgrown
File:Fartown grounds.jpg|Fartown Cricket and Rugby grounds from 1934 courtesy of "Britain from Above"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/image/EPW045318 | title=EPW045318 ENGLAND (1934). The Fartown Cricket and Football Grounds, Norman Park and the Britannia Works, Huddersfield, 1934 |publisher= Britain from Above |accessdate=2 June 2022}}</ref>
</gallery>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Grounds/11/539.html Fartown on cricketarchive.com]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20090725112932/http://www.huddersfieldhawks.co.uk/ Huddersfield Hawks American Football, current tenants]

{{Huddersfield Giants}}

[[Category:Huddersfield Giants]]
[[Category:Defunct cricket grounds in England]]
[[Category:Defunct football venues in England]]
[[Category:Defunct rugby league venues in England]]
[[Category:Cricket grounds in West Yorkshire]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1878]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Huddersfield]]