View source for Halliwell Jones Stadium

{{Short description|Rugby league stadium in Warrington, England}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox venue
| image = Aerial view of the Halliwell Jones Stadium.jpg
| image_size = 
| caption = 
| fullname = The Halliwell Jones Stadium
| location = Mike Gregory Way, [[Warrington]], WA2 7NE , [[England]]
| coordinates = {{coord|53|23|42|N|2|35|44|W|display=inline,title}}
| built = 2002–2003
| opened = 2004
| renovated = 
| expanded = 2011
| demolished = 
| owner = [[Warrington Wolves]]
| operator = [[Warrington Wolves]]
| surface = Grass
| scoreboard = Philips Vidiwall
| architect = 
| former_names = 
| public_transit = {{rail-interchange|gb|Rail}} {{stn|Warrington Central}}
| tenants = [[Warrington Wolves]] (2003–present)<br>[[Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy|Liverpool Reserves]] (2007–2009)
| seating_capacity = 15,300
| record_attendance = 15,026 ([[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] vs [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] 14 April 2023)
| dimensions = {{convert|120|x|74|yd|m|abbr=out}}
}}

'''Halliwell Jones Stadium''' is a [[rugby league]] stadium in [[Warrington]], [[England]], which is the home ground of the [[Warrington Wolves]]. It has also staged [[Challenge Cup]] semi-finals, the [[Rugby League European Nations Cup|European Nations Final]], the [[British rugby league system#History|National League]] Grand Finals' Day, two games of the [[2013 Rugby League World Cup]] and four games of the [[2021 Rugby League World Cup]].

== History ==
===1990s–2004: Origins and construction===
By the late 1990s, Warrington's [[Wilderspool Stadium]] had become decrepit and unfit for purpose, and so the club looked to move to a new stadium. Before settling on a site just north of the town centre, which had formerly housed the Tetley Walker brewery, a site in [[Burtonwood]] was considered but these plans were rejected.

Ground was broke at the new site in 2002 and bucked the common trend of modern stadia by including terracing areas rather than being an all-seater stadium, with the South and West stands both containing terracing. It also has large pitch dimensions of {{convert|120x74|m}}, as requested by Warrington's head coach of the time, [[Paul Cullen (rugby league)|Paul Cullen]], due to his desire to play expansive rugby. The stadium officially opened on 21 February 2004 with 34-20 victory by Warrington against [[Wakefield Trinity]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Woods |first1=Dave |title=Wilderspool soon forgotten |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/super_league/warrington/3510555.stm |access-date=16 December 2025 |work=BBC Sport |date=21 February 2004}}</ref>

===2011–present: Expansion===
During the [[Championship (rugby league)|2010 Championship Grand Final]] between [[Featherstone Rovers]] and [[Halifax R.L.F.C.|Halifax]], a fire beneath the terraced West Stand broke out, forcing all of the fans housed in the stand to be evacuated onto the field, holding up the game for around 45 minutes. Following a safety inspection the spectators were eventually allowed back in. However, when the smell of smoke failed to disperse, there was a further hold up as the fans were moved to the East Stand. The game resumed with no further interruptions. The fire was treated as arson.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/8415334.UPDATED__Fire_hits_Halliwell_Jones/|title=UPDATED: Fire hits Halliwell Jones|work=Warrington Guardian|date=27 September 2010 |access-date=9 February 2016}}</ref>

On 3 March 2011, the club announced that the corners of the East Stand at the stadium would be filled in to create a further 2,000 spaces made up of seating and terracing for the 2012 season. The stadium capacity, set at 15,000 for the first sell-out home match against [[St Helens R.F.C.|St. Helens]] in 2012, was increased to 15,200 and can grow to 15,693 as the club proves it can handle the bigger crowds and get extra safety certificates. The club has also announced plans to increase the stadium's capacity to around 22,000 should the need arise. The largest ever crowd at the Halliwell Jones was recorded on 14 April 2023, with a record crowd of 15,026 were in attendance.

The club announced that for just the opening game of the 2025 season, the stadium would be renamed the [[Luke Littler]] stadium, in honour of the World Darts champion who is a life long Warrington supporter.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Callum |title=Warrington Wolves rename Halliwell Jones Stadium to Luke Littler Stadium for Super League home fixture |url=https://www.totalrl.com/warrington-wolves-rename-halliwell-jones-stadium-to-luke-littler-stadium-for-super-league-home-fixture/ |access-date=5 February 2025 |work=Total RL |date=4 February 2025}}</ref>

== Brian Bevan monuments ==
[[Image:Brian Bevan Statue.jpg|thumb|Statue of Brian Bevan at the Halliwell Jones Stadium]]
[[Image:Brian Bevan Wall.jpg|thumb|Brian Bevan commemorative mural]]

Two monuments to Australian winger and world record try scorer [[Brian Bevan]], who played for Warrington 1945–62 (scoring 740 tries for the Wire), are featured at the stadium. One, a statue of him, had previously been placed in the middle of a roundabout (known as Brian Bevan island) close to Wolves' old Wilderspool ground. This was moved to the Halliwell Jones Stadium with the team. The other, a mural showing Bevan's face made from 'Primrose and Blue' bricks, the traditional Warrington colours was created specifically for the location.

Two other tributes to ex-players at the ground are the naming of the South-East quadrant the [[Jack Fish (rugby league)|Jack Fish]] corner, and the road the stadium is on [[Mike Gregory]] Way.

==Layout==
===North Stand===
The North Stand is the main stand of the ground, housing hospitality, changing rooms and dugout.

===East Stand===
[[Image:Halliwell Jones Stadium.jpg|thumb|Halliwell Jones Stadium]]
The East Stand is situated behind the goal posts and is an all seater stand with hospitality boxes. In 2011, the corners next to the stand were filled in to increase the capacity.

===South Stand===
The South Stand runs along the side of the pitch and is terraced. It also houses the scoreboard and TV gantry.

[[Image:HJ_stadium.jpg|thumb|West Stand]]

===West Stand===
The West Stand is terraced and houses the away fans. Unlike the East Stand at the opposite end of the ground, the corners are not filled in but there are future plans to do so if there is demand for the capacity to be increased.

== Sponsorship ==
Halliwell Jones, which holds the naming rights for the stadium, is a large BMW and MINI motor group owned by Phillip Jones, a businessman from the North West.

{| class="wikitable" width=60%
|- bgcolor=#bdb76b
! Years !! Sponsor !! Name 
|-
|2004-|| Halliwell Jones || '''Halliwell Jones Stadium'''
|}

== Usage ==
===Rugby league===
The stadium was primarily built as a rugby league venue and to be home of [[Warrington Wolves]]. It has also been used as a neutral venue on multiple occasions, the first being the [[Challenge Cup]] semi-finals since it opened in 2004:
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year!! Winners !! Score !! Losers !!Attendance 
|-
|2004||  [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]] ||46–6||  [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]]||13,134
|-
|2007 ||  [[Catalans Dragons|Catalans]] ||37–24||   [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]]||10,218
|-
|2009 ||  [[Huddersfield Giants|Huddersfield]] ||24–14 ||   [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]]||10,638
|-
|2011 ||  [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] ||18–12||   [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]]||12,713
|-
|2015 ||  [[Leeds Rhinos|Leeds]] ||24–14||   [[St Helens R.F.C.|St Helens]]||11,107
|-
|2017 ||  [[Wigan Warriors|Wigan]] ||27–14||   [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]]||10,796
|}

After successfully hosting its first Challenge Cup semi final in 2004, the ground was also selected to hold the [[Championship Grand Final]] on five separate occasions between 2006 and 2011.
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year!! League !! Winners !! Score !! Losers !!Attendance 
|-
|rowspan=3|2006|| [[RFL Championship|National League 1]] || [[Hull Kingston Rovers]] ||29–16||  [[Widnes Vikings|Widnes]]||
|-
| [[RFL League 1|National League 2]] || [[Sheffield Eagles|Sheffield]] ||35–10||  [[Swinton Lions|Swinton]]||
|-
| [[National League Three|National League 3]] || [[Bramley Buffaloes|Bramley]] ||29–16||  [[Hemel Stags]]||
|-
|rowspan=3|2008|| [[RFL Championship|National League 1]] || [[Celtic Crusaders]] ||18–36||  [[Salford Red Devils|Salford]]||
|-
| [[RFL League 1|National League 2]] || [[Doncaster RLFC]] ||18–10||  [[Oldham RLFC|Oldham]]||
|-
| [[National League Three|National League 3]] || [[Crusaders RL|Crusaders Colts]] ||?–?|| [[Bramley Buffaloes|Bramley]]||
|-
|rowspan=3|2009|| [[RFL Championship|Championship]] || [[Barrow Raiders|Barrow]] ||26–18||  [[Halifax RLFC|Halifax]]||rowspan=3|11,398
|-
| [[RFL League 1|League 1]] || [[Keighley Cougars|Keighley]] ||28–26||  [[Oldham RLFC|Oldham]]
|-
| [[National League Three|Conference]] || [[Bramley Buffaloes|Bramley]] ||?–?||  [[Huddersfield Underbank Rangers|Underbank Rangers]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2010|| [[RFL Championship|Championship]] || [[Halifax RLFC|Halifax]] ||23–22<br>[[Overtime (sports)|aet]]||  [[Featherstone Rovers|Featherstone]]||rowspan=3|9,443
|-
| [[RFL League 1|League 1]] || [[York City Knights|York]] ||25–4||  [[Oldham RLFC|Oldham]]
|-
| [[National League Three|Conference]] || [[Warrington Wizards]] ||?–?||  [[Huddersfield Underbank Rangers|Underbank Rangers]]
|-
|rowspan=3|2011|| [[RFL Championship|Championship]] || [[Featherstone Rovers|Featherstone]] ||40–4||  [[Sheffield Eagles|Sheffield]]||rowspan=3|7,263
|-
| [[RFL League 1|League 1]] || [[Keighley Cougars|Keighley]] ||32–12||  [[Workington Town|Workington]]
|-
| [[National League Three|Conference]] ||  [[Huddersfield Underbank Rangers|Underbank Rangers]]||?–?||[[Kippax Knights]]
|}

It 2015, Warrington were chosen to play in the inaugural [[World Club Series]]. The club chose to host the game at the Halliwell Jones rather than move it to a bigger venue.

{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Year!! Winners !! Score !! Losers !!Attendance 
|-
|2015||  [[St George Illawarra Dragons|St George-Illawarra]] ||18–12||  [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]]||13,080
|-
|2017||  [[Warrington Wolves|Warrington]] ||27–18||  [[Brisbane Broncos|Brisbane]]||12,082
|}

The Halliwell Jones has also been a venue for international rugby league, hosting a European Cup and World Cup.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/matches/Custom/LS0tMS0tNjgtLS0tLS0tLXkteS0tLS0tLQ==|title=Custom Match List|author=Shawn Dollin and Andrew Ferguson|date=9 February 2016|access-date=9 February 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background:#bdb76b;"
! Date !! Winners !! Score !! Losers !! Competition !!Attendance 
|-
|7 November 2004 || {{rl|ENG}} ||36–12|| {{rl|IRE}} ||[[2004 European Nations Cup|2004 European Cup]]||3,582
|-
|28 October 2011 || {{rl|AUS}} ||26–12|| {{rl|NZL}}  || [[2011 Rugby League Four Nations|2011 Four Nations]]||12,491
|-
|14 June 2013 || {{rl|ENG}} ||42–24|| [[Exiles rugby league team|Exiles]]  || [[International Origin|2013 International Origin]] ||14,965
|-
|27 October 2013 || {{rl|NZL}} ||42–24|| {{rl|SAM}} || [[2013 Rugby League World Cup|2013 World Cup]] ||14,965
|-
|17 November 2013 || {{rl|FIJ}} ||22–4||{{rl|SAM}}  || [[2013 Rugby League World Cup|2013 World Cup]]||12,766
|-
|16 October 2022 || {{rl|NZL}} ||34–12||{{rl|Lebanon}} || [[2021 Rugby League World Cup|2021 World Cup]]||5,453
|-
|25 October 2022 || {{rl|PNG}} ||32–16||{{rl|Cook Islands}} || [[2021 Rugby League World Cup|2021 World Cup]]||6,273
|-
|30 October 2022 || {{rl|SAM}} ||62–4||{{rl|FRA}} || [[2021 Rugby League World Cup|2021 World Cup]]||6,756
|-
|6 November 2022 || {{rl|TON}} ||18–20||{{rl|SAM}} || [[2021 Rugby League World Cup|2021 World Cup]]||12,674
|}

===Association football===
The Halliwell Jones was chosen as one of the venues to host the [[UEFA Women's Euro 2005|2005 Women's European Championship]]. In 2007, [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] chose the stadium to host their [[Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy|reserve team]], who played there until 2009.
*[[Liverpool F.C. Reserves and Academy|Liverpool reserves]] (2007–09)
*[[UEFA Women's Euro 2005|2005 Women's European Championship]]

===England's strongest man ===
The Halliwell Jones was chosen as the venue to hold the England's strongest man tournament in 2022 and 2023.

===Non-sporting events===
The Halliwell Jones held the Autumn Pops Concert with Three Sporting Tenors. In 2010, the ground was used to film an episode of [[Candy Cabs]] which aired in April 2011 on [[BBC One]].

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Halliwell Jones Stadium}}
{{Portal|Cheshire}}
*[http://www.worldstadia.com/stadium/england/halliwell_jones_stadium/905.php Halliwell Jones on Worldstadia.com]

{{Warrington Wolves}}
{{Super League venues}}
{{2013 RLWC Venues}}
{{2021 RLWC Venues}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Warrington Wolves]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Warrington]]
[[Category:Rugby league stadiums in England]]