Canal Street (Runcorn)

Canal Street was a sports stadium used by Runcorn RFC and later Runcorn FC, in Canal Street, Runcorn, a town now within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, and on the southern bank of the River Mersey. It was also used for other sports.

The first owners of the Canal Street ground were Runcorn RFC, a rugby union club formed sometime before 1886. In 1895 the club were one of the founders of the Northern Union, which later became the Rugby League.

The club suffered badly during World War I and failed to return to the league after hostilities ended.

At this point the ground was purchased by a R H Posnett, the owner of a local tannery company and was used by the Highfield and Camden Tanneries Recreation Club, who became known as Runcorn FC from 1918). The club continued to be run under the overall control of the tanneries until the football club became a limited company in 1953.

Huyton Rugby League Club moved to Canal Street under a ground sharing agreement with the football club from 1984–85 to 1989–90, changing their name to Runcorn Highfield RLFC.

The football club had mixed success on the field, but in later years had problems with the ground, which by the 1990s was in need of major works. Disaster struck three times off the field during the 1993–94 season.

A first round FA Cup tie against Hull City, attracted a larger crowd than expected. The away supporters gathered in a central position and although the ground attendants tried to split them they resisted. The result was that in order to get a better view of a goalmouth incident and Hull's first goal the crowd surged forward and the perimeter wall collapsed. Forty to fifty spectators were trapped and four spectators and a police constable were injured. The match was abandoned and replayed the following week at another local ground.

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