Fartown Ground
| Full name | Fartown Ground |
|---|---|
| Former names | St John's Ground |
| Location | Fartown, Huddersfield |
| Coordinates | 53°39′46″N 1°47′4″W / 53.66278°N 1.78444°WCoordinates: 53°39′46″N 1°47′4″W / 53.66278°N 1.78444°W |
| Record attendance | 35,136 Challenge Cup Semi Final 19 April 1947 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1878 |
| Tenants | |
| Huddersfield RLFC (1878–1992) | |
Fartown Ground, is a sports ground located in the Huddersfield suburb of Fartown in West Yorkshire, England and is predominantly famous for being the home ground of Huddersfield Rugby League Club from 1878 to 1992. It was the scene of many great games, including the Challenge Cup finals of 1908 and 1910, several Challenge Cup semi finals and international matches.
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 on 4 March 1950, although a Challenge Cup semi-final played 19 April 1947 attracted a crowd of 35,136.
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 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.
Although the athletic club had formed a rugby football section in 1866, 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 RLFC.
Senior 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 focused town. Blackburn Rovers drew 0-0 with Sheffield Wednesday, forcing a replay at Fallowfield in Manchester. Blackburn eventually won 5-1, and went on to lose 1-0 in the final to Old Etonians.
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