The LoveRugbyLeague.Com Stadium
A view down the hill from behind the rugby posts
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| Location | Batley, West Yorkshire |
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| Coordinates | 53°42′26″N 1°37′54″W / 53.70722°N 1.63167°WCoordinates: 53°42′26″N 1°37′54″W / 53.70722°N 1.63167°W |
| Capacity | 7,500 |
| Record attendance | 23,989 (Batley vs. Leeds, 14 March 1925) |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Electronic |
| Opened | 1880 |
| Tenants | |
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Batley Bulldogs (1880-present) Hunslet (1980-1982) Dewsbury Rams (1991) |
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Mount Pleasant stadium (officially known (for sponsorship purposes) as Fox's Biscuits Stadium) is a rugby league stadium in Batley, West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Batley Bulldogs.
The Mount Pleasant pitch is sloped and is on a hill overlooking Batley. The end of the ground at the top of the hill has three grandstands. Behind the rugby posts is a terraced stand, which houses the players changing rooms and executive boxes.
At the opposite end at the bottom of the hill is an open terraced stand. The bottom corner of the pitch has a pronounced dip.
Batley Cricket Club played at the foot of Howley Hill, more commonly known as "Owd Billy Wood’s Cloise". The cricket club decided to merge with Batley Athletic rugby football club in 1880. The new rugby club played at Mount Pleasant at the top of the hill. The first game on the new ground was on 2 October 1880 when the hosts beat Bradford Zingari. Captain, Jacob Parker, scored the first try.
In 1886-87, there was just one small covered stand, under which poultry were kept. This was situated where the current main stand is now. The ground was used to host a Yorkshire v Surrey county match at around this time.
The 1893-94 season saw the erection of a huge open grandstand purchased by Batley's football committee following its use at the Great Yorkshire Show held at nearby Dewsbury. It cost £141-10s-0d. Once erected it covered the whole side of one length of the Mount Pleasant playing area.
In 1901, Mount Pleasant was nearly lost and used for building land until the club's first president serving from 1880 - 1890, Alderman John W. Blackburn stepped in and bought the land along with Sir Mark Oldroyd, MP. This was then offered back to the club for £2,300. A company was formed to raise the sum, helped greatly by Alderman Joseph Auty, who agreed to donate money on the basis that no intoxicating liquor ever be sold at the ground.
The record attendance was set at 23,989 for the visit of Leeds for a third round Challenge Cup match on 14 March 1925.
Dewsbury played their home games at Mount Pleasant in 1991 while their new stadium was being built.
On 19 December 2014, the Batley announced a two-year sponsorship with Fox's Biscuits, including the renaming of Mount Pleasant to Fox's Biscuits Stadium.
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Wikipedia