The
Galpharm Stadium, formerly the
Alfred McAlpineAlfred McAlpine plc was a British construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll...
Stadium, is a multi-use sports in
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
in
West YorkshireWest Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England. Since 1994, it has been the home ground of
Huddersfield TownHuddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
and
Super LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
side,
Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
.
The Stadium
The Galpharm Stadium seats 24,499 people along with hospitality boxes and conference rooms. There are four stands. The main stand, the Direct Golf UK Stand or Riverside Stand incorporates two-tiers of seats, with a row of 26 executive boxes running between them. This stand also houses the offices and suites. The Britannia Rescue Stand, opposite the Riverside and commonly referred to as the Kilner Bank Stand, is a large, single-tiered stand which seats over 7,000 spectators. It was previously sponsored by John Smith's and is still called this by many today. The John Smith's South Stand, which seats 4,054, is usually allocated to away fans. It is built into natural banking and is the most basic of the stands. The Fantastic Media North stand is the tallest stand with two tiers, 16 hospitality boxes and a viewing room for players' guests, built into the leisure centre. The lower tier consists of temporary seating that can be removed for events such as concerts.
Construction
During planning and construction, the stadium was referred to as the
Kirklees Stadium. It was built by
Alfred McAlpineAlfred McAlpine plc was a British construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll...
, designed by HOK Sport and was awarded the
RIBARiba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
Building of the Year award for 1995,
The decision to build a new stadium for Huddersfield Town was made in August 1992. Construction began the following year and it was completed in time for the
1994-95 season-Premiership:Blackburn Rovers ended their 81-year wait for the league title thanks to the strike partnership of Alan Shearer and Chris Sutton which scored a total of more than 50 league goals. Manchester United would have made it three league titles in a row if they had been able to turn a 1-1 draw...
, enabling the club to move to its new base after 86 years at
Leeds RoadLeeds Road may refer to:* Leeds Road, former football and rugby league stadium in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England* A660 road, West Yorkshire, England, between Golden Acre Park and the Otley bypass...
.
When the stadium opened only the two side stands (the Riverside and Kilner Bank stands) were ready. The South Stand was opened in December 1994. Construction on the North (Panasonic) Stand began in 1996 and it was completed in 1997, bringing the overall capacity of the stadium to approximately 24,500. The estimated cost of construction was £40 million.
Ownership
Initially, the stadium was owned by a consortium made up of
KirkleesThe Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees is a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, England. It has a population of 401,000 and includes the settlements of Batley, Birstall, Cleckheaton, Denby Dale, Dewsbury, Heckmondwike, Holmfirth, Huddersfield, Kirkburton, Marsden, Meltham, Mirfield and Slaithwaite...
Metropolitan Council,
Huddersfield Town F.C.Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
and
Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
in a 40:40:20 proportion. Following the purchase of Huddersfield Town F.C. from the
administratorsIn law an administrator can be:* a person appointed by the court to handle the estate of someone who died without a will ....
,
Ken DavyKen Davy is a businessman who is also the chairman of the Super League side Huddersfield Giants and former chairman of the Football League One side Huddersfield Town.-Career:...
became chairman of both sports clubs, which are owned by companies he controls. The present ownership of the stadium is Ken Davy's company, Huddersfield Sporting Pride owns 60% and Kirklees Metropolitan Council 40%. The current Managing director of the stadium company is
Ralph RimmerRalph Rimmer is a former Irish rugby league player, administrator and coach of the Ireland national rugby league team. He is currently the managing director of the Galpharm Stadium, a director at Huddersfield Giants and the Chief Operating Officer for the Rugby Football...
. On December 24th 2009,
Huddersfield Town F.C.Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One...
announced that 40% of the shares owned by Huddersfield Sporting Pride would be transferred to the current chairman
Dean HoyleDean Hoyle was the founder and previous owner of Card Factory, a chain of greeting card and gift stores in Great Britain. Hoyle, from Wakefield, set up Card Factory in 1997. As of 2009, the company had 500+ shops, employing over 5,000 people. On 8 April 2010 Card Factory was sold to Charterhouse...
, with the deal expected to be completed in the New Year.
Sponsorship
From 1994 until 2004 the stadium was known as the Alfred McAlpine Stadium.
Alfred McAlpineAlfred McAlpine plc was a British construction firm headquartered in London. It was a major road builder, and constructed over 10% of Britain's motorways, including the M6 Toll...
had been the main construction contractor and its name was part of the payment contract for ten years. The company elected not to renew its sponsorship which was taken up by
Galpharm HealthcareGalpharm International Ltd, who trade as Galpharm Healthcare, are the UK's biggest supplier of non-prescription medicine. The company is based in Dodworth, Barnsley, England and sponsor the Galpharm Stadium in nearby Huddersfield. In January 2008, the company was acquired by The Perrigo Group for...
, leading to the new tname. Individual stands are sponsored by local businesses.
Sporting venue
The stadium is home to Huddersfield Giants
RLFCRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and Huddersfield Town Football Club.
It hosted its first match in August 1994 when Huddersfield Town lost 1–0 to Wycombe Wanderers in Football League Division 2. Former Blackburn Rovers player
Simon GarnerSimon Garner is an English former professional footballer. He is the record goal scorer for the English club Blackburn Rovers....
scored the goal for the visitors.
Other important matches in
Rugby LeagueRugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
and
Rugby UnionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
have been held here.
Rugby League World CupThe Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...
matches were held at the stadium in 1995 and 2000.
| Date |
Competition |
team |
team |
| 14 October 1995 |
1995 Rugby League World CupThe 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
,Group 1 |
AustraliaThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
|
66 |
Fiji -Competitions:Fiji have participated in:*Pacific Cup *World Cup *World Sevens *Superleague World Nines *Superleague Oceania Tournament *Pacific Rim Competition -Results:...
|
0 |
| 22 October 1995 |
1995 Rugby League World CupThe 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
, Semi Final |
AustraliaThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
|
30 |
New ZealandThe New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
|
20 |
| 19 November 2000 |
2000 Rugby League World CupThe 2000 Rugby League World Cup was the twelfth staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was held during October and November of that year in Great Britain, Ireland and France...
, Semi Final |
AustraliaThe Australian national rugby league team have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competition since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League, the Kangaroos' are ranked number one in the RLIF World Rankings...
|
46 |
Wales |
12 |
The stadium has held
World Club ChallengeThe World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...
matches and semi-finals of the
Challenge CupThe Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
. The finals of the now defunct
Regal TrophyThe Regal Trophy was a knock-out competition for British rugby league football clubs between 1971 and 1996.It was initially for professional clubs with the exception of two amateur teams who were finalists of the BARLA National Cup...
competition were held there in 1995 and 1996.
Wigan WarriorsWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
won on both occasions.
Despite Huddersfield not being a strong rugby union area, the stadium has been used for four full cap international rugby union matches. It hosted three qualifying matches for the 1999 Rugby World Cup and one pool match in the group. Half the matches have seen century scores; by England against Netherlands (110-0) and by the All Blacks versus Italy (101-3).
| Date |
Competition |
Home team |
Away team |
| 14 November 1998 |
1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying Europe Round C Pool 2 |
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
|
110 |
NetherlandsThe Netherlands national rugby union team are a national sporting side of the Netherlands, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1930.-History:...
|
0 |
| 18 November 1998 |
1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying Europe Round C Pool 2 |
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
|
67 |
NetherlandsThe Netherlands national rugby union team are a national sporting side of the Netherlands, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1930.-History:...
|
7 |
| 22 November 1998 |
1999 Rugby World Cup qualifying Europe Round C Pool 2 |
EnglandThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
|
23 |
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
|
15 |
| 14 October 1999 |
1999 Rugby World CupThe 1999 Rugby World Cup was the fourth Rugby World Cup, and the first to be held in rugby union's professional era. The principal host nation was Wales, although the majority of matches were played outside the country, shared between England, France, Scotland and Ireland...
, Pool 2 |
ItalyThe Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
|
3 |
New Zealand |
101 |
Concerts
Artists that have performed at the stadium include
Bryan AdamsBryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
,
The Beautiful SouthThe Beautiful South were an English alternative rock group formed at the end of the 1980s by two former members of Hull group The Housemartins, Paul Heaton and Dave Hemingway. The duo were initially joined by Sean Welch , Dave Stead and Dave Rotheray , all of whom stayed with the group throughout...
, Blue,
Bon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, The Eagles,
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
and
R.E.M.R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, among others.
External links