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| Ground
History Popular (East) Terrace (photo) What Was The Ground Like? Leeds Road (Cowshed) End (photo) What Is Left Now? Record Attendance The Popular & Leeds Road Stands (photos) Did You Know? Fans Memories Feedback Return To The Old Grounds & Stands Menu |
| Ground History |
| The Leeds Road site was chosen in
1907, as it was already used by amateur football teams and was well
served by trams, that served Huddersfield at that time. The ground
saw its first game a year later and shortly afterwards the newly
formed professional club, Huddersfield Town FC, adopted it as their
home. They played their first game in September 1908, a friendly
against Bradford Park Avenue. Initially there were no covered areas
at the ground and it was not unknown for the players to get changed
in a local pub! In an effort to gain entry into the Football League, the Club came up with a grand plan to develop the ground. They hired Archibald Leitch, who had previously designed stands for Chelsea, Tottenham & Fulham. Leitch's plans involved the construction of a 4,000 seater covered Main Stand with a terraced paddock, at one side of the pitch. A gable was also to be added to the pitched roof. The Leeds Road End was to have a partly covered terrace (to the rear) constructed and two open banks of terracing were to be provided for the other sides of the ground. The total capacity was to be around 34,000. The Club were given admittance to the Football League and work began on the ground, in line with Leitch's plans, in June 1910. During the 1920's, the Leeds Road End was given a new 'barrel shaped roof' which covered the whole of the terrace. The wooden roof led to the end being nick-named the 'Cowshed' by the supporters, a name which stuck until the ground was closed in 1994. The other terrace's were also further expanded. The East Terrace (also known as the Popular Terrace) was extended so that it was 126 steps high and this was given a roof in 1955. The other terrace, the Dalton Bank was also extended (but on a smaller scale) but was to remain uncovered. Still, these improvements boosted the ground's capacity and in 1932 over 67,000 fans crammed into watch an FA Cup tie against Arsenal. In 1950 the Main Stand was destroyed by fire, but this was replaced by a similar looking structure, although unfortunately without the gable. Floodlights were erected in 1961. Saturday, April 30th 1994, saw the last ever league match to be played at the Leeds Road Ground. This saw a 2-1 victory for the Terriers over Blackpool (attendance 16,195). |
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| What Was The Ground Like |
| The ground was dominated by the huge Popular Terrace at one side of the pitch. This terrace was covered and extended to a lesser degree, around one corner of the ground towards the smaller open Dalton Bank Terrace, at one end of the ground. Opposite was the Cowshed, This covered terrace had an unusual looking roof, which was beveled in shape. The Main Stand on one side of the pitch, was a good sized covered all seated stand, that had a television gantry built into its roof. The ground also had a striking set of floodlights. |
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| A retail park has been built on the site and nothing remains of the ground. In fact it is now extremely difficult to even figure out where the pitch used to be. Steve Foster adds; 'There is a brass plaque placed in the tarmac on the retail estate to mark exactly where the centre circle of the pitch once was'. |
| Record Attendance |
| 67,037 v Arsenal, FA Cup 6th Round, February 27th 1932. Although this was the recorded attendance, it may have been more as a number of fans, broke down gates on the Popular Side and got into the ground for nothing. |
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On The Left The Popular Terrace | |
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| Did You Know? | |
| The Dalton Bank End boasted
the country's first ever electric scoreboard to be installed at a
football ground. Dutch Company Phillips gave it to the Club as a
gift in the 1950's. The floodlights installed in 1961, were nicknamed the 'Dennis Law Lights'. It was the proceeds of his £55,000 transfer fee, to Manchester City, that funded their installation. Interestingly two of the floodlights blew down in a gale during the following year. | |
| Fans Memories | |
| I visited the ground twice.
Once as a home supporter and once as an away fan. The home
experience was spent on the Popular Terrace at an evening kick off
FA Cup game. All I can say, is that the noise generated that night
was unreal. If you have any memories of the Leeds Road Ground that you would like to share, then please use the e-mail link below. | |
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Feedback | |
| If anything is incorrect or
you have something to add, please e-mail
me and I'll update the Old Grounds
Section. | |
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