Selby - Culture, Media and Sport

Culture, Media and Sport

Selby Town Hall is regarded as being one of the best live venues in the area (as officially recognised by winning the Yorkshire Evening Post's Nightlife Award). Selby Town Council has been running this venue since 2003, with regular performances of music, dance, drama and comedy. Especially popular are the local band nights, that regularly draw big crowds, as does the annual Battle Of The Bands, which in 2009 sold out in a record 10 hours, seeing local band Leonard's Revenge crowned victors.

Selby's major sporting team is Selby Town Football Club (the Robins), playing in the Northern Counties East Premier Division and based at Flaxley Road Stadium. As a result of a sponsorship deal by a local manufacturer of packaging products the Flaxley Road ground has been renamed the "Rigid Group Stadium". In 2007 Selby lost the Otisdale Cup to higher league rivals Goole AFC.

A Rugby union club, Selby RUFC, is based at Sandhill Lane Stadium. Sandhill Lane Stadium is currently undergoing construction work to create a new seating stand overlooking the first team pitch, as well as a gym and new changing rooms being added to the members' bar and club bar that's already in place. Selby RUFC have five open age teams, and have veteran and junior set-ups too. Selby 1st are currently in Yorkshire League Division One. In the season 08–09 Selby U'10s won the Gullivers Plate down at Twickenham, The U'16s got to the final of the Yorkshire Bowl, and Selby 3rds also reached a North Yorkshire final. Selby also has a rugby league club, Selby Warriors based at Brayton High School and the Selby Rugby League Referees Society.

Selby Cricket Club which shares Sandhill Lane Stadium has four senior league teams, with the 1st and 2nd X1 playing in the York and District Senior League, the 1st X1 in Division 4 and the 2nd X1 in Division 5. Also the 3rd X1 play in Division 4 and 4th X1 play in Division 5 of the York Vale League. The team runs two junior teams the under 11s and 15s which both play in the York and District Junior League and also an evening league team in the Howdenshire Evening League (West Division).

Selby and District Motor Club has its own clubhouse on Breighton airfield down Sand Lane. It meets on Tuesday evenings from 20:30 and many of its members take part in various motor sporting events including Road Rallies and Stage Rallies, Sprints, Autotests and Production Car Trials. The members discuss motor sporting events on Tuesdays and regularly show videos of current events. The club have organised an annual Road Rally called the Three Swans Rally which was based on local roads and which formed a major part in local championships.