Thrum Hall - History

History

In 1878, Halifax RLFC, who had just won the inaugural Yorkshire Cup, bought a patch of land for £3,000 from a local farmer, Major Dyson, to develop as a new multi-purpose sports ground. It was to be a replacement for their Hanson Lane ground which stood opposite.

The site measured 55,000 square yards and included a cricket pitch, greyhound track and bowling greens. The rugby stadium was opened on 18 September 1886 by Alderman Riley, who kicked off before the Halifax v Hull FC match. Forward Ernest Williamson scored the first try (his only try for Halifax) and the home side went on to win in front of a crowd of around 8,000.

The ground was continuously developed over the next 40 to 50 years and it came to be regularly used as a neutral ground for Challenge Cup and Championship matches, including the 1914 Challenge Cup final (won by Hull) and the 1912, 1929 and 1930 Championship deciders.

Thrum Hall was run by trustees from 1921.

The attendance record of 29,153 was set in a third round Challenge Cup tie against Wigan on 21 March 1959. By the time of the Taylor Report, Thrum Hall's capacity was reduced to 9,832.

Halifax was hit hard by the financial situation of the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1970, a concert was held at Thrum Hall in an attempt was made to alleviate these financial troubles. Adverse weather conditions meant that only around 3,000 arrived to watch the 'Halifax Pop and Blues Concert' which made a loss of £6,000.