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54 minutes ago
Huddersfield Giants owner Ken Davy has proposed to purchase Halifax Panthers and FC Halifax Town’s The Shay home.
Davy has expressed an interest in the ground in order to move the Giants there temporarily from 2026 while a new stadium is built in Huddersfield.
If his plan is approved the stadium, which is an asset of community value, would see “major investment” in order to bring up the ground to Super League standard.
Meanwhile, Davy’s plan would also allow the Panthers and Halifax Town to play at the ground long-term, with a hybrid pitch primed to go into construction in summer 2025.
The proposal comes as Calderdale Council discusses plans for the ground having agreed in February 2024 to stop running the stadium by April 2025 in order to save £161,000 a year and to remove a further £500,000 to meet the stadium’s health and safety needs.
The council is due to consider two proposals for the ground during a cabinet meeting in March with a group of FC Halifax Town supporters also submitting an initial business proposal to run the stadium.
Davy’s plans to upgrade the ground include a new pitch with improved surface and drainage quality to improve reliability, which would be supported by Premier League and external grants.
Essential health and safety works, improved toilets and electronic scoreboard and electronic digital perimeter advertising as well as replacing the floodlights with LED lighting would also be implemented.
“From the Giants’ perspective, whilst the upgrading of the Shay would be costly, it could be the ideal interim solution for us whilst we progress plans for a new stadium in Huddersfield,” Davy said.
Giants head coach Luke Robinson previously said he backed the idea of moving to a new stadium, with plans to move published in September 2024.
Huddersfield’s average home attendance for the 2024 Super League season at their current 24,121-capacity John Smith’s Stadium home was just over 4,600.
Giants moved to the John Smith’s Stadium in 1994 along with football club Huddersfield Town.
