Featured image credit: Northern Wonder/CC BY-SA 4.0/Edited for size
Calderdale Metropolitan Council has approved a deal to sell The Shay in Halifax to Ken Davy, owner of the Huddersfield Giants rugby league club.
The Shay currently serves as the home of National League football club Halifax Town and second-tier rugby league team Halifax Panthers. It has a capacity of around 10,000 and is owned by the council, which announced in January that it had been discussing the future of the stadium with its two tenants and “other interested parties”.
Davy expressed an interest in buying The Shay as a temporary home for the Giants as the club explores plans for a new stadium of its own. The council also considered a second proposal from a group of Halifax Town supporters aiming to run the stadium, but Davy’s proposal was announced as the preferred option during a council meeting held yesterday (Monday).
The Giants currently share John Smith’s Stadium with League One football club Huddersfield Town, but have struggled to attract strong attendances to the 24,500-capacity venue. In September, Davy detailed plans to develop a new stadium for the Giants with a capacity of 7,500 to 8,000.
In January, Davy said that The Shay would serve as the Giants’ temporary home if his proposal to buy the stadium was successful. He added that The Shay would be “totally upgraded” to full Super League standards if the Giants moved in.
The Giants could begin playing at The Shay in 2026, and Davy has said that improved transport facilities would be provided for fans, with Huddersfield located around eight miles from Halifax.
A new hybrid pitch is set to be fitted at The Shay during the summer, to minimise the disruption to Halifax Town next season and to allow the Giants to move in from 2026. Davy’s proposal requires the council and the two current tenants to commit towards initial investment for a Football Foundation grant that will provide for the replacement of the current pitch.
The council’s contribution is likely to be in the region of £130,000 (€154,000/$169,000). In a statement released ahead of yesterday’s meeting, the council noted that it already invests between £30,000 and £50,000 every year in pitch works, adding that Davy’s proposal includes provision for interest-free loans to be made by the Giants owner to Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers to help meet the costs of the pitch replacement.
Following yesterday’s meeting, Councillor Danielle Durrans, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, said: “Major financial pressures mean that it’s no longer possible for the council to continue the running of the Shay Stadium, however we understand how important this facility is for people in the borough.
“The decision to dispose of The Shay was taken by the council in February 2024. Since that time officers have been working with the two clubs and considering two separate proposals that came forward; one by Ken Davy, and another from a group of supporters interested in establishing a trust for the future operation of The Shay.
“Following thorough and in-depth discussions, we believe the best long-term solution for the future of the stadium and the professional sports clubs that use the facility is the proposal from Ken Davy. Work will now take place to progress the detailed negotiations required as part of the next step in the process and develop timescales in partnership with the relevant parties.”
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