The Willows was a rugby league stadium in Weaste, Salford, England. It had a final capacity of 11,363 with 2,500 seats.
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| Full name | The Willows |
|---|---|
| Location | Willows Road, Weaste, Salford M5 5FQ |
| Coordinates | 53°29′11″N 2°18′34″W / 53.48639°N 2.30944°W |
| Owner | Iain Watson |
| Capacity | 11,363 with 2,500 seats |
| Record attendance | 26,470 vs Warrington (Challenge Cup), 13 February 1937 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Scoreboard | Electronic |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1900 |
| Opened | 1901 |
| Renovated | 1966, 1971, 1975, 1989 |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Demolished | 2012 |
| Tenants | |
| Salford RLFC (1901–2011) Salford United (1906–1936) Swinton RLFC (2011) | |
History
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In 1900, Salford agreed a 14-year lease on 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land belonging to the Willows Estate Company, named after the abundance of willow trees in the area. They made their debut at the Willows on 21 December 1901, beating Swinton 2–0 in front of 16,981 fans.
In the 1960s, the terrace was flattened at the Willows Road end to make way for the Salford Football and Social Club which was officially opened on 16 June 1966.
The Willows switched on its floodlights for the first time in the match with Widnes on Friday 11 March 1966. On 26 November 1989, Salford unveiled a new £50,000 electronic scoreboard above the Willows Variety Centre.[1]
Salford City Reds moved to the Salford City Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell at the start of the 2012 season.[2] The last match at the Willows saw them lose to the Catalans Dragons 18–44 in front of 10,146 fans, a record for a Salford City Reds home match in the Super League.[3]
Rugby League Test matches
editList of international rugby league matches played at The Willows.[4]
| Game# | Date | Result | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 January 1922 |  Great Britain def.  Australia 6–0 |
22,000 | 1921–22 Ashes series |
| 2 | 27 January 1932 |  England def.  Wales 19–2 |
8,000 | |
| 3 | 7 November 1968 | Wales def. England 24–17 |
6,002 | |
| 4 | 23 October 1969 | Wales def.  France 8–2 |
6,189 | 1969–70 European Rugby League Championship |
| 5 | 25 September 1971 |  New Zealand def. Great Britain 25–24 |
8,083 | 1971 Great Britain vs New Zealand series |
| 6 | 25 January 1975 | England def. Wales 12–8 |
8,494 | 1975 European Rugby League Championship |
| 7 | 6 November 1975 | Wales def. France 23–2 |
2,247 | 1975 Rugby League World Cup |
Rugby League Tour Matches
editThe Willows also saw Salford and the county team Lancashire play host to various international touring teams from 1908 to 1978.
| Game | Date | Result | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 December 1907 |  New Zealand def.  Salford 9–2 |
12,000 | 1907–08 All Golds tour |
| 2 | 17 October 1908 | Salford drew with  Australia 9–9 |
6,100 | 1908–09 Kangaroo tour |
| 3 | 30 December 1911 | Australasia def. Salford 6–3 |
4,000 | 1911–12 Kangaroo tour |
| 4 | 29 October 1921 | Australasia def. Salford 48–3 |
9,000 | 1921–22 Kangaroo tour |
| 5 | 3 November 1926 | New Zealand def. Salford 18–10 |
3,500 | 1926–27 New Zealand Kiwis tour |
| 6 | 11 January 1930 | Australasia def. Salford 21–5 |
8,000 | 1929–30 Kangaroo tour |
| 7 | 21 October 1933 | Salford def. Australia 16–9 |
15,761 | 1933–34 Kangaroo tour |
| 8 | 30 October 1937 | Salford def. Australia 11–8 |
12,000 | 1937–38 Kangaroo tour |
| 9 | 30 October 1948 | Australia def. Salford 13–2 |
16,627 | 1948–49 Kangaroo tour |
| 10 | 26 September 1959 | Australia def. Salford 22–20 |
11,008 | 1959–60 Kangaroo tour |
| 11 | 11 October 1967 | Australia def.  Lancashire 16–7 |
9,369 | 1967–68 Kangaroo tour |
| 12 | 30 September 1973 | Australia def. Salford 15–12 |
11,064 | 1973 Kangaroo tour |
| 13 | 10 October 1975 | Australia def. Salford 44–6 |
5,357 | 1975 Australian Rugby League World Cup tour |
| 14 | 14 November 1978 | Australia def. Salford 14–2 |
6,155 | 1978 Kangaroo tour |
Redevelopment
editIn 2013, a proposal to redevelop the site for housing was put forward by City West Housing Trust.[5]
References
edit- ^ "The Willows". Manchester Evening News.
- ^ "The Willows: Salford Reds' field of dreams". Manchester Evening News. 10 February 2011.
- ^ "Salford 18-44 Catalans Dragons". BBC Sport. 11 September 2011.
- ^ The Willows results @ Rugby League Project
- ^ "Multi-million pound plan to convert old rugby league ground into 120 homes". Manchester Evening News. 22 October 2013.
External links
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