THE iconic Thrum Hall rugby stadium has a rich history that spanned over a century.
Home to Halifax for 112 years, the rugby league ground is now an Asda supermarket on Hanson Lane in West Yorkshire.
Opening in 1886, Thrum Hall was a thriving hub for rugby matches, with an expansive site that included a cricket pitch and bowling greens.
Over the years, it hosted many Challenge Cup and Championship matches drawing crowds of up to 29,153.
Despite its illustrious past, financial difficulties hit Halifax in the late 1960s and 1970s.
To ease the strain a concert was held at Thrum Hall but it failed to attract a large audience, resulting in a loss of £6,000.
The stadium also saw its fair share of international matches including England’s victory over France in 1937.
Adjacent to the stadium was the Thrum Hall Cricket Ground hosted four first-class cricket matches between 1888 and 1897.
The cricket ground had a speedway track constructed around the outside of it in 1928 until 1930 when the new Halifax Greyhound Stadium was built on the site.
In a bittersweet moment the final rugby match at Thrum Hall took place in 1998, with Halifax triumphing over Leeds.
The stadium was eventually sold to Asda for £1.5 million leading to the construction of a superstore on the site.
Despite the closure of Thrum Hall Halifax found a new home at the Shay Stadium across town.
The new beginnings marked the end of an era for rugby fans in the area but the memories of Thrum Hall live on in the hearts of many.
