Re: The Shay. : Sun Jan 12, 2025 3:06 pm  

In his interview with Matt Shaw, Ken Davy answers the question of why they are looking to move out of where they are now either to a new smaller stadium or the Shay.
Simply states in essence the John Smiths is too big for the crowd they are getting with no atmosphere for the supporters or players etc.

Re: The Shay. : Sun Jan 12, 2025 4:44 pm  

More gems from the shaymen :


Davy and whoever will be monitoring these forums and seeing the opinion gradually shifting against them.
Await either new information or dire threats as to how we can’t manage without this deal.

Yeah ken davy reading some old message board could be the deciding factor on whether the deal goes through.
There's not enough lols in the world for that one .

Re: The Shay. : Sun Jan 12, 2025 6:34 pm  

Listenup94 wrote:

More gems from the shaymen :


Davy and whoever will be monitoring these forums and seeing the opinion gradually shifting against them.
Await either new information or dire threats as to how we can’t manage without this deal.

Yeah ken davy reading some old message board could be the deciding factor on whether the deal goes through.
There's not enough lols in the world for that one .

Don’t know what they’re worried about, Ken Davy has got it all covered.
New pitch.
New lights.
New toilets.
And just for them a new psychiatric wing in the unfinished East Stand bottom corner with free buses to Storthes Hall for the more serious cases.

Re: The Shay. : Sun Jan 12, 2025 7:05 pm  

MP wrote:

Maybe what Hudds pay in rent at the Galpham is fair higher than what the cost of a new pitch for FC and Fax costs?

Possibly, but they've managed to pay it for long enough. The folk of Huddersfield haven't backed their side when they almost play in the centre of their town, I dread to think what a stint at Halifax would do to the crowds even with the free transport. Doesn't make a great deal of sense to me based of what I've heard so far.

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:07 am  

Bully_Boxer wrote:

Possibly, but they've managed to pay it for long enough. The folk of Huddersfield haven't backed their side when they almost play in the centre of their town, I dread to think what a stint at Halifax would do to the crowds even with the free transport. Doesn't make a great deal of sense to me based of what I've heard so far.

Is there a metric in the IMG grading where having a large stadium and small crowds works against you and Davy sees this as a need to get them to a smaller stadium asap? He’s got to keep Kirklees council sweet and on side from a planning permission point of view.

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:48 am  

A bit more from Davy in another interview, of course very similar but in and among he describes the move at this stage as being “if” and a big “if”.

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS owner and chairman Ken Davy believes buying The Shay in Halifax would be of significant benefit for three clubs.

But he has firmly knocked back claims the neighbouring towns’ Rugby League teams could merge, telling League Express such a move would be “nonsensical”.

The 83-year-old businessman says the Super League Giants’ long-term future should be away from their current home the John Smith’s Stadium, which with its 24,000 capacity, he reckons is too large for a club whose average attendance last season was around 4,500.

Financial services stalwart Davy, recently awarded an OBE for services to community Rugby League, wants to build a new multi-use stadium, holding around 8,000 with the potential for expansion, elsewhere in Huddersfield.

He says such a move is key to his plan to “reinvigorate” the club, where he first became involved in 1996.

Talks with Kirklees Council are ongoing, but a definitive site is yet to be confirmed and such a project inevitably takes time.

And in the interim, he is considering buying The Shay, eight miles away and which current owners Calderdale Council want to offload, and from 2026 installing the Giants at the 10,400-capacity venue alongside current tenants, Championship Rugby League club Halifax Panthers and National League (fifth tier) football club FC Halifax Town.

Davy’s blueprint is to invest in the ground, which dates back to 1921 and was redeveloped during the 1990s and where the Giants played three times in 2011 during pitch renovation work at the existing Huddersfield stadium, in order to bring it up to Super League standard and make it a community asset.


The work would include the replacement of a current pitch prone to waterlogging with a hybrid version robust enough to support use by three teams as well as for community events.

When the Giants have their own stadium back in Huddersfield, Davy says The Shay would be made available for purchase, including to the Panthers and FC Halifax, either individually or collectively.

His proposal will go before a Calderdale Council cabinet meeting in March alongside another from a group of Halifax-based individuals who want to develop the venue for use by the community as well as the two tenant clubs.

The Shay has been registered as an Asset of Community Value, which gives community-interest parties the chance to express an interest in purchase.

Huddersfield Town Football Club, who have played alongside the Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium since it opened in 1994, are in the process of acquiring control of the operation of that venue.

Davy said: “If, and presently it is a big if, we do acquire The Shay, it would be as an interim home for the Giants until our hoped-for new stadium in Huddersfield can be built.

“Our relationship with Huddersfield Town remains very good and we are able to stay at the John Smith’s Stadium, but we think a temporary relocation to The Shay, if it is possible, would be in our best interests.

“In addition, the root-and-branch improvement work which would take place at that stadium would benefit not only the local community but both clubs, supporting FC Halifax’s attempts to win promotion to the Football League and furthering Halifax Panthers’ hopes of at some stage gaining Super League status.”

Davy says the Giants would provide transport options from Huddersfield to The Shay and back for their supporters.

Halifax Panthers’ recent financial issues have fuelled the theory that a switch to The Shay by the Giants could be the precursor to a merger.

But Davy responded: “It’s a nonsensical suggestion and it’s never been on the table. End.

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 8:58 am  

MP wrote:

Maybe what Hudds pay in rent at the Galpham is fair higher than what the cost of a new pitch for FC and Fax costs?

At one point, both clubs paid a rent based on gate figures, the more they had in, the more they paid.

I think that was on top of Office rental etc. I believe Giants haven't had any presence in the shop there now for a number of years but I've not been in myself so don't know.

Huddersfield Town recently refurbished some offices near the cinema end of the ground and moved their operations into there, they've taken the old gym and turned it into a large bar for matchday and event use with a 750 capacity. Everything around the ground is blue and white now. And when Huddersfield Town take control, while they say the Giants are welcome to stay, it'll no doubt be a commercial agreement

[Pumpetypump]

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 11:00 am  

The lack of ambition from Huddersfield just blows my mind. Most of us can only dream of being given a new stadium. Trying to vacate it because its too large, rather than asking themselves why they can't get people to come to the ground is so backward. I'm starting to think that Davy isn't the saviour people claim. He's the relative keeping a braindead patient hooked up to life support. But they haven't been alive since 1960 and his cash helping them limp along has prevented them asking themselves some fundamental questions about why they fail.

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 11:28 am  

A big point about all this work getting done on the stadium, it actually makes SL a realistically proposition for us if someone with money came in to the club. Without the stadium works its impossible for us to get enough points but this would change all that.

[Bullseye]

Re: The Shay. : Mon Jan 13, 2025 11:51 am  

Hudders average attendance was 6422 when they won the league leaders shield. It's not a RL town.