Around The Grounds: Galpharm Stadium, Home Of Huddersfield Town

Chris Wright

1st, November 2013

3 Comments

By Chris Wright

Come 3pm on Saturday afternoon, Huddersfield Town will be playing their 4,000th game in the Football League having joined the party way back in 1910/11, just three years after the club’s formation.

Sadly the Terriers won’t be able to stage any kind of commemoration ceremony as they’ll be doing it at the DW Stadium in Wigan, but we thought that we’d offer up a small celebration of our own to at least take the edge of the disappointment by giving them the esteemed honour of being the subject of this week’s Around the Grounds tour.

Formerly known as the Alfred McAlpine Stadium after the chap who designed it, the Galpharm Stadium (or the John Smith’s Stadium to give it its proper current name) has been Huddersfield’s home since they left their original ground, Leeds Road (which is the site of a B&Q warehouse these days, though there is a plaque outside which marks the old centre spot), in search of pasture’s new in 1994.

McAlpine’s design actually won the prestigious RIBA Building of the Year award for 1995 and was partially nicked by Bolton Wanderers when they tacked the Reebok Stadium together shortly thereafter.

The 24,500-capacity ground is shared with the Huddersfield Giants rugby league side, features it’s very own built-in leisure centre and also doubles as a concert venue, with Bryan Adams, Elton John and REM all playing the Galpharm in the recent-ish past.

Soccer - npower Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday - The Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - npower Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday - The Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Pre Season Friendly - Burnley v Stoke City - Galpharm Stadium

Rugby League - Engage Super League - Huddersfield Giants v St. Helens - Galpharm Stadium

Rugby League - Engage Super League - Huddersfield Giants v St. Helens - Galpharm Stadium

Rugby League - Engage Super League - Huddersfield Giants v St. Helens - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Charlton Athletic - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Bristol Rovers - The Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Bristol Rovers - The Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Bristol Rovers - The Galpharm Stadium

Rugby League - Engage Super League - Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos - Galpharm Stadium

Rugby League - Engage Super League - Huddersfield Giants v Leeds Rhinos - Galpharm Stadium

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Cheltenham Town - The Galpharm Stadium

Huddersfield Town v Oldham Athletic

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Brentford

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Brentford

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Brentford

Soccer - Coca-Cola Football League One - Huddersfield Town v Luton Town - The Galpharm Stadium

Here’s a few bonus shots of the Terriers’ former home at Leeds Road, and the demolition thereof…

Soccer - English Football League Grounds - Leeds Road

Soccer - Barclays League Division Three - Huddersfield Town v Bradford City - Leeds Road

Soccer - Huddersfield Town

More in Pies’ Around The Grounds series…

Sixfields Stadium, Northampton And Coventry…ish
City Ground, Nottingham Forest
Princes Park, Dartford FC’s Wooden Eco Stadium

Molineux, Wolves

The New Maracana, Rio De Janeiro

Griffin Park, Brentford

De Kuip, Feyenoord

Upton Park, West Ham

San Mames, Athletic Bilbao

FC Gspon’s Ottmar Hitzfeld Stadium, The Highest Pitch In Europe

Valley Parade, Bradford City
Prenton Park, Tranmere
Wankdorf, Young Boys

Estadio Municipal, SC Braga

Home Park, Plymouth Argyle

Victoria Park, Hartlepool United
Bloomfield Road, Blackpool
Ninian Park, Cardiff City
Wankdorf Stadium, Young Boys
Portman Road, Ipswich Town
Recreation Ground, Aldershot
Saltergate, Former Home Of Chesterfield

(Photos: PA)

Posted in Championship, Featured, Newsnow, Photos

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3 Comments

  1. Hi Chris,

    Many thanks for a fabulous article on my club Huddersfield Town as we approach our 4,000 league game. The pictures of the ‘new’ stadium certainly do it justice, but for me (an old bugger) I long for our old girl,much missed, dearly loved, Leeds Road.

    Nothing finer than watching a Tuesday night fixture, under those huge imposing floodlights with the rain coming down and ourselves in the Spen Valley corner of the vast East Terrace.

    Oh those certainly were the days my friend.

    Keep up the excellent work, kind regards.

    David.
    The Woodies of Huddersfield Town.

  2. m says:

    these are by far the best posts on this site.

Leave a Reply to m