Clarence Street

This article is about the rugby stadium in York, England. For the street in Sydney, Australia, see Clarence Street, Sydney.

Clarence Street is a former rugby stadium in York, England. From 1885 until 1989 it was the home of York F.C. (later York R.L.F.C.) before being sold and demolished. The site is now housing.

Clarence Street

Former names	Wigginton Road Haxby Road
Address	Wigginton Road, York
Location	York, UK
Coordinates	53°58′12″N 1°4′51″W
Owner	York F.C.
Type	Rugby stadium
Record attendance	14,631 v Swinton (10 February 1934)
Construction
Opened	26 September 1885
Closed	26 March 1989
Demolished	1989

History

York Football Club was formed in 1868 and played on a variety of grounds before moving to Wigginton Road Cricket Ground in the early 1880s.^[1] In 1883 due to financial difficulties the club was forced to leave Wigginton Road but in 1885 the club leased a patch of land from Bootham Asylum. This plot of land was bounded by Wigginton Road and Haxby Street and was virtually opposite Wigginton Road cricket ground.^[1] Despite the physical location of the ground it was almost always called after nearby Clarence Street with some mentions as either Wigginton Road or Haxby Road.^[2]

The first game on the ground was between York's first XV and a team raised from the city on 19 September 1885 but the first competitive fixture was a week later against Thornes.^[3][4] There were no changing rooms and a local pub, the Castle Howard Ox served this purpose.^[5] Dressing rooms were added in 1896 when the club purchased the old Waterman's Mission hut and moved it from its previous location in Fishergate.^[4] York joined the Northern Union.

A small stand existed on the Wigginton Road side of the ground but this was deemed unsafe by the local council and was rebuilt in 1902. The new stand was opened by local MP, John G. Butcher on 20 September 1902.^[6] This stand was destroyed by fire in 1922 and Sr John Butcher opened its replacement in October 1922.^[7] Fire again struck the ground when the pavilion and press box were destroyed in August 1926.^[8]

In 1931 the club purchased the freehold of the stadium from Bootham Park hospital and also acquired some adjoining allotment land on the Haxby Road which became the club's training pitch.^[9]

The record attendance for the ground was set on 10 February 1934 when 14,631 saw a 0–0 draw between York and Swinton in the first round of the 1933–34 Challenge Cup.^[9]

During the Second World War the training pitch was returned to use as allotments while the main pitch was made available to the local rugby union club's use.^[9]

By the 1980s the York club's finances were at a low point and in 1986 the training ground was sold for housing use, the money being used to stave off bankruptcy of the club. However, this was not enough and in January 1989 the council ordered the club to improve ground safety or risk closure. Unable to afford the safety work, the ground was sold off and the club moved out of town to the Huntington Stadium.^[9] The last game at Clarence Street was on 26 March 1989 when 2,904 spectators saw York beat Hunslet 26–17.^[10]

Tour matches

The ground played host to a number of games between York and touring teams from New Zealand and Australia or a combined Australasia team and on two occasions between the representative sides and the Australian tourists.

Date	Opponents	Score (York first)	Attendance	Tour
29 January 1908	New Zealand	5–3[11]	5,000	1907–08 All Golds Tour
14 October 1908	Australia	5–5[12]	1,781	1908–09 Kangaroo Tour
13 December 1911	Australasia	8–16[13]	1,500	1911–12 Kangaroo Tour
2 November 1921	Australasia	9–3[14]	5,000	1921–22 Kangaroo Tour
6 October 1926	New Zealand	11–19[15]	3,099	1926–27 New Zealand Kiwis tour
11 September 1929	Australia	11–32[16]	4,729	1929–30 Kangaroo Tour
23 December 1933	Australia	7–15[17]	6,500	1933–34 Kangaroo Tour
22 September 1937	Australia	6–15[18]	5,000	1937–38 Kangaroo tour
3 November 1956	Australia	18–20[19]	6,842	1956–57 Kangaroo Tour
9 November 1975	Australia	18–45[20]	4,082	1975 Australian Rugby League World Cup tour
14 November 1978	Australia	2–29[21]	5,155	1978 Kangaroo Tour

On 1 November 1933 the Northern Rugby League XIII beat Australia 16–9 before a crown of 3,158 during the 1933–34 Kangaroo Tour.^[22] On 28 September 1959 Yorkshire beat Australia 47–15 in a game watched by 7,338 during 1959–60 Kangaroo Tour.^[23]

References

Notes

1. "History of York Rugby League". York City Knights. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
2. "30th anniversary of Clarence Street's last match - plaque to be put up to commemorate the old ground". York Press. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2020.
3. "York First Fifteen v. Next Twenty". Yorkshire Post. No. 11, 927. 21 September 1885. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
4. Delaney 1991, p. 134.
5. "Sporting News: York Football Club". Yorkshire Evening Press. No. 923. 18 September 1885. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. "York v Wakefield Trinity". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 3, 762. 20 September 1902. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "Leigh Beaten for Rugby League Record". Leeds Mercury. No. 25, 879. 9 October 1922. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "Cigarette End Fire. York Football Pavilion Destroyed". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 11, 195. 11 August 1926. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
9. Delaney 1991, p. 136.
10. "30th anniversary of Clarence Street's last match - plaque to be put up to commemorate the old ground". York Press. 26 March 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
11. "New Zealanders v. York". Belfast News-Letter. No. 28, 885. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
12. "The Australians at York. A drawn match". Yorkshire Post. No. 19, 131. 15 October 1908. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
13. "Australians win at York". Sheffield Daily Telegraph. No. 17, 608. 14 December 1911. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
14. "Australasians again defeated". Yorkshire Post. No. 23, 198. 3 November 1921. p. 12 – via British Newspaper Archive.
15. "The All Blacks. Win at York by 8 points". Yorkshire Post. No. 24, 726. 7 October 1926. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
16. "Australians romp again". Leeds Mercury. No. 28, 028. 12 September 1929. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
17. "Football Results". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 13, 486. 23 December 1933. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
18. "No Defensive Flaws. Tourists tested by York". Leeds Mercury. No. 30, 519. 23 September 1937. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
19. "Rugby League Finals". Northern Daily Mail. No. 24, 152. 3 November 1956. p. 18 – via British Newspaper Archive.
20. "Rugby League Results". The Guardian. No. 40, 205. 10 November 1975. p. 17 – via newspapers.com.
21. "Rugby League". The Guardian. No. 41, 135. 15 November 1978. p. 24 – via newspapers.com.
22. "Australians lose at York". Yorkshire Post. No. 26, 921. 2 November 1933. p. 17 – via British Newspaper Archive.
23. "Yorkshire ride roughshod over Australians". The Guardian. No. 35, 223. 29 September 1959. p. 16 – via newspapers.com.

Sources

• Delaney, Trevor (1991). The Grounds of Rugby League. Thornton and Pearson. ISBN 0-9509982-2-2.