This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(February 2012) |
Post Office Road(currently known as theMillennium Stadiumfor sponsorship purposes) is arugby leagueground inFeatherstone,nearPontefract,West Yorkshire,England.It is the home ofrugby leagueclubFeatherstone Rovers.The ground's current capacity is 6,954.[citation needed]
The Millennium Stadium | |
 | |
 | |
| Location | Featherstone,West Yorkshire,England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°40′43″N1°21′17″W/ 53.67861°N 1.35472°W |
| Owner | Featherstone Rovers |
| Operator | Featherstone Rovers |
| Capacity | 6,954 standing 359 |
| Record attendance | 17,000 – Featherstone vsSt Helens,1957 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1904 |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Tenants | |
| Featherstone Rovers(1904–present) Wakefield A.F.C.(2020–2023, 2024-present)[1][2] | |
History
editThe ground opened in 1904 and has been used by the club since their formation in 1908.[3]The record attendance is 17,000 from a 1957 game againstSt. Helens.
In 2011, fans bought stands from the defunctScarborough F.C.'sMcCain Stadiumand erected them at the railway end of the ground, replacing the terracing.
Layout
editNorth Stand
edit
Capacity – (seated)
The North Stand or Railway End is the newest part of the ground after originally being terracing it was replaced in 2014 with seated stands which were taken fromScarborough'sMcCain Stadium.The North-East corner houses the scoreboard.
East Stand
edit
Capacity – (seated)
The Eastern side of the ground has two covered seated stands. The main stand on the halfway line houses bars and toilets while towards the Northern end of the ground, the smaller stand was erected in 2014 after it was relocated fromScarborough'sMcCain Stadium.To the Southern end of the stand there is a small amount of uncovered terracing.
South Stand
edit
Capacity – (standing)
The South Stand or Post Office Road End is located behind the goal posts and is open terracing. Terrace houses overlook behind the stand and people have been known to sit on the roofs and watch games.
West Stand
editCapacity – (seated)
The West Stand is the Main Stand in the ground. It contains covered seating, where the TV gantry is and a small amount of uncovered terracing towards the South end of the ground. Towards the North end of the ground is the hospitality building which is connected to the main stand and also houses the changing rooms.
Sponsorship and name changes
editFrom 2007, it was announced that the ground would be renamed theChris MoylesStadium after theBBC Radio 1presenter. This decision attracted criticism from some fans who felt Moyles had nothing to do with the tradition of the club or rugby league (he was born in Leeds and is famously a loyalLeeds Unitedfan). However others saw it as a positive, good move and good publicity for the team. Moyles did not pay any money in the deal but mentioned Featherstone Rovers occasionally on his breakfast show.[4][5]From 2009, the ground sponsorship was taken up by Bigfellas Nightclub following a two-year sponsorship deal. In 2017 local health food business LD Nutrition signed a deal to sponsor the stadium.
| Year | Sponsor | Name | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2008 | Chris Moyles | Chris Moyles Stadium | [4] |
| 2009–2016 | Bigfellas Nightclub | Bigfellas Stadium | |
| 2017–2020 | LD Nutrition | LD Nutrition Stadium | |
| 2020– | Millennium Support | The Millennium Stadium |
Rugby League Test matches
editList of international matches played at Post Office Road.[7]
| Test# | Date | Result | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 October 1995 |  Cook Islandsdef. United States64–6 |
3,133 | 1995 Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament |
| 2 |  Scotlanddef. Russia34–9
| |||
| 3 | 13 November 2000 |  BARLAdef. Morocco60–2 |
2000 Rugby League Emerging Nations Tournament |
Rugby League Tour matches
editPost Office Road also saw Featherstone play host to various international touring teams from 1952–1994.
| Game | Date | Result | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 October 1952 |  Australiadef. Featherstone Rovers50–15 |
3,700 | 1952–53 Kangaroo tour |
| 2 | 19 October 1955 |  New Zealanddef.Featherstone Rovers7–6 |
||
| 3 | 11 November 1959 | Featherstone Roversdef.Australia23–15 |
7,671 | 1959–60 Kangaroo tour |
| 3 | 2 October 1963 | Featherstone Roversdef.Australia23–17 |
7,898 | 1963–64 Kangaroo tour |
| 4 | 18 November 1973 | Australiadef.Featherstone Rovers18–13 |
5,659 | 1973 Kangaroo tour |
| 5 | 24 September 1982 |  Francedef.Featherstone Rovers13–5 |
||
| 6 | 11 October 1987 |  PNGdef.Featherstone Rovers22–16 |
3,315 | |
| 7 | 7 November 1989 | New Zealanddef.Featherstone Rovers44–20 |
2,733 |
References
edit- ^"Wakefield AFC finds home in Featherstone".Wakefield AFC. 4 August 2020.Retrieved26 April2023.
- ^"Wakefield bid farewell to the Millennium Stadium".Wakefield AFC. 4 April 2023.Retrieved26 April2023.
- ^Featherstone RoversYorkshire Rugby League
- ^abHerbert, Ian (18 November 2006)."Rugby fans baffled as ground is named after DJ".The Independent.Archived fromthe originalon 26 November 2010.Retrieved28 August2014.
- ^"Rooney backs Yorkshire schools".Rugby League News.Retrieved28 January2007.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Featherstone Rovers make a big step to name stadium".Pontefract & Castleford Express.7 January 2010.Retrieved5 June2010.
- ^Post Office Road results @ Rugby League Project
External links
edit
- The Millennium Stadium,Featherstone Rovers