Halifax Town were promoted to football league in 1998 with similar if not greater crowd averages of 5k.....

Really? I could have sworn I attended Town's last ever football league match against Hereford in the 80s.

Hereford was 1993,promoted back 1998 and relegated again 2002.

@Beaujangles, if I am wrong about the football I apologise,and defer to more knowledgable persons.

It wasnt jealousy. More about the manner in which HRLFC moved to the Shay. But, as I argue with FCHT supporters, its bloody years ago and shouldnt reflect on the rugby club anymore or even be considered when looking at potential ways of working together in the present and future.

While I was initially sorry to leave Thrum Hall, I now feel we are fortunate to have a ground like the Shay which is the envy of most championship clubs - and a fair few in Superleague. On the rare occasions when we get a crowd of 3k/4k there's a fantastic atmosphere - the problem we have unfortunately is not the ground but our inability to fill it. Leaving Thrum Hall was sad for a lot of people who had great memories of the old ground - moving grounds again is not only totally impractical from a financial point of view, but wouldn't address the issue of low crowds.

Exactly and I don't get the parking and access issue at the Shay..as for the Ovenden park suggestion...

the biggest bug bear about the shay these days is the unfinished corner. this could bring in extra revenue straight away. big council fail. just sums them up.

Used to love my trips to Thrum Hall (but not the toilets there!) and it was sad to see it go but you needed to move with the times. Wish my own club had a ground like the Shay. What's the capacity? What level of crowds could you reasonably expect? I remember the heyday of the mid 80s saw crowds of 8-9k.

We moved to the Shay in 1998. The relegation season 1988-89 we averaged more than 8k at Thrum Hall, which ironically was higher than the 1985-86 title winning season! If I remember rightly, even in our 3rd placed Super League finish in the late 90s at the Shay, we struggled to get an average of 5k, but I do remember good crowds against Bradford.

Ah yes, Thrum Hall, with it's fire hazardous wooden main stand and the toilets in the opposite Popular stand knee deep in urine. But we all loved it, even the 2nd team got crowds greater than 2k. That's why I'm on a downer re the Shay. But I get it. We can't live in the past and I apologise for bringing the whole ground debate up.

Used to go up Thrum Hall in the early 90s. Whilst I was a diehard HTAFC supporter, I loved going to Thrum Hall and to see a crowd

I started going to watch Fax again when they moved to the Shay and the atmosphere was equally as good. The razzamtaz of Super League at the time worked and it was a real family occasion along with some great rugby.

I'm with Bullseye, you have a lovely ground, and it's a blessing compared to what many of us have to put up with. You perhaps are too close to it to fully appreciate what you've got, but surely when you come to our place you realise what slumming it really looks like.

I’ve always thought the land opposite the Wool Merchant where the gas works are would be a good location for a stadium.

Or perhaps The Shay?