Given the precarious status of this historic site, should we mark this occasion with an event? It's a Sunday, but unlikely to be a game day as it's the week before Easter and I guess we'll be playing on Friday 19th & Monday 22nd. The history of when we first played at the current site is subject to speculation and counter claims. The Wiki entry is a bit vague, casting doubts on the recollection of former treasurer Ernest Parker. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Vue_(Wakefield) However, the Wakefield Trinity Programmes site seems to support the above date as the start of continuous occupation of the current site. www.wakefieldtrinity-programmes. ... -page.html From the fixtures listed for 1879, it seems strange that we would win the Yorkshire Cup against Kirkstall (at Halifax) on Saturday 12th of April and then have one last home fixture on the Monday (against Birch) without some reason. The argument against this date cites that there was no report of a stadium move in the press at the time. However, it seems that Trinity played at a number of fields in the area at the time. Starting at Heath and also seemingly alternating between a ground off Elm St. on the other side of Doncaster Road and the current site. The assertion that they moved there in 1892, seems to be confused with ownership and leases, rather than actually using the ground as a base. It seems that the current site may have been used before 1879, but became the permanent choice after winning the Yorkshire Challenge Cup. Ordinance Survey maps (surveyed in 1888-1890), clearly show the current ground marked. The 25 inch map actually labels it as Wakefield Trinity Football Ground and appears to have a stand on the west side, which suggests that it was well established as the main home by this time. https://maps.nls.uk/view/100948319 https://maps.nls.uk/view/125646303 Anyone have any further evidence?

Given the precarious status of this historic site, should we mark this occasion with an event? It's a Sunday, but unlikely to be a game day as it's the week before Easter and I guess we'll be playing on Friday 19th & Monday 22nd. The history of when we first played at the current site is subject to speculation and counter claims. The Wiki entry is a bit vague, casting doubts on the recollection of former treasurer Ernest Parker. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Vue_(Wakefield) However, the Wakefield Trinity Programmes site seems to support the above date as the start of continuous occupation of the current site. www.wakefieldtrinity-programmes. ... -page.html From the fixtures listed for 1879, it seems strange that we would win the Yorkshire Cup against Kirkstall (at Halifax) on Saturday 12th of April and then have one last home fixture on the Monday (against Birch) without some reason. The argument against this date cites that there was no report of a stadium move in the press at the time. However, it seems that Trinity played at a number of fields in the area at the time. Starting at Heath and also seemingly alternating between a ground off Elm St. on the other side of Doncaster Road and the current site. The assertion that they moved there in 1892, seems to be confused with ownership and leases, rather than actually using the ground as a base. It seems that the current site may have been used before 1879, but became the permanent choice after winning the Yorkshire Challenge Cup. Ordinance Survey maps (surveyed in 1888-1890), clearly show the current ground marked. The 25 inch map actually labels it as Wakefield Trinity Football Ground and appears to have a stand on the west side, which suggests that it was well established as the main home by this time. https://maps.nls.uk/view/100948319 https://maps.nls.uk/view/125646303 Anyone have any further evidence?

Trinity Heritage on Facebook would be able to answer those questions.

But I agree we should honour the old girl.

Sounds a great excuse for a celebration!

Yes certainly worth celebrating.

Could we we already have our future sealed stadium wise, and we are holding off on announcements until this time, making it a double celebration. Celebrating our past and our future

I'm sure I read somewhere that BV was reputedly the oldest professional sports stadium in the world?!

We are old but quite a way off the oldest.

Think Bramall Lane has that title

I know the Melbourne Cricket ground's about the oldest, opened in 1854, a year older than Bramall lane.
Oh aye there's, of course, Lords that's been there for over 200 years.

probably be spending the second 140 years there as well, Coco!!

It’s reputedly the oldest Rugby league venue in the world

How I would ideally envisage it:
After checking feasibility and legals,
Announce the event and open a register of interest online and at the shop/club. (Doubles up as data harvesting.
"Wakefield Trinity Heritage Event
Sunday 14th April 2019 - celebrating 140 years at Belle Vue. 12 noon till late."
Held on the pitch and terraces. Temporary seats and cover on half of pitch in front of the hospitality boxes and cover on the west terrace. The weather is still cool (10-15°C) and a good chance of rain.
Basic format would be a 'This is your life' style history of the club. 14 presentations (one for each decade) throughout the day with pics, video and commentary on big screens. Ex players or family representative paraded/ interviewed for each decade.
In between presentations, have a number of short-sided games between different teams associated with the club across the top half of the pitch in front of the North stand. Age-limit, amateurs, youth, academy, reserves, women, pdrl. An example of 1st team training with commentary and insight from the coaching team.
An all-day exhibition of memorabilia telling the story of Trinity in the corporate section. Borrow some trophies from the RFL.
Food & drink available all day. Hog-roast possible?
Current, past and future sponsors wined & dined in corporate. Invite other celebrities and dignitaries.
Finish the final presentation with a meet & greet with the 1st team squad. Merchandise available for sale & to be signed.
Sun sets about 8pm. Move on to evening entertainment under floodlights. Bands & other acts + more food & drink.
A commemorative programme/brochure available before and during the event.
Features of the day to be released slowly over the next 5 months as they are confirmed.
Tickets to be made available only a month or so before the event, once the content is finalised. First come first served for those who registered interest. Pass-outs available with ticket stubs. Perhaps £10 for adults and £2 or free for kids. Trinity-based craft and other play activities available for kids throughout the day. "Fan Zone" activities.
Consider employing an events organiser. Target new & lapsed fans.

Possible? With 5 months lead time?
Any other ideas?

Another reason it should get preserved a part of stadia history!

the only bit you could preserve is the pitch

Interesting, and I loved the OS map from 1893 showing the club name, but I can't see any evidence of Trinity using the ground in 1879. It seems mere speculation that it must have been 14th April as why else would they have a game two days after the Yorkshire Cup. Perhaps it was because it was a cup game, as opposed to a pre-arranged fixture?

I'd love to see a report of the first time we played rugby on that field. It's my understanding that we occupied the Alexandria Fields until 1892.

I was looking for any evidence to support the date when we first played at the current site / moved there permanently.

I was using the maps to suggest that the 1892 date was perhaps not as certain as is asserted. Google maps were pretty rubbish back in the 1880s and drawing a map took a lot of work.

The map was published in 1893, which gives the absolute latest date of occupation as 1892, but the survey itself was carried out between 1888 and 1890. No playing fields are marked off Elm (Tree) Street and the current stadium looks well established by the time the map information was gathered (latest 1890).

The quote on Wiki from Reverend Marshall in "Football - the Rugby Union Game" [i(first published 1892) [/iwrote, "the club migrated to Belle Vue on the opposite side of the road to the present field, and where the first cup ties were played. In the following year a move was made to the present field." If they'd moved in 1892, surely it would have been stated here. The first cup game was on 8th December 1877. Wakefield were knocked out the week after by Halifax.
The Yorkshire Cup was a huge step towards what became the 1895 split. The first ever rugby knock-out competition (following the example set by the FA in 1871/72) was very much frowned upon by the RFU, . Trinity won this competition in its 2nd year on 12th April 1879, which was a massive moment in the club's history.

"100 years of Rugby - the history of Wakefield Trinity 1873-1973"[5] states "Their move to the arena which still forms their home did not come until late in 1892. In December of that year the club agreed to lease a field adjacent to the St Catherine's School and there they made their headquarters which have remained so throughout the rest of their history."
This is where it seems to me that there is confusion over playing at the current site and making it
their headquarters/ownership/leasing/abandoning the other site. Again, a map made by 1890, but published in 1893 clearly states the ground to be 'Wakefield Trinity Football Ground'. Would they have made late alterations in December 1892? Are there any newspaper articles from that time which describe the move?

They were one of, if not the, top teams in the country at that time and went on to win the cup 4 times between 1879 and the split in 1895, and runners-up a further 5 times. The advent of a cup competition made the game into much more of a spectator sport and required better facilities to accommodate the crowds. They were the first team from Yorkshire to play at Cardiff Arms Park.

The previous ordnance survey was in the 1850s and obviously had no sign of the club. The area around BV was still remarkably rural, and I'm not sure any detailed maps exist between those times.

Does anyone have access to irrefutable evidence? Original club records? @TrintyHeritage? Does the land registry show any details of ownership of the 2 sites?