Sport

Galpharm Stadium - Huddersfield

The Galpharm Stadium is a multi-use sports stadium in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Until 2004 it was known as the McAlpine Stadium but a change in sponsorship has led to the new title. Alfred McAlpine was the main contractor in construction of the stadium and had the name built into the deal for payment (for 10 years). During planning and construction, it was referred to as the Kirklees Stadium. It was awarded the RIBA Stirling Prize for architecture in 1995.

The Galpharm stadium is home to Huddersfield Giants rugby league club and Huddersfield Town football club. It is also a regular venue for international rugby league, hosting Bradford Bulls World Club Challenge matches along with several Semi Finals of the Challenge Cup.

The stadium was built in 1991, and cost £40 million. It is owned by a consortium made up of Kirklees Metropolitan Council, Huddersfield Town AFC and Huddersfield Giants RLFC.

Its stands are South Stand (the away stand, sponsored by The Pink Link), John Smith's stand, Lawrence Batley Stand and Panasonic Stand.

It has hosted international rugby league and football games, most recently England under 17's qualifying match against Italy, and also several concerts have been hosted at the venue.

In the summer of 1995 a American band REM performed at the venue, a musical coup which over the course of two days brought into Huddersfield some 70,000 people attended. The promoters were quite insistent on using the venue because they liked the stadium. Elton John, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, REM, The Eagles, Beautiful South and Blue have also performed concerts.

When the stadium first opened only the two side stands were ready. The South Stand was opened three months later in December 1994. Seating 4,054, this is built into natural banking and is the most basic of the three stands. Behind it lies a car park and a golf driving range, which with the hospitality areas of the stadium ensure that this is a stadium not solely dependent on the fortunes of its resident teams.

For the 2006-2007 football season, the John Smith's Stand will become the Antich Stand, and the Lawrence Batley Stand will be known as the Riverside Stand.