Headingley Football Club

2025-12-18T15:51:10+00:00

The balance of power in Yorkshire rugby union has shifted dramatically since 1987, the year that the formal league structure was introduced. Anyone involved with, or interested in, the sport in 1987 would probably without hesitation name Headingley as the leading rugby union club in the county.

In 1987 Headingley Football Club had been in existence for one hundred and eight years, producing many County and International players. Headingley's fixture list was the envy of many of the other Yorkshire clubs. Most of the top clubs in the country had, at one time or another, played against Yorkshire’s leading club. Headingley dominated the rugby scene in Yorkshire for most of the 20th century and many young players who had aspirations to play at the highest level of the sport saw Headingley as the club where they could realise their potential.

Two of Headingley's many Internationals

Peter Thompson England

Ian McGeechan Scotland & The British Lions

Clarence Field, the club’s ground for over a hundred years was however, by the late 1980s, showing signs of its age and as ground regulations were tightened, following a number of stadium tragedies, then Clarence Field needed major investment in order for it to keep its ground capacity.

Clarence Field

However, the potential ground issues were not considered important in 1987 and so when the leagues were created Headingley was placed in National Two. This decision was presumably based on Headingley’s strong fixture list and status in the sport.

Considering its status and longevity in the sport, few would have predicted that by 1992 the Headingley club would cease to exist. Headingley’s ground and clubhouse was only open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons for home games. Headingley rugby club was kept afloat by its reliance on members’ contributions, gate receipts and a £30,000 brewery loan. At a meeting held on the 5th of June 1991 Morley rugby union club proposed that the Headingley, Morley and Roundhay rugby union clubs should merge and relocate their playing activity to Morley’s Scatcherd Lane ground. The day after that meeting John Winterbottom, the Headingley secretary, and Mike Bidgood the Roundhay secretary registered a new club called Leeds RUFC and told Morley that Headingley and Roundhay were merging and wouldn't be joining Morley at Scatcherd Lane. The merged club played its first game on 1st September 1992, at Clarence Field, against Hull Ionians and until the Clarence Field ground was sold continued to play its home league games there. Roundhay’s Chandos Park ground was used for friendly fixtures which in 1992 made up more than half of the season. In 1997 Clarence Field was sold to a property developer in order to pay off the outstanding brewery loan and to fund professionalism. In 1998 Leeds RUFC amalgamated with Leeds Rhinos rugby league club, moved its home games to Headingley Stadium and became known as Leeds Tykes. When the ground move took place Chandos Park continued to be used as the club’s base. The North Leeds facility was where the offices and staff were, the players trained there and it was where ‘A’ team games were played. In 2008 Chandos Park was sold for housing and the money received used to develop a ground at Bramhope where the West Park junior club was based. After Leeds Tykes were renamed Leeds Carnegie the club had a relatively successful period in the RFU Premiership. However, attendances at home games were often disappointing and so in order to widen its supporter base the club’s name was changed to Yorkshire Carnegie. This move was an attempt to position the club as representing the county rather than just the city of Leeds. For the next six seasons Yorkshire Carnegie played in the RFU Championship. However, success proved elusive and in 2019 following its failure to secure a major financial backer Yorkshire Carnegie became a part-time club and reverted back to being called Leeds Tykes. The club is now based at Bramhope where the majority of home games are played.

Headingley Football Club