- The Willows, Greater Manchester
The Willows is home of the
Salford City Reds rugby league team. It is a small mainly terraced stadium with one main stand. The capacity is 11,363 with 2,500 seats.The nearest train station is Eccles (1 mile from ground) and the nearest Metrolink station is Weaste (5 min walk from ground).
The stadium
'The shed' is a covered all-standing stand that runs down one wing of the pitch. The north stand or the away end is divided into standing in the bottom half and seated in the top half. The press stand is on the other wing of the ground and is all seated; on top of the stand are the VIP boxes, television gantry and coaches area. The Willows is also a local entertainment complex and has several function rooms, which are used to hold meetings, wedding receptions and other parties. Small concerts are regularly held in the function building. In addition, the building holds a valid
marriage licence and holds weddings throughout the year.Salford City Reds are looking to move into a new, purpose-built stadium in Barton, working under the initial stadium name, the
City of Salford Stadium . However, it seems likely that the function rooms will remain and will continue to be used, even if the Reds do move into their new stadium.History
During 1900 Salford agreed a 14-year lease on five acres of land belonging to the Willows Estate Company, named after the abundance of willow trees in the area. Salford made their debut at The Willows on 21 December 1901, beating Swinton 2-0, the official attendance being 16,981.
In the sixties, the terrace was flattened at the Willows Road end to make way for the Salford Football and Social Club which was officially opened on 16 June 1966.
A few months earlier, The Willows switched on its floodlights for the first time in the match with Widnes on Friday 11 March 1966.
External links
* [http://www.worldstadia.com/stadium/england/the_willows/689.php The Willows on Worldstadia.com]
* [http://www.dewsburyrams.co.uk/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=572 Directions to The Willows]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
