Hilton Park (stadium)

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Hilton Park
The Coliseum
Hilton Park (stadium)
Full nameHilton Park
Former namesKirkhall Lane
Location Leigh, Metropolitan Borough of Wigan
Coordinates 53°30′9″N2°31′21″W / 53.50250°N 2.52250°W / 53.50250; -2.52250 Coordinates: 53°30′9″N2°31′21″W / 53.50250°N 2.52250°W / 53.50250; -2.52250
Capacity 10,000
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Built1947
Opened1947
Closed2009
Tenants
Leigh RLFC (1947–2009) Leigh Genesis (1995–2009)

Hilton Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England. It was the home of Leigh RLFC rugby league club and Leigh Genesis football club. It had a capacity of approximately 10,000.

Contents

The stadium was demolished in February 2009.

History

In 1947, Leigh Rugby League Club moved to new headquarters in Kirkhall Lane, having played at Mather Lane before the Second World War and at Madeley Park (Leigh Harriers Athletic ground) immediately after the war.

In 1953, floodlights were installed at a cost of £4,100. The ground saw a record home crowd of 31,326 attend a Rugby League Challenge Cup tie with St. Helens in the same year. Later, Kirkhall Lane was officially renamed Hilton Park after former club chairman Jack Hilton in recognition of his work in securing the site for the new ground.

Leigh's record attendance for rugby was set in 1953 at 31,326 when St Helens visited for a third round Challenge Cup game. The largest modern-day attendance saw 9,760 watch a Challenge Cup Quarter Final against local rivals Wigan in 2002.

In 1995, the association football club Horwich RMI moved from the Grundy Hill stadium, in Horwich to Hilton Park, changing its name to Leigh RMI in the process. As part of the deal a new company, Grundy Hill Estates, was formed to take over the ownership of the ground.

Leigh added Centurions to its name for the 1995–96 season, and as part of the name change the stadium was renamed the Coliseum.

Leigh moved to Leigh Sports Village for the 2009–10 season. Hilton Park has since been demolished with a housing development being built on the site.

Rugby League Test Matches

The list of international rugby league matches played at Hilton Park is. [1]

Game#DateResultAttendanceNotes
119 November 1954*Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia def. Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 18–56,000
219 September 1955 Other Nationalities def. Flag of France.svg  France 32–197,000 1955–56 European Rugby League Championship
318 March 1964Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain def. Flag of France.svg  France 39–04,750

* This match, played a week after the 1954 Rugby League World Cup Final, was played in very muddy conditions and saw both teams come out in different coloured jumpers after half time. Australia wore red and New Zealand wore blue. [2]

Rugby League Tour Matches

Hilton Park also saw Leigh and an English League XIII select side play host to international touring teams from Australia and New Zealand from 1948 to 1982.

gameDateResultAttendanceNotes
129 September 1948 Australian colours.svg Australia def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 24–1212,968 1948–49 Kangaroo Tour
215 October 1952 Australian colours.svg Australia def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 34–58,409 1952–53 Kangaroo Tour
329 October 1956 Australian colours.svg Australia def. England colours.svg English League XIII 19–157,811 1956–57 Kangaroo Tour
47 October 1959 Leigh colours.svg Leigh def. Australian colours.svg Australia 18–1711,932 1959–60 Kangaroo Tour
56 October 1963 Australian colours.svg Australia def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 33–79,625 1963–64 Kangaroo Tour
611 November 1973 Australian colours.svg Australia def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 31–42,607 1973 Kangaroo Tour
711 November 1980 New Zealand Kiwis colours.svg New Zealand def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 22–53,166 1980 New Zealand Kiwis tour
83 November 1982 Australian colours.svg Australia def. Leigh colours.svg Leigh 44–47,680 1982 Kangaroo Tour

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References