McLaren Field was a rugby league stadium in Bramley, Leeds, England. It was the home of Bramley R.L.F.C. from 1965 to 1995. The ground was also used as a home base for several years by the Leeds-based American football team Leeds Cougars of the British American Football League. [1][2]
 | |
| Location | Bramley, Leeds |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°48′27″N 1°37′32″W / 53.8075°N 1.6255°W |
| Owner | Bramley RLFC |
| Operator | Bramley RLFC |
| Capacity | 7,500 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1965 |
| Closed | 1995 |
| Demolished | 1996 |
History
editFrom the late 19th century Bramley played at the Barley Mow ground.[3] The land adjacent to the ground was owned by Edith McLaren, widow of the managing director of Leeds engineering firm J&H McLaren & Co. Despite several approaches by Bramley, Mrs McLaren would not sell the land to the club but after her death in 1958 she bequeathed the field to the club on condition that any development was named after her.[4]
The club took the opportunity to develop a new stadium on the field and named it McLaren Field, and moved into the new stadium in 1965.[3] The ground was home to the club for the next 30 years but by the early 1990s considerable improvements were needed which the club could not afford so in 1995 Bramley left McLaren Field and the ground was sold.[5][6]
Current use
edit
The ground was demolished and a new housing estate called McLaren Fields was built on the site.[6]
The only part of the ground that remains is the club house that stood behind the posts at what would have been the entrance of the ground. It’s is currently a nursery.
References
edit- ^ "Leeds Cougars vs Northampton Stormbringers". 1988.
- ^ "Leeds Cougars 1985". 1985.
- ^ a b "Plaque marks RL club's place in sport history". Yorkshire Post. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ Pease, John (2003). The History of J & H McLaren of Leeds: Steam & Diesel Engine Makers. Landmark. p. 178. ISBN 978-1843061052.
- ^ "Rugby League Bramley move to union ground". The Independent. 30 June 1995. Archived from the original on 12 May 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2017.
- ^ a b Wagg, Stephen (2006). Sport, Leisure and Culture in the Postmodern City. Routledge. p. 178. ISBN 978-0754672746.
External links
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