Huddersfield Giants boss pulls out of Halifax's Shay Stadium sale
A planned deal to sell the Shay stadium in Halifax has been called off.
Huddersfield Giants’ rugby league club owner Ken Davy has announced he will no longer be buying the site.
He says it has been made “abundantly clear” from a small minority of people that his involvement in the stadium is not welcome.
He voiced his disappointment, saying he had hoped to develop The Shay into a “truly multisport centre for the community of Calderdale as a whole, rather than just the around six per cent who currently use it to attend rugby or football matches”.
The announcement puts the future of the stadium – home to FC Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers – up in the air.
Calderdale Council’s previous Labour administration had agreed to divest itself of The Shay – and the cost of its upkeep - in budget proposals approved in 2024, against a backdrop of having to find savings to balance the books.
In a statement, Mr Davy said: “Today I have informed Calderdale Council that I will not be progressing my interest in purchasing the Shay Stadium, Halifax.
"From the very beginning I made it absolutely clear to the council, the football and rugby clubs and indeed, the various supporters groups I have met, that I would only continue my interest in the Shay Stadium, and sport in Halifax in general, if my input and involvement was welcome.
"Unfortunately, in the respect of a small minority, it is abundantly clear that this is not the case.
"This outcome is obviously disappointing. I am however especially disappointed for the wider sporting community of Calderdale, as I had hoped to develop the Shay into a truly multisport centre for the community of Calderdale as a whole, rather than just the around six per cent who currently use it to attend rugby or football matches.
"The Shay does at least now have the benefit of a new state-of-the-art pitch, which the football and rugby clubs and the council, assure me would not have happened without my involvement, and I wish everyone in Calderdale every success in the future.
"In respect of the Giants, my withdrawal changes very little. I suspect the Shay would probably still be a rental option for us, given its need for income, and that goes for a number of other sites in and around our area.
"In addition our challenge to Kirklees Council remains in that we need a permanent site to secure our long term future."
Mr Davy had wanted the Giants to play at The Shay temporarily while a new ground for them was built.
He said he would invest between £2m and £4m in upgrading The Shay to Super League standards, and then intended to sell the stadium to FC Halifax Town and Halifax Panthers once the Giants moved out.
Two community bids were launched in opposition to Mr Davy’s takeover, but both were then withdrawn.
Campaign group Friends of the Shay said last month they had engaged legal teams to challenge Calderdale Council’s decision to dispose of the stadium.