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T H E G R O U N D
The Parkside ground was typical of many in the Yorkshire area. Adjacent to the football ground was a bowling green and a good cricket ground where (I believe) at least one county match was played. In this sense, it was very much like Headingley and Huddersfield's Fartown.
Perhaps it was the proximity of Headingley just across that city which meant that Parkside never got the recognition it might otherwise have done. The ground was well positioned with good car parking facilities. Most people would say that it had the best playing surface in the game. Certainly, the Australian tourists would frequently train there. The construction of the M1 motorway less than half a mile away meant that access was very good. Compare that with the current debate over Headingley's future! However, with the demolition of the club's natural catchment area and the decline in playing performance it was almost inevitable that the ground would be sold. The new ground at the South Leeds Stadium is only a few hundred yards away but the club had to wait a long time to get there.
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R E P R E S E N T A T I V E M A T C H E S There appear to have been two representative games played at Parkside. In November, 1937 Yorkshire played Cumberland (right) and later in 1947, 5,000 people saw Yorkshire beat Lancashire 13 points to 10 (see photographs above). Can anybody clear up this confusion? Harry Jepson tells me that there was only the gane against Cumberland. Parkside was also the venue for the second replay in the 1934 Yorkshire Cup Final between Leeds and Wakefield Trinity and the 1915 Challenge Cup Semi-final when Huddesrfield beat Wigan.
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C L O S U R E & S A L E The last game at Parkside was on 21st April, 1973 against York. Despite the sad occasion and uncertain future the Club Notes are surprisingly upbeat. There is no hint at the closure of the club or any doubt about finding a new home for the following season.
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