A bit more from Davy in another interview, of course very similar but in and among he describes the move at this stage as being “if” and a big “if”. [i:hex8tkjf] HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS owner and chairman Ken Davy believes buying The Shay in Halifax would be of significant benefit for three clubs. But he has firmly knocked back claims the neighbouring towns’ Rugby League teams could merge, telling League Express such a move would be “nonsensical”. The 83-year-old businessman says the Super League Giants’ long-term future should be away from their current home the John Smith’s Stadium, which with its 24,000 capacity, he reckons is too large for a club whose average attendance last season was around 4,500. Financial services stalwart Davy, recently awarded an OBE for services to community Rugby League, wants to build a new multi-use stadium, holding around 8,000 with the potential for expansion, elsewhere in Huddersfield. He says such a move is key to his plan to “reinvigorate” the club, where he first became involved in 1996. Talks with Kirklees Council are ongoing, but a definitive site is yet to be confirmed and such a project inevitably takes time. And in the interim, he is considering buying The Shay, eight miles away and which current owners Calderdale Council want to offload, and from 2026 installing the Giants at the 10,400-capacity venue alongside current tenants, Championship Rugby League club Halifax Panthers and National League (fifth tier) football club FC Halifax Town. Davy’s blueprint is to invest in the ground, which dates back to 1921 and was redeveloped during the 1990s and where the Giants played three times in 2011 during pitch renovation work at the existing Huddersfield stadium, in order to bring it up to Super League standard and make it a community asset. The work would include the replacement of a current pitch prone to waterlogging with a hybrid version robust enough to support use by three teams as well as for community events. When the Giants have their own stadium back in Huddersfield, Davy says The Shay would be made available for purchase, including to the Panthers and FC Halifax, either individually or collectively. His proposal will go before a Calderdale Council cabinet meeting in March alongside another from a group of Halifax-based individuals who want to develop the venue for use by the community as well as the two tenant clubs. The Shay has been registered as an Asset of Community Value, which gives community-interest parties the chance to express an interest in purchase. Huddersfield Town Football Club, who have played alongside the Giants at the John Smith’s Stadium since it opened in 1994, are in the process of acquiring control of the operation of that venue. [b:hex8tkjf]Davy said: “If, and presently it is a big if, we do acquire The Shay, it would be as an interim home for the Giants until our hoped-for new stadium in Huddersfield can be built[/b:hex8tkjf]. “Our relationship with Huddersfield Town remains very good and we are able to stay at the John Smith’s Stadium, but we think a temporary relocation to The Shay, if it is possible, would be in our best interests. “In addition, the root-and-branch improvement work which would take place at that stadium would benefit not only the local community but both clubs, supporting FC Halifax’s attempts to win promotion to the Football League and furthering Halifax Panthers’ hopes of at some stage gaining Super League status.” Davy says the Giants would provide transport options from Huddersfield to The Shay and back for their supporters. Halifax Panthers’ recent financial issues have fuelled the theory that a switch to The Shay by the Giants could be the precursor to a merger. But Davy responded: “It’s a nonsensical suggestion and it’s never been on the table[/i:hex8tkjf]. End.

[quote="Listenup94":2ktx096h]Maybe he'll turn the skircoat stand into an old people's home and a crematorium.[/quote:2ktx096h] I'd be first to sign up..

[quote="Listenup94":1fyqeg36]Maybe he'll turn the skircoat stand into an old people's home and a crematorium.[/quote:1fyqeg36] Or thinking of the reputation of the rugby club maybe dig the pitch up as required. Davy could be first with a little sign saying “please keep off the Ken.”

[quote="faxcar":1ma7tmza]Or thinking of the reputation of the rugby club maybe dig the pitch up as required. Davy could be first with a little sign saying “please keep off the Ken.” [/quote:1ma7tmza] He'd be turning in his grave , literally .

[quote="faxcar":6vp0u9un] You mentioned Ken Davy and history that upset some Huddersfield Town fans. Do you know the full circumstances and details of what the issue was, do you know his side of the argument? It’s just that looking at our own history as a rugby club just taking FC Town Shaymen fans assessment would hardly be the place to get a fair and accurate view. On the other hand what we actually do know the last time I looked Huddersfield Town were still in their stadium as majority share holders with the opportunity to become full owners and when Davy sold his shares they didn’t pay over the odds or get ripped of in anyway.[/quote:6vp0u9un] He moved the shares in the stadium company owned by Huddersfield Town to one of his companies (Huddersfield Sporting Pride Ltd) for a nominal fee of £1. His reasoning was to "safeguard" them for the future and would sell them back once the football club was stabilised. He kept them within his ownership, and after selling HTAFC to Dean Hoyle, then tried to sell the shares back for a lot more than the £1 he paid for them, presumably to recoup some of the money he'd spent on HTAFC. There was a lot of uproar in the town and he eventually transferred them back for the same rate I believe, But his reputation had gone from saviour to villain and while the current ownership at Huddersfield Town have no beef with him, many of the fans do.

[quote="Brew":29q8svwh]He moved the shares in the stadium company owned by Huddersfield Town to one of his companies (Huddersfield Sporting Pride Ltd) for a nominal fee of £1. His reasoning was to "safeguard" them for the future and would sell them back once the football club was stabilised. He kept them within his ownership, and after selling HTAFC to Dean Hoyle, then tried to sell the shares back for a lot more than the £1 he paid for them, presumably to recoup some of the money he'd spent on HTAFC. There was a lot of uproar in the town and he eventually transferred them back for the same rate I believe, But his reputation had gone from saviour to villain and while the current ownership at Huddersfield Town have no beef with him, many of the fans do.[/quote:29q8svwh] Being from Brighouse when I was younger, I and the group I associated with at the time were all Huddersfield Town fans and is pretty close to what I heard, overhaul though what he put into HTAFC was far more than he took out and there was never a time they were at any risk whilst he was involved. He might not even go through with it but if he doesn’t no one else with the resources to make a difference has or is coming forward so then what happens then because the council are desperate to get shut one way or another.