Crown Flatt
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Crown Flatt, known as the Tetley's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a rugby league stadium on Owl Lane in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Dewsbury Rams rugby league club. It occupies the site of Shaw Cross colliery, which closed in August 1968.
Crown Flatt was also the name of a stadium used by Dewsbury until 13 September 1988 when it was deliberately burnt down in an act of arson. It stood on Leeds Road at Earlsheaton.
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[edit] History
[edit] The original stadium
On 19 January 1876, Mr A. Fearnsides - a Savile estate tenant - had agreed to sub-let the field to Dewsbury Athletic and Football Club for an initial payment of £20 per year.
The earliest surviving reference to the Crown Flatt enclosure is the one goal to nil defeat by Leeds Caledonians on 22 January 1876.
In season 1879/80 the ground acquired its first permanent structure - a wooden terrace occupying the top side of the estate. At around the same time - and at a cost of £250 - the field acquired a perimeter wall, turnstiles, viewing platforms and a refreshment tent.
Improved changing facilities appeared during the 1884/85 campaign. "Noah’s Ark" - a 3,500 seater grandstand purchased from the Royal Agricultural Show at Preston for £170 - was erected along the southern touchline in time for the visit of Morley on 26 September 1885.
In November 1897, the committee of Dewsbury and Savile Football and Athletic Club decided to abandon rugby union in favour of soccer and in mid-1898, to vacate Crown Flatt.
In September 1898 after rejecting an approach from the new Northern Union tenants , the Dewsbury and Savile committee received notice to remove their property from the ground before the end of the month. By 17 September both the top stand and "Noah’s Ark" opposite had been taken down, their rotten remains were sold to the local Poor Law Union for use as firewood.
Crown Flatt was burnt down in an act of arson on 13 September 1988. It was replaced with a modern housing estate.
[edit] The new stadium
Dewsbury played their first home game at the new Crown Flatt stadium (often erroneously called New Crown Flatt) on 6 September 1994 in front of a full house against Barrow, a match they won 82-6.
The ground staged its final first-class fixture on 14 April 1991 when Barrow were held to a 19-19 draw. Dewsbury full-back Nathan Graham, with a late conversion, registered the last senior points. The area is now covered by a housing estate, the streets of which are named after Deswbury players.
The Rams suffix was adopted by the club in 1996 as part of rugby league's transition from a winter to a summer schedule. Crown Flatt stadium was renamed Ram Stadium in 1998.
In 2005, The stadium was again renamed Tetley's Stadium.
[edit] The Stadium
The stadium has two covered stands, one seated and one standing with an approximate capacity of 3,500 including 900 seats and disabled facilities. As part of the Rams' Community Development Programme, the stadium also hosts matches for a number of other organisations. This ranges from local schools matches, representative amateur and student rugby league games to American football matches and fun days.
There are plans to develop the complex over the next couple of years as the club aims to bring the ground up to Super League standards.
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