Craven Street
Hull (Kingston upon Hull), East Riding of Yorkshire, England
Craven Street, Hull (Kingston upon Hull), England — opened 1894, 369 rugby league games hosted, home of None (defunct ground; historic home of Hull Kingston Rovers, 1895–1922).
Sourcing caveat: The brief for this entry described Craven Street as the historic home of Hull F.C. (not Hull KR) before their current stadium. Every source checked says the opposite: Wikipedia's own dedicated 'Craven Street Football Ground' article states plainly that 'Hull Kingston Rovers played their first games at the ground from 1895 until 1922', Hull KR's own club history is consistent with this, and Hull FC's official 'History of Grounds' article — which lists every ground the club has used, from Woodgates Hall (1865) through Rifle Barracks Field, the White Star Ground and The Boulevard (1899) to the current MKM Stadium — never mentions Craven Street at all. Rugby League Project's own venue page for craven-street also lists Hull Kingston Rovers, not Hull F.C., as the home team, and its 369 recorded games match the figure given in the brief. This write-up follows the sources rather than the brief.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1894 (The ground was built/first used in late 1894, initially for Hull Albany A.F.C. (association football); Hull Kingston Rovers began playing rugby league matches there from 1895.) |
| Home club | None (defunct ground; historic home of Hull Kingston Rovers, 1895–1922) |
| Closed | c.1939 |
| Demolished | post-WWII (demolished and the site converted into a timber yard) |
| Site today | Was redeveloped as a timber yard after WWII |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 369 |
| Top recorded crowd | 13,000 |
| Last rugby league match | Hull Kingston Rovers played their last games at Craven Street in 1922 before moving to the larger, better-equipped Old Craven Park |
| Years used | 1898–1922 |
| Location | Hull (Kingston upon Hull), East Riding of Yorkshire |
Name history
- Craven Street Football Ground — 1894–c.1939
- East Hull Sports Stadium — used as a name during its 1934-c.1937 spell as a greyhound/whippet racing venue
Rugby league history
Craven Street was Hull Kingston Rovers' first home ground, used from 1895 until the club moved to Old Craven Park in 1922 in search of bigger, better facilities. Before and alongside its rugby league use it had also hosted Hull Albany A.F.C. (association football, from late 1894) and junior/school football into the pre-WWII years. After Hull KR left, the ground had a short second life as an independent (non-NGRC) greyhound and whippet racing track, the East Hull Sports Stadium, from October 1934 until around 1937, including discounted admission for holders of unemployment cards during the Depression. It is thought to have closed around 1939 and was demolished and turned into a timber yard after the Second World War.
Also used for association football (Hull Albany A.F.C. and junior/school teams) and, after rugby league left, for independent greyhound and whippet racing (1934-c.1937) as the East Hull Sports Stadium.
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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