The Willows
Salford, Greater Manchester, England
The Willows, Salford, England — opened 21 December 1901, 2,013 rugby league games hosted, home of Salford Red Devils (1901-2011).
Sourcing caveat: The exact date of Salford's final match at The Willows (the 18-44 loss to Catalans Dragons) could not be independently confirmed and is not reconciled with a separate account that places the club's last game there on 11 September 2011 — both figures are reported here honestly rather than guessed into agreement.
Ground facts
| Opened | 21 December 1901 |
| Home club | Salford Red Devils (1901-2011) |
| Closed | 2011 |
| Demolished | 2012 |
| Site today | 103 homes (City West Housing Trust development; completed November 2017, cost £11m) |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 2,013 |
| Top recorded crowd | 26,470 (Salford v Warrington, Challenge Cup, 13 February 1937 — score not identified in sources found) |
| Capacity | 11,363, including 2,500 seats (final years) |
| Test matches hosted | 5 |
| Challenge Cup Finals hosted | 2 |
| Floodlights installed | 11 March 1966 (first floodlit match: Salford 7-5 Widnes) |
| Surface | Grass |
| First rugby league match | Salford 2-0 Swinton, attendance 16,981 (21 December 1901) |
| Last rugby league match | Salford City Reds 18-44 Catalans Dragons, attendance 10,146 (exact date not identified in sources found) |
| Years used | 1901–2011 |
| Location | Salford, Greater Manchester |
Name history
- The Willows — 1901-2011, named for the willow trees on the leased site, no sponsor-name changes recorded
Rugby league history
Home for over a century; hosted international matches from as early as 1907, and a Great Britain vs Australia Test in 1922 in front of an estimated 21,000-22,000. By its centenary it was noted as the oldest senior sports venue in the Manchester area. The club's last home match was in September 2011, before moving to the new Salford City Stadium (AJ Bell Stadium) for the 2012 season; the ground was demolished the following year and the site redeveloped as housing.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 1903/04 Challenge Cup Final, 30 April 1904 — Halifax 8-3 Warrington, attendance 17,041
- 1910/11 Challenge Cup Final, 29 April 1911 — Broughton Rangers 4-0 Wigan, attendance 8,000
- 28 December 1907 — Salford 2-9 New Zealand ("All Golds"), attendance ~9,000
- 17 October 1908 — Salford 9-9 Australia
- 14 January 1922 — Great Britain 6-0 Australia, attendance ~21,000-22,000
- 26 November 1955 — Great Britain v New Zealand (second half broadcast live on BBC Grandstand)
- 1971 — Great Britain v New Zealand, second Test of the series (exact date not identified in sources found)
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| World Cup Table, 6 Nov 1975 | 1975 Rugby League World Cup | Wales 23-2 France |
| 1910/11 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Broughton Rangers 4-0 Wigan |
| 1903/04 Challenge Cup Final | Challenge Cup Final | Halifax 8-3 Warrington |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
← Rugby League · Champions list · All-time records · Grand Final results · World Cup · All competitions · Teams · Players