Huddersfield Giants owner withdraws from The Shay purchase as statement shared

Huddersfield Giants owner Ken Davy has revealed he has withdrawn his interest in buying the Shay Stadium.

Putting an end to a near 20-month saga, Davy initially announced his plan to purchase the Halifax-based stadium in January 2025, expressing an interest in moving the Giants to the facility.

The Shay is already home to the Halifax Panthers in the Championship and FC Halifax Town in the National League.

As it stands, Huddersfield are set to leave the Accu Stadium at the season’s end, and it was Davy’s intention that the club could play at The Shay temporarily before a purpose-built facility is created for the Giants’ needs.

However, due to “a small minority”, he has opted to withdraw his intentions to purchase the ground, in what is a blow to the Giants’ short and long-term plans.

Whilst Davy won’t be buying the stadium, there is scope that Huddersfield could rent the facility, and that would mean they could still play there without the owner needing to purchase the ground.

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 Davy’s statement reads in full: “Today, 1 June 2026, I have informed Calderdale Council that I will not be progressing my interest in purchasing the Shay Stadium, Halifax.

“From the very beginning I made it absolutely clear to the Council, the football and rugby clubs and indeed, the various supporters groups I have met, that I would only continue my interest in the Shay Stadium, and sport in Halifax in general, if my input and involvement was welcome.

“Unfortunately, in the respect of a small minority,  it is abundantly clear that this is not the case.

“This outcome is obviously disappointing. I am however especially disappointed for the wider sporting community of Calderdale, as I had hoped to develop the Shay into a truly multisport centre for the community of Calderdale as a whole, rather than just the around 6% who currently use it to attend rugby or football matches.

“The Shay does at least now have the benefit of a new state of the art pitch, which the football and rugby clubs and the Council, assure me would not have happened without my involvement,  and I wish everyone in Calderdale every success in the future.

“In respect of the Giants, my withdrawal changes very little. I suspect the Shay would probably still be a rental option for us, given its need for income, and that goes for a number of other sites in and around our area. In addition our challenge to Kirklees Council remains in that we need a permanent site to secure our long term future.”