Not the celebrated 300 Spartans who held off a persian army. I'm referring to a much more celebrated bunch, namely the almost Legendary group of Stalwarts who alegedly braved the Wind and rain and all that the Heavens could lower upon them, to watch Fartown battle it out with, Was it Liverpool, or Batley , I have heard a few different versions over the years.
In truth if all the people who claim to have been there on that Historic occasion, actually were there, i think there would have been more like 3.000. This is not to say it isn't true , I just think that a lot of people seem to have jumped on the band wagon so to speak, as a kind of badge to prove that they are one of the few real Fartown fans, with the right to still call them Fartown "whatever Mr Davy wants to call them " As if being one of this fabled 300 has bistowed on them an authority on Huddersfield Rugby league that transends all others and can not be gained untill another such occasion should occur, ( God forbid )
Most of the times i have heard of this Milestone in the History of the club it has been in print, I have had it straight from the Horses mouth (so to speak) on one or two occasions . When this happens , it is told with great pride, indeed almost with a tear in the Eye, and always with great reverence, and a sad note in the voice by any true member of that band of brothers, ( and possibly Sisters i suppose )

The fake one's or pretenders if you like, are usually easilly spotted, you invariable get something along the lines, " Dont talk to me about Fartown mate, I was stood on't terreace when bla bla bla"
I have to admit that the first time i was told the story of the 300, The first thought i had was" you needed your bumps feeling mate". If you were prepared to spend your hard earned, to watch rugby league at such a low level, in conditions that apparently were something akin to Hurricane Bulla , you must have been having a mild breakdown or some such thing. Then I thought back to my Granddad and realised it was the sort of thing he would have done, such was his love of the game.

I went to Fartown Quite a few times with visiting teams and a few times when Murphy was coach, I always thought it was a great terrace to watch a game from, But on a day such as has been described to me with a mere 300 fans on there, Its hard to picture it.

You have to think that these brave souls were there in the somewhat desperate hope that some sort of Miracle was to acompany the foul weather, I haven't heard of such a happening but i have been told that this was the low point as far as crowds go, so maybe the sight of this forlorn band of hardy fans gave the players the Heart to lift themselves, and look ever upward.
I don't know whether the 300 included anyone in the old stands or not, I hope so, i would like to think 300 was the number through the turnstyles, It just doesn't quite have the same impact saying, i was sat in the stand , It brings to mind the modern day supporter sitting in the stands in reletive comfort, in mild weather, watching easilly recognisable players, as opposed to 26 blobs resembling Mud wrestlers.
Probably on the worst of those dark days of winter League, the best way to recognise the players was to try and gauge the size of the Blobs, and work it out from there, There were other things that helped as well, If a Blob suddeny shot forward, or even did a sort of sideshuffle , you knew it was unlikely to be a forward so it narrowed it down a bit, If it resulted in a try , you could always compare your guesses with what was in the paper next day.
I would like to know the really really true tale of this event , If there are any on this board who were there, then maybe you could give us the true account, Just don't start off with " Don't talk to me about Fartown mate".
To anyone who was there, I SALUTE YOU, Lets hope with the passing of time the Legend grows.

Bit of a strange post this.....i've read it a few times and i still can't work out whether it's a dig at the long standing fans who suffered those times or it's in praise of them !!

Agree about the blobs bit and the chance to play 'spot the sub'

Anyway it was 303, against Keighley (a 32-32 draw !)

It's just what you did when supporting your team.

It is most definitely in praise of them GD, Your knowledge of the details suggest you were one of them as well. There was no offence meant at all, if fact just the opposite.

It shows a commitment to support your team, above and beyond the call "so to speak" To see the team reach It's present lofty heights must give you , and any of the other 303, a good deal of satisfaction. Nice to have it confirmed as true.

No, i wasn't one of them - my support began the season after when crowds were on the up !! my 1st match saw 654 there i think !!

As for the bit about having the right to call them 'fartown' well till 1996 when 'Giants' was added to the name, Fartown was more than just the name of the old ground, it was the club's nickname, the fans were nicknamed 'fartowners', it was the club's home, it was where dreams and nightmares came true and to a lot of people quite simply the name of the club !!

I cannot say i was there on that day but things we're still bleak for the 1st 2 or 3 years of my supportership...it was only really the end of the 80's and a bleeding lot of hard work by everyone from us kids willing to sweep terraces/man turnstiles/sell programmes to the groundsman, the players, but most of all the people at the top who were determined to keep Rugby League alive in Huddersfield. We all played our part back then and that's why we are usually less motivated by trophies than some of the newer fans, the fact we have a club at all is reward.

I sincerely hope if the club falls that low again that some of the fans today will stay and help out and bring the club back, it only needs 303 of them to keep the faith !!!

Well said mate, and good on you, In my earlier days of League I was spoiled by comparison.

Most Rugby League fans were compared to us !!

my first game was in 1987-88 v Rochdale and the crowd was 638, and most of those seemed to be cheering on the "oornets"
i remember a crowd of about 700 ish all crammed into the "cowshed" behind the goals on an absolutely filthy day v Hunslet and the scenes of delirium when Peter Subritzky smashed a very late drop goal over to win the game for us.

as for 'fartown' it was the name of the club,as Daz says, not just a nickname of the name of the ground but the club!
even today people talk to me about "fartown" rather than the "giants".

i also think that no one was sat in the stand of the day of the keighley game (303) as it had been condemned after the Bradford city fire?

Interesting post. My first game was 1982 against Oldham and we were thrashed. I still have the programme from this and looking recently I was surprised to see Gary Hetherington in the Huddersfield team. I saw a few games after this but only became a regular when Alex Murphy took over as coach but have been a regular since.

Yeah I had grasped the significance of the Fartown name , and how it came into being way back in time, originally I think "or seems Logical " because of the location of the ground.
I have a friend who has been watching the Giants since 1947 and he never refers to them in any other way than Fartown, which is fine , I have read posts on other sites where people have thought it stupid to call a club after it's district of the Town, myself I see no problem.

These little bits of History are interesting to learn about, I found out recently the origin of the name Pie eaters as applied to the Wigan club, and it has nothing to do with the very good Pies available over there.

I did know the Loiners thing as well but it escapes me at the moment.

Thanks for the input.

The history of the club is well documented in "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants". A suerb publication from the Heritage Group. There are only 80 left, SK if you want one visit www.HuddersfieldRLHeritage.co.uk or pm me.

The history of the club is well documented in "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants". A suerb publication from the Heritage Group. There are only 80 left, SK if you want one visit www.HuddersfieldRLHeritage.co.uk or pm me.

Sorry guys but I think you have it wrong the rugby club has always been Huddersfield the name Fartown was just that Far-Town. Far out of town.That was told to me 60 years ago.

I think what Meast was saying was that unofficially it's the name of the club to the fans.

it's been known as fartown to generations of fans from the 1870's. although not used as much by newer fans and under 25's, but most people i've spoke to about the club have always referred it to as fartown.

still get fartown printed on the back of my shirts..its a tradition

o...I have had to put up with watching fartown since mid 70's lol.those dark Tuesday nights watching the floodlit trophy, carnt remember much of those days apart from van bellon and we used to sit in old stand next to entrance to changing room, for a youngster it was an eye opener

Yes it was a good way to learn industrial language !!!!

Quote ="Ivor C&G Scarf"The history of the club is well documented in "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants". A suerb publication from the Heritage Group. There are only 80 left, SK if you want one visit www.HuddersfieldRLHeritage.co.uk or pm me.'" just reading this now i was surprised to read that club almost decided to follow other NRU clubs and turn to 'association football' instead, but due to reorganising the system, the club stuck with rugby for now, within 10 years we had the greatest rugby team ever assembled

Quote ="Ivor C&G Scarf"The history of the club is well documented in "Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants". A suerb publication from the Heritage Group. There are only 80 left, SK if you want one visit www.HuddersfieldRLHeritage.co.uk or pm me.'" just reading this now i was surprised to read that club almost decided to follow other NRU clubs and turn to 'association football' instead, but due to reorganising the system, the club stuck with rugby for now, within 10 years we had the greatest rugby team ever assembled

dad was in the st johns, so we got a seat every week, much better than standing on that terrace as I got older

I have been watching Fartown/Barracudas/Giants for 50 years since 1965. Back in the 60/70s we could get great pork pies from a local butcher (the gravy running down your chin type ) from the refreshment hut at the end of the long terrace. Not the plastic pies we get now. Without getting ripped off as well. The prices charged today are extortionate in comparison even taking inflation into consideration.
As stated earlier about blobs running about on the pitch, it appears most people thought it was permanantly muddy, but that was not the case.
Could go on but have to go out.

I was with you Martin/Daz, it's not a badge of honour to have supported our club, we just got on with it. As well as doing the jobs at the stadium etc etc


Incidentals that's not the lowest gate at the stadium IIRC, I sold souvenirs under the west stand when Keighley played Trafford borough at the grand old place. Can't have been that figure there.........

Thought they played 2 or 3 as 'home games' back end of 1991/2 season ? i'm sure i remember going to one against Nottingham City !! will dig my Rothmans out