Initially owned by the Leeds Cricket, Football, and Athletic Company (Leeds CF & A), the parent company of Leeds RLFC; since 2006, the cricket ground has been owned by Yorkshire CCC, with the rugby ground retained by Leeds CF & A. The two organisations jointly manage the complex.[1]
Naming
From 2006 until 2017, the stadium was officially known as the Headingley Carnegie Stadium as a result of sponsorship from Leeds Metropolitan University, whose sports faculty is known as the Carnegie School of Sport Exercise and Physical Education.[2] Between 1 November 2017 and 3 November 2021, the stadium was known as the Emerald Headingley Stadium due to the purchase of the naming rights by Emerald Group Publishing.[3] The Emerald Group later withdrew their sponsorship of the ground effective immediately on 3 November 2021 due to Yorkshire County Cricket Club's alleged insufficient response to allegations of racism made by former player Azeem Rafiq.[4]
In 2023, Rugby League team Leeds Rhinos announced the “biggest commercial deal” in their history with a 15-year partnership with AMT Auto for the naming rights to the rugby stadium. The deal with the Leeds-based vehicle solutions company means the club’s stadium is now known as the AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium from 1 December 2023.
It is only the fourth time in the 133-year history of the stadium that the club have allowed naming rights.[5]
The cricket ground sits on the northern side of the complex. It opened in 1891 and has been used for Test matches since 1899. It is the main home ground of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Yorkshire Vikings Twenty20 cricket team. The venue last hosted The Ashes in 2023. Floodlights were installed at the ground since 2015. It has a seating capacity of 18,350, executive facilities, opened a new media centre in 2010. Since 2000, all sections of the cricket ground have been rebuilt except for the stand located at the end nearest to the rugby ground. As part of a proposed redevelopment plan, this stand will be replaced along with the other side facing the rugby ground.
Owning the ground
In December 2005, Yorkshire County Cricket Club obtained a loan of £9 million from Leeds City Council towards the cost of purchasing the cricket ground for £12 million.[6] Shortly afterwards, 98.37% of members who participated in a vote backed the deal.[6] On 11 January 2006, the club announced plans to rebuild the stand next to the rugby ground with 3,000 extra seats, taking capacity to 20,000.[7] The club also announced plans to redevelop the Winter Shed (North) stand on 25 August 2006 providing a £12.5 million pavilion complex.[8][9]
The rugby ground sits on the southern side of the complex. Historically a rugby league ground, the home of Leeds Rhinos, it now hosts some rugby union games. The venue consists of three stands and an open terrace at one end. One stand is completely seated, and two are a mixture of seating and standing.[10] The stadium has a capacity of 20,112.[citation needed][clarification needed]
In 2018, a new, modern South Stand, sponsored by brewer Tetley's, was opened.[11] A new North Stand, the Emerald Stand, was opened in 2019.[12]
North Stand and entranceRedevelopment on the rugby side of the ground
On 5 June 2014 Yorkshire CCC announced the "Headingley Masterplan". The phased redevelopment costing around £50 million will take place over the next 20 years. The plan sought to cement the future of the cricket ground as a major international venue in the face of competition from rival venues.[13]
Phase One (Completed)
Erection of four permanent floodlight pylons. The floodlights, which have light arrays in the shape of the Yorkshire Rose, were installed in 2015. The first full game to be played under them was the T20 match against Derbyshire Falcons on Friday, 15 May 2015, but they were also called upon for the County Championship game against Warwickshire a few weeks earlier.
Phase Two (Completed)
The redeveloped Football Ground End (currently called the Howard Stand), was built in conjunction with Leeds Rugby and opened in 2019. It incorporates a three-tiered seating area, with a capacity of 4,200 (with a further 3,800 seats in the adjoining rugby stand), enhanced corporate facilities and new permanent concession units.[14][15]
Phase Three
To incorporate an additional 915 seats to the upper tier of the North East Stand with the possibility of a cantilever roof from the side of the Carnegie Pavilion to the existing scoreboard.
Phase Four
The development of a new Pavilion located in the North West area of the stadium complex. Built on five levels, the Pavilion will be adjacent to the existing Carnegie Pavilion. To include corporate facilities, new dressing rooms for the players and coaching staff, Members' Long Room and seating and the creation of a main entrance to the stadium on Kirkstall Lane.
Phase Five
The erection of a translucent cantilever roof to cover the Western Terrace.
Phase Six
Landscaping on the Western Terrace and North East stand concourses.[13]
The Clean Slate Pavilion
Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Leeds Metropolitan University have collaborated in building the Headingley Carnegie Pavilion, which replaced 'The Shed' to the northern side of the Cricket Ground (which, dating from the early 1970s, was the oldest surviving structure). The new pavilion replaces 'The Winter Shed' and 'The Media Centre' at the Kirkstall Lane end of the ground, which had become obsolete, according to Yorkshire County Cricket Club, no longer meeting the requirements of modern broadcasting. The changing facilities are replaced by new facilities, designed specifically for cricket, while the new executive boxes will provide the expected level of service. Yorkshire County Cricket Clubs offices will also be relocated into the pavilion, which boasts environmentally friendly features such as a ground source heat pump and solar hot water heating.[16]
The rugby ground has also been significantly rebuilt since 2006 when the Carnegie Stand at the east end was opened, containing both standing and seated areas, private boxes and catering. In 2017 both the North and South Stands were torn down following Leeds' last home game of the season: the new South Stand is a two-tier structure similar to the East Stand with an expanded terrace for 5,500 and seating behind for 2,200, while the North Stand's replacement features 3,800 seats, additional executive boxes and facilities for players, staff and media, as well as 4,200 seats for the cricket ground.[14][15]
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