Huddersfield A - Z - Rugby League

Rugby is a game played by men with odd shaped balls....

This is St George's Square, overlooked by the train station, Britannia, a stone lion and on the fourth side of the square, The George Hotel. Go large to see the lion.

In 1895, 21 northern rugby clubs met in the George Hotel, and formed the new Rugby League, breaking away from the Rugby Football Union. The main source of dispute had been the RFU's refusal to allow compensation for players who had to take time off work to play. The payers in the north were in the main paid less, and could not afford the loss of income. The new Rugby League eventually adopted a new code of play, and today it is played in over 30 countries around the world. The European Super League is a multi-million pound business, although many of the clubs in it are hugely in debt.

The hotel itself keeps changing hands as owners struggle to compete with a number of new budget hotels in the town - it is currently closed but its new owner has promised a refurbishment and for the hotel to reopen before Christmas.

This was on my list before the Town programme on BBC2 last night, which pretty much pinched all my Blips!

I am avoiding the obvious hotel song and going for George instead.

I had about 5 minutes to get this Blip today - Wednesday = blue arsed fly day.