The Willows was a rugby league stadium in Weaste, Salford, England. It had a final capacity of 11,363 with 2,500 seats.
In 1900, Salford agreed a 14-year lease on 5 acres (20,000 m2) of land belonging to the Willows Estate Company, named after the abundance of willow trees in the area. They made their debut at the Willows on 21 December 1901, beating Swinton 2–0 in front of 16,981 fans.
In the 1960s, the terrace was flattened at the Willows Road end to make way for the Salford Football and Social Club which was officially opened on 16 June 1966.
The Willows switched on its floodlights for the first time in the match with Widnes on Friday 11 March 1966. On 26 November 1989, Salford unveiled a new £50,000 electronic scoreboard above the Willows Variety Centre.[1]
Salford City Reds moved to the Salford City Stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell at the start of the 2012 season.[2] The last match at the Willows saw them lose to the Catalans Dragons 18–44 in front of 10,146 fans, a record for a Salford City Reds home match in the Super League.[3]
In 2013, a proposal to redevelop the site for housing was put forward by City West Housing Trust.[4]
List of international rugby league matches played at The Willows.[5]
The Willows also saw Salford and the county team Lancashire play host to various international touring teams from 1908 to 1978.
