Warrington Wolves

Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league team in the town of Warrington, Cheshire in England. In the past the club have been nicknamed "The Wire" or "Wires", in reference to the strength of the wire-pulling industry in Warrington. Warrington is also one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, making them one of the world's first rugby league teams.

Their colours are primrose (light yellow) and blue, though white has often featured on the home shirt.

They previously played at the traditional ground of Wilderspool, but have since moved to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. Warrington are currently in the top flight of rugby league, the Super League. Warrington have never won the Super League trophy, though they have won many major trophies in their long history. They are the only club in the history of the sport in England to play every one of their seasons in the top flight.

Wilderspool Stadium

Wilderspool Stadium was Warrington Wolves' old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. It held just over 9,000, after substantial decreases for crowd safety. It was their home for well over 100 years, and the move to new ground was widely considered long overdue; one of the stands was deemed unsafe, there was no disabled access, and seating for just over 500.

In 1888 with increasing crowds, a new stand for the supporters was built. The Brian Bevan stand was built in 1983 after the old stand was gutted by a fire causing £300,000 worth of damage.

It was scheduled for demolition when the club moved out in 2003, but the council kept it open, and Warrington Woolston Rovers, and Warrington Wizards now play their home games there

Sports

Rugby League is the town's premier sports in the form of Warrington Wolves who are nicknamed "The Wire" because of Warrington's history of wire making. The club moved in 2003 to the Halliwell Jones Stadium, leaving its home for over a century, Wilderspool Stadium. Warrington Wolves are the only team to have played every season in the top flight of Rugby League. The town is also home to Warrington Wizards who play their home matches at Wilderspool Stadium. The Wizards are currently in the Rugby League Conference. Warrington is represented in the BARLA leagues by Crosfields ARLFC, Bank Quay Bulls ARLFC, Rylands ARFLC, Woolston Rovers ARLFC, Latchford Albion ARLFC, Burtonwood Bulldogs ARLFC and Westbrook Tigers ARLFC.

Football is represented by Warrington Town at Cantilever Park, next to the Manchester Ship Canal. The club has several nicknames including Town, Yellows, Wire and Warriors. Warrington Town are currently in the Northern Premier League Division One South. Liverpool FC Reserves also play in Warrington at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Warrington Athletic Club is based at Victoria Park, where a new eight-lane synthetic track was built in 1998, after the original track was destroyed in a fire the previous year.

Speedway racing, formerly known as Dirt Track racing was staged in Warrington in its pioneering era between 1928 and 1930. The track entered a team in the 1929 English Dirt Track League and the 1930 Northern league. Efforts to revive the venue in 1947 failed to materialise

Notable residents

• Henry Booth, proudly chose the town's name for his title of Earl of Warrington in 1690.
• 18th century free-thinker and scientist Joseph Priestley lived and taught in Warrington, at the Academy^[3].
• Artist Luke Fildes (1843-1927) studied at Warrington School of Art.
• William Beamont was a Victorian solicitor and local philanthropist who founded several churches and the municipal library, the first rate-aided library in the UK.
• The late William Norman, VC (1832-1896) is a local war hero.
• The late Alfred Edward Sephton, VC (1911-1941) is a local war hero.
• Performer George Formby lived in Warrington for several years and is buried in the town's main cemetery.
• First class cricketer George Duckworth was born in Warrington and played Test cricket for England. He played first class cricket for Lancashire between 1923 and 1947.^[18]
• First class cricketer Neil Fairbrother was born in Warrington and played Test cricket for England.^[19]
• Donald Adamson, author and historian, from a Culcheth family, grew up in Lymm.
• Editor of The Sun newspaper Rebekah Wade was born and brought up in south Warrington.
• Actor Steven Arnold was born and still lives in Warrington, he his best known for his role as Ashley Peacock in Coronation Street.
• Singer and reality TV star Kerry Katona was born and grew up in north Warrington.
• Actor Pete Postlethwaite was born and raised in north Warrington.
• 1960s Fashion Designer Ossie Clark went to Beamont Secondary Technical School in Warrington and was brought up in Orford.
• Actor and singer Tim Curry was born and brought up in Grappenhall.
• Actress Sue Johnston was born and still lives in Warrington.
• Broadcaster Pete McCarthy was born and brought up in Warrington.
• Former Stone Roses singer Ian Brown was born in Warrington and currently has a house in Lymm.
• Actress Polly Walker was born in Warrington.
• Van Der Graaf Generator organist/keyboard player Hugh Banton lives and has a business (The Organ Workshop) in Lymm.
• Singer Edna Savage was born in Warrington.
• Granada TV presenter, 'action archaeologist', drummer and author Mark Olly was born and brought up in Stockton Heath, Warrington.
• Playwright, TV and film screenwriter (All Quiet On The Preston Front, Blackball, Calendar Girls) and singer, Tim Firth was born and brought up in south Warrington.
• Peter Brimelow, financial journalist and former senior editor with Forbes magazine in the United States, was born in Warrington.
• Tennis player Nick Brown was born in Warrington.
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Care Services Liam Byrne was born in Warrington.
• Radio and television broadcaster Chris Evans was born and lived in the town for much of his life.
• Singer Tim Bowness of No-Man (a duo with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson) was born and brought up in Stockton Heath.
• Author Robin Jarvis grew up in Warrington.
• Hollyoaks actor Darren Jeffries grew up in Warrington and went to school in the town.
• Author/illustrator and designer of Bob the Builder, Curtis Jobling grew up in Warrington.
• Footballer Stephen Jordan was born and grew up in Warrington.
• Watchmaker and inventor Peter Litherland was born and grew up in Warrington.
• Filmmaker and animator Ian Mackinnon was born in Warrington.
• Professional wrestler Davey Boy Smith ('The British Bulldog') was born in Golborne. (previously part of Warrington), trained in Winwick, and was resident in Warrington at the time of his matches in Britain.
• Comedy writer Miles Tredinnick was born in Warrington.
• Composer and pianist Anthony Whittaker was born and grew up in Warrington.
• Pete Waterman of Stock,Aitken & Waterman and PWL lives not far from Warrington.

Warrington Landmarks

Sites of interest in Warrington include:

• The Town Hall (and its golden gates), formerly the home of the Philips family, Bank Hall (built 1750), and their scion, Nathaniel George Philips, the artist. ^[14]
• The Academy, a dissenters' institute where Joseph Priestley taught and which is now, after being moved from its original location, the offices of a local newspaper.
• "Cromwell's Cottage" (17th century), which Oliver Cromwell is said to have visited.
• The 14th century Parish Church of St Elphin, largely a Victorian rebuild with a 281-foot (86 m) spire, the sixth largest in the UK.
• St Wilfrid's Church, Grappenhall, Grade I listed medieval church.
• St Oswald's Church, Winwick, Grade I listed medieval church.
• Holy Trinity Church, 1758, Grade II* listed Georgian church at Market Gate.
• St Ann's Church, 1869, Grade II* church designed by John Douglas, now a rock climbing centre.
• St Mary's Church, Grade II church designed by E. W. Pugin and Peter Paul Pugin in Buttermarket.
• The row of late Victorian terracotta shops on Bridge Street.^[15]
• The Woolworth's Building in Sankey Street (at least the upper storeys).
• The Art Deco style Synergy nightclub which was originally a large cinema.
• The industrial modernist Unilever Soapworks.
• The Cheshire Lines railway warehouse, now redeveloped as apartments.
• The Warrington Transporter Bridge, a listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument.^[16].
• The Barley Mow, established in 1561, the oldest pub in Warrington.
• The Parr Hall, home to one of the few remaining Cavaillé-Coll organs.
• Fiddlers Ferry Power Station
• Bewsey Old Hall, a rebuilt medieval manor house.
• IKEA store which is located near the Gemini retail park. The first of the IKEA chain to be built in the UK.