Rugby league The first owners of the Canal Street ground were
Runcorn RFC, a
rugby union club formed sometime before 1886. In 1895 the club were one of the founders of the
Northern Union, which later became the Rugby League. The club suffered badly during
World War I and failed to return to the league after hostilities ended.
Football At this point the ground was purchased by a R H Posnett, the owner of a local tannery company and was used by the
Highfield and Camden Tanneries Recreation Club, who became known as Runcorn FC from 1918). The club continued to be run under the overall control of the tanneries until the football club became a limited company in 1953.
Rugby league returns in ground share Huyton Rugby League Club moved to Canal Street under a ground sharing agreement with the football club from
1984–85 to
1989–90, changing their name to
Runcorn Highfield RLFC.
Decline The football club had mixed success on the field, but in later years had problems with the ground, which by the 1990s was in need of major works. Disaster struck three times off the field during the 1993–94 season. A first round FA Cup tie against
Hull City, attracted a larger crowd than expected. A terrace wall collapsed following a Hull goal causing minor injuries to spectators. With the club's precarious financial position, and the cost of rebuilding their Canal Street home, Runcorn suffered on the pitch, resulting in relegation, which was to be the start of a downhill spiral.
Closure The last competitive game to be played at Canal Street was on 5 May 2001 and resulted in a defeat 2–1 by
Gateshead. Runcorn player
Liam Watson scored the club's final goal in this match. At the end of the 2000–01 season, the football club, struggling with large debts and dwindling attendances, sold the ground and moved to
Halton Stadium, home of
Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club, where they stayed for several years before again struggling financially and ground sharing with
Southport at
Haig Avenue and
Prescot Cables at
Valerie Park, before finally folding at the end of the 2005–06 season. The ground itself, by now in a dilapidated and a dangerous condition, was sold to developers and is now a housing development, the Linnets Park housing estate. == Note ==