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Harlequins

General Information

Gallery

Ground Information

The Harlequin Football Club was founded in 1866 (although the first recorded game was not until 1867) as Hampstead Football Club and renamed in 1870.
This, according to which story you believe, has two accounts. The first is that there was a meeting under a street lamp at two o’clock in the morning in Hampstead! The second and more believable story is that the name was changed when the membership was no longer a purely local one.

A meeting was called and because the HFC monogram had to be retained, a dictionary was produced and, when the reader reached Harlequin, he was stopped and all present agreed and so the new name was born.

An offshoot of this was that there was a split in the membership of the Hampstead Football Club and the half that did not form the Harlequins went off and formed a club known as the Wasps.

For our first 40 years, we were very nomadic in our existence and played at a total of 15 venues. Since 1909, we have only played at three!

In 1906, Quins were invited by the Rugby Football Union to use the new national stadium in Twickenham. In those early days only one or two internationals were played there during the season, and it wasn’t long before the RFU ground became the Headquarters of the Harlequin Football Club.

In 1963, Quins acquired an athletics ground with 14 acres just over the road from the RFU ground, which became the Harlequin training pitch. This has subsequently become our home, known for many years as the Stoop Memorial Ground, before being renamed to the Twickenham Stoop in 2005. The stadium is named after Adrian Dura Stoop, who won 15 caps for England and is said to have been the person who developed modern back play.

He was born on 27th March 1883 in London. His father was Dutch (naturalised English) and his mother was half Scottish and half Irish. He went to school at Dover College, Rugby school and then to Oxford University, getting his Blue in his second year, 1902. He was then captain in 1904.

In all he played 182 times for Quins between 1901 and 1939, captained the side for eight years, was honorary secretary for 28 years and finally became President between 1920 to 1949. He died on 27th November 1957, aged 74 years.

This site itself, situated in the centre of rugby excellence, provided the club with a ground that could be developed. Over the years much has been done to improve the facilities, starting in 1997 with the introduction of the Etihad Stand that runs along the whole length of the East touchline. This stand seats 4,200 spectators, all of whom have an excellent view of the game. There are 25 boxes for corporate hospitality, and inside the stand there is a restaurant facility and three large bar areas.

In 2005, the Lexus stand was opened that runs along the length of the West touchline. The Lexus stand brought high quality new facilities to the Stoop, including a new members’ bar, a new club shop, 14 corporate hospitality boxes, three new corporate lounges, new player and officials’ changing facilities, new club offices and new media facilities. Furthermore, the introduction of the Lexus stand increased the capacity of the Stoop to 12,700.

What's Near the Ground?

Just over the road you have the National Stadium ‘Twickenham’ where England play their Internationals.

Directions to the Ground

By Car

From the M3:

Follow the M3 until it ends at the Sunbury roundabout. Continue up the A316 Chertsey Road, over three roundabouts. Continue for 2 miles.

With Twickenham Rugby Stadium on your left, Quins’ ground is on the right. U-turn at the RFU roundabout. Enter the Stoop via Langhorn Drive, 450 yards on your left.

From the M4:
Leave the M4 at Junction 3. Take the 3rd exit of the Roundabout for the A312, towards Feltham (A3006). Continue along the A312 for 4.5 miles. At the A305 / A316 roundabout, turn left onto the A316. Follow the A316 Chertsey Road, over three roundabouts.

Continue for 2 miles. With Twickenham Rugby Stadium on your left, Quins’ ground is on the right. U-turn at the RFU roundabout. Enter the Stoop via Langhorn Drive, 450 yards on your left.

By Bus

Bus number 267 runs between Hammersmith and Fulwell Garage, calling at Stamford Brook, Turnham Green, Kew Bridge, Brentford, Isleworth and Twickenham.

Bus number 281 runs between Hounslow and Tolworth, visiting Whitton, Twickenham, Fulwell, Teddington, Hampton Wick, Kingston and Surbiton. Both services stop within easy reach of the ground.

By Train

Twickenham station is served by trains from London Waterloo and Reading, with more services and routes accessible via Clapham Junction. After the match (and after a warming pint or two in the East Stand) there are plenty of trains to return you home safely.

Upon leaving the station, turn right towards Twickenham Rugby Stadium and left at the mini-roundabout. Take the first left into Court Way and then turn left into Craneford Way and continue on until you reach the stadium.

The Twickenham Stoop is at the end of the road on the right.

Admission Prices

Relative information can be found on the following link:  https://www.union.quins.co.uk/tickets/prices.php

You can purchase tickets through any of the following methods:

By Telephone: Call the Ticket Office on 0871 527 1315
Ticket Office Opening Hours are Mon & Fri (9-4.30), Tues, Wed & Thurs (10-4.30)

In Person: Visit the Harlequins Office at the Twickenham Stoop during Office hours

On-Line:  https://www.quins.talentarena.co.uk/cgi-dta/login.mac/main?lang_reset=ru

If you are interested in booking a group, then contact Stephanie Gagne on 020 8410 6062 or by email at [email protected].

Local Rivals

London Irish, Wasps, Saracens

Disabled Facilities

These are the disabled facilities

Attendance Figures

Last Year in the 2007/08 Guinness Premiership Season, Quins finished 3rd in the attendance table with an overall attendance of 148,456.

2006/07 7th 122,004
2005/06 Relegated
2004/05 7th 93,305
2003/04 10th 74,630
2002/03 8th 78,282
2001/02 7th 73,586

Hotel Accomodation

There are several ‘Premier Inn’s’ in close proximity to the ground.  Please visit www.premierinn.com for further information on booking yourself a room.