The record attendance for the Shay was 36,885 on 14 February 1953 in the 5th round of the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur . It is fair to say with confidence that the 36,885 figure that watched the Spurs game will never be bettered . Though the Shay could once hold 40,000 , safety measures dictate that it never will again . In fact , the capacity put on the Shay has reduced dramatically since the early 1970s : in 1970 it was 38,000 , 1972 it was 25,000 , 1977 it was 23,000 , 1979 it was 16,500 . The capacity stood at 16,500 until 1985 at which time the Popplewell Report into ground safety was released following the Valley Parade disaster in May of that year . All standing areas at the Shay were closed , and for a time , while it remained seating only , the new capacity was set at 1,777 . Safety work was subsequently carried out and the capacity raised to 3,600 . When Halifax Town were paired up with Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup in January 1988 , in an effort to keep the tie at the Shay , more work was carried out and the capacity was raised further to 4,021 . An almost full house attended that Forest game &ndash; 4,012 . When the council took over the Shay in 1987 it became part of Calderdale Leisure Services ( CLS ) and in July 1988 new plans were announced for the ground . A new stand was purchased from Scunthorpe United and other major ground improvements were being made
Valley Parade disaster
Bradford City stadium fire
The Shay