1905–06 Lancashire Cup

Last updated

1905 Lancashire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams14
Winners Wigan
Runners-up Leigh

The 1905 Lancashire Cup was the inaugural year for the rugby league Lancashire Cup competition. The cup was won by Wigan who beat Leigh in a replay at Wheater's Field, Broughton, Salford by a score of 8-0.

Contents

Background

Following the great schism of 1895 which led to the formation of rugby league there was an interest in a competitive competition for clubs based in Lancashire. Prior to the breakaway from rugby union this was something that had been discouraged as it was feared that competition would lead to professionalism, as had happened in other sports like Association Football.

There appears to be very little, if any, details of how this came about, or any details of any of the instigators or of any campaign, but the County Cups became the last part of what would become known as the four cups.

The competitions were played on the same basis as was the Challenge Cup, i.e. a free draw with matches played on a sudden death straight knock-out basis, and with the final played (usually) on a neutral ground.

Competition and results

Round 1

Involved 6 matches (with two byes) and 14 Clubs. [1]

Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sat 14 October 1905 Barrow 11-0Chadderton (Oldham) Canendish Park
2Sat 14 October 1905 Leigh 8-0 Runcorn Frog Hall Field, Mather Lane
3Sat 14 October 1905 Morecambe 0-5 Widnes Moss Lane [2]
4Sat 14 October 1905 Rochdale Hornets 0-10 Warrington Athletic Grounds [3]
5Sat 14 October 1905 Salford 3-0 Swinton The Willows
6Sat 14 October 1905 Wigan 18-0 St. Helens Central Park 8,000 [4] [5]
7 Broughton Rangers bye
8 Oldham bye

Round 2 – quarterfinals

Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sat 28 October 1905 Salford 0-10 Oldham The Willows
2Sat 28 October 1905 Warrington 2-5 Leigh Wilderspool [3]
3Sat 28 October 1905 Widnes 9-0 Barrow Lowerhouse Lane [2]
4Sat 28 October 1905 Wigan 4-3 Broughton Rangers Central Park [4]

Round 3 – semifinals

Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sat 18 November 1905 Oldham 7-11 Wigan Watersheddings [4]
2Wed 22 November 1905 Leigh 6-2 Widnes Frog Hall Field, Mather Lane [2]

Final

The attendance was 10,000 and receipts £200. The initial final (which had taken place 9 days earlier at the same venue) had ended in a 0-0 draw before a crowd estimated at 16.000 and receipts of £400.

Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef
Saturday 2 December 1905 Leigh 0-0 Wigan Wheater's Field 16000£400-0-02 [4] [6]
ReplayMonday 11 December 1905 Wigan 8-0 Leigh Wheater's Field 10000£200-0-0 [4] [6]

Teams and scorers

Wigan [4] Leigh
Teams
Reuben Collier 1 PropPaddy O'Neill
Frank Watkins 2 HookerBob Berry
Anthony Little 3 PropAlbert Blackburn
Jack Barton 4 LockWilfrid Webster
Tom Whittaker 5 LockAaron Lee
Dick Tyrer 6 FlankerDick Silcock
J. R. "Jack" Hilton 7 FlankerBilly Winstanley (Jnr)
Sam Moores 8 Number 8Billy Roberts
Johnny Thomas 9 Scrum HalfSam Whittaker
Billy Anderson 10 Fly HalfHarry Dunbavin
Harry Lowe 11 WingerBob Neville
Windsor "Naddy" Jones 12 CentreHerbert Bennett
Bert Jenkins 13 CentreTom Johnson
Jim Leytham 14 WingerSam Johnson
Jack Mason 15 Full BackEllis Clarkson
0score0
0HT0
Referee
Replay
teams
Reuben Collier1 PropPaddy O'Neill
Frank Watkins2 HookerBob Berry
Peter Vickers 3 PropAlbert Blackburn
Jack Barton4 LockWilfrid Webster
Tom Whittaker5 LockAaron Lee
Richard Tyrer6 FlankerBilly Winstanley (Jnr)
J. R. "Jack" Hilton7 FlankerBilly Winstanley (Snr)
Sam Moores8 Number 8Billy Roberts
Johnny Thomas9 Scrum HalfSam Whittaker
Billy Anderson10 Fly HalfHarry Dunbavin
Harry Lowe11 WingerBob Neville
Naddy Jones12 CentreHerbert Bennett
Bert Jenkins13 CentreBrady
Jim Leytham14 WingerSam Johnson
Jack Mason15 Full BackEllis Clarkson
8score0
3HT0
Scorers
Tries
Bert JenkinsT
Johnny ThomasT
Goals
Jim LeythamG
Referee

Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = two (2) points

The road to success

First round Second round Semifinals Final
            
Salford 3
Swinton 0
Salford 0
Oldham 10
Oldham
bye
Oldham 7
Wigan 11
Wigan 18
St. Helens 0
Wigan 4
Broughton Rangers 3
Broughton Rangers
bye
Wigan 0 (8)
Leigh 0 (0)
Rochdale Hornets 0
Warrington 10
Warrington 2
Leigh 5
Leigh 8
Runcorn 0
Leigh 6
Widnes 2
Morecambe 0
Widnes 5
Widnes 9
Barrow 0
Barrow 11
Chadderton 0

See also

Notes

  1. "Rugby League Project - Lancashire Cup".
  2. 1 2 3 "Widnes Vikings - History - Season In Review - 1905–1906".
  3. 1 2 "Warrington Wolves - Results Archive - 1905".
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results".
  5. "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1905–06".
  6. 1 2 Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1991). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-100. Queen Anne Press. ISBN   0-35617852-8.

References