1987–88 Yorkshire Cup

Last updated

1987–88 Yorkshire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams18
Winners Bradford Northern
Runners-up Castleford

The 1987–88 Yorkshire Cup was the 80th occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition was held. Bradford Northern won the trophy by beating Castleford by the score of 11–2 in a replay after drawing the first match 12–12. The competition was sponsored by John Smith's Brewery.

Contents

This was the fifth time in the incredible eleven-year period in which Castleford, previously only once winners in 1977, will make eight appearances in the Yorkshire Cup final, winning on four and ending as runner-up on four occasions. This season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, no new entrants and no "leavers" and so the total of entries remained the same at eighteen. This in turn resulted in the necessity to continue with a preliminary round to reduce the number of clubs entering the first round to sixteen.

Background

The Rugby Football League's Yorkshire Cup competition was a knock-out competition between (mainly professional) rugby league clubs from the county of Yorkshire. The actual area was at times increased to encompass other teams from outside the county such as Newcastle, Mansfield, Coventry, and even London (in the form of Acton & Willesden).
The Rugby League season always (until the onset of "Summer Rugby" in 1996) ran from around August-time through to around May-time and this competition always took place early in the season, in the Autumn, with the final taking place in (or just before) December (The only exception to this was when disruption of the fixture list was caused during, and immediately after, the two World Wars)

Competition and results

Preliminary round

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
P1Wed 2 Sep 1987 Hull F.C. 54-8 Huddersfield Barracudas Boulevard 2402
P2Wed 2 Sep 1987 Wakefield Trinity 25-14 Dewsbury Belle Vue 1723

Round 1

Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Sun 13 Sep 1987 Bramley 39-12 Doncaster McLaren Field828
2Sun 13 Sep 1987 Castleford 32-12 Hunslet Wheldon Road 4748
3Sun 13 Sep 1987 Featherstone Rovers 28-6 Batley Post Office Road 1433
4Sun 13 Sep 1987 Hull Kingston Rovers 12-19 Bradford Northern Craven Park (1) 3852
5Sun 13 Sep 1987 Keighley 12-34 Halifax Lawkholme Lane 4086
6Sun 13 Sep 1987 Leeds 28-24 Hull F.C. Headingley 7704
7Sun 13 Sep 1987 Mansfield Marksman 18-23 York Lowmoor Road256
8Sun 13 Sep 1987 Wakefield Trinity 32-18 Sheffield Eagles Belle Vue 2111

Round 2 - Quarter-finals

Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Tue 22 Sep 1987 Bramley 6-30 Bradford Northern McLaren Field2181
2Wed 23 Sep 1987 Featherstone Rovers 43-6 York Post Office Road 1617
3Wed 23 Sep 1987 Halifax 0-10 Castleford Thrum Hall 6101
4Wed 23 Sep 1987 Leeds 36-8 Wakefield Trinity Headingley 6693

Round 3 – Semi-finals

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Wed 30 Sep 1987 Bradford Northern 16-5 Leeds Odsal 7730
2Wed 30 Sep 1987 Featherstone Rovers 8-36 Castleford Post Office Road 5329

Final

The initial match was played at Headingley, Leeds. The score was 12–12, the attendance was 10,947, and receipts were £40,283. [1] This match was the final appearance for Bradford Northern's Welsh former rugby union international Terry Holmes, who announced his retirement shortly after this game due to a persistent knee problem. [2]

17 October 1987
Bradford Northern 12 – 12 Castleford
Tries: Fairbank
Goals: Mumby (2), Hobbs (2)
 [3]
Tries: Plange, Lindner
Goals: Ketteridge (2)
Headingley, Leeds
Attendance: 10,947
Referee: K. Allatt (Southport)
Player of the Match: Paul Harkin
Bradford Northern № Castleford
teams
Gary Mercer 1 David Roockley
Phil Ford 2 David Plange
Steve McGowan 3 Tony Marchant
Roger Simpson 4 Michael Beattie
Richard Francis 5 Gary Hyde
Keith Mumby 6 John Joyner
Paul Harkin 7 Roy Southernwood
Jeff Grayshon 8 Alan Shillito
Brian Noble 9 Kevin Beardmore
Brendan Hill 10 Kevin Ward
Kelvin Skerrett 11 Martin Ketteridge
Karl Fairbank 12 John Fifita
Terry Holmes 13 Bob Lindner
Substitutes
Neil Roebuck (for Terry Holmes)14 Robert "Bob" Beardmore (for Alan Shillito)
David Hobbs (for Jeff Grayshon)15 Dean Sampson (for Kevin Beardmore)
Barry Seabourne Coach David Sampson

Final - Replay

The replay was at Elland Road, Leeds. Bradford Northern won the match 11–2, the attendance was 8,175, and receipts were £30,732. [1] The game was marred by a brawl between both sets of players which took place just before half time. Bradford's Karl Fairbank and Castleford's John Joyner were sent to the sin bin as a result. A further player from each team (Kelvin Skerrett and John Fifita) were sin-binned for separate incidents during the second half. [4]

The road to success

The following chart excludes any preliminary round fixtures/results

First round Second round Semi-finals Final
            
Bramley 39
Doncaster 12
Bramley 6
Bradford Northern 30
Hull Kingston Rovers 12
Bradford Northern 19
Bradford Northern 16
Leeds 5
Leeds 28
Hull F.C. 24
Leeds 36
Wakefield Trinity 8
Wakefield Trinity 32
Sheffield Eagles 18
Bradford Northern 12 (11)
Castleford 12 (2)
Featherstone Rovers 28
Batley 6
Featherstone Rovers 43
York 6
Mansfield Marksman 18
York 23
Featherstone Rovers 8
Castleford 36
Keighley 12
Halifax 34
Halifax 0
Castleford 10
Castleford 32
Hunslet 12

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Fletcher & Howes (1988), p. 179.
  2. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Paul (30 October 1987). "Sad Holmes retires hurt". The Guardian. London. p. 36. ProQuest   186736106.
  3. 1 2 Fletcher & Howes (1988), p. 175.
  4. ↑ "Finally Bradford". The Guardian. London. 2 November 1987. p. 26. ProQuest   186787981.

References

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