Brighouse Rangers RFC

Last updated

Brighouse Rangers RLFC
Club information
Full nameBrighouse Rangers Rugby Football Club
Exited1906;118 years ago (1906)
Former details
Ground(s)
  • Waterloo Road
    Lane Head,
    Brighouse
CompetitionYorkshire Men’s League -premier division
Plaque celebrating the birth of Rugby League Celebrating the birth of Rugby League.jpg
Plaque celebrating the birth of Rugby League

Brighouse Rangers was a rugby league club in Brighouse, West Yorkshire, England.

Contents

The club was involved in the meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield in 1895, and after the schism became founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League), playing for eleven seasons from 1895–96 to 1905–06.

After a break, a new club, also called Brighouse Rangers, appeared in 1915 and played in the Emergency War Leagues in 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18 and 1918–19.

History

Early history

Brighouse Rangers Football Club were founded in the 1870s, and joined the RFU in 1879. [1]

After the 1890-91 season, Brighouse along with other Yorkshire Senior clubs Batley, Bradford, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Hunslet, Leeds, Liversedge, Manningham and Wakefield decided that they wanted their own county league starting in 1891 along the lines of a similar competition that had been played in Lancashire. The clubs wanted full control of the league but the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union would not sanction the competition as it meant giving up control of rugby football to the senior clubs.

In 1895, on 20 April, Brighouse Rangers won "T'owd Tin Pot", beating Morley R.F.C. 16–4 in the Yorkshire Cup Final at Headingley, Leeds before a crowd of in the region of 20,000. [2]

Northern Union

Brighouse Rangers, like many other clubs from Lancashire (and Yorkshire), had suffered punishment by the RFU for "broken time" payments. After their annual general meeting in London, the RFU issued a decree banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged, [3] and so Brighouse Rangers, represented by H H Waller, attended a meeting at The George Hotel, Huddersfield, together with the representatives of 21 other clubs, and agreed to form a Northern Rugby Football Union.

After the Great Schism [4] in 1895, Brighouse Rangers were one of the founder members of the new league and the same H H Waller of Brighouse Rangers was elected the first Northern Rugby Football Union chairman.

In the first season 1895–96 the league consisted of 22 clubs and Brighouse Rangers, continuing their recent Rugby Union form, finished in 5th position.

In season 1896–97 the league was divided into Yorkshire and Lancashire. Brighouse Rangers, playing in the former section, finished in 1st position out of 16 teams, 2 points ahead of second placed Manningham and a full eight points above third place Halifax. Brighouse Rangers were crowned Yorkshire Champions.

In the following four seasons, still in the Yorkshire section, seasons 1897–98, 1898–99, 1899–1900 & 1900–01 the club finished in 13th, 10th and 12th before moving up to a mid-table 7th in the respective seasons, each time out of the 16 clubs.

For the next season, 1901–02 the top seven clubs in each of the County Senior Leagues decided to break from the rest of the clubs and form "The Northern Rugby League". This is the first time these terms had been used. Brighouse Rangers, after finishing 7th (and beating Hull Kingston Rovers team with the same points by a better points scoring difference of 6), were included to this first division.

Brighouse Rangers finishing 14th and bottom with a playing record of 5 points (4 wins and 1 draw) out of 26 matches played.

The Rugby League made yet another change to the league structure for the next 1902–03 by renaming the top league as the 1st Division and increasing the number of clubs to 18, thus preventing any threatened relegations. Brighouse remained in the first division. In this following season, Brighouse Rangers again finished bottom out of the 18 teams, but this time only 2 points adrift of second bottom St. Helens and 8 points away from third bottom Wigan. This time both Brighouse Rangers and St. Helens were relegated.

For the next two seasons 1903–04 and 1904–05, Brighouse Rangers in the 2nd Division where they finished 6th out of 17 and then 11th out of 14 respectively.

The following season 1905–06 the two leagues were combined into one. Also, clubs arranged all their own fixtures with the condition that any team they played they did so twice, both home and away. This meant that the league positions were decided on a % basis (i.e. the actual points gained divided by the number of points possible if the club had won every game – the answer multiplied by a hundred). In this, Brighouse Rangers' last season, they finished bottom equal with Morecambe, bottom with 8 points out of a possible 52 and bottom with a 15.38% winning percentage.

At their annual general meeting in summer 1906 Brighouse Rangers took the decision to disband. [1]

Successor clubs

After a break, another club with the same name Brighouse Rangers appeared during the First World War and played in the Emergency War League in season 1915–16, 1916–17, 1917–18 and the 1918–19 (Jan) wartime league but not in the shortened 1919 (Feb – May) Victory League.

Brighouse Rugby League club have reformed numerous times since. [1] The current club are amateurs Brighouse Rangers ARLFC.

In the 1970s Brighouse Rangers (ARLFC) were reformed by former Luddenden and Ovenden player Jeff Greenwood and former Bradford Northern player John Chase they played at Wellholme Park, near the Brighouse Cricket Club. Towards the end of the new millennium 2000, Tesco bought the site including the Brighouse ARLFC clubhouse and with the money, the club built a new ground on Russell Way, off Bradford Road. As at 2022 they play in the Premier Div, Yorkshire League also run a ladies team and a number of age group teams . [1]

Honours

Club name

According to the official Rugby League records the Club was called Brighouse Rangers [5] Some sites and books refer to the club as Brighouse Rovers though.

Player earning international caps while at Brighouse Rangers

Ground

The club's first ground was at Fink Hill. In 1883 they moved to Waterloo Road, Lane Head (now the site of St Andrews Junior School and adjacent allotments), where they stayed until their demise in 1906. [1]

Records

Club league performance

In a Season
DetailsSeasonCompetitionCommentsNotesRef
Highest League Position51895–96RLout of clubs
or11896–97Yorks Senout of clubs
Lowest League Position311905–06RLout of clubs
and141901–02RLout of clubs
and181902–031st Divout of clubs
Most League Points561895–96RLout of possible 84 = 67%
or481896–97Yorks Senout of possible 60 = 80%
Least League Points71901–02RLout of possible 52 = 14%
Most Points Scored (PF)2471895–96RLIn 42 games = 5.88/game
or2131896–97Yorks SenIn 30 games = 2.18/game
Most Points Conceded (PA)3331905–06RLIn 26 games = 3.35/game
Least Points Scored (PF)741901–02RLIn 26 games = 2.85/game
or (PF)791902–031st DivIn 34 games = 2.32/game
Least Points Conceded (PA)681896–97Yorks SenIn 30 games = 7.1/game
Best Points Difference1451896–97Yorks SenIn 30 games
Worst Points Difference−2501901–02RLIn 26 games

Club trophies

Club league record

SeasonCompetitionPosTeam NamePlWDLPWPADiffPts%No of teams in leagueNotesRef
1895–96 RL5Brighouse Rangers422721324712911856
1896–97 Yorks Sen1Brighouse Rangers3022442136814548
1897–98 Yorks Sen13Brighouse Rangers309516143172−923
1898–99 Yorks Sen10Brighouse Rangers3012216114191−7726
1899–1900 Yorks Sen12Brighouse Rangers30931880231−15121
1900–01 Yorks Sen7Brighouse Rangers30160141941623232
1901–02 RL14Brighouse Rangers26312274324−2507
1902–03 1st Div18Brighouse Rangers34742379270−19118
1903–04 2nd Div6Brighouse Rangers32193101921365641
1904–05 2nd Div11Brighouse Rangers268117111169−5817
1905–06 RL31Brighouse Rangers26322187333−246815.38

Heading Abbreviations
Pl = Games played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points for; PA = Points against; Diff = Points difference (+ or -); Pts = League points
League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.

Several fixtures and results

The following a selection of Brighouse Rangers' fixtures in the seasons in which they played (semi) professional Rugby League:- [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]

SeasonDateCompetitionOpponentVenueH/AResultScoreAttNotesRef
1895–96Mon 14 October 1895RL Wigan Lane HeadHDraw3–3 [7]
1895–96Sat 2 November 1895RL Hull Boulevard ALost0–5 [10]
1895–9623 November 1895RL Widnes Lowerhouse Lane AWon3–0 [8]
1895–9614 December 1895RL Warrington unknown?Won13–3 [11]
1895–96Sat 28 December 1895RL Wigan Folly Fields ADraw0–0 [7]
1895–96Sat 4 January 1896RL St. Helens Lane HeadHWon6–4 [9]
1895–9614 March 1896RL Widnes Lane HeadHWon11–0 [8]
1895–9628 March 1896RL Warrington unknown?Won13–7 [11]
1895–96Mon 6 April 1896RL St. Helens Knowsley Rd ADraw0–0 [9]
1895–96Mon 20 April 1896RL Hull Lane HeadHWon6–3 [10]
1896–97Sat 31 October 1896YSC Hull Boulevard ADraw3–3 [10]
1896–97Wed 10 March 1897YSC Hull Lane HeadHWon6–0 [10]
1896–97Sat 20 March 1897CC R1??
1896–97Sat 27 March 1897CC R2 Wakefield Trinity Lane Head13–4
1896–97Sat 3 April 1897CC R3??lost to
1897–98Sat 13 November 1897YSC Hull Boulevard ADraw0–0 [10]
1897–98Sat 19 February 1898YSC Hull Lane HeadHWon7–3 [10]
1898–99Sat 24 September 1898YSC Hull Boulevard ALost0–14 [10]
1898–99Sat 31 December 1898YSC Hull Lane HeadHLost0–21 [10]
1899–1900Sat 23 September 1899YSC Hull Lane HeadHLost5–10 [10]
1899–1900Sat 30 December 1899YSC Hull Boulevard AWon5–3 [10]
1900–01Sat 1 September 1900YSC Hull Boulevard ALost0–13 [10]
1900–01Sat 15 December 1900YSC Hull Lane HeadHWon7–4 [10]
1901–02Sat 21 September 1901RL Hull Boulevard ALost0–3 [10]
1901–022 November 1901RL Warrington Wilderspool ALost2–7 [11]
1901–0215 February 1902RL Warrington Lane HeadHLost0–2 [11]
1901–02Sat 1 March 1902RL Hull Lane HeadHWon4–3 [10]
1902–0313 September 19021st Div Warrington Wilderspool ALost0–3 [11]
1902–03Sat 27 September 19021st Div St. Helens Lane HeadHLost3–4 [9]
1902–03Sat 8 November 19021st Div Hull Lane HeadHWon5–3 [10]
1902–03Sat 13 December 19021st Div Wigan Folly Fields ALost0–12 [7]
1902–0320 December 19021st Div Widnes Lane HeadHLost2–5 [8]
1902–0310 January 19031st Div Warrington Lane HeadHWon7–0 [11]
1902–03Sat 24 January 19031st Div St. Helens Knowsley Rd AWon7–0 [9]
1902–03Sat 11 April 19031st Div Wigan Lane HeadHWon3–0 [7]
1902–03Mon 13 April 19031st Div Hull Boulevard ALost2–23 [10]
1902–0318 April 19031st Div Widnes Lowerhouse Lane ADraw5–5 [8]
1903–04Sat 31 October 19032nd Div St. Helens Knowsley Rd ALost0–10 [9]
1903–04Sat 27 February 19042nd Div St. Helens Lane HeadHWon3–0 [9]
1905–06Sat 16 December 1905RL Hull HLost7–13 [10]
1905–0623 December 1905RL Widnes Lane HeadHDraw0–0 [8]
1905–06Sat 24 March 1906RL Hull Boulevard ALost2–30 [10]
1905–067 April 1906RL Widnes Lowerhouse Lane ALost0–22 [8]

Heading Abbreviations
CC Rx = Challenge Cup Round x; TSC = Yorkshire Senior Competition;

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yorkshire Cup (rugby union)</span> English Rugby Football Union competition

The Yorkshire Cup is an English Rugby Football Union competition founded in 1878. It is organised by the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union and is open to all eligible clubs in the Yorkshire area. It was initially known as the Yorkshire Challenge Cup. Current Champions are Driffield RUFC

The 1895–96 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the first ever season of semi-professional rugby football, which formed the foundation of the modern-day sport of rugby league. Twenty-two Northern English teams from both sides of the Pennines broke away from the Rugby Football Union to create and compete in their own competition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huddersfield R.U.F.C.</span> Rugby union club in Huddersfield, England

Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union club based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. The team plays in the domestic National League 2 North having won promotion from National League 3 North as champions at the end of the 2016–17 season. The club also competes in the Yorkshire Cup competition and play its home matches at Lockwood Park, which has a capacity of 1,500 with seating for 500. HRUFC also has an academy squad, feeding the senior team with new players.

The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football run by England's Northern Rugby Football Union. A number of off-season changes made this season different from preceding ones. In June 1901 fourteen leading clubs from both Lancashire and Yorkshire resigned from their respective County Championships to form a new Northern Rugby Football League.

Goole was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Goole, Yorkshire, England. Originally a rugby union club, the club joined the ranks of the Northern Union in 1898.

Normanton is an amateur rugby league club based in Normanton, a small town within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England.

Tyldesley was a rugby league club in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England.

Morecambe Rugby Football Club was a semi-professional rugby league club. The club was based in Morecambe, a resort town now within the City of Lancaster in Lancashire, England.

Leeds Parish Church RFC was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club played semi-professional rugby league for a total of five seasons from 1896–97 to 1900–01. Each of the five seasons was spent in the Yorkshire Senior Competition. At the end of season 1900–01 the club withdrew from the league.

Stockport RFC was a Rugby League club in Stockport, Cheshire, England.

Castleford RFC was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Castleford in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. They joined the Northern Union in 1896–97 for its second season and remained in the ranks of the (semi) professionals until the end of the 1905–06 season.

Liversedge RFC were a semi-professional rugby league club from Liversedge, Yorkshire, England. They were a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union, precursor to the Rugby Football League.

The 1915–16 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the first season of Rugby league's Wartime Emergency League football. Each club played a differing number of fixtures, depending upon the closeness of neighbours, ease of travel etc., with York playing only 11 and Barrow 13 while Salford played 35 and Dewsbury 36.

The 1916–17 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the second season of Rugby league's Wartime Emergency League football. Each club played a differing number of fixtures, depending upon the closeness of neighbours, ease of travel etc., with Brighouse Rangers and Barrow playing 17 games each while Broughton Rangers played 35 and several other clubs 32.


Brighouse Rangers was a (semi) professional rugby league club. This club was based in Brighouse, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on the River Calder and has a population of approx 35,000.

Runcorn FC was a rugby league club. Having formed in 1876 and played rugby union as members of the RFU, they joined the Northern Union in 1895, just several days after it was founded, and played in the league from 1895–96 to 1917–18.

The Yorkshire Rugby Football Union is the governing body responsible for rugby union in the historic county of Yorkshire, England. It is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union having formed in 1869, the union was formerly called Yorkshire County Club.

The 1905 Yorkshire Cup competition was a knock-out competition between rugby league clubs from the county of Yorkshire. 1905 was the inaugural year for the Rugby League Yorkshire Cup competition. The cup was won by Hunslet who beat Halifax by a score of 13-3.

The 1906 Yorkshire Cup was the second in the Rugby Football League club tournament's history. It was a knock-out competition between rugby league clubs from the English 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 1988–89 John Player Special Trophy was the eighteenth season for the competition.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Brighouse Rangers ARLFC – History".
  2. "Morley RUFC – History". Archived from the original on 3 October 2011. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  3. "South Wales Scorpions – A brief history to the origins of Rugby League".
  4. J C Lindley with personal recollections by D W Armitage (1973). 100 Years of Rugby – The History of Wakefield Trinity Football Club. The Wakefield Trinity Centenary Committee. pp. 34 and 35.
  5. "RFL Past Chairmen of the council". Archived from the original on 19 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  6. Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. p. 178. ISBN   978-1-903659-49-6.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Cherry and White". Archived from the original on 26 August 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Widnes History".
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Saints Heritage Society".
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Hull&Proud". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Warington History". Archived from the original on 6 July 2010.