1905–06 Lancashire Cup Explained

1905 Lancashire Cup
Structure:Regional knockout championship
Season Champs:Wigan
Season Champ Name:Winners
Runner-Up Name:Runner-up
Second Place:Leigh
Nextseason Link:1906 Lancashire Cup
Nextseason Year:1906–07
No Of Teams:14

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.

Background

See main article: Rugby league county cups. 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]

width=20 abbr="No" Game Nowidth=100 abbr="Date"Fixture datewidth=150 abbr="Home team"Home teamwidth=5 abbr="space" width=20 abbr="Score" Scorewidth=5 abbr="space" width=150 abbr="Away team" Away teamwidth=150 abbr="Venue" Venuewidth=30 abbr="Att" Attwidth=30 abbr="Rec" Recwidth=30 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 14 October 1905Barrow11-0Chadderton (Oldham)Canendish Park
2Sat 14 October 1905Leigh8-0RuncornFrog Hall Field, Mather Lane
3Sat 14 October 1905Morecambe0-5WidnesMoss Lane[2]
4Sat 14 October 1905Rochdale Hornets0-10WarringtonAthletic Grounds[3]
5Sat 14 October 1905Salford3-0SwintonThe Willows
6Sat 14 October 1905Wigan18-0St. HelensCentral Park8,000[4] [5]
7Broughton Rangersbye
8Oldhambye

Round 2 – quarterfinals

width=20 abbr="No" Game Nowidth=100 abbr="Date"Fixture datewidth=150 abbr="Home team"Home teamwidth=5 abbr="space" width=20 abbr="Score" Scorewidth=5 abbr="space" width=150 abbr="Away team" Away teamwidth=150 abbr="Venue" Venuewidth=30 abbr="Att" Attwidth=30 abbr="Rec" Recwidth=30 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 28 October 1905Salford0-10OldhamThe Willows
2Sat 28 October 1905Warrington2-5LeighWilderspool
3Sat 28 October 1905Widnes9-0BarrowLowerhouse Lane
4Sat 28 October 1905Wigan4-3Broughton RangersCentral Park

Round 3 – semifinals

width=20 abbr="No" Game Nowidth=100 abbr="Date"Fixture datewidth=150 abbr="Home team"Home teamwidth=5 abbr="space" width=20 abbr="Score" Scorewidth=5 abbr="space" width=150 abbr="Away team" Away teamwidth=150 abbr="Venue" Venuewidth=30 abbr="Att" Attwidth=30 abbr="Rec" Recwidth=30 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 18 November 1905Oldham7-11WiganWatersheddings
2Wed 22 November 1905Leigh6-2WidnesFrog Hall Field, Mather Lane

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.

width=20 abbr="No" Game Nowidth=100 abbr="Date"Fixture datewidth=150 abbr="Home team"Home teamwidth=5 abbr="space" width=20 abbr="Score" Scorewidth=5 abbr="space" width=150 abbr="Away team" Away teamwidth=150 abbr="Venue" Venuewidth=30 abbr="Att" Attwidth=30 abbr="Rec" Recwidth=30 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
Saturday 2 December 1905Leigh0-0WiganWheater's Field16000£400-0-02[6]
ReplayMonday 11 December 1905Wigan8-0LeighWheater's Field10000£200-0-0

Teams and scorers

width=280 abbr=homeWiganwidth=100 abbr="Number"width=280 abbr=awayLeigh
Teams
Reuben Collier1 PropPaddy O'Neill
Frank Watkins2 HookerBob Berry
Anthony Little3 PropAlbert Blackburn
Jack Barton4 LockWilfrid Webster
Tom Whittaker5 LockAaron Lee
Dick Tyrer6 FlankerDick Silcock
J. R. "Jack" Hilton7 FlankerBilly Winstanley (Jnr)
Sam Moores8 Number 8Billy Roberts
Johnny Thomas9 Scrum HalfSam Whittaker
William "Billy" Anderson10 Fly HalfHarry Dunbavin
Harry Lowe11 WingerBob Neville
Windsor "Naddy" Jones12 CentreHerbert Bennett
Bert Jenkins13 CentreTom Johnson
Jim Leytham14 WingerSam Johnson
Jack Mason15 Full BackEllis Clarkson
0score0
0HT0
Referee
Replay
teams
Reuben Collier1 PropPaddy O'Neill
Frank Watkins2 HookerBob Berry
Peter Vickers3 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

See also

References

External links

Notes and References

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