1918–19 Lancashire Cup Explained

1918–19 Lancashire Cup
Structure:Regional knockout competition
Season Champs:Rochdale Hornets
Season Champ Name:Winners
Second Place:Oldham
Prevseason Link:1914–15 Lancashire Cup
Prevseason Year:1914–15
Nextseason Link:1919–20 Lancashire Cup
Nextseason Year:1919–20
No Of Teams:12

The 1918–19 Lancashire Cup was the eleventh competition for this regional rugby league tournament and the first since 1914–15. This quickly arranged competition was won by the holders Rochdale Hornets who beat local rivals Oldham in the final at The Willows, Salford by a score of 22–0. The attendance at the final was 18,617 and receipts £1,365.

Background

The shortened 1918–19 (February–May) season began less than three months after the end of the First World War and the armistice of Compiègne.

A Wartime Emergency League had been operating since September 1918. This was cancelled, and the programme started tailing off in January 1919. A new shortened season was introduced with the traditional Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues, to cut travel costs and minimise the use of precious resources. The return of the Challenge Cup would have to wait until the following 1919–20 season, but the Northern Union did manager to re-introduce both the County Cups.

One pre-war club was lost – Runcorn, one of the founder members after the great schism of 1895, after taking part in the previous Wartime Emergency League, withdrew and folded. They were replaced by St Helens Recs (effectively the works team for Pilkington Glass) who had entered the 1915–16 Wartime Emergency League and took place in this, their first, Lancashire Cup.

The number of teams entering this year's competition was again 12 with four byes in the first round.

Competition and results

[1]

Round 1

Involved 4 matches (with four byes) and 12 clubs

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=20 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 5 April 1919Broughton Rangers8–23St Helens RecsThe Cliff1
2Sat 5 April 1919Leigh5–12WidnesMather Lane[2]
3Sat 5 April 1919Rochdale Hornets7–5SalfordAthletic Grounds
4Sat 5 April 1919St. Helens11–5WarringtonKnowsley Road[3] [4]
5Barrowbye
6Oldhambye
7Wiganbye[5]
8Swintonbye

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=20 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 12 April 1919Barrow6–0WidnesLittle Park, Roose2
2Sat 12 April 1919Oldham16–8St. HelensWatersheddings3,000
3Sat 12 April 1919St Helens Recs2–16Rochdale HornetsCity Road
4Sat 12 April 1919Wigan18–0SwintonCentral 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=20 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
1Sat 26 April 1919Barrow3–7OldhamLittle Park, Roose
2Sat 26 April 1919Rochdale Hornets40–0WiganAthletic Grounds

Final

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=45 abbr="Att" Attwidth=60 abbr="Rec" Recwidth=20 abbr="Notes" Noteswidth=30 abbr="Ref" Ref
Saturday 10 May 1919Rochdale Hornets22–0OldhamThe Willows18,617£1,3653[6] -

Teams and scorers

width=280 abbr="Rochdale H"Rochdale Hornetswidth=60 abbr="Number"width=280 abbr="Oldham"Oldham
teams
team unknown1team unknown
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
22score0
8HT0
Scorers
Tries
unknownT
T
T
T
Goals
G
G
Drop Goals
DG
Referee
Scoring – Try = three (3) points – Goal = two (2) points – Drop goal = two (2) points

The road to success

Notes and comments

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rugby League Project.
  2. Web site: Widnes Vikings – History – Season In Review – 1918–19.
  3. Web site: Warrington Wolves – Results Archive – 1897 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100706043029/http://www.warringtonwolves.org/results-archive?y=1897 . 2010-07-06 .
  4. Web site: Saints Heritage Society – History – Season 1918–19.
  5. Web site: Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results. 13 February 2014. 22 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222001452/http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=3223. dead.
  6. Book: Raymond Fletcher and David Howes. Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991–1992. 1991. Queen Anne Press. 0 35617852 8.