2008 Widnes Vikings season explained

Year:	2007
League:	National League One
League Rank:	6th
League Wins:	10
League Draws:	2
League Losses:	6
Playoff Result:	Elimination Play-Off
Cup:	Challenge Cup
Cup Result:	Round Five
Cup2:	National League Cup
Cup2 Result:	Winners
Avg Attendance:	4,122 (Excluding Challenge Cup)
High Attendance:	8,129 (vs. Wigan Warriors, 19 June)
Low Attendance:	2,262 (vs. Sheffield Eagles, 6 April)
List:	yes
List Link:	List of Widnes Vikings seasons

The Widnes Vikings rugby league club played in the 2008 season. This was their first season since being purchased by Cheshire millionaire Steve O'Connor after the club went into administration following their loss to Castleford Tigers in the 2007 National League One final.^[1]

Championship Table

2008 National League One
	Team
1	Salford City Reds	18	12	3	3	3	312	45
2	Celtic Crusaders	18	12	0	6	4	120	40
3	Halifax RLFC	18	11	1	6	3	120	38
4	Leigh Centurions	18	10	0	8	4	0	34
5	Whitehaven	18	10	0	8	2	21	32
6	Widnes Vikings	18	10	2	6	5	43	30
7	Sheffield Eagles	18	8	1	9	3	-105	29
8	Featherstone Rovers	18	6	1	11	6	-63	26
9	Batley Bulldogs	18	5	0	13	8	-151	23
10	Dewsbury Rams(R)	18	2	0	16	7	-297	13

^[2] Classification: 1st on competition points; 2nd on match points difference.
Competition points: For win = 3; For draw = 2; For loss by 12 points or fewer = 1.

Notes: Widnes deducted 9 Points for going into administration

League results

LEGEND		-		width=100	Win	-		width=100	Draw	-		width=100	Loss	-

Competition	Vrs	Result	Score	Tries	Field Goals	Att	Lineup
21/3/08	National League One	A	W	23-28	Hartley 4/5	N/A	1,091	Lee Paterson, Tommy Gallagher, Dayne Donoghue, Rob Draper,
24/3/08	National League One	H	W	30-12	Hartley 7/7	N/A	4,722
30/3/08	National League One	H	W	32-28	Hartley 2/7	N/A	3,596
11/4/08	National League One	A	D	16-16	Hartley 2/4	N/A	6,143
27/4/08	National League One	H	L	14-16	Hartley 1/2, Dodd 0/1	N/A	4,201
6/5/08	National League One	A	W	22-29	Dodd 4/5		1,434
18/5/08	National League One	H	W	30-22	Dodd 5/6	N/A	3,891
31/5/08	National League One	A	L	34-22	Dodd 0/3, Yates 1/2	N/A	1,910
8/6/08	National League One	H	L	30-40	Fletcher 5/6	N/A	3,971
19/6/08	National League One	H	W	20-18	Fletcher 2/2, Tyrer 2/2	N/A	8,149
26/6/08	National League One	A	L	38-6	Tyrer 1/1	N/A	3,595
11/7/08	National League One	H	W	34-22	Tyrer 4/5, Fletcher 1/1	N/A	4,079
20/7/08	National League One	A	D	26-26	Tyrer 5/5	N/A	2,561
27/7/08	National League One	H	W	40-0	Tyrer 6/7	N/A	4,082
3/8/08	National League One	A	L	33-24	Tyrer 4/5		3,089
10/8/08	National League One	H	W	30-20	Tyrer 5/5	N/A	3,924
14/8/08	National League One	A	W	20-26	Tyrer 5/5	N/A	1,823
24/8/08	National League One	A	L	20-16	Tyrer 2/3	N/A	2,104
4/9/08	National League One - Elimination play-offs	A	L	32-16	Tyrer 2/3	N/A	1,931		^[3]

^[4]

Northern Rail Cup Results

Team	Pld	W	D	L	BP	PD	Pts
+Group 6
Leigh Centurions	6	6	0	0	0	87	18
Widnes Vikings	6	3	0	3	3	135	12
Barrow Raiders	6	3	0	3	1	-62	10
Blackpool Panthers	6	0	0	6	1	-160	1

Competition	Vrs	Result	Score	Tries	Goals	Field Goals	Att	Lineup
3/2/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	A	W	4-38		Hartley 5/7	N/A	905
10/2/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	H	L	8-15		Hartley 2/3	N/A	4,032
24/2/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	A	L	20-10		Hartley 1/2	N/A	3,615
27/2/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	H	W	78-0		Hartley 13/13	N/A	3,472
2/3/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	H	W	60-12		Hartley 3/3, Dodd 5/8	N/A	3,169
16/3/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Group 6	A	L	24-16	Hill, Flynn (2)	Hartley 2/3	N/A	1,413
6/4/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Quarter Final Qualifying Round	H	W	44-8		Hartley 8/11	N/A	2,262
24/5/08	2008 Northern Rail Cup - Quarter Final	A	L	50-18		Dodd 3/4	N/A	1,750

^[5]

Challenge Cup Results

Competition	Vrs	Result	Score	Tries	Field Goals	Att	Lineup
9/3/08	2008 Challenge Cup - Round 3	H	W	60-18	Dodd 8/11	N/A	4,510
19/4/08	2008 Challenge Cup - Round 4	A	W	12-38	Hartley 5/7	N/A	1,541
11/5/08	2008 Challenge Cup - Round 5	h	W	18-32	Dodd 3/3	N/A	4,102

^[6]

Players

D.O.B.	Appearances	Tries	Goals	F Goals	Points
7/3/88	6	2	0	0	8
8/12/84	30	6	0	1	25
12/11/87	4	0	0	0	0
21/4/90	11	5	0	0	20
17/1/88	10	4	0	0	16
28/2/82	30	15	28	0	116
22/9/88	15	2	0	0	8
30/11/87	15	5	0	0	20
2/7/80	26	4	0	0	16
16/2/78	6	0	0	0	0
17/5/81	14	4	8	0	32
11/12/87	5	4	0	0	16
10/9/83	14	2	0	0	8
16/6/77	30	7	0	0	28
12/4/83	28	17	0	0	68
13/12/89	14	4	0	0	16
8/12/84	29	9	0	0	36
2/1/86	16	6	55	0	134
31/10/84	21	11	0	0	44
4/3/88	21	1	0	0	4
2/8/80	2	0	0	0	0
6/5/83	28	4	0	0	16
21/10/82	6	1	0	0	4
22/4/81	17	2	0	0	8
23/1/88	7	0	0	0	0
5/7/81	27	14	0	0	56
10/11/86	14	1	0	0	4
8/11/89	2	0	0	0	0
18/8/81	22	3	0	0	12
23/7/87	10	3	0	0	12
5/12/85	2	0	0	0	0
17/2/87	4	1	0	0	4
16/3/89	10	7	36	0	100
8/9/88	13	6	1	0	26

Notes and References

Web site: Cheshire millionaire buys Widnes. news.bbc.co.uk. BBC News. 25 August 2017.
Book: Butcher. Tim. Spencer. Daniel. Gillette Rugby League Yearbook, 2008-2009. 2009. League Publications Ltd.. West Yorkshire. 978-1-901347-19-7. 318.
Web site: HALIFAX 32 WIDNES VIKINGS 16. Warrington Guardian. Warrington Guardian. 23 August 2017. en.
Book: Butcher. Tim. Spencer. Daniel. Gillette Rugby League Yearbook, 2008-2009. 2008. League Publications Ltd.. West Yorkshire. 246–258.
Book: Butcher. Tim. Spencer. Daniel. Gillette Rugby League Yearbook, 2008-2009. 2008. League Publications Ltd.. West Yorkshire. 286–294.
Book: Butcher. Tim. Spencer. Daniel. Gillette Rugby League Yearbook, 2008-2009. 2008. League Publications Ltd.. West Yorkshire. 296–300.