Midland Counties Football Union Explained

Teamname:Midland Counties
Fullname:Midland Counties Football Union
Countryflag:ENG
Region:The Midlands

The Midland Counties Football Union was a governing body for rugby union in The Midlands, England from 1879 to 1920.

History

The organisation was formed as the Midland Counties Football Club and covered the counties of Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. The Midland Counties representative team played in the County Championship from its inception in 1888 until 1920. The main club event was the Midland Counties Challenge Cup which continued to run until 1926.

Disbandment

Up until and following the disbandment in 1920, the union broke up and distributed its assets to the following unions:

The North Midlands was given responsibility for clubs sides based in Birmingham and the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire, most of which were sub-members under the North Midlands umbrella (the Staffordshire RU would later achieve full RFU membership in 1962).[2] The Leicestershire and Warwickshire unions became full county constituents in their own right.

Club sides that had been based in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire would later join the Notts, Lincs & Derbyshire Rugby Football Union (created 1926).[3]

Honours

Midland Counties Cup

The Midland Counties Cup was inaugurated during the 1880-81 season and held for the first time the following season.[6]

Past winners

width=100Yearwidth=250Winnerswidth=250Runner-up
1881-82 Leamington Rovers
1882-83 Moseley
1883-84 Coventry
1884-85 South Warwickshire Rovers
1885-86 Rugby
1886-87 Rugby
1887-88 Burton-on-Trent Coventry
1888-89 Leicester Tigers
1889-90 Old Edwardians Burton-on-Trent
1890-91 Leicester Tigers
1891-92 Moseley
1892-93
1893-94 Leicester Tigers
1894-95 Coventry
1895-96 Moseley
1896-97 Old Edwardians
1897-98 Moseley
1898-99 Nuneaton
1899-1900 Moseley
1900-01 Leicester Tigers Moseley
1901-02 Leicester Tigers Moseley
1902-03 Leicester Tigers Rugby
1903-04 Leicester Tigers Moseley
1904-05 Leicester Tigers Nottingham
1905-06 Moseley
1906-07 Stratford-on-Avon
1907-08 Stratford-on-Avon Nuneaton
1908-09 Leicester Tigers Coventry
1909-10 Leicester Tigers Coventry
1910-11 Moseley
1911-12 Leicester Tigers Coventry
1912-13 Belgrave Premier Works
1913-14 Coventry + Moseley +
1919-20 Coventry
1921-22 Nuneaton
1922-23 Moseley
1923-24 Coventry
1924-25 Birmingham
1925-26 Old Centrals
+ Result declared null and void.[7] The competition was discontinued after 1925-26.

Number of wins

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History - the origins of North Midlands. 30 December 2014.
  2. Web site: STAFFORDSHIRE RUGBY HISTORY. Staffordshire RU. 13 September 2017 .
  3. Web site: History. Newark RUFC (Pitchero). 12 February 2019.
  4. Book: Jenkins, Vivian. Rothmans Rugby Yearbook. 1975–76. 130–131. Brickfield Publications Ltd. 0362-00221-5.
  5. News: "Rugby Football." Times, 30 Mar. 1914, p. 14. The Times . 30 March 1914 . 14 . Times Digital Archives.
  6. Web site: Midland Counties Challenge Cup. Moseley Rugby Club.
  7. Web site: Midland Counties Cup Fiasco . Moseley Rugby Club.