1943–44 Yorkshire Cup

The Yorkshire Cup competition was a knock-out competition between (mainly professional) rugby league clubs from the 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 competition always took place early in the season, in the Autumn, with the final taking place in (or just before) December (The only exception to this was when disruption of the fixture list was caused during, and immediately after, the two World Wars)

1943–44 Yorkshire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams16
WinnersBradford Northern
Runners-upKeighley

1943–44 Yorkshire Cup

The Second World War was continuing and the Yorkshire Cup remained in the early part of the 1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season

1943–44 was the thirty-sixth occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held.

Bradford Northern won the trophy by beating Keighley over two legs by an aggregate score of 10-7

Bradford Northern played the first leg match at home (at Odsal) and won 5–2. The attendance was 10,251 and receipts were £757.

Keighley were at home (at Lawkholme Lane) for the second leg match and drew 5–5. The attendance at the second leg match was 8,993 and receipts £634.

Change in club participation

Hull Kingston Rovers – The club dropped out of the wartime Lancashire league after the ‘first (1939–40) season. They did not return to league competition until 1945–46 peacetime season.

Bramley withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not rejoin until the 1945–46 season.

Castleford withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not participate for two seasons, re-joining for the 1944–45 season.

Hunslet withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not participate for one season, and re-joined in time for this season.

Wigan – This club entered the Yorkshire Cup competition for the fourth successive season

Oldham – The club, as Wigan, also entered the Yorkshire Cup competition and for the fourth successive season

St. Helens – The club, as Wigan and Oldham}, also entered the Yorkshire Cup competition and for their second successive season

Barrow – withdrew after the end of the first (1939–40) season finished and did not rejoin the league, including the Yorkshire Cup until this season.

Dewsbury had a relatively successful time during the war years. Managed by Eddie Waring, and with the side boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players, the club won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941–42 and again the following season 1942–43 (though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player). They were also runners-up in the Championship in 1943–44, Challenge Cup winners in 1943 and Yorkshire Cup Final appearances in this season 1940–41 and winners in 1942–43.

Background

This season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, Hunslet rejoined after one season's absence, and with Barrow adding to the previous Lancashire presence of Wigan, Oldham and St. Helens, this increased the entries by two, bringing the total up to sixteen.

This in turn resulted in no byes in the first round.

For the third successive year, ALL the ties (this season including the actual final) were played on a two-legged home and away basis.

Competition and results

[1][2]

Round 1 - First Leg

Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs

All first round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 16 Oct 1943Barrow15-8OldhamCraven Park1
2Sat 16 Oct 1943Batley2-19Featherstone RoversMount Pleasant
3Sat 16 Oct 1943Bradford Northern8-0DewsburyOdsal
4Sat 16 Oct 1943Halifax22-10Wakefield TrinityThrum Hall
5Sat 16 Oct 1943Hull6-12HuddersfieldBoulevard[3]
6Sat 16 Oct 1943Leeds18-5HunsletHeadingley
7Sat 16 Oct 1943St. Helens9-14WiganKnowsley Road[4][5]
8Sat 16 Oct 1943York5-5KeighleyClarence Street

Round 1 - Second Leg

Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs

All first round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 23 Oct 1943Oldham11-10BarrowWatersheddings19-25
2Sat 23 Oct 1943Featherstone Rovers10-11BatleyPost Office Road29-13
3Sat 23 Oct 1943Dewsbury2-7Bradford NorthernCrown Flatt2-15
4Sat 23 Oct 1943Wakefield Trinity9-9HalifaxBelle Vue19-31
5Sat 23 Oct 1943Huddersfield20-2HullFartown32-8[3]
6Sat 23 Oct 1943Hunslet8-13LeedsParkside13-31
7Sat 23 Oct 1943Wigan20-10St. HelensCentral Park34-19[4][5]
8Sat 23 Oct 1943Keighley30-7YorkLawkholme Lane35-12

Round 2 - Quarter Finals - First Leg

Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs

All second round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 30 Oct 1943Barrow17-8WiganCraven Park[4]
2Sat 30 Oct 1943Halifax17-20KeighleyThrum Hall
3Sat 30 Oct 1943Huddersfield7-5Featherstone RoversFartown
4Sat 30 Oct 1943Leeds2-5Bradford NorthernHeadingley

Round 2 - Second Leg

Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs

All second round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 06 Nov 1943Wigan10-7BarrowCentral Park18-24[4]
2Sat 06 Nov 1943Keighley8-2HalifaxLawkholme Lane28-19
3Sat 06 Nov 1943Featherstone Rovers5-9HuddersfieldPost Office Road10-16
4Sat 06 Nov 1943Bradford Northern26-0LeedsOdsal31-2

Round 3 – Semi-Finals - First Leg

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Both semi-final ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 13 Nov 1943Barrow3-6Bradford NorthernCraven Park
2Sat 13 Nov 1943Keighley21-0HuddersfieldLawkholme Lane

Semi-Final - Second Leg

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Both semi-final ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 20 Nov 1943Bradford Northern12-11BarrowOdsal18-14
2Sat 20 Nov 1943Huddersfield13-4KeighleyFartown13-25

Final - First Leg

The final was played on a two-legged home and away basis this season

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
Saturday 27 November 1943Bradford Northern5-2KeighleyOdsal10,251£757HT ??[6][7]

Final - Second Leg

The final was played on a two-legged home and away basis this season

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
Saturday 4 December 1943Keighley5-5Bradford NorthernLawkholme Lane7-108,993£634HT ??[6][7]

Teams and scorers

Bradford Northern No. Keighley
teams
George Carmichael1
Eric Batten2
?. James (1st leg), E Billington (2nd leg)3
Ernest Ward4
Emlyn Walters5
Willie Davies6
Donald Ward7
Laurie Roberts8
Vic Darlison9
Leonard Higson10
Frank Murray11
Trevor Foster12
William Hutchinson13
Dai ReesCoach??
5score2
HT
Scorers
Tries
T
Goals
G
Drop Goals
DG
Refereeunknown ()
Second Leg
Bradford NorthernteamsKeighley
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Coach
5Score5
HT
Scorers
Tries
Goals
G
Refereeunknown ()

Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = two (2) points

The road to success

All the ties (including the final itself) were played on a two leg (home and away) basis.

The first club named in each of the ties played the first leg at home.

The scores shown are the aggregate score over the two legs.

First Round Second Round Semi Finals Final
            
Barrow 25
Oldham 19
Barrow 24
Wigan 18
St. Helens 19
Wigan 34
Barrow 14
Bradford Northern 18
Leeds 31
Hunslet 13
Leeds 2
Bradford Northern 32
Bradford Northern 15
Dewsbury 2
Bradford Northern 10
Keighley 7
Halifax 31
Wakefield Trinity 19
Halifax 19
Keighley 28
York 12
Keighley 35
Keighley 25
Huddersfield 13
Hull 8
Huddersfield 32
Huddersfield 16
Featherstone Rovers 10
Batley 13
Featherstone Rovers 29

Notes and comments

1 * The first Yorkshire Cup match to be played by Barrow and also the first to be played at Craven Park

See also

References

  1. "Rugby League Project".
  2. Jack Winstanley & Malcolm Ryding (1991). John Player Yearbook 1975-76. Queen Anne Press.
  3. "HULL&PROUD - Stats - Fixtures & Results".
  4. "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results".
  5. "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1896-97".
  6. Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1991). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-1992. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617852 8.
  7. Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1990). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617851 X.
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