Workington Town

Workington Town R.L.F.C. is a semi-professional rugby league club playing in Workington in west Cumbria. In the 2019 season they played in League 1, having been relegated from the Kingstone Press Championship. They finished runners up in the League 1 Playoff final against Bradford Bulls; they also finished runners up against Swinton in the super final.

Workington Town
Club information
Full nameWorkington Town Rugby League Football Club
Short nameWorkington
Colours
Founded1945 (1945)
Websitetownrlfc.com
Current details
Ground(s)
CoachChris Thorman (Player/Coach)
CompetitionLeague 1
2019 RFL League 16th
Current season
Uniforms
Home colours
Records
Premierships1 (1950–51)
Runners-up1 (1957/58)
Challenge Cups1 (1951–52)
Lancashire County Cup1 (1977–78)
Second Division1 (1992/93)
Western Division Championship1 (1962/63)

Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.

They became Rugby League Champions in 1951 and also won the Challenge Cup a year later in 1952. Their nickname is simply 'Town', though they are sometimes referred to as 'Worky' by fans of other teams. Their local rivals are Whitehaven, who joined the league three years after Workington Town.

History

1944–1945: Establishment

Former logo

Workington Town RLFC was formed at a meeting held in the Royal Oak Hotel, Workington in December 1944. Many of Workington Town's board came from local football team Workington AFC's board and the team would ground share with "the Reds" at Borough Park. It was decided at the meeting that the club should be registered as a business and that an application for membership of the Rugby Football League should be submitted. From those in attendance at that meeting the first board of directors was formed and the application for membership was agreed at a meeting held on 23 January 1945 at the Grosvenor Hotel, Manchester. They were the first side from Cumberland to enter the professional rugby league.

They first played their home games, wearing green and red hoops, at Borough Park. The first match against Broughton Rangers on Saturday 25 August 1945 attracted a crowd of 4,100 to Borough Park. Workington went on to win 27–5.[1]

In their first season, they achieved the distinction of losing to an amateur side, Sharlston Rovers in the first round of the Challenge Cup, a very rare occurrence in those days. However, the first round was a two leg affair, and they were able to make amends in the return leg and progress to the second round.

1946–1969: Golden era

Gus Risman joined Workington Town as player-coach in August 1946 when they had been in the Northern Rugby League for only one season. In his eight years at the club, he made them into a team capable of beating Wigan or anyone else in the league. There was a club record 20,403 for the third round Cup game against St. Helens. Town finished third of 29 clubs but had a tough draw; the only Yorkshire teams they played were Bradford, Leeds, Halifax, Keighley and York. They played these five home and away as well as all the teams from Lancashire. All the top four that season were all from the Western side of the Pennines and Workington went on to become rugby league champions in 1951 by beating Warrington in the final held at Maine Road, Manchester.

The following season they then beat Featherstone Rovers 18–10 in front of a crowd of 72,093 at Wembley Stadium to become Challenge Cup winners; this was the first final to be televised. No other club, before or after, has lifted both these trophies within such a short period of their formation. During the 1954–55 season, Workington Town made it to the Challenge Cup final but were beaten 21–12 by Barrow. Owing to tension between the football club's manager Bill Shankly and the Town manager, Gus Risman and director Tom Mitchell, Town took a 150-year lease on the land at Derwent Park and built a new stadium. They moved out of Borough Park in 1956.

Workington Town lost in the 1958 Challenge Cup final to Wigan and one week later, they lost in the Championship final at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.

In 1962, the league was split into East and West of the Pennines; Widnes and Workington Town met at Central Park, Wigan, in the first final of the Western Division Championship on Saturday 10 November 1962. With two minutes remaining, Syd Lowdon dropped a goal to earn Workington a 9–9 draw. Later in the month Workington won the replay 10–0.

The record attendance at Derwent Park was set in 1965 when 17,741 spectators turned up for a third round Challenge Cup match against Wigan.

1970–1995

The early 1970s brought demise of Town as a power in the game and the fans dropped off making it very difficult for the management to come up with the cash to bring in top class players who were being enticed out of the county to other clubs. Paul Charlton took over as player-coach in 1975 and guided them to promotion. Local players returned to the club and a team consisting mainly of home grown players started to bring back glory to the Town by appearing in a Lancashire County Cup Final in October 1976. They appeared in a further three finals in consecutive season winning the trophy by defeating Wigan in the 1977 final.

The last of those four finals was staged at Salford's Willows ground on Saturday 8 December 1979, and attracted a crowd of 6,887. Widnes were firm favourites to lift the cup and held the Cumbrians at bay to register an 11–0 victory. Probably as a result of the three previous finals, several top class forwards caught the eye of the wealthy Lancashire clubs who enticed them away from Derwent Park.

Tommy Bishop was coach between 1981 and 1982. The 1980s were the lowest era in the club's history as it saw Town mainly as a yo-yo side going in and out of the first division but mostly wallowing halfway down the second. During this period, the fan base practically disappeared, and as the 1990s arrived it was third division rugby status.

Peter Walsh joined Town as Head Coach in the summer of 1992. Town were beaten finalists in the 1992–93 Divisional Premiership going down to Featherstone Rovers while in the Third Division. Workington won the Second Division Championship and Divisional Premiership trophy double in 1993–94, the Divisional Premiership was won over London Crusaders at Old Trafford, Manchester. That took them into the top flight of rugby league and Town finished ninth in the Stones Bitter Championship. Peter Walsh quit as the coach of Workington Town to return to Australia in July 1995.[2]

1996–present: Summer era

When the Super League was set up, it was proposed that Workington merge with Barrow, Carlisle and Whitehaven to form a Cumbrian super club to be based at Workington. This was, however, resisted and an unmerged Workington took part in Super League but would record only two wins all season. They finished bottom of the table and were relegated to the Northern Ford Premiership with significant debts.

In 2002 Town dropped into National League Two as a result of losing to Dewsbury in what was the fore-runner of the National League Two Grand Final. Billy McGinty took over as coach on 25 May 2003.

In 2003, Ged Stokes was in charge of the New Zealand A-team on their tour of England. At the end of the tour, he was offered the vacant coaching job at Town. Workington were at a low ebb and had only seven players in their squad.[3]

A Challenge Cup game against Leeds brought a bumper crowd that allowed the club to clear their debts.

Assistant coaches Craig Barker and Les Ashe took over and led the team to the Elimination Semi-final but they were defeated by Oldham. A few weeks after Town's 2007 season had come to a close, Town appointed Whitehaven coach Dave Rotheram as their new coach. In Rotheram's first season in charge Town finished eighth in National League Two with only six wins from their twenty two games and were eliminated in the first round of the play-offs at Keighley.

Following a poor start to the 2009 season, with Town only gaining two wins up to that point, Dave Rotherham decided to step down. He was replaced in July 2009 by joint coaches Martin Oglanby and Gary Charlton.[4]

2011 was a much better year with Town reaching the 2011 Championship 1 Grand Final by defeating Keighley 19–10 in the elimination semi-final.[5]

Stadium

1944–1956: Borough Park

Workington moved into Borough Park in 1944 and shared it with association football club Workington AFC. Owing to tension between the football club's manager Bill Shankly and the Town manager, Gus Risman and director Tom Mitchell, Town took a 150-year lease on the land at Derwent Park and moved out in 1956.

1956–present

Town built a stadium on the ground they squired after leaving Borough Park in 1956 and won the RFL Championship whilst playing there. The record attendance at Derwent Park was set in 1965 when 17,741 spectators turned up for a third round Challenge Cup match against Wigan. The football pitch at Derwent Park is surrounded by a 364 metres (398 yards) motorcycle speedway track.

The modern Workington side play at a far lower level than their 1950s equivalent. Although they have struggled to match earlier achievements, Town maintain a small but dedicated (and vocal) support. Also attracting some big name, former Super League players.

2021 squad

Workington Town 2021 Squad
First team squad Coaching staff
  • -- Blain Marwood - HK, LF
  • -- Gordon Maudling - SR
  • -- Elliott Miller - CE
  • -- Jake Moore - SR
  • -- Marcus O'Brien - HK, LF
  • -- Declan O'Donnell - HK, LF
  • -- Adam Ramsden - SR
  • -20 Steve Scholey - PR
  • -- Perry Singleton - CE, SR
  • -- Jordan Thomson - SR
  • -- Calvin Wellington - CE, WG
  • -- Ryan Wilson - PR
  • -- Alex Young - CE

Head coach

Assistant coaches

  • ???
  • Colin Barker
  • Neil Frazer

Legend:
  • (c) Captain(s)
  • (vc) Vice captain(s)

Updated: 31 December 2020
Source(s): 2021 Squad Numbers

2021 transfers

Gains

PlayerClubContractDate
Perry SingletonBarrow Raiders1 YearSeptember 2020
Lewis BrownUnattached2 YearsDecember 2020
Brad HolroydLeigh Centurions1 YearDecember 2020
Ethan BickerdikeMillom ARLFC2 YearsDecember 2020
Matt HensonEgremont Rangers1 YearDecember 2020
Jordan ThomsonWhitehaven RLFC2 YearsDecember 2020
Jake LightowlerNewcastle Thunder2 YearsDecember 2020
Jake MooreWhitehaven RLFC2 YearsDecember 2020

Losses

playerClubContractDate
Elliot HallBatley Bulldogs1 YearNovember 2020
Andrew DawsonWhitehaven RLFC1 YearDecember 2020
Fuifui MoimoiRochdale Hornets1 YearDecember 2020
Russell BoltonAskam1 YearDecember 2020

Players

Players earning international caps while at Workington Town

Other notable former players

These players have either; played in a Challenge Cup, or Rugby Football League Championship final, received a Testimonial match, are "Hall of Fame" inductees, played during Workington Town's Super League I season, or were international representatives before, or after, their time at Workington Town, or are notable outside of rugby league.

Past coaches

Seasons

Super League era

Season League Play-offs Challenge Cup Other competitions Name Tries Name Points
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos Top try scorer Top point scorer
1996 Super League 22211932510215 12th R4
1997 Division One 2040163205558 11th R4
1998 Division Two 2032152935588 7th R4
1999 Northern Ford Premiership 28911846881319 14th R4
2000 Northern Ford Premiership 281111650277623 12th R4
2001 Northern Ford Premiership 281601268156832 9th R4
2002 Northern Ford Premiership 271301467767726 11th R5
2003 National League Two 1841133935589 8th R3
2004 National League Two 18100859747920 5th R4
2005 National League Two 18121548742625 3rd Lost in Preliminary Final R4
2006 National League Two 221001255864520 8th R3
2007 National League Two 221201065551543 5th R4
2008 National League Two 22601651262828 8th R4
2009 Championship 1 18201628170011 9th R3
2010 Championship 1 20811149449833 7th Lost in Elimination Playoffs R3
2011 Championship 1 20111865944341 3rd ? R3
2012 Championship 1 18120561733043 3rd Lost in Preliminary Final R3
2013 Championship 261101548368139 8th Lost in Elimination Playoffs R5
2014 Championship 261211346752448 7th ? R4
2015 Championship 23711537967115 8th Lost in Shield Semi Final R4
Championship Shield 301111858778223 4th
2016 Championship 23511745575611 11th R4
Championship Shield 30712254191915 8th
2017 League 1 22911253262119 8th R3
2018 League 1 26170983351734 4th Lost in Promotion and Playoff Finals R4
2019 League 1 20101959247821 5th Lost in Semi Final R5 1895 CupR2
2020 League 1 League abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom R5
2021 League 1 0000000 TBA

Honours

References

  1. "PETER WALSH QUITS AS WORKINGTON TOWN COACH". The Independent. 12 July 1995. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  2. Morgan, Martin (15 May 2008). "Caned Until I Bleed for Love of Rugby League". Whitehaven News: The Morgan Files. Archived from the original on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. "Coach Dave Rotheram leaves Workington Town". Cumbria Life. 17 July 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  4. "Players out on their feet after Workington Town beat Keighley Helen Thompson". Cumbrian News and Star. 18 September 2011. Archived from the original on 4 October 2012. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  5. "Account Suspended". Rugbyleague.org. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  6. "Workington Town R.L.F.C - Legends Evening 90's". 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  7. "Workington Town R.L.F.C - Legends Evening 80's". 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  8. "TotalRL.com for Rugby League". 14 February 2012. Archived from the original on 14 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  9. "Workington Town R.L.F.C - Legends Evening 70's". 22 February 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  10. "HALL OF FAME - WEEK 2 - PROLIFIC CENTRE JOHN O'NEILL". Townrlfc.com. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  11. "HALL OF FAME WEEK 11 - CLASSY CENTRE IAN WRIGHT!". Townrlfc.com. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.