1984–85 League Cup (rugby league)

1984–85 League Cup
Structure National knockout championship
Teams 38
Winners Hull Kingston Rovers
Runners-up Hull

This was the fourteenth season for the League Cup, which was again known as the John Player Special Trophy for sponsorship purposes.

Hull Kingston Rovers claimed the trophy by beating their local rivals Hull F.C. by the score of 12–0 in the final. The match was played at Boothferry Park, Kingston upon Hull and the attendance was 25,326. Gate receipts were £69555.

Background

This season saw several changes in the entrants:

  1. Cardiff City Blue Dragons were renamed Bridgend Blue Dragons and Kent Invicta were renamed Southend Invicta
  2. Mansfield Marksman and Sheffield Eagles joined the league and also the competition
  3. Huyton changed their name to Runcorn Highfield and moved from Alt Park, Huyton to Canal Street, Runcorn
  4. and the re-introduction of the invitation to two junior clubs.

This involved an increase in entrants to thirty-eight, in turn resulting in a six-match, 12-club preliminary round to reduce the number of clubs taking part in the first round proper to thirty-two.

Competition and results[1][2]

Preliminary round[3]

Involved six matches and 12 clubs

Game No. Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Attend Rec Notes Ref
1Fri 2 Nov 1984Myson (Hull)2-8DewsburyBoulevard1
2Sun 4 Nov 1984Bramley20-6Southend InvictaMcLaren Field572
3Sun 4 Nov 1984Keighley24-10Bradford Dudley HillLawkholme Lane15702, 3
4Sun 4 Nov 1984Sheffield Eagles17-6Wakefield TrinityOwlerton Stadium12794[4]
5Wed 7 Nov 1984Carlisle8-26Bradford NorthernBrunton Park12155
6Wed 7 Nov 1984Hunslet2-6Workington TownElland Road7195

Round 1 – First round[3]

Involved 16 matches and 32 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 17 Nov 1984Hull Kingston Rovers32-5LeighCraven Park (1)45416
2Sun 18 Nov 1984Bradford Northern22-1SwintonOdsal3712
3Sun 18 Nov 1984Bramley12-10Blackpool BoroughMcLaren Field653
4Sun 18 Nov 1984Bridgend Blue Dragons4-42CastlefordCoychurch Road, Bridgend18037
5Sun 18 Nov 1984Dewsbury14-8SalfordCrown Flatt1176
6Sun 18 Nov 1984Featherstone Rovers17-12BarrowPost Office Road1651
7Sun 18 Nov 1984Fulham14-36Hull F.C.Polytechnic of Central London23248[5]
8Sun 18 Nov 1984Leeds50-2Sheffield EaglesHeadingley4881
9Sun 18 Nov 1984Rochdale Hornets10-8Mansfield MarksmanAthletic Grounds620
10Sun 18 Nov 1984Runcorn Highfield18-5BatleyAlt Park, Huyton760
11Sun 18 Nov 1984St. Helens60-8KeighleyKnowsley Road5145[6]
12Sun 18 Nov 1984Warrington5-17HalifaxWilderspool4171[7]
13Sun 18 Nov 1984Whitehaven64-0DoncasterRecreation Ground17179
14Sun 18 Nov 1984Wigan50-6Huddersfield BarracudasCentral Park7375[2][8]
15Sun 18 Nov 1984Workington Town12-22WidnesDerwent Park1010[9]
16Sun 18 Nov 1984York6-22OldhamClarence Street2504

Round 2 – Second round[10]

Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 1 Dec 1984Leeds10-4WiganHeadingley9261[2]
2Sun 2 Dec 1984Bradford Northern12-12St. HelensOdsal9419[6]
3Sun 2 Dec 1984Bramley33-5WhitehavenMcLaren Field1358
4Sun 2 Dec 1984Dewsbury31-16Runcorn HighfieldCrown Flatt1242
5Sun 2 Dec 1984Halifax20-18CastlefordThrum Hall4784
6Sun 2 Dec 1984Hull F.C.26-14OldhamBoulevard1150010[5]
7Sun 2 Dec 1984Hull Kingston Rovers34-12Rochdale HornetsCraven Park (1)4835
8Sun 2 Dec 1984Widnes28-10Featherstone RoversNaughton Park3850[9]

Round 2 – Second round replays

Involved one match and two clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Attend Rec Notes Ref
1Wed 5 Dec 1984St. Helens24–10Bradford NorthernKnowsley Road10156[6]

Round 3 – Quarter finals[10]

Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 22 Dec 1984St. Helens8–14HalifaxKnowsley Road5768[6]
2Sun 23 Dec 1984Dewsbury8–22Hull F.C.Crown Flatt7197[5]
3Sun 23 Dec 1984Hull Kingston Rovers14–6WidnesCraven Park (1)7710[9]
4Sun 23 Dec 1984Leeds28–14BramleyHeadingley6404

Round 4 – Semi-finals[10]

Involved two matches and four clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Attend Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 29 Dec 1984Hull Kingston Rovers14–8HalifaxHeadingley6390
2Sat 5 Jan 1985Hull F.C.18–6LeedsBoothferry Park1336211, 14[5]

Final

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Rec Notes Ref
Saturday 26 January 1985Hull Kingston Rovers12–0HullBoothferry Park253266955512, 13, 14[5][10][11][12]

Teams and scorers[11][12][13]

Hull Kingston Rovers № Hull
teams
George Fairbairn1Gary Kemble
Garry Clark2Steve Evans
Ian Robinson3Fred Ah Kuoi
Gary Prohm4James Leuluai
David Laws5Dane O'Hara
Mike Smith6David Topliss (c)
Paul Harkin7Peter Sterling
Mark Broadhurst8Phil Edmonds
David Watkinson9Shaun Patrick
Asuquo "Zook" Ema10Paul Rose
Christopher Burton11Lee Crooks
Phil Hogan12Wayne Proctor
Gavin Miller13Gary Divorty
? Not used14Garry Schofield (for Gary Kemble)
? Not used15Andy Dannatt (for Phil Edmonds)
Coach
12score0
?HT?
Scorers
Tries
Garry Clark (1)T
Gary Prohm (1)T
Phil Hogan (1)T
RefereeStanley Wall (Leigh)
Man of the matchPaul Harkin - Hull KR - scrum-half/halfback
Competition sponsorJohn Player Special

Scoring - Try = four (4) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = one (1) point

Prize money

As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows :-

Finish position Cash prize No. receiving prize Total cash
Winner?1?
Runner-up?1?
semi-finalist?2?
loser in Rd 3?4?
loser in Rd 2?8?
Loser in Rd 1?16?
Loser in prelim round???
Grand total

The road to success

This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures

First Round Second Round Third Round Semi Finals Final
               
Hull Kingston Rovers 32
Leigh 5
Hull Kingston Rovers 35
Rochdale Hornets 12
Rochdale Hornets 10
Mansfield Marksman 8
Hull Kingston Rovers 14
Widnes 6
Workington Town 12
Widnes 22
Widnes 28
Featherstone Rovers 10
Featherstone Rovers 17
Barrow 12
Hull Kingston Rovers 14
Halifax 8
Bradford Northern 22
Swinton 1
Bradford Northern 12 (10)
St. Helens 12 (24)
St. Helens 60
Keighley 8
St. Helens 8
Halifax 14
Warrington 5
Halifax 17
Halifax 20
Castleford 18
Bridgend Blue Dragons 4
Castleford 42
Hull Kingston Rovers 12
Hull 0
Dewsbury 14
Salford 8
Dewsbury 31
Runcorn Highfield 16
Runcorn Highfield 18
Batley 5
Dewsbury 8
Hull 22
Fulham 14
Hull 36
Hull 26
Oldham 14
York 6
Oldham 22
Hull 18
Leeds 6
Leeds 50
Sheffield Eagles 2
Leeds 10
Wigan 4
Wigan 50
Huddersfield Barracudas 6
Leeds 28
Bramley 14
Bramley 12
Blackpool Borough 10
Bramley 33
Whitehaven 5
Whitehaven 64
Doncaster 0

Notes and comments

  1. * Myson are a Junior (amateur) club from Hull.
  2. * Bradford Dudley Hill are a Junior (amateur) club from Bradford.
  3. * Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991[11] and 1991-92,[12] and RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] gives score as 24-10 but Wigan official archives[2] gives it as 24-8

4 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] and Wakefield till I die[4] give the score as 17-6 but Wigan official archives[2] gives it as 17-8
5 * This fixture not shown on Wigan official archives[3]
6 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] give score as 32-5 but Wigan official archives[2] gives it as 32-6
7 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] give score as 4-42 but Wigan official archives [2] gives it as 4-34
8 * venue possibly Crystal Palace NSC or Chiswick Poly Sports Ground
9 * The highest winning margin to date between professional clubs
10 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] and Hull official archives[5] give score as 26-14 but Wigan official archives[2] gives it as 23-14
11 * Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991[11] and 1991-92,[12] RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] and Wigan official archives[2] give the venue as Boothferry Park but Hull official archives[5] gives it as The Boulevard Boothferry Park was the home of Hull City A.F.C.
12 * The attendance at this final was a new record, which would never be beaten in the competition
13 * Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991[11] and 1991-92,[12] RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] and Wigan official archives[2] give the venue as Boothferry Park but Hull official archives[5] gives it as The Boulevard Boothferry Park was the home of Hull City A.F.C.
14 * Boothferry Park was the home ground of Hull City from 31 August 1946 until December 2002. The final capacity was 15,160 although the record attendance was 55,019 set on 26 February 1949 in an FA Cup quarter-final when Hull City played host to Manchester United

General information

The council of the Rugby Football League voted to introduce a new competition, to be similar to The Football Association and Scottish Football Association's "League Cup". It was to be a similar knock-out structure to, and to be secondary to, the Challenge Cup. As this was being formulated, sports sponsorship was becoming more prevalent and as a result John Player and Sons, a division of Imperial Tobacco Company, became sponsors, and the competition never became widely known as the "League Cup". The competition ran from 1971–72 until 1995–96 and was initially intended for the professional clubs plus the two amateur BARLA National Cup finalists. In later seasons the entries were expanded to take in other amateur and French teams. The competition was dropped due to "fixture congestion" when Rugby League became a summer sport. The Rugby League season always (until the onset of "Summer Rugby" in 1996) ran from around August-time through to around May-time and this competition always took place early in the season, in the autumn, with the final usually taking place in late January. The competition was variably known, by its sponsorship name, as the Player's No.6 Trophy (1971–1977), the John Player Trophy (1977–1983), the John Player Special Trophy (1983–1989), and the Regal Trophy in 1989.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Rugby League Project".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results".
  3. 1 2 3 "Wigan "Cherry and White" J Player Rd 1 archived results".
  4. 1 2 "Wakefield until I die".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "HULL&PROUD - Stats - Fixtures & Results".
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1896-97".
  7. ↑ "Warrington Wolves - Results Archive - 1897". Archived from the original on 2014-02-02.
  8. ↑ "Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage" (PDF).
  9. 1 2 3 "Widnes Vikings - History - Season In Review - 1896-97".
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Wigan "Cherry and White" J Player Rd 2 onwards archived results".
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1990). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617851 X.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1991). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-100. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617852 8.
  13. ↑ "Hull RLFC official stats".
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