1939–40 Lancashire Cup

The 1939–40 Lancashire Cup was the thirty-second occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held. Due to the start of the Second World War, the competition was delayed until early 1940. Swinton won the trophy by beating Widnes on a two legged final by the score of 21-15 aggregate.

1939–40 Lancashire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams12
WinnersSwinton
Runners-upWidnes

The first leg was played at Naughton Park, Widnes, and the second led was played at Station Road, Swinton.

Swinton won both legs, 5-4 away and 16-11 at home.

The attendances were 5,500 at Widnes and 9,000 at Swinton.

Preamble to changes

Prior to the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, most clubs had played two or three fixtures (on Saturday 26, Thursday 31 August and Saturday 2 September).

During the following week, the Northern Rugby League decided, after publicity from the Government, to suspend the championship. They almost immediately inaugurated two regional (Lancashire and Yorkshire), Wartime Emergency Leagues, with the winner of each league meeting in a play-off final to decide the overall winner.

The Challenge Cup and both County Cups were suspended. There was to be no Lancashire Cup competition in 1939.

But later in the season both County Cups were resurrected.

The Lancashire Cup started on Saturday 2 March 1940 and was played on consecutive weekends.

Each and every match was played on a two-legged home and away basis.

Background

St Helens Recs had already withdrawn from the league immediately after the end on the 1938-39 season. The club had been struggling to survive for a few years with falling attendances and the economic depression and it was obviously not possible for the town to sustain two top teams.

The number of teams entering this year's competition decreased by one with the loss of St Helens Recs to a total of 12.

The same fixture format was retained. This season saw no byes but two “blank” or “dummy” fixture in the first round. The second round now had two byes.

The whole competition was played on the basis of two legged ties.

Competition and results

[1]

Round 1 – First Leg

Involved 6 matches (with two “blank” fixture) and 12 clubs

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 02 Mar 1940Barrow5-5WiganCraven Park[2]
2Sat 02 Mar 1940Leigh5-5Liverpool StanleyMather Lane
3Sat 02 Mar 1940Oldham5-15Rochdale HornetsWatersheddings
4Sat 02 Mar 1940St. Helens26-7Broughton RangersKnowsley Road[3]
5Sat 02 Mar 1940Swinton7-0SalfordStation Road
6Sat 02 Mar 1940Widnes10-7WarringtonNaughton Park[4][5]
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Round 1 – Second Leg

Involved 6 matches (with two “blank” fixture) and 12 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 09 Mar 1940Wigan14-9BarrowCentral Park19-14[2]
2Sat 09 Mar 1940Liverpool Stanley6-0LeighStanley Greyhound Sadium11-5
3Sat 09 Mar 1940Rochdale Hornets2-4OldhamAthletic Grounds17-9
4Sat 09 Mar 1940Broughton Rangers10-3St. HelensBelle Vue Stadium17-29[3]
5Sat 09 Mar 1940Salford6-6SwintonThe Willows6-13
6Sat 09 Mar 1940Warrington2-4WidnesWilderspool9-14[4][5]
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Round 2 - Quarter Finals – First Leg

Involved 2 matches (with two) and 6 clubs

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 16 Mar 1940Liverpool Stanley5-2Rochdale HornetsStanley Greyhound Sadium
2Sat 16 Mar 1940Wigan5-0St. HelensCentral Park[2][3]
3Swintonbye
4Widnesbye[4]

Round 2 - Quarter Finals –Second Leg

Involved 2 matches (with two) and 6 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 30 Mar 1940Rochdale Hornets10-0Liverpool StanleyAthletic Grounds15-2
2Sat 30 Mar 1940St. Helens10-4WiganKnowsley Road10-9[2][3]
3Swintonbye
4Widnesbye[4]

Round 3 – Semi-Finals – First Legs

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 06 Apr 1940St. Helens7-5WidnesKnowsley Road[4][3]
2Sat 06 Apr 04 1940Swinton14-6Rochdale HornetsStation Road

Round 3 – Semi-Finals – Second Legs

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 13 Apr 04 1940Widnes13-0St. HelensNaughton Park18-7[4][3]
2Sat 13 Apr 1940Rochdale Hornets5-9SwintonAthletic Grounds11-23

Final – First Leg
Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Saturday 20 April 1940Widnes4-5SwintonNaughton Park5,500[4][6]

Final – Second Leg

The reverse fixture of the first leg

Game No Fixture Date Home Team Score Away Team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Saturday 27 April 1940Swinton16-11WidnesStation Road21-159,000[4][6]

Teams and scorers
Widnes № Swinton
1939–40 Lancashire Cup Final - First Leg.
teams
A. H. Woodward 1Harold Palin
Harry Owen Snr.2Bill Hopkin
Peter Topping 3Randall Lewis
Norman Rutledge 4Billy Shaw
Alan Evans 5Jack McGurk
Tommy Shannon6Tommy Bartram
Tommy McCue7Frank Bowyer
J. Sutcliffe 8Joe Wright
Paddy Hynan 9Tommy Armitt
Bill Hoey 10Gomer Hughes
Hugh McDowell11Martin Hodgson
Bob Williamson 12Cledwyn Williams
Bob Roberts13Fred Garner
4score5
2HT3
Scorers
Tries
TFred Garner (1)
Goals
Topping (2)GMartin Hodgson (1)
Drop Goals
DG
Referee
Swinton № Widnes
1939–40 Lancashire Cup Final - Second Leg.
teams
Harold Palin1A. H. Woodward
Bill Hopkin2A. H. Evans
Randall Lewis3Peter Topping
Billy Shaw4Norman Rutledge
Jack McGurk5Alan Evans
Arthur Hickman6Tommy Shannon
Frank Bowyer7Tommy McCue
Joe Wright8Bob Williamson
Tommy Armitt9Paddy Hynan
Gomer Hughes10Ernie Miller
Martin Hodgson11Hugh McDowell
Cledwyn Williams12Bob Roberts
Fred Garner13Bill Hoey
16score11
6HT2
Scorers
Tries
Joe Wright (1)TNorman Rutledge (1)
Randall Lewis (1)T
Goals
Martin Hodgson (5)GPeter Topping (2)
GTommy Shannon (1)
GBill Hoey (1)
Drop Goals
DG(One of the above goals was a DG)
Referee

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

[4]

The road to success

ALL ties were played on a two leg (home and away) basis

The first club named in each tie 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 14
Wigan 19
Wigan 9
St. Helens 10
St. Helens 29
Broughton Rangers 17
St. Helens 7
Widnes 18
Swinton 13
Salford 6
Swinton
bye
blank
blank
Widnes 15
Swinton' 21
Widnes 14
Warrington 9
Widnes
bye
blank
blank
Swinton 23
Rochdale Hornets 11
Leigh 5
Liverpool Stanley 11
Liverpool Stanley 2
Rochdale Hornets 15
Oldham 9
Rochdale Hornets 17

Notes and comments

This would be the last year of the Lancashire Cup until season 1945-46.

In the in-between years, many Lancashire clubs were invited (and accepted the invitation) to take part in the Yorkshire Cup competition.

See also

References
  1. "Rugby League Project".
  2. "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results".
  3. "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1896-97".
  4. "Widnes Vikings - History - Season In Review - 1896-97".
  5. "Warrington Wolves - Results Archive - 1897". Archived from the original on 2010-07-06.
  6. Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1991). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-100. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617852 8.
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