1980–81 John Player Trophy
1980–81 League Cup | |
---|---|
Structure | National knockout championship |
Teams | 32 |
Winners | Warrington |
Runners-up | Barrow |
This was the tenth season for rugby league's League Cup competition. It was again known as the John Player Trophy for sponsorship purposes.
Warrington won the final, beating Barrow by the score of 12-5 at Central Park, Wigan in front of a crowd of 12,802. The gate receipts were £21020.
Background
This season saw only one change in the entrants, with the admittance of Fulham to the league and to this competition, resulted in only one junior club being invited, the total number remaining at thirty-two.
Competition and results
Round 1 - First Round
[2] Involved 16 matches and 32 Clubs
Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Rec | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sat 22 Nov 1980 | Hull F.C. | 12-0 | Bradford Northern | Boulevard | 10854 | [3] | ||
2 | Sat 22 Nov 1980 | Hunslet | 15-5 | Workington Town | Mount Pleasant | 700 | |||
3 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Batley | 4-20 | Huddersfield | Mount Pleasant | 1781 | [4] | ||
4 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Blackpool Borough | 21-7 | Huyton | Borough Park | 450 | |||
5 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Bramley | 10-11 | Halifax | McLaren Field | 2338 | |||
6 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Castleford | 30-17 | St Helens Recs | Wheldon Road | 2823 | 1 | ||
7 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Dewsbury | 12-37 | Featherstone Rovers | Crown Flatt | 2700 | |||
8 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Doncaster | 10-18 | Whitehaven | Bentley Road Stadium/Tattersfield | 432 | |||
9 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Fulham | 9-3 | Leeds | Craven Cottage | 12583 | |||
10 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Keighley | 16-34 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Lawkholme Lane | 3895 | 2 | ||
11 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Leigh | 38-5 | Rochdale Hornets | Hilton Park | 3167 | |||
12 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | St. Helens | 12-14 | Warrington | Knowsley Road | 7946 | [5][6] | ||
13 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Salford | 17-9 | Wigan | The Willows | 3715 | [7] | ||
14 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Swinton | 10-12 | Barrow | Station Road | 2470 | |||
15 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | Widnes | 20-17 | Wakefield Trinity | Naughton Park | 5956 | [8][9] | ||
16 | Sun 23 Nov 1980 | York | 11-9 | Oldham | Clarence Street | 5154 |
Round 2 - Second Round
[2] Involved 8 matches and 16 Clubs
Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Rec | Notes | Ref | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sat 6 Dec 1980 | Warrington | 11-7 | Hull Kingston Rovers | Wilderspool | 4325 | [5] | ||||
2 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Barrow | 26-13 | Hunslet | Craven Park | 4185 | |||||
3 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Blackpool Borough | 5-11 | Halifax | Borough Park | 1724 | |||||
4 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Hull F.C. | 11-10 | York | Boulevard | 11129 | [3] | ||||
5 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Leigh | 17-9 | Fulham | Hilton Park | 7606 | |||||
6 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Salford | 8-15 | Castleford | The Willows | 3452 | |||||
7 | Sun 7 Dec 1980 | Whitehaven | 22-3 | Featherstone Rovers | Recreation Ground | 3922 | |||||
8 | Tue 9 Dec 1980 | Widnes | 25-9 | Huddersfield | Naughton Park | 3571 | [4][9] |
Round 3 -Quarter Finals
[2] Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sat 13 Dec 1980 | Castleford | 18–10 | Widnes | Wheldon Road | 3571 | 3 | [9] |
2 | Sun 14 Dec 1980 | Hull F.C. | 13–0 | Whitehaven | Boulevard | 11228 | [3] | |
3 | Sun 14 Dec 1980 | Leigh | 13–15 | Barrow | Hilton Park | 5521 | 4 | |
4 | Sun 14 Dec 1980 | Warrington | 16–10 | Halifax | Wilderspool | 5532 | [5] |
Round 4 – Semi-Finals
[2] Involved 2 matches and 4 Clubs
Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Rec | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sat 20 Dec 1980 | Warrington | 5-5 | Castleford | Central Park | 3877 | [5] | ||
2 | Sat 10 Jan 1981 | Barrow | 13-10 | Hull F.C. | Headingley | 11202 | [3] |
Round 3 – Semi-Finals - Replays
Involved 1 match and 2 Clubs
Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Rec | Notes | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sun 28 Dec 1980 | Warrington | 22-10 | Castleford | Headingley | 9279 | [5] |
Final
24 January 1981
|
Warrington | 12 – 5 | Barrow |
---|---|---|
Tries: Bevan (2) Goals: Hesford (2) Drop goals: Hesford (2) |
[10] |
Tries: Mason Goals: Ball |
Central Park, Wigan
Attendance: 12,820 Referee: Billy Thompson (Huddersfield) Player of the Match: Tommy Martyn |
Teams
Warrington | № | Barrow |
---|---|---|
Steve Hesford | 1 | Dave Elliott |
Rick Thackray | 2 | Ralph McConnell |
Ian Duane | 3 | Nigel French |
John Bevan | 4 | Ian Ball (c) |
Mike Kelly | 5 | Tony Wainwright |
Ken Kelly (c) | 6 | Mel Mason |
Alan Gwilliam | 7 | David Cairns |
Neil Courtney | 8 | David Chisnall |
Tony Waller | 9 | Howard Allen |
Brian Case | 10 | Malcolm Flynn |
Tommy Martyn | 11 | Kevin James |
Ian Potter | 12 | Steve Kirkby |
Eddie Hunter | 13 | Derek Hadley |
? not used | 14 | ? not used |
Bob Eccles (for Eddie Hunter) | 15 | Eddie Szymala (for Howard Allen) |
Billy Benyon | Coach | Frank Foster |
Prize money
As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows:[11]
Finish Position | Cash Prize | No. receiving prize | Total Cash |
---|---|---|---|
Winner | £8,500 | 1 | £8,500 |
Runner-up | £4,000 | 1 | £4,000 |
Semi-finalists | £2,000 | 2 | £4,000 |
Losers in Rd 3 | £1,000 | 4 | £4,000 |
Losers in Rd 2 | £800 | 8 | £6,400 |
Losers in Rd 1 | £600 | 16 | £9,600 |
Grand Total | £36,500 |
The road to success
This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures
First round | Second round | Third round | Semifinals | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
St. Helens | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrington | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrington | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull Kingston Rovers | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Keighley | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull Kingston Rovers | 34 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrington | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Halifax | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Blackpool Borough | 21 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Huyton | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Blackpool Borough | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Halifax | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Bramley | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Halifax | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrington | 5 (22) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Castleford | 5 (10) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Salford | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Wigan | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Salford | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Castleford | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Castleford | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
St Helens Recs | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Castleford | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Widnes | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Widnes | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Wakefield Trinity | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Widnes | 25 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Huddersfield | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Batley | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Huddersfield | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrington | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Barrow | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leigh | 38 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Rochdale Hornets | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leigh | 17 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Fulham | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Fulham | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leeds | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Leigh | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Barrow | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Swinton | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Barrow | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Barrow | 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hunslet | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hunslet | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Workington Town | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Barrow | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull F.C. | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull F.C. | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Bradford Northern | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull F.C. | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
York | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
York | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Oldham | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hull F.C. | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Whitehaven | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Doncaster | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Whitehaven | 18 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Whitehaven | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Featherstone Rovers | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Dewsbury | 12 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Featherstone Rovers | 37 |
Notes and comments
1 * Pilkington Recs are a Junior (amateur) club from St Helens, home ground was City Road until they moved to Ruskin Drive from 2011-12
2 * Wigan official archives[2] gives the score as 15-34 but RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] gives it as 16-34
3 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] gives the attendance as 3,571, the same as the previously listed match (which was Widnes v Huddersfield in round 2), but the Widnes official website[9] omits to give the attendance for this match, one of only a few matches for that season without an attendance noted
4 * Wigan official archives[2] give the score as 13-10 but RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] gives it as 13-15. As Barrow progressed into the semi-final, the score given in the Wigan archives was obviously in error
5 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject[1] gives the attendance as 12,820 but Rothman's Yearbooks 1990-91 and 1992-93 give it as 12,802
6 * The attendance was a record for the final of this tournament (but would be broken next season)
7 * Central Park was the home ground of Wigan with a final capacity of 18,000, although the record attendance was 47,747 for Wigan v St Helens 27 March 1959
See also
- 1980–81 Rugby Football League season
- 1980 Lancashire Cup
- 1980 Yorkshire Cup
- Player's No.6 Trophy
- Rugby league county cups
References
General
- Fletcher, Raymond; Howes, David, eds. (1981). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1981-82. Rothmans Publications. ISBN 978-0-907574-07-1.
Specific
- ^ a b c d e "Rugby League Project".
- ^ a b c d e f "Wigan "Cherry and White" J Player Round 1 onwards archived results".
- ^ a b c d "HULL&PROUD - Stats - Fixtures & Results".
- ^ a b "Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage" (PDF).
- ^ a b c d e "Warrington Wolves - Results Archive - 1897". Archived from the original on 2014-02-02.
- ^ "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1896-97".
- ^ "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results". Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2014-07-13.
- ^ "Wakefield until I die".
- ^ a b c d "Widnes Vikings - History - Season In Review - 1896-97".
- ^ Fletcher & Howes (1981), p. 182.
- ^ Fletcher & Howes (1981), p. 187.
External links
- Saints Heritage Society
- 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season at wigan.rlfans.com Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
- Hull&Proud Fixtures & Results 1896/1897
- Widnes Vikings - One team, one passion Season In Review - 1896-97
- The Northern Union at warringtonwolves.org
- Huddersfield R L Heritage
- Wakefield until I die