Batley Bulldogs

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Batley Bulldogs
Batley bulldogs.png
Bulldog
Club information
Full name Batley Bulldogs Rugby League Football Club
Website www.batleybulldogs.co.uk
Colours      Cerise
     White
Founded 1880
Current details
Ground(s) Loverugbyleague.com Stadium
Coach(s) John Kear
Competition Kingstone Press Championship

Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Kingstone Press Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. They were Champions for the first, and only time to date, in 1924 and are 3 times Challenge Cup winners.

Contents

History [edit]

Early years [edit]

Batley Cricket Club decided to have a rugby football side merge with them at their ground under the name Batley Cricket Athletic and Football Club. The two local rugby teams, Batley Mountaineers and Batley Athletic, played a challenge match at the cricket club's Mount Pleasant home on 23 October 1880 to determine which was the town's premier rugby side and worthy of the cricket club. Both sides claimed victory but the cricket club chose Batley Athletic to join them.

The new club's first game was at home against Bradford Zingari which they won by 2 goals, 3 touchdowns, 2 dead balls and one touch goal to nil. Right winger J. Parker scored the first touchdown.[1] The first season finished with Batley having won 15 games and drawn 5 out of 26 matches played.

They won the Yorkshire Challenge Cup in 1884 – 5 season beating Heckmondwike, Pudsey, Halifax, Salterhebble and Bradford before beating Manningham 8 minor points to 2 in the final held at Cardigan Fields in Leeds.

Batley was one of the original twenty-two clubs that met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield on 29 August 1895 and formed the Northern Rugby Football Union. Batley’s first match under the new union was on 7 September 1895 against Hull at Mount Pleasant with Batley winning 7 – 3.

Sixth in the Yorkshire Senior Competition of 1896/97, they battled their way to third spot come the end of the next season. Where knock-out competitions was concerned, they were peerless. In 1897, the 'Gallant Youths' became the first winners of the Challenge Cup beating St. Helens 10-3, in front of a crowd of 13,492 at Headingley.

Photo taken in 1897, St Helens vs Batley (left) in the first Challenge Cup Final

Batley retained the trophy by beating Bradford Northern on the corresponding weekend the following year at Headingley in front of 27,941 spectators, which was then a record gate for a rugby match.

The club were Yorkshire League winners in 1898/99 and in 1900/01 won the Challenge Cup for the third and last time to date; once again Headingley was the venue as Batley defeated Warrington 6 – 0.

Wharton 'Wattie' Davies set club records for most appearance, goals and points between 1907-1912. Batley's next cup triumph came on 23 November 1912 when Hull were defeated 17 – 3 at Headingley in Batley’s one and only Yorkshire Cup win.

The 'Gallant Youths' reached the semi-final of the Yorkshire Cup and led the league in November 1923. Batley were crowned champions on Saturday 3 May 1924, lifting the Rugby League Championship Trophy for the only time in the club’s history, after defeating Wigan 13 – 7 in the final. The club were also Yorkshire League winners that season.

The record attendance was set at 23,989 for the visit of Leeds for a third round Challenge Cup match on 14 March 1925.

Post World War Two [edit]

Cerise and fawn colours worn by Batley during the 1980s

1952 saw a Yorkshire Cup final appearance against Huddersfield on 15 November. 'Fartown' running out 18 – 8 winners.

The club's name was changed from Batley Cricket, Athletic & Football Club Ltd to its present official name of Batley Football Club Ltd in June 1979.

The club celebrated its centenary in 1981 with a win over the league's new London team, Fulham.

In the 1960s the league was restructured into two divisions for two seasons before the single-division format was finally ditched in 1973 (there was also a three-season experiment with two divisions at the beginning of the twentieth century). Batley are one of only a few teams never to make it into the top flight, although they came very close in 1993/94. The last match of the season against Doncaster came down to being a play-off for a spot in the first division, but Batley lost 10-5 in front of a capacity crowd of 4,500 at Mount Pleasant, and the chance was lost.

The local council suggested that Dewsbury and Batley ground share at Crown Flatt after refusing a grant towards safety repairs to Mount Pleasant in February 1987.

Batley looked set to join the elite in 1995 when they held off Huddersfield to finish in second place, just two points behind champions Keighley. The club succeeded in winning the Second Division Championship in the 1994–95 season. However, when the Super League was created for the following year, Batley along with Keighley were excluded. The club estimated that the decision cost them around £500,000.[2]

Summer rugby era [edit]

Batley-bulldogs-alt.jpg

Batley added 'Bulldogs' to their name for the 1995/96 season. The newly named Batley Bulldogs finished 1996 at the foot of Division One. Batley won the Trans-Pennine Trophy in 1998 beating Oldham in the final held at Mount Pleasant. Bulldogs were also promoted from the Second Division that same season.

In 2003, Barry Eaton broke the world record for consecutive goals kicks.

The club underwent a major shake up in the coaching staff with the resignation of head coach David Ward due to pressure from some supporters in the form of derisory comments in the local press. The new coaching first team set up involved Gary Thornton as Head Coach and Paul Harrison.

After a tough season in 2005 Batley were into National League One relegation play-offs, facing bitter rivals and neighbours Dewsbury. Victory in the final saw Batley stay up against increasingly well funded sides with Super League ambitions.

2006 saw Batley start the campaign with little promise after a series of dismal performances in the Northern Rail Cup and the early rounds of National League One. However, coach Gary Thornton turned the side round and Batley made their way into the end of season play-offs. Jay Duffy's late drop goal sealed a 23-22 victory at Leigh to end the Lancastrians' own hopes of promotion and ultimately earn Thornton the honour of National League coach of the year. Batley failed to replicate this success in the next round, crashing to a 30-0 defeat at Whitehaven to put an abrupt end to their season.

After the previous season's mid-table finish 2009 started as a bad season for Batley. Gary Thornton was sacked after a 60-22 loss on Easter Monday against Toulouse Olympique He was replaced by Karl Harrison.Batley stayed up after a 30-24 over Featherstone Rovers in which Batley were 14-0 down at one stage,they also beat Leigh,Widnes,Barrow,Whitehaven and Halifax.

2010 has started for Batley with 5 wins and 1 draw in the Northern Rail Cup, including a record breaking 100-4 win over Gateshead Thunder. Batley had a good run of wins in the Challenge Cup however they were defeated 74-12 by Catalans Dragons in the Quarter Final. Batley's Co-operative Championship season commenced well with wins over Keighley Cougars 22-12, Dewsbury Rams 22-8, Whitehaven 54-6 and Widnes Vikings 35-16 to see the club finish in 7th position. Having finished top of their Northern Rail group section, the club entered the knock-out stages. A strong performance away at Leigh Centurions in the semi-final, where Batley were clear underdogs, put them into the final on 18 July 2010, where they beat Widnes Vikings with two late tries scored by Alex Brown. It was Batley's first silverware since 1998.

2011 saw the Bulldogs finish 3rd in the Championship, later to be knocked out of the playoffs by Halifax, whom the Batley coach, Karl Harrison headed to take over for the 2012 season. Batley also took the Huddersfield Giants close in their Challenge Cup quarter final clash at Mount Pleasant. Batley had the lead throughout the game until Dane Manning was shown a red card card at around 65 minutes for what many fans of both sides thought unfair. The Giants took the one man advantage and managed to out score the Dogs in the las 15 minutes of the game.

2012 saw the arrival of Rugby League legend, John Kear taking over has head coach of the Batley Bulldogs. Batley started 2012 winning the northern rail group which saw wins over championship rivals Featherstone Rovers and Keighley Cougars also they started the championship season off strong with wins over Leigh,Dewsbury,York,keighley and halifax and a double over Hunslet but defeats have come to Featherstone,Sheffield,Keighley at home and Swinton.

Honours [edit]

In 2003 Barry Eaton broke the world record for consecutive goals kicks. Although Eaton left the club last year to join Keighley, his record of 38 looks as if it may stand for some time to come.

Players earning international caps while at Batley [edit]

  • Peter Armstead won caps for England whilst at Batley in 1953 France
  • Harry Bedford won caps for England (RU) while at Batley in 1889 against New Zealand Natives, and in 1890 against Scotland, and Ireland
  • Joseph "Joe" Berry won caps for Scotland while at Huddersfield Giants, Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets, and Batley Bulldogs 1998…2003 4-caps + 3-caps (sub)
  • George Brown won a cap for England while at Batley in 1945 against Wales
  • George Davidge won a cap for England while at Batley in 1924 against Other Nationalities
  • William "Will" T. Davies won caps for Wales (RL) while at Batley and Halifax 1909…1912 4-caps, and won a cap for Great Britain (RL) while at Halifax in 1911 against Australia
  • Norman Field won a cap for Great Britain' while at Batley in 1963 against Australia
  • Isaac "Ike" John Fowler won a cap for Wales whilst at Batley, and won a cap for Other Nationalities whilst at Batley
  • Nathan Graham won caps for Scotland while at Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Rams, Featherstone Rovers, and Batley Bulldogs 1998…2004 7-caps + 3-caps (sub)
  • Frederick Hill won a cap for England while at Batley in 1909 against Wales
  • Bill Hudson won caps for England while at Batley in 1946 against Wales, and France, in 1947 against France, while at Wigan in 1949 against France, and won caps for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1949 against Australia
  • Frederick Lowrie won caps for England (RU) while at Batley in 1889 against New Zealand Natives, and in 1890 against Wales
  • David Luckwell won caps for Wales while at Hull Kingston Rovers, and Batley Bulldogs 1999…2000 3-caps (sub)
  • Iain Marsh won caps for Scotland while at Oldham Roughyeds, Batley Bulldogs, and Rochdale Hornets 2004…2007 5-caps + 3-caps (sub)
  • Martin McLoughlin won caps for Ireland while at Wigan Warriors, Oldham Roughyeds, and Batley Bulldogs and 2001…2008
  • Joseph "Joe" Oliver, won caps for England while at Batley in 1928 against Wales, while at Hull in 1933 against Australia, in 1936 against Wales, and France, and won caps for Great Britain while at Batley in against 1928 Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand
  • George Palmer won a cap for England while at Batley in 1951 against Other Nationalities
  • Lee Paterson won caps for Scotland while at Batley Bulldogs, and Widnes Vikings 2007…present 3-caps
  • Harry Rees
  • Brinley Williams won caps for Wales while at Batley in 1921 against England and Australia, and won a cap for Other Nationalities while at Batley in 1921 against England
  • Frederick Willis won a cap for Wales while at Batley in 1921

Other notable players [edit]




2013 squad [edit]

* Announced on 8 December 2012:


2013 Batley Bulldogs squad
First team squad Coaching staff

Head coach

Assistant coaches

Legend:
  • (c) Captain
  • (vc) Vice captain
  • Cruz Roja.svg Injured

Updated: 8 December 2012
Source(s): 2013 Squad Numbers


2013 transfers [edit]

Gains

Player Club Until end of Date
George Flanagan Dewsbury Rams September 2012
Ayden Faal Dewsbury Rams September 2012
Ryan Esders Dewsbury Rams September 2012
Miles Greenwood Oldham Roughyeds September 2012
Danny Whitmore Oldham Roughyeds September 2012
John Davies York City Knights September 2012
Alex Rowe Sheffield Eagles September 2012
Greg Johnson Unattached September 2012
Tom Hemingway Featherstone Rovers September 2012
Jay Leary Leeds Rhinos September 2012
Daniel Fleming Castleford Tigers - Dual Reg September 2012
Alex Walmsley St Helens - Dual Reg September 2012

Losses

Player Club Contract Date
Ben Fisher Catalans Dragons 1 Year March 2012
Alex Walmsley St Helens September 2012
Alex Brown Hull Kingston Rovers September 2012
Chris Buttery Hunslet Hawks September 2012
Lewis Palfrey Oldham Roughyeds September 2012
Ian Preece Retired September 2012
Johnny Walker Retired September 2012
Kris Lythe Retired September 2012
Luke Menzies Hunslet Hawks September 2012
Daley Williams Dewsbury Rams September 2012
Mark Toohey Retired September 2012
Gareth Frodsham Rochdale Hornets September 2012
Darren Williams Released September 2012

References [edit]

  1. ^ Delaney, Trevor (1991). The Grounds Of Rugby League. Keighley: Trevor R. Delaney. ISBN 0-9509-9822-2.  edit
  2. ^ http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/rugby-league/Keighley39s-Super-League-omission-a.991932.jp

External links [edit]
Championship teams
Seasons
Major events
Awards
Related
Chairmen
Presidents
Founder members
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