Broughton Rangers
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| Founded | 1877 | |||
| Discontinued | 1955 | |||
| Colours | Blue, black and white | |||
| Stadiums | Wheater’s Field (Capacity 20,000) |
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| The Cliff 1913→1933 (Capacity unknown) |
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| Belle Vue Stadium (Capacity 5,000) |
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Broughton Rangers was a British rugby football, and subsequently a rugby league club. It was based in Broughton, Salford.
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[edit] History
Broughton Rangers was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season. The club’s headquarters was the Bridge Inn on Lower Broughton Road and home games were played at Wheater’s Field. On 15 December, 1888, Rangers lost to New Zealand Natives 8–0. From 1892 the headquarters was the Grosvenor Hotel on the corner of Great Clowes Street and Clarence Street.
Broughton Rangers was one of 21 clubs which met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield on 29 August, 1895 and formed the Northern Rugby Football Union. Broughton built on winning the Lancashire League in 1896-97 and 1898-99 by becoming the first champions of the Northern Union. When the Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues amalgamated in 1901–02; Rangers' form was so outstanding that by February the championship was guaranteed. The same year, Broughton won the Challenge Cup beating Salford 25–0 at Rochdale in front of 15,006 spectators. Rangers won the East Lancashire League that season after finishing 12 points ahead of second-placed Salford.
Broughton Rangers appeared in successive Lancashire Cup Finals, in 1906-07 and 1907-08, beating Warrington 15–6 at Central Park, Wigan but losing to Oldham 16–9 at Rochdale 12 months later. Rangers reached the top-four semi-finals in 1907-08, losing to All Four Cups winners Hunslet.
Broughton Rangers lost 14-20 to New Zealand during the 1907–1908 New Zealand rugby tour of Australia and Great Britain on Saturday 19 October 1907, the match attracted a crowd of 24,000,[1] New Zealand led early in the game and despite a Rangers comeback, New Zealand won.[2]
The club won the Challenge Cup in 1910–11 when it beat Wigan 4–0 at the Willows, Salford in front of a crowd of 8,000.
Broughton's last game at Wheater's Field was against St. Helens on 9th April 1913 before moving to the Cliff on Lower Broughton Road, Higher Broughton.
[edit] Inter-war years
Broughton’s highest league position between 1918 and 1939 was sixth in 1935-36 and its lowest, 27th in 1927-28, with Rangers generally finishing in the bottom half of the league. The only trophy won in the inter-war years was the 1920-21 Lancashire Cup, when they defeated Leigh 6–3 at Salford in front of 25,000 spectators.
In 1933, Broughton Rangers moved to Belle Vue Stadium, inside the speedway track.[3] In 1941–42 the club dropped out of the wartime Lancashire League and did not return to league competition until 1945–46.
On the 18th September 1935 Rangers signed future Lance Todd Trophy winner Frank Whitcombe from Army Rugby Union buying him out of the army for a fee of £90. Two years later in 1938, they sold him to Bradford Northern for £850, a world record fee for a front row forward.
[edit] Belle Vue Rangers
In 1945-46, Broughton was renamed Belle Vue Rangers. It made a Lancashire Cup final appearance in 1946-47 which ended in 9–3 defeat by Wigan at Station Road, Swinton. The club repeated this feat in 1947-48; losing again to Wigan 10–7 at Wilderspool, Warrington.
After the war, Rangers finished mid-table or above but after finishing 12th in 1950-51, Rangers finished 30th, second from bottom in 1954-55, its last season before the club folded.
[edit] Honours
[edit] Rugby League honours
- Championship: 1901–02 (once)
- Challenge Cup: 1901–02, 1910–11 (twice)
- Lancashire Cup: 1906–07, 1920–21 (twice)
- Lancashire League: 1896–97, 1898–99 (twice)
- Challenge Cup (Runners Up): 1906–07, 1920–21 (twice)
- Lancashire Cup (Runners Up): 1907–08 (once)
[edit] Players earning international caps while at Broughton Rangers/Belle Vue Rangers
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[edit] Other notable players
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Haynes, John (1996). From All Blacks to All Golds: Rugby League's Pioneers. Christchurch: Ryan and Haynes. ISBN 0-473-03864-1.
- ^ "All Blacks Tour 1907/08". rugbyleagueproject. 2009-12-31. http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/All_Blacks_Tour_1907/results.html. Retrieved 2010-01-01.
- ^ Cronin & Rhodes 1999, p. 120
- Bibliography
- Cronin, Jill; Rhodes, Frank (1999), Belle Vue, Tempus, ISBN 0-7524-1571-9
