1941–42 Yorkshire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams16
WinnersBradford Northern
Runners-upHalifax

The 1941–42 Yorkshire Cup was the thirty-fourth occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held. Organised by the Rugby Football League (RFL), the Yorkshire Cup was a knock-out competition between the professional rugby league clubs from the county of Yorkshire. Under the wartime emergency rules the RFL was operating to, teams from Lancashire were invited to participate as the Lancashire Cup was not played. The Cup was played for by 14 teams from Yorkshire and two from Lancashire.

Played during October to December 1941 and comprised three two-legged rounds followed by the final. The final was played at Fartown, Huddersfield. Bradford Northern retained the trophy by beating Halifax 24–0 in front of a crowd of 5,989 with receipts were £635.

Participation

In making plans for the 1941–42 season the RFL decided to move the dates of the competition back to the traditional playing period of autumn.[1] In the previous season, the Lancashire Cup was abandoned and the few Lancashire clubs playing during the war were invited to play in the Yorkshire Cup instead, this invitation was continued for 1941–42.[2] Wigan and Oldham of the three Lancashire teams playing during the season accepted the invite while St Helens declined to take part.[1]

Format

With 14 Yorkshire clubs and two Lancashire clubs in the draw, the format did not require any byes. The decision was made to play all ties, except the final, as two-legs (home and away). The competition was played over consecutive weeks, commencing on 25 October, with the final taking place on 6 December.[3] All the fixtures for all three rounds of the competition were drawn at the same time.[3]

First round

The first leg ties were all played on Saturday 25 October 1941.

Yorkshire Cup: first round, first leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue
A Leeds 3–8 Wakefield Trinity 25 October 1941, 3:30 pm Headingley
B Hull F.C. 3–20 Huddersfield The Boulevard
C York 2–5 Oldham Clarence Street
D Keighley 2–14 Wigan Lawkholme Lane
E Castleford 18–2 Dewsbury Wheldon Road
F Bradford Northern 6–28 Batley Odsal
G Featherstone Rovers 7–18 Halifax Post Office Road
H Hunslet 28–6 Bramley Parkside
Source:[4]

The return legs were played the following weekend on Saturday 1 November 1941.

Yorkshire Cup: first round, second leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Aggregate score
A Wakefield Trinity 4–5 Leeds 1 November 1941, 3:30 pm Belle Vue 12–8
B Huddersfield 5–13 Hull F.C. Fartown 25–16
C Oldham 10–0 York Watersheddings 15–2
D Wigan 19–0 Keighley Central Park 33–2
E Dewsbury 8–5 Castleford Crown Flatt 10–23
F Batley 36–0 Bradford Mount Pleasant 64–6
G Halifax 16–5 Featherstone Rovers Thrum Hall 34–12
H Bramley 3–34 Hunslet Barley Mow 9–62
Source:[5]

Second round

The first leg ties were all played on Saturday 8 November 1941.

Yorkshire Cup: second round, first leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue
G v A Halifax 13–7 Wakefield Trinity 8 November 1941, 3:30 pm Thrum Hall
H v D Hunslet 3–8 Wigan Parkside
B v E Huddersfield 14–6 Castleford Fartown
C v F Oldham 0–10 Bradford Northern Watersheddings
Source:[6]
Yorkshire Cup: second round, second leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Aggregate score
G v A Wakefield Trinity 3–17 Halifax 15 November 1941, 3:30 pm Belle Vue 10–27
H v D Wigan 10–4 Hunslet Central Park 18–7
B v E Castleford 6–5 Huddersfield Wheldon Road 12–19
C v F Bradford Northern 5–9 Oldham Odsal 15–9
Source:[7]


Semi-finals

Yorkshire Cup: semi-finals, first leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee
G/A v H/D Halifax 11–8 Wigan 22 November 1941, 3:30 pm Thrum Hall A.E.Harding
B/E v C/F Huddersfield 11–10 Bradford Northern Fartown J.E. Taylor
Source:[8]
Yorkshire Cup: semi-finals, second leg
Match ID Home Score Away Match Information
Date and Time Venue Referee Aggregate score
G/A v H/D Wigan 2–2 Halifax 29 November 1941, 3:30 pm Central Park E. Devine 13–10
B/E v C/F Bradford Northern 9–3 Huddersfield Odsal A. Hill 19–14
Source:[9]

Final

8 December 1941
3:00 pm
Bradford Northern 24–00 Halifax
Tries: Davies (2), Best, Carter, Foster, Smith
Goals: Carmichael, E. Ward (2)
Fartown
Attendance: 5,979
Referee: G.S. Phillips
Team details
Bradford NorthernPositionHalifax
NameNumberNumberName
Carmichael1Fullback1Lockwood
Best2Wing2Elias
Billington3Centre3Smith
E. Ward4Centre4Rule
Walters5Wing5Doyle
Davies6Stand off6Todd
D. Ward7Scrum half7McCue (Widnes)
Whitcombe8Prop forward8Baynham
Carter (Leeds)9Hooker9Meek
Higson10Prop forward10Irving
Foster11Second row11Millington (Widnes)
Smith12Second row12Brereton
Hutchinson13Loose forward13Dixon
ReesCoach

On the Monday following the semi-finals, the cup committee met to decide the venue for the final. The decision made was to play the game at Huddersfield's Fartown Ground with Mr G.S. Phillips as referee. Kick-off time was scheduled for 3:00 pm to allow for extra-time of 10-minutes each way to be played, if needed, and the game still finish in daylight. If the scores were still level after 20-minutes of extra-time then the game would proceed as sudden death, with the first team to score being declared the winners.[10]

The local rivals met in a game that journalists expected to be a close match.[11][12]

With both teams featuring guest players, the first half was the close matched game expected and it was only shortly before half-time when the first points were scored as Bradford's Willie Davies made the most of a Halifax error to score a try. With the conversion being kicked, Bradford had a 5–0 lead at the interval.[13]

The second half was a one-sided affair, Davies scored his second try from the first scrum of the half.[13] This was followed by tries from Best, Carter, Foster and Smith with two conversions added. Although Halifax had a majority of possession in the second half, it was Bradford who did the attacking with Halifax once getting anywhere close to scoring.[14]

The receipts for the final were £635.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 "Rugby League Plans For New Season". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24216. 31 July 1941. p. 2 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. ↑ "Clubs To Pay Bonus In Yorkshire Cup". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24250. 9 September 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. 1 2 "Yorks Cup Draw". Hull Daily Mail. No. 17426. 9 September 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. ↑ "Rugby League Yorkshire Cup, First Round". Yorkshire Post. No. 29397. 27 October 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ↑ "Three Players Sent Off In Rugby Club". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24297. 3 November 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Rugby League Results". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24309. 17 November 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ↑ "Three Players Sent Off In Rugby Club". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24297. 3 November 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ↑ "Rugby League Cup Semi-Finals". Yorkshire Post. No. 29421. 24 November 1941. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Over 18,000 See The Cup Semi-Finals". Yorkshire Observer. No. 24321. 1 December 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ "Yorkshire Cup Final At Fartown". Halifax Courier. No. 18926. 2 December 1941. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "Bradford To Retain Cup". Manchester Evening News. No. 22643. 5 December 1941. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ "Halifax Cup Final Chances". Halifax Courier. No. 18929. 4 December 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. 1 2 3 "Bradford Northern's Match-winner". Halifax Courier. No. 18932. 8 December 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ↑ "Davies As Odsal's Cup Hero". Bradford Observer. No. 24327. 8 December 1941. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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