1997 Super League (UK) season

Season in rugby league the men's British rugby league competition the Australian Super League 1997 Super League (Australia) season the second division of professional football in Greece Super League Greece 2 Super League II Super League 90px The Super League competition logo 22 Rounds 12 19,137 Leeds Rhinos vs Bradford Bulls (29 July) 500 Paris Saint-Germain vs Salford Reds (2 July) Sky Sports 1997 Season Bradford Bulls1st Super League title3rd British title Champions Wigan Warriors Premiership winners ENG James Lowes Man of Steel AwardsMan of Steel ENG Andrew Farrell (243) NZL Nigel Vagana (17) Huddersfield Giants<br/ > Hull Sharks Division One Oldham Bears Division One Resigned from League Paris Saint-Germain Dissolved Super League I 1996 Super League III 1998 Stones Bitter Super League II was the official name for the year 1997's Super League championship season, the 103rd season of top-level professional rugby league football in Britain, and the second to be played in summer. Teams Twelve teams were selected to play in the second Super League season, however Salford Reds were promoted into the League, taking the place of relegated Workington Town. Legend  Reigning Champions  Challenge Cup Holders  Promoted TeamStadiumCapacityCity/Areabradford 16 Bradford BullsOdsal27,000Bradford, West Yorkshirecastleford 16 Castleford TigersWheldon Road11,750Castleford, West Yorkshirehalifax 16 Halifax Blue SoxThrum Hall9,832Halifax, West Yorkshireleeds 16 Leeds RhinosHeadingley21,500Leeds, West Yorkshirelondon 16 London BroncosThe Stoop11,000Twickenham, Greater Londonoldham 16 Oldham BearsBoundary Park13,500Oldham, Greater Manchesterpsg 16 Paris Saint-GermainSébastien Charléty Stadium20,000Paris, France salford city 16 Salford RedsThe Willows11,363Salford, Greater Manchestersheffield 16 Sheffield EaglesDon Valley Stadium25,000Sheffield, South Yorkshire st Helens 16 St. HelensKnowsley Road17,500St Helens, Merseyside warrington 16 Warrington WolvesWilderspool9,200Warrington, Cheshirewigan 16 Wigan Warriors Central Park18,000Wigan, Greater Manchester Rules changes The import limit was raised from five to six, while the non-traditional markets of London and Paris were still exempted from it in an attempt to grow the game.Korporaal Glenda 18 February 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/828788687 Euro Super on edge over imbalance of power Sydney Morning Herald 38 Establishment of Super League (Europe) Ltd. In September 1996, the twelve Super League clubs announced the formation of a separate company, Rugby League (Europe) Ltd., to oversee the circuit's activities. Bradford chairman Chris Caisley was named chairman of RLE. 20 September 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/988096490/ Revamped Super League denies RL breakaway Daily Post Liverpool 41 newspapers.com In December 1997, the company hired Colin Myler of Widnes, a former Daily Mirror editor and member of an old rugby league family, as chief executive.Burke David December 11, 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/920714509 Swinton sign kiwi ace Manchester Evening News 53 newspapers.com In June 1997, RLE added Peter Deakin, a former player who had studied sports management in the U.S. before overseeing Bradford' communication, as marketing director.Hulme Mike June 12, 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/1054487291/ Rugby League Bolton Evening News 54 newspapers.com The RFL, not particularly keen on another emancipatory act on the part of Super League, only contributed £150,000 to the company's initial budget.Wilson Andy 9 March 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/258335949/ Blurred edges to global vision The Observer London Sport 11 After the Australasian Super League abandoned its name to merge into the National Rugby League, Rugby League (Europe) was renamed as Super League (Europe) in November 1997.Mascord Steve November 17, 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/123801463/ Competition decision due 'in two weeks' The Sydney Morning Herald 28 newspapers.com Notable events League affairs Amidst the Super League's teething issues, speculations continued regarding future reforms. The place of traditional small market teams remained a hot topic. While the idea of contracting some teams was gaining a measure of acceptance,Wilson Andy 16 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260866202/ Carlisle merger signals rethink The Guardian London 27 a working party led by RFL chairman Rodney Walker suggested reducing the number of clubs at the bottom of the pyramid, while returning to a two-tier structure and enlarging the Super League to 14 or 16 clubs. This was poorly received by the game's more progressive observers due to the Super League's already palpable lack of depth, as seen during the World Club Championship.Wilson Andy 22 June 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/258382277/ After the slaughter, bring out the axe The Observer London 4 (Sport) newspapers.com Meanwhile, a document circulated internally by Rugby League Europe discussed further streamlining the Super League by axing clubs like Castleford, Halifax and Oldham and in favor of expansion markets such as Glasgow, Leicester, South Wales or even Dublin. Caisley and RFL chief executive Maurice Lindsay strongly denied any firm commitment to this option.Robinson John 13 July 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/894975237/ Super League slaughter The People London 60Fitzpatrick Paul 15 July 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260748070/ Clubs control own destiny The Guardian London 22 newspapers.com Despite the funds provided by News Ltd., the greater cost of running a Super League team put many teams in the red, and the introduction of a salary cap was mooted during a meeting of executives in July.Dowson George 16 July 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/920608682/ Cap the cash Manchester Evening News 51 newspapers.com At the end of the season, the Paris Saint-Germain team, which had brought the league some of its most favorable headlines, was dissolved for failure to generate sufficient income.Slot Owen 26 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752127610 Trying to keep the Super in League The Daily Telegraph London 10s newspapers.comWilson Andy 4 November 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260885264 Huddersfield in, Paris out The Guardian London 25 Relegated Oldham went into administration with more than £1 million in liabilities. The club entered voluntary liquidation in October. 9 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/885747584/ Directors pull out as Bears debts rise The Advertiser Oldham 36 newspapers.com Its assets including its name and history were retained for a second Oldham club which entered the third tier for the 1998 season. Its chairman John Quinn called for a freeze of the relegation system, a measure that Widnes and Keighley had successfully fought to repel at the Super League's inception. 18 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/920615094/ Quinn super plea Manchester Evening News 23 newspapers.com The season also ended on a negative note for the RFL itself, with losses of £1 million, the governing body's first operational deficit in its 102-year history.Heads Ian 4 January 1998 https://www.newspapers.com/image/119752619/ Disaster-plagued Lindsay on borrowed time Sydney Morning-Herald 102 newspapers.com The tensions between chief executive Lindsay, the advocate of a perceived Super League elite, and chairman Walker, who had the favors of the rank-and-file clubs, escalated throughout the season. Lindsay became a candidate for the presidency of The Tote, inviting rumors of his departure from the sport, but ended up not being chosen.Wilson Andy 13 July 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/258392203/ Why mud-spattered Mo must go The Observer London 2 (Sport) newspapers.com In late summer, he was also targeted by an article from tabloid The Sun, detailing more than £100,000 in personal expenses over the previous two years.Wilson Andy 7 September 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/258413161/ Iron man with golden grip The Observer 45 newspapers.com Unrest was such that Murdoch's right-hand man Rob Cowley was dispatched from Australia to help pacify the situation, which actually marked the first in-person meeting with a high level News executive since the signing of the Super League agreement twenty-eight months earlier. In the run-up to the RFL's September meeting, Walker indicated his desire to curb the dominance of Lindsay's faction within the RFL, with much power concentrated into the hands of a four-man board of directors overseen by the latter.Fieldhouse John 2 September 1997 Waudby quits board with warning https://www.newspapers.com/image/899829769/ Hull Daily Mail 52 An at-large board was re-installed, to be led by a newly elected chairman, a position for which Walker ran unopposed.Walker Nick 4 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/916908134/ Lydon loan idea gets thumbs down Liverpool Echo/Football Echo 26 newspapers.com Shortly after, RFL project coordinator Neil Tunnicliffe was promoted to the position of deputy chief executive, working alongside Lindsay.Burke David 16 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/920614849 Expand the Super League Manchester Evening News 56 newspapers.com Other At the end of 1996, a fan survey was organized to help chose a permanent nickname for Leeds RLFC, the last Super League member not to have one. The team had sporadically used the folk name "Loiners", but it never caught on. It subsequently became known as the Rhinos.Fisher Michael November 13, 1996 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752089686/ Wigan deny sale of ground for £4m The Daily Telegraph London 41 newspapers.com In May, Sheffield became the first publicly traded British rugby club of either code, although the introduction was met with a lackluster response. Ownership attributed it to disappointing on-field performance, while analysts blamed it on the sport's limited profile in the city.Clark Andrew May 22, 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752108435/ The Eagles have landed with a bump The Sunday Telegraph London 27 newspapers.com With the advent of professional rugby union, a number of league players were now tempted back into the ranks of the fifteen-man code by lucrative winter offers. Wigan reacted by prohibiting such short-term contracts. 9 October 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/752124850/ Wigan ban players from taking union contracts The Daily Telegraph 41 newspapers.com Following dealings with a pair of unscrupulous agents, the Super League reached out to the Rugby League Professional Players' Association to join forces in the creation of a register of approved agents. 1 November 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/848430509/ Call for agents' register Birmingham Post 12 newspapers.com Halifax attracted negative attention during a trip to the south of France (where their game against Paris had been relocated to take advantage of holiday crowds). They were accused of damaging six rooms and the swimming pool of a Béziers hotel following their loss to the French club.Wilson Andy August 26, 1997 https://www.newspapers.com/image/260791373 Halifax hit by hotel bill for 'high spirits' The Guardian London 23 newspapers.com The RFL's Strategic Planning Commission led by technical director Joe Lydon put forward a proposal to officially recognize farm team agreements between Super League and Division One clubs, acknowledging the relationships that already existed on a case-by-case basis between Bradford and Dewsbury, as well as between Leeds and Bramley. The initiative, which would have allowed up to five players to shuttle between parent and affiliate clubs each week, was shut down by FASDA (the entity representing Division One and Division Two clubs). Table At the end of the season, the Bradford Bulls were crowned Super League champions by virtue of finishing the season at the top of the table. Bradford Bulls Honours List http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/bb_experience_full.asp?experienceid=12 Bradford Bulls official website 2007-01-26 2007-08-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20070205155228/http://www.bradfordbulls.co.uk/bb_experience_full.asp?experienceid=12 2007-02-05 Premiership 1997 Rugby League Premiership During the year a secondary title, known as the Stone's Premiership, was also played for the last time. All twelve Super League teams qualified for and competed in a knockout play-off series. In the 28 September final held at Manchester's Old Trafford, Wigan Warriors beat rivals St. Helens 33–20 thanks to a Harry Sunderland Trophy-winning performance by captain Andy Farrell.Dave Hadfield (29 September 1997) Farrell keeps Wigan's trophy cabinet stocked The Independent Following this season, it was abolished and replaced with the Super League Grand Final which would determine the Champions rather than the current first past the post system. International series A post-season Super League Test series between Australia and Great Britain was also held in England. See also 1997 World Club Championship 1997 Challenge Cup References External links Super League II at wigan.rlfans.com Super League II results at rugby-league-world.com Super League II at rugbyleagueproject.com Category:1997 in English rugby league Category:1997 in French rugby league