1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season

none 1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season Northern Rugby Football League warrington 16 Warrington Champions halifax 16 Halifax League Leaders st helens 16 Peter Metcalfe 369 warrington 16 Brian Bevan 67 1952–53 Northern Rugby Football League season 1952–53 1954–55 Northern Rugby Football League season 1954–55 The 1953–54 Rugby Football League season was the 59th season of rugby league football played in England. The championship, which involved thirty teams, started in August, 1953 and culminated in a finals play-off series in April, 1954 which resulted in a championship final between Warrington and Halifax. The season was also punctuated by the 1954 Rugby League World Cup, the first ever, and is also notable for its Challenge Cup final, which was drawn and had to be re-played, attracting a world record crowd for a rugby football match of either code.Baker Andrew 100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era Independent, The independent.co.uk 1995-08-20 https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/100-years-of-rugby-league-from-the-great-divide-to-the-super-era-1597130.html 2009-09-25 Season summary The 1953–54 season saw Brian Bevan become the highest try scorer in rugby league history when he passed the 446 tries mark set by Alf Ellaby. League Champions: Warrington (8-7 v Halifax) Challenge Cup Winners: Warrington (8-4 v Halifax in replay after 4–4 draw) Warrington won the Lancashire League, and Halifax won the Yorkshire League. One oddity of the season was that Double winners Warrington, who only lost 5 league games, were beaten by both the bottom Lancashire club, Liverpool City and the bottom Yorkshire club, Hull Kingston Rovers. Championship Ladder ClubPWDLPFPADPts1Halifax363024538219+319622Warrington363015663311+352613St. Helens362826672297+375584Workington Town362907604333+271585Hull3625011685349+336506Huddersfield3624012689417+272487Wigan3623112688392+296478Barrow3623013574377+197469Bradford Northern3622014628414+2144410Leeds3622014766517+2494411Wakefield Trinity3619116671508+1633912Oldham3617415504366+1383813Leigh3619017547459+883814Featherstone Rovers3618216478431+473815Hunslet3619017455451+43816Widnes3616317420431-113517York3617019412401+113418Keighley3615318473533-603319Rochdale Hornets3614319404457-533120Dewsbury3614319432508-763121Whitehaven3614121362544-1822922Salford3613221370438-682823Swinton3613122341513-1722724Batley3613122367658-2912725Bramley3611322437746-3092526Castleford3611124437728-2912327Belle Vue Rangers367227307714-4071628Doncaster365229340840-5001229Hull Kingston Rovers365229298737-4391230Liverpool City364032304777-4738 Play-offs Semi-finals Halifax 18, Workington Town 7. Warrington 11, St Helens 0. Final The Championship Final was played between Warrington and Halifax on 8 May (three days after the epic Challenge Cup re-play) at Maine Road before a crowd of 36,519. The match was televised by the BBC and it was a tremendous defensive effort that helped Warrington to a narrow 8–7 win, with Bath kicking 4 goals. 8 May 1954 Warrington 8 – 7 Halifax Bath (4) Thorley Griffiths (2) Maine Road, Manchester 36,519 A. Hill (Dewsbury) WarringtonNumberHalifax Teams Eric Frodsham1Tuss GriffithsBrian Bevan2Arthur DanielsJim Challinor3Tommy LynchRon Ryder4Peter ToddStan McCormick5Dai BevanRay Price6Ken DeanGerry Helme7Stan KieltyDanny Naughton8John ThorleyFrank Wright9Alvin AckerleyGerry Lowe10Jack WilkinsonHarry Bath11Albert FearnleyAustin Heathwood12Gerry SchofieldBob Ryan13Des ClarksonCes MountfordCoach Challenge Cup 1954 Challenge Cup The 1954 Challenge Cup was the 53rd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. It featured clubs from the 1953–54 Northern Rugby Football League season and is notable for its Final which had to be replayed before possibly the largest crowd in rugby league history. County cups 1953–54 Lancashire Cup 1953–54 Yorkshire Cup St. Helens beat Wigan 16–8 to win the Lancashire County Cup, and Bradford Northern beat Hull F.C. 7–2 to win the Yorkshire County Cup. Notes Sources 1953-54 Northern Rugby Football League season at wigan.rlfans.com 1953-54 Northern Rugby Football League season at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1954 Challenge Cup final at rlhalloffame.org.uk 1954 Challenge Cup final at eraofthebiff.com Warrington History (1945-1970) at warringtonwolves.org The 1954 Odsal Challenge Cup final replay at rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk Category:1953 in English rugby league Category:1954 in English rugby league Category:Northern Rugby Football League seasons