1939–40 Lancashire Cup

April 2022 1939–40 Lancashire Cup Regional knockout championship Swinton Winners Widnes 1938–39 Lancashire Cup 1938–39 1945–46 Lancashire Cup 1945–46 12 The 1939–40 Lancashire Cup was the thirty-second occasion on which the Lancashire Cup competition had been held. Due to the start of the Second World War, the competition was delayed until early 1940. Swinton won the trophy by beating Widnes on a two legged final by the score of 21–15 aggregate. The first leg was played at Naughton Park, Widnes, and the second led was played at Station Road, Swinton. Swinton won both legs, 5–4 away and 16–11 at home. The attendances were 5,500 at Widnes and 9,000 at Swinton. Preamble to changes Prior to the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, most clubs had played two or three fixtures (on Saturday 26, Thursday 31 August and Saturday 2 September). During the following week, the Northern Rugby League decided, after publicity from the Government, to suspend the championship. They almost immediately inaugurated two regional (Lancashire and Yorkshire), Wartime Emergency Leagues, with the winner of each league meeting in a play-off final to decide the overall winner. The Challenge Cup and both County Cups were suspended. There was to be no Lancashire Cup competition in 1939. But later in the season both County Cups were resurrected. The Lancashire Cup started on Saturday 2 March 1940 and was played on consecutive weekends. Each and every match was played on a two-legged home and away basis. Background St Helens Recs had already withdrawn from the league immediately after the end on the 1938–39 season. The club had been struggling to survive for a few years with falling attendances and the economic depression and it was obviously not possible for the town to sustain two top teams. The number of teams entering this year's competition decreased by one with the loss of St Helens Recs to a total of 12. The same fixture format was retained. This season saw no byes but two "blank" or "dummy" fixture in the first round. The second round now had two byes. The whole competition was played on the basis of two legged ties. Competition and results Rugby League Project http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/competitions/lancashire-cup/results.html?page=6 Round 1 – First Leg Involved 6 matches (with two "blank" fixture) and 12 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 02 Mar 1940Barrow5–5WiganCraven ParkWigan "Cherry and White" archived results http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=3199 14 February 2014 21 February 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140221234707/http://wigan.rlfans.com/news.php?readmore=3199 dead2Sat 02 Mar 1940Leigh5–5Liverpool StanleyMather Lane3Sat 02 Mar 1940Oldham5–15Rochdale HornetsWatersheddings4Sat 02 Mar 1940St. Helens26–7Broughton RangersKnowsley RoadSaints Heritage Society – History – Season 1896–97 http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=9 14 February 2014 2 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302024842/http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=9 dead5Sat 02 Mar 1940Swinton7–0SalfordStation Road6Sat 02 Mar 1940Widnes10–7WarringtonNaughton ParkWidnes Vikings – History – Season In Review – 1896–97 http://www.rugby.widnes.tv/seasonreview.php?mid=1896&smid=1896-97&mids=1896Warrington Wolves – Results Archive – 1897 http://www.warringtonwolves.org/results-archive?y=1897 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20100706043029/http://www.warringtonwolves.org/results-archive?y=1897 2010-07-06 7 blankblank8 blankblank Round 1 – Second Leg Involved 6 matches (with two "blank" fixture) and 12 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 09 Mar 1940Wigan14–9BarrowCentral Park19–142Sat 09 Mar 1940Liverpool Stanley6–0LeighStanley Greyhound Stadium11–53Sat 09 Mar 1940Rochdale Hornets2–4OldhamAthletic Grounds17–9 4Sat 09 Mar 1940Broughton Rangers10–3St. HelensBelle Vue Stadium17–295Sat 09 Mar 1940Salford6–6SwintonThe Willows6–13 6Sat 09 Mar 1940Warrington2–4WidnesWilderspool9–147blankblank8blankblank Round 2 – quarterfinals – First Leg Involved 2 matches (with two) and 6 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 16 Mar 1940Liverpool Stanley5–2Rochdale HornetsStanley Greyhound Stadium2Sat 16 Mar 1940Wigan5–0St. HelensCentral Park3 Swintonbye4 Widnesbye Round 2 – quarterfinals –Second Leg Involved 2 matches (with two) and 6 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 30 Mar 1940Rochdale Hornets10–0Liverpool StanleyAthletic Grounds15–22Sat 30 Mar 1940St. Helens10–4WiganKnowsley Road10–93 Swintonbye4 Widnesbye Round 3 – semifinals – First Legs Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 06 Apr 1940St. Helens7–5WidnesKnowsley Road2Sat 06 Apr 04 1940Swinton14–6Rochdale HornetsStation Road Round 3 – semifinals – Second Legs Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs. The reverse fixtures of the first leg Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 13 Apr 04 1940Widnes13–0St. HelensNaughton Park18–72Sat 13 Apr 1940Rochdale Hornets5–9SwintonAthletic Grounds11–23 Final – First leg Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Saturday 20 April 1940Widnes4–5SwintonNaughton Park5,500Raymond Fletcher and David Howes Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-100 1991 Queen Anne Press 0 35617852 8 Final – Second leg The reverse fixture of the first leg Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Saturday 27 April 1940Swinton16–11Widnes Station Road21–159,000 Teams and scorers Widnes№Swinton 1939–40 Lancashire Cup final – First Leg. teams A. H. Woodward 1Harold PalinHarry Owen Snr.2Bill HopkinPeter Topping 3Randall LewisNorman Rutledge 4Billy ShawAlan Evans 5Jack McGurkTommy Shannon6Tommy BartramTommy McCue7Frank BowyerJ. Sutcliffe 8Joe WrightPaddy Hynan 9Tommy ArmittBill Hoey 10Gomer HughesHugh McDowell11Martin HodgsonBob Williamson 12Cledwyn WilliamsBob Roberts13Fred Garner 4score52HT3 Scorers TriesTFred Garner (1) GoalsTopping (2)GMartin Hodgson (1) Drop Goals DGReferee Swinton№Widnes 1939–40 Lancashire Cup final – Second Leg. teams Harold Palin1A. H. WoodwardBill Hopkin2A. H. Evans Randall Lewis3Peter ToppingBilly Shaw4Norman RutledgeJack McGurk5Alan EvansArthur Hickman6Tommy ShannonFrank Bowyer7Tommy McCueJoe Wright8Bob WilliamsonTommy Armitt9Paddy HynanGomer Hughes10Ernie Miller Martin Hodgson11Hugh McDowellCledwyn Williams12Bob RobertsFred Garner13Bill Hoey 16score116HT2 Scorers TriesJoe Wright (1)TNorman Rutledge (1)Randall Lewis (1)T GoalsMartin Hodgson (5)GPeter Topping (2)GTommy Shannon (1)GBill Hoey (1) Drop Goals DG (One of the above goals was a DG)Referee Scoring – Try = three (3) points – Goal = two (2) points – Drop goal = two (2) points The road to success ALL ties were played on a two leg (home and away) basis The first club named in each tie played the first leg at home The scores shown are the aggregate score over the two legs First round Second round Semifinals Final Barrow 14 Wigan 19 St. Helens 29 Broughton Rangers 17 Swinton 13 Salford 6 blank blank Widnes 14 Warrington 9 blank blank Leigh 5 Liverpool Stanley 11 Oldham 9 Rochdale Hornets 17 Wigan 9 St. Helens 10 Swinton bye Widnes bye Liverpool Stanley 2 Rochdale Hornets 15 St. Helens 7 Widnes 18 Swinton 23 Rochdale Hornets 11 Widnes 15 Swinton' 21 Notes and comments This would be the last year of the Lancashire Cup until season 1945–46. In the in-between years, many Lancashire clubs were invited (and accepted the invitation) to take part in the Yorkshire Cup competition. See also 1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season Rugby league county cups References External links Saints Heritage Society https://web.archive.org/web/20120302024842/http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=9 2 March 2012 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season at wigan.rlfans.com https://web.archive.org/web/20140202123900/http://wigan.rlfans.com/fusion_pages/index.php?page_id=319 2 February 2014 Hull&Proud Fixtures & Results 1896/1897 Widnes Vikings – One team, one passion Season In Review – 1896–97 The Northern Union at warringtonwolves.org Category:RFL Lancashire Cup Lancashire Cup