1945–46 Lancashire Cup

1945–46 was the thirty-third occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held in rugby league, and the first since the end of the Second World War in Europe.
For the first time for several seasons there is a new name on the trophy; that of one of the founder members of the Northern Union, Widnes, who won the trophy by beating Wigan by the score of 7–3.
The match was played at Wilderspool, Warrington, (historically in the county of Lancashire). The attendance was 28,184 and receipts were £2,600.

1945–46 Lancashire Cup
StructureRegional knockout championship
Teams12
WinnersWidnes
Runners-upWigan

Background

The number of teams entering showed little change from before the war.
St Helens Recs had already withdrawn from the league immediately after the end on the 1938–39 season.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.
Leigh lost its ground to in August 1940 when Callender's Cable and Construction Company bought the Mather Lane site to store drums etc as part of the war effort. The club did not resume playing until the 1946–47 season when they found a temporary ground.
Workington Town from Cumberland had joined the league.
Overall, the number of teams entering this year’s competition had decreased from the pre-war total by just one and was now 12. The same pre-war 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 first round of the competition was played on the basis of two legged, home and away, ties.

Competition and results

[1]

Round 1

Involved 6 matches (with two “blank” fixture) and 12 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 22 Sep 1945Barrow18–8WarringtonCraven Park[2]
2Sat 22 Sep 1945Oldham7–5WiganWatersheddings[3]
3Sat 22 Sep 1945Liverpool Stanley5–5Broughton RangersStanley Greyhound Sadium
4Sat 22 Sep 1945Rochdale Hornets7–2SwintonAthletic Grounds
5Sat 22 Sep 1945Widnes37–0SalfordNaughton Park[4]
6Sat 22 Sep 1945Workington Town9–8St. HelensBorough Park1[5]
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Round 1 – second leg

Involved 6 matches (with two “blank” fixture) and 12 clubs. These are the reverse fixture from the first leg

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Sat 29 Sep 1945Warrington13–8BarrowWilderspool21–26[2]
2Sat 29 Sep 1945Wigan19–0OldhamCentral Park24–7[3]
3Sat 29 Sep 1945Broughton Rangers22–0Liverpool StanleyBelle Vue Stadium27–5
4Sat 29 Sep 1945Swinton9–2Rochdale HornetsStation Road11–9
5Sat 29 Sep 1945Salford2–15WidnesThe Willows2–52[4]
6Sat 29 Sep 1945St. Helens21–11Workington TownKnowsley Road29–20[5]
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Round 2 – quarterfinals

Involved 2 matches (with two byes) and 6 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Wed 10 Oct 1945Swinton2–8WiganStation Road[3]
2Wed 10 Oct 1945Widnes6–0BarrowNaughton Park[4]
3St. Helensbye[5]
4Broughton Rangersbye

Round 3 – semifinals

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
1Wed 17 Oct 1945Wigan18–5St. HelensCentral Park[3][5]
2Wed 18 Oct 1945Widnes10–3Broughton RangersNaughton Park[4]

Final
Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue agg Att Rec Notes Ref
Saturday 27 October 1945Widnes7–3WiganWilderspool28184£2600-0-02[3][4][6]

Teams and scorers
Widnes № Wigan
teams
Joe Bourke 1Martin Ryan
Mick Roberts 2Gordon Ratcliffe
Colin Hutton3Ernie Ashcroft
Arthur Dagnall 4Ted Toohey
Austin Malone 5Ted Ward
Charlie Reynolds 6Jack Fleming
Tommy McCue (c)7Tommy Bradshaw
Alec Higgins8Ken Gee
Jack Hayes 9Joe Egan
Hugh McDowell10George Banks
Robert Roberts11Harry Atkinson
Fred Higgins12Frank Barton
Harry Millington13Jack Blan
7score3
0HT0
Scorers
Tries
Charlie Reynolds (1)TTed Toohey (1)
Goals
Colin Hutton (2)G
Referee

Scoring – Try = three (3) points – Goal = two (2) points – Drop goal = two (2) points

[3][4]

The road to success

All the first round ties were played on a two leg (home and away) basis The first club named in each of the first round ties played the first leg at home the scores shown in the first round are the aggregate score over the two legs

First round Second round Semifinals Final
            
Widnes 52
Salford 2
Widnes 6
Barrow 0
Barrow 26
Warrington 21
Widnes 10
Broughton Rangers 3
Liverpool Stanley 5
Broughton Rangers 27
Broughton Rangers
bye
blank
blank
Widnes 7
Wigan 3
Rochdale Hornets 9
Swinton 11
Swinton 2
Wigan 8
Oldham 7
Wigan 24
Wigan 18
St. Helens 5
Workington Town 20
St. Helens 29
St. Helens
bye
blank
blank

1 * The first match in the Lancashire Cup competition to be played by the new club and at this ground (of Workington AFC)
2 * Wilderspool was the home ground of Warrington from 1883 to the end of the 2003 Summer season when they moved into the new purpose built Halliwell Jones Stadium. Wilderspool remained as a sports/Ruugby League ground and is/was used by Woolston Rovers/Warrington Wizards junior club.
The ground had a final capacity of 9,000 although the record attendance was set in a Challenge cup third round match on 13 March 1948 when 34,304 spectators saw Warrington lose to Wigan 10–13.

See also

References
  1. "Rugby League Project".
  2. "Warrington Wolves – Results Archive – 1897". Archived from the original on 6 July 2010.
  3. "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results".
  4. "Widnes Vikings – History – Season In Review – 1896–97".
  5. "Saints Heritage Society – History – Season 1896–97".
  6. Raymond Fletcher and David Howes (1991). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1991-100. Queen Anne Press. ISBN 0 35617852 8.
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