1952–53 Challenge Cup

The 1952–53 Challenge Cup was the 52nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]

1952–53 Challenge Cup
Duration5 rounds
Winners Huddersfield
Runners-up St Helens
Lance Todd Trophy Peter Ramsden

First round
Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
07 FebBarrow20Featherstone Rovers8
07 FebBatley6Bradford Northern15
07 FebBelle Vue Rangers10Keighley2
07 FebHalifax14Dewsbury7
07 FebHuddersfield36Castleford14
07 FebHull Kingston Rovers12Doncaster0
07 FebHunslet14Workington Town12
07 FebLeigh34Bramley10
07 FebLiverpool3Swinton26
07 FebOrford Tannery2Warrington46
07 FebSt Helens20Oldham4
07 FebSalford24York14
07 FebWakefield Trinity9Leeds33
07 FebWhitehaven13Hull FC6
07 FebWidnes28NDLB0
07 FebWigan27Rochdale Hornets7
14 FebBramley3Leigh11
14 FebCastleford2Huddersfield6
14 FebDoncaster5Hull Kingston Rovers5
14 FebFeatherstone Rovers5Barrow15
14 FebHull FC14Whitehaven5
14 FebKeighley7Belle Vue Rangers0
14 FebNDLB3Widnes22
14 FebOldham5St Helens5
14 FebSwinton12Liverpool4
14 FebWarrington46Orford Tannery8
14 FebWorkington Town12Hunslet8
17 FebDewsbury2Halifax16
18 FebLeeds32Wakefield Trinity9
18 FebYork3Salford8
19 FebRochdale Hornets15Wigan24
23 FebBradford Northern17Batley3

Second round
Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
28 FebBradford Northern18Salford4
28 FebHuddersfield21Barrow7
28 FebHull Kingston Rovers14Swinton3
28 FebLeeds26Widnes17
28 FebLeigh7Halifax7
28 FebSt Helens28Belle Vue Rangers0
28 FebWarrington10Workington Town2
28 FebWigan18Hull FC10
04 MarHalifax4Leigh7

Quarterfinals

A club record 69,429 people watch the Challenge Cup 3rd Round tie at Odsal between Bradford Northern and Huddersfield. Larger crowds had watched matches at Odsal, but this was the largest involving the home side.[2]

Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
14 MarBradford Northern7Huddersfield17
14 MarLeigh3St Helens12
14 MarWarrington25Leeds8
14 MarWigan25Hull Kingston Rovers6

Semifinals
Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
28 MarHuddersfield7Wigan0
28 MarWarrington3St Helens9

Final

In the final, Huddersfield beat St. Helens 15-10 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 89,588. This produced a record gate taking for a Challenge Cup final of £31,000.[3]

This was Huddersfield’s sixth Cup final win in seven Final appearances, including one win during the Second World War.[4] coached by William R. 'Bill' Smith, their stand-off half, Peter Ramsden, became the youngest player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match at 19.[5] the Huddersfield team also featured Australian Pat Devery and New Zealand's Peter Henderson.

25 April 1953
Huddersfield 15 - 10 St Helens
Tries: Ramsden (2), Banks
Goals: Devery, Cooper (2)		 Report
 Tries: Llewellyn, Langfield
Goals Langfield
DG Langfield
Wembley, London
Attendance: 89,588

Coverage

The draw for the first round of the cup was broadcast live on television, and was the first time a rugby league cup draw had been televised.[6]

The final itself was untelevised, as the Rugby League Council refused permission to broadcast the match due to concerns that this would impact the attendance.[7]

References
  1. "Challenge Cup 1952/53". Rugby League Project.
  2. "Bradford Bulls History". Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
  3. Goodman, Tom (27 April 1953). "St. Helen's hooted in R.L. Cup final". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  4. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
  5. news.bbc.co.uk (11 May 2004). "Cup final facts". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  6. "Castleford Visitors To Fartown". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. No. 28030. 10 January 1953. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "Cup final not for TV". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury. No. 32865. 6 January 1953. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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