1899–1900 Challenge Cup

The 1900 Challenge Cup was the 4th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]

1900 Challenge Cup
Duration6 Rounds
Number of teams62
Highest attendance17,864
Winners Swinton
Runners-up Salford

The final was contested by Swinton and Salford at Fallowfield Stadium in Manchester[2] on Saturday 28 April 1900. Swinton won 16–8 in front of a crowd of 17,864.[3] The cup was presented by Mrs Smith, wife of the President of the Northern Union.[4]

First round

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The 30 ties of the first round were all played on Saturday 17 March 1900. 64 teams had been in the draw but Holbeck and Bramley received byes as their opponents, Whitehaven Town and Rothwell respectively withdrew from the competition before the games were played.[5]

Home Score Away
Altrincham 24–0 Pontefract
Alverthorpe 2–8 Workington
Barrow 2–3 Bradford
Birkenhead 4–6 Werneth
Brighouse Rangers 16–5 Todmorden
Broughton Rangers 22–7 Lancaster
Castleford 0–0 Batley
Dewsbury 3–0 Wigan
Featherstone 2–19 Halifax
Goole 8–6 Heckmondwike
Hebden Bridge 0–15 Wakefield Trinity
Huddersfield 22–0 Idle
Hull FC 52–0 Wath Brow Hornets
Hull Kingston Rovers 3–0 Millom
Kendal Hornets 0–9 Maryport
Leeds Parish Church 5–0 Seaton Rangers
Liversedge 8–12 Leigh
Manningham 3–3 Oldham
Morecambe 19–0 Whitehaven Recreation
Normanton 5–0 Leeds
Ossett 5–0 Elland
Outwood Church 5–24 Widnes
Radcliffe 13–0 Whitworth
Runcorn 42–0 Birstall
St Helens 0–6 Warrington
Salford 9–0 York
Stockport 2–0 Hunslet
Swinton 53–0 Eastmoor
Tyldesley 12–0 Brookland
Windhill 0–11 Rochdale Hornets
Source:[5]

The two drawn matches were replayed on Tuesday 20 March; Batley beat Castleford 5–0 and Oldham beat Manningham 18–3.[6]

Second round

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The second-round games were played on Saturday 24 March 1900.

Home Score Away
Altrincham 3–15 Leeds Parish Church
Bradford 12–0 Ossett
Bramley 8–5 Hull FC
Brighouse Rangers 0–4 Wakefield Trinity
Dewsbury 0–2 Widnes
Halifax 5–10 Oldham
Holbeck 8–17 Swinton
Huddersfield 13–0 Workington
Leigh 2–9 Salford
Morecambe 0–7 Broughton Rangers
Normanton 0–3 Batley
Radcliffe 2–0 Werneth
Rochdale Hornets 13–5 Hull Kingston Rovers
Runcorn 12–0 Maryport
Stockport 5–2 Tyldesley
Warrington 44–0 Goole
Source:[7]

Third round

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The third round matches were played on Saturday 31 March 1900.

Home Score Away
Bradford 0–0 Runcorn
Bramley 3–3 Widnes
Broughton Rangers 5–3 Wakefield Trinity
Leeds Parish Church 7–2 Batley
Rochdale Hornets 3–0 Warrington
Salford 6–5 Huddersfield
Stockport 24–3 Radcliffe
Swinton 14–2 Oldham
Source:[8]

The Widnes v Bramley tie was replayed on Tuesday 3 April with Widnes winning 8–0.[9] Runcorn and Bradford replayed their game the following evening and drew again, this time 3–3.[10] With the quarter-finals to be played on the following Saturday, the two clubs had to play a second replay on the following, Thursday, evening. In this third meeting Runcorn came out on top 6–2 in a match played on neutral ground at Broughton Rovers.[11]

Quarter-finals

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Saturday 7 April 1900 saw the four quarter final games played.

Home Score Away
Leeds Parish Church 5–5 Runcorn
Salford 11–3 Rochdale Hornets
Stockport 0–3 Widnes
Swinton 9–0 Broughton Rangers
Source:[12]

Leeds parish Church and Runcorn replayed the match on 11 April and Leeds Parish Church won 8–6.[13]

Semifinals

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The semi finals were played on 14 April 1900

Home Score Away Venue
Salford 11–0 Widnes Watersheddings, Oldham
Swinton 8–0 Leeds Parish Church Fartown, Huddersfield
Source:[14]

Final

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Handbill distributed at the final giving the names of the players and officials
28 April 1900
Swinton 16 – 8 Salford
Try: Davies, Lewis, Messer, R. Valentine
Goal: J. Valentine (2)
Report
Try: Pearson, T. Williams
Goal: Griffiths
Fallowfield, Manchester
Attendance: 17,864
Referee: F. Renton (Hunslet)[4]
1 Alf Chorley
2 Jack Lewis
3 Bobby Messer
4 Bob Valentine
5 Vernon Hampson
6 Dai Davies
7 Joey Morgan
8 Evan Vigors
9 George Harris
10 Jack Preston
11 Dick Jones
12 Jim Valentine
13 Charlie Pollitt
14 Jack Evans
15 Ben Murphy
1 Dan Smith
2 Arthur Pearson
3 Tom Williams
4 E. T. Harter
5 Herbert Hadwen
6 Ben Griffiths
7 Ivor Grey
8 Hugh Shore
9 Robert Shaw
10 Pat Tunney
11 Miles Gledhill
12 William Brown
13 George Fisher
14 Jack Williams
15 Jack Rhapps

Notes

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  1. ^ John Huxley; David Howes (1980). Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. London: Robert Hale. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-7091-8133-7.
  2. ^ Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
  3. ^ "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b Hoole, Les (2015). The Rugby League Challenge Cup An Illustrated History 1897-1998. DB Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-78091-462-6.
  5. ^ a b "Summary of Results. Northern Union Cup". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 2,980. 17 March 1900. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ "Northern Union Cup. First Round—Replayed Ties". The Yorkshire Herald. No. 15,221. 21 March 1900. p. 8 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Summary of Results. Northern Union Cup". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 2,986. 24 March 1900. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "Summary of Results. Northern Union Cup". Yorkshire Evening Post. No. 2,992. 31 March 1900. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ^ "Sport and Play. Football". Lancashire Evening Post. No. 4,194. 4 April 1900. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ^ "Rugby. Northern Union Cup". Leicester Daily Post. No. 6,867. 5 April 1900. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ^ "Football. Northern Rugby Union Cup—Third Round". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. No. 13,544. 6 April 1900. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "Rugby. Northern Union Cup—Fourth Round". Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser. No. 13,546. 9 April 1900. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ^ "Football". The Citizen. Vol. 25, no. 88. 12 April 1900. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. ^ "News Summary". Leeds Mercury. No. 19,355. 16 April 1900. p. 4 – via British Newspaper Archive.

References

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  • Platt, Darrell (1991). A History of Salford Rugby League Club. Salford Rugby League Club.
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