Long lost amateur clubs

[EdinburghExile]

I've recently got hold of a copy of the 74/75 RL stats book - I'll see what details it has on this.

Nowt on the NWC league. Sorry!

[Celtic Rooster]

Thanks Edinburgh exile but you won't find much on amateur RL prior to 1975 unless you go to local libraries to look for particular teams. many years ago most amateur teams were based at firms' social clubs (Most big companies looked after their staff in those days) or they would be based on local church youth clubs, hence St. Pats/Judes (Wigan), St. Maries (Widnes), St. Annes (Oldham). Leigh Miners' first ever game was against Triangle Valve in 1966. TBM, by the way became Laporte before their demise. It seems that for many years the Warrington & District League was effectively a NWCL without Oldham and Rochdale clubs. They all played in the Pennine until early 90's.

[Celtic Rooster]

I have the RFL handbook for 1963/64. Just had a look and here are a few "blasts from the past....(Leigh) - Astley & Tyldesley Collieries, Briarcroft, Dales (Hindley Green), Leigh St. Marys. Lilford Rangers, St. Josephs. (Manchester) - Seedley Rangers. (Liverpool) - Liverpool Hornets, Bootle Borough, Beecahms Northern. (North Lancashire) - Blackpool Borough Amateurs, Hillside Recs, Rainhill ex Services club. (St. Helens) - Sankey Sugar. (Warrington) - Cadishead & Irlam, A. Monk & Co, Orford Tannery, St. Beendicts. (Widnes) - Derby Rangers, Moorside, Runcorn Amateurs, Widnes Rovers. (Wigan) -  Ince Rangers, John Dale Ltd.

[detmot]

Can anybody help with scans of the Leeds & District Saturday and Sunday (11-a-side) ARLs from the John Player Yearbooks 1973-74 and 1974-75?

 

I am after the league tables and results from the play-offs and cup competitions.

 

Thanks

[EdinburghExile]

Can anybody help with scans of the Leeds & District Saturday and Sunday (11-a-side) ARLs from the John Player Yearbooks 1973-74 and 1974-75?

 

I am after the league tables and results from the play-offs and cup competitions.

 

Thanks

Aye, although probably not until the weekend. Pester me if I've not posted owt by Monday.

[bowes]

Am I right in thinking the Leeds Saturday League became the Yorkshire League and the Leeds Sunday League merged with the Wakefield and Castleford League to form the West Yorkshire Sunday League?

[Boycooke]

I am the youngest surviving member of the last todmorden ARLFC team (only32 at the time of this post) I played junior ball from the age of twelve until open age at the age of 16 for five years until we had too few player to compete week in week out. In our last season we gained promotion to the old first division in the Pennine league. We also were the lowest placed team (third division) to reach the joe fee Halifax cup final where we got soundly beaten but not embarrassed by the premier div champions Park Amateurs. If by any chance anybody reading this has a copy of the game I would love a copy. After the club folded eight of us went and played for littleborough for the next few years and one lad became a super bike rider. Playing rugby for Tod was the best days of my life and I love getting the scrap book out to show my kids.

[Celtic Rooster]

In 1978/79 the Leeds & District League had 2 divisions - 24 teams. The West Yorkshire League had 5 divisions - 50 teams and the Yorkshire League had 4 divisions - 37 teams.

[bowes]

Out of interest was that remaining Leeds League in 1978-79 Saturday or Sunday?

 

York had its own Sunday league until the mid 1990s but in practice it was also the league for North Yorkshire and the entire North East. It's effectively successor league (the North East league) even had a Scottish team (Forth and Clyde Nomads) in the 1995-96 season before they split up to form their own Scottish league in 1997

[Celtic Rooster]

On my 78/79 tables it doesn't say if it is a Saturday or Sunday League but I guess its Sunday because the 1979/80 and 1980/81 tables are Sunday leagues. Without trawling through all my records - I have just got home from a night shift - The Leeds Sunday league was still operating in 1985. The last tables I for York & District League is 1994-95 and for Leeds its 1995-96. Even Carlisle had its own district league between 1983-84 and 1988-89.

[bowes]

Cool, looks like there were more leagues than people realise. Those were the days when there was a Staffordshire League and a Mansfield and Nottingham League though as well as the Midlands and South West London and much longer lasting London League

Did I see a Barnsley league mentioned earlier in the thread or was that a typo?

The Pennine League appears to have been a merger of the Bradford League with the Halifax and Huddersfield league with the latter covering Oldham and Rochdale. Keighley switched from the former to the latter at some point.

[detmot]

Celtic Rooster

 

You mentioned in an earlier reply about sending photocopies of all the league tables, results, etc.

 

I am new to this forum and would welcome your guidance as to the rules regarding home and email addresses being revealed. Also, there is the question of reimbursement for your postage costs. 

[Celtic Rooster]

I don't want any money mate. If you send me a personal message with your address and what you are specifically looking for I will send them when I can find the time. If my son can help me send anything I have on computer electronically I will do that. I have sent things to loads of people in the past. Its usually particular clubs wanting to know there own statistical histories. I could type league tables out on here easily enough and send them but for some reason they come out gobledegook!

[sentoffagain2]

Am I right in thinking the Leeds Saturday League became the Yorkshire League and the Leeds Sunday League merged with the Wakefield and Castleford League to form the West Yorkshire Sunday League?

          to   all   who    played  amateur  rugby   over   the   decades ,my   utmost   respect .i   remember    getting   home   after  saturday   nights   at   about  3.15  am  and   getting   a   few   hours   kip   before   a   11 pm   kick   off. once   on   the   field   though  the   majority   of   players   gave  100%.despite  the   knocks   and   bruises  and   having   to   subsidise   our   team   to   play  those   days   will   be   remembered   as   the   happiest   ever.also   thanks   to   the   referees  who   had   to   put   up   with   our   antics.

[EdinburghExile]

Aye, although probably not until the weekend. Pester me if I've not posted owt by Monday.

As I thought, other sporting duties diverted me yesterday. I'll try to get to this soon.

[bowes]

Anyone know who was the first team from the traditional Yorkshire League areas to join the Pennine league and what year?

The earliest I can find is 2002-03 which had just 6 such sides in:

Wetherby Bulldogs

Westgate Redoubt

Crigglestone All Blacks

York Groves

Morley Borough

Drighlington A

[TonyFarquhar61]

Anyone know what happened to Hornsey Lambs in London?

Hi, I use to play wit Tommy Bullough, he played hooker, he and his partner owned the Lamb Thai restaurant in Hornsey 

We both played for McEntee ARLFC which was founded in 1977

I haven't been in touch with Tommy since 1983

Tommy started the Hornsey Lambs when he left McEntee

[thebigbopper]

I played similar time to Celtic crusader for Bolton, Des Drummond used to coach us and Dave Hadfield kept telling me to watch my knees when tackling.....3 cruciate ligament replacements so guess I didn't listen, seem to remember a great name in Tommy Wingnut no idea if that was his real name, moving a stolen car off a pitch in Liverpool and then playing. Happy days

[Mr Partridge]

Anyone know who was the first team from the traditional Yorkshire League areas to join the Pennine league and what year?

The earliest I can find is 2002-03 which had just 6 such sides in:

Wetherby Bulldogs

Westgate Redoubt

Crigglestone All Blacks

York Groves

Morley Borough

Drighlington A

[Mr Partridge]

Crigglestone began in Pennine September 2000.Thornhill A began in September 2001.

[Bleep1673]

Now that London Broncos have moved into Ealing, does anyone know what happened to Ealing (Brent-Ealing sometimes called) ARLFC? I used to play for them for a couple of years in the early 1990's

[nadera78]

Now that London Broncos have moved into Ealing, does anyone know what happened to Ealing (Brent-Ealing sometimes called) ARLFC? I used to play for them for a couple of years in the early 1990's

They became West London Sharks when the amateurs moved to summer, then merged with South London a couple of years back to become South West London Chargers (now dropped the SW bit and play in Conference League South). 

[bowes]

They became West London Sharks when the amateurs moved to summer, then merged with South London a couple of years back to become South West London Chargers (now dropped the SW bit and play in Conference League South). 

West London Sharks (just called West London for the first season) were a joint side in the summer of Brent-Ealing and London Colonials. But London Colonials kept a winter side for a couple more seasons

[Kenilworth Tiger]

Now that London Broncos have moved into Ealing, does anyone know what happened to Ealing (Brent-Ealing sometimes called) ARLFC? I used to play for them for a couple of years in the early 1990's

 

So did I - as did my brother

[Lancaster Woolyback]

Just found this thread while searching for info about defunct Cumbrian amateur clubs (as you do), so thought I post something to get the thread bumped up and going again.

I remember playing against Peckham at junior level in 1981 for Blackpool Stanley as a curtain raiser to Blackpool Borough v Fulham in Fulham's first season, at Borough Park. The abiding memory was how they physically destroyed us, they were absolutely huge for an age grade side. We'd never come up against anyone like them (bearing in mind Stanley were only formed 2 years earlier) and yet we had a few lads who went on to play semi pro with Blackpool (or A team rugby), such as Andy Wheelwright and Steve Moore but they absolutely dwarfed us!

Good to see Stanley going again at open age level and now with their own ground and clubhouse in Blackpool at Kingscote Park, Layton.
 

Happy days indeed.