List of Rugby League towns

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

When you look at the history of the Football League, teams that gained entry to the Football League had to earn their corn in regional leagues before they gained entry, with the exception of West Yorkshire and Hull, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Leeds United were fast tracked into League either immediately or within 2-3 years of being formed. Its almost as though the Football League saw Rugby League as a threat.

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

3 minutes ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

When you look at the history of the Football League, teams that gained entry to the Football League had to earn their corn in regional leagues before they gained entry, with the exception of West Yorkshire and Hull, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Leeds United were fast tracked into League either immediately or within 2-3 years of being formed. Its almost as though the Football League saw Rugby League as a threat.

May I add Leeds City to this list as well.

[Gomersall]

1 hour ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Despite having many rugby league friends, I often find football is the more prevalent topic of conversation. It's the most watched in pubs when I play darts around the city in the Thursday (even European games). It's unprecedentedly more popular amongst young people from when I was teaching. There's just no question. 

City get a higher combined attendance currently. Even if many are from out of town, think how many Leeds fans, Man City fans, Man Utd fans, Liverpool fans, Arsenal fans, Chelsea fans, etc. there are. 

Football is just so much more inclusive due to how easy it is to play, how accessible it is follow, watch and play. You can't get away from it. It'll always be more widely followed here.

As I said previously what defines following? I’m talking about people who actually attend matches not the ones who never see football in person and only watch on TV. The Man U and Liverpool “fans” who’ve never seen them play live.

[SouthBedfordshireFan]

35 minutes ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

When you look at the history of the Football League, teams that gained entry to the Football League had to earn their corn in regional leagues before they gained entry, with the exception of West Yorkshire and Hull, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Leeds United were fast tracked into League either immediately or within 2-3 years of being formed. Its almost as though the Football League saw Rugby League as a threat.

Not to mention the multiple attempts to have a team from Wigan in the Football League until they finally succeeded with Wigan Athletic.

[HawkMan]

39 minutes ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

When you look at the history of the Football League, teams that gained entry to the Football League had to earn their corn in regional leagues before they gained entry, with the exception of West Yorkshire and Hull, Bradford City, Bradford Park Avenue, Huddersfield Town, Hull City and Leeds United were fast tracked into League either immediately or within 2-3 years of being formed. Its almost as though the Football League saw Rugby League as a threat.

Or they thought,let's not be parochial like another sport, we want to expand, GET 'EM IN.

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

15 minutes ago, SouthBedfordshireFan said:

Not to mention the multiple attempts to have a team from Wigan in the Football League until they finally succeeded with Wigan Athletic.

I don't think the Football League saw Wigan as a target of strategic value , Wigan Borough were formed in 1920 and were admitted to the inaugural Division 3 North since most of the towns and cities in the north had teams in the top 2 divisions, they wouldn't have been spoilt for choice for teams to enter the newly formed 3rd tier. As for Wigan Athletic, they were a strong non-league team in the 1970s and were voted  into the League by chairmen of Football League clubs not the Football League.

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

22 minutes ago, HawkMan said:

Or they thought,let's not be parochial like another sport, we want to expand, GET 'EM IN.

Fair point but there was also an appetite in these places for a football team.

[fieldofclothofgold]

Although Leeds had Leeds united in the 50s and I would say 60s it was a Rugby League city. Leeds ,Hunslet and Bramley all flourished. 

Leeds played a cup round against Wigan 38000 whist although not on same day 8k . Leeds United did average crowds comparable to the 3 clubs together ,but they were unfashionable and the talking point was mainly about RL that made Leeds a RL town . All changed now it's now a football city 

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

16 minutes ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

Although Leeds had Leeds united in the 50s and I would say 60s it was a Rugby League city. Leeds ,Hunslet and Bramley all flourished. 

Leeds played a cup round against Wigan 38000 whist although not on same day 8k . Leeds United did average crowds comparable to the 3 clubs together ,but they were unfashionable and the talking point was mainly about RL that made Leeds a RL town . All changed now it's now a football city 

The thing with Leeds United, for the first 40 years they had a mediocre team, in that time they were a yo-yo club between the top 2 divisions and had only 1 top 5 finish and 1 FA Cup Quarter final to there name, obviously that changed when Revie came. During that 40 years, if you're from Leeds and you want to see a club from your city challenge for honours, you're gong to follow RL.

[Hopping Mad]

On 13/04/2024 at 23:31, SouthBedfordshireFan said:

Leeds

Bradford

Wigan

Salford

Barrow

Doncaster

Sheffield

York

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

Oldham

Rochdale

Workington

Kingston-upon-Hull

These are the places with at least a team in the Football League or at least had one and a rugby league from my knowledge. 

 

 

Halifax used to have a Football League club (and may again).

Edited April 15 by Hopping Mad

[Hopping Mad]

18 hours ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

May I add Leeds City to this list as well.

And Halifax Town (founded 1911, elected to the Football League 1921, after playing only very local opposition).

Edited April 15 by Hopping Mad

[Tre Cool]

On 14/04/2024 at 08:49, SouthBedfordshireFan said:

Unforunately the official book considers many places as cities that have swathes of rural land within their jurisdictions that are regarded as cities. For example Wakefield. Anyways that is a different discussion for another day and forum. 

I was being a bit hyperbolic with the exclusion of Bradford and Sheffield as not cities.

Apologies. I get very passionate about this topic of what are and what are not considered cities

I'm sorry Bradford and Sheffield are very clearly major cities, and Salford and Wakefield are most definitely also cities, and i believe that smallish place down south "London" is also a city too, even if IMG think it's smaller than Doncaster.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

22 hours ago, Wellsy4HullFC said:

Despite having many rugby league friends, I often find football is the more prevalent topic of conversation. It's the most watched in pubs when I play darts around the city in the Thursday (even European games). It's unprecedentedly more popular amongst young people from when I was teaching. There's just no question. 

City get a higher combined attendance currently. Even if many are from out of town, think how many Leeds fans, Man City fans, Man Utd fans, Liverpool fans, Arsenal fans, Chelsea fans, etc. there are. 

Football is just so much more inclusive due to how easy it is to play, how accessible it is follow, watch and play. You can't get away from it. It'll always be more widely followed here.

This is exactly it. It is easy to play, anyone, any age, any size can play it. Both boys and girls can play it together. There are so many different versions of the game that can be played from a full on match with 11 on each side to a couple of mates taking shots at each other in the park with a couple of jumpers or trees or something for goalposts. You can't really do this with RL. Football is a much, much more accessible game. 

[Griff]

On 14/04/2024 at 08:49, SouthBedfordshireFan said:

Apologies. I get very passionate about this topic of what are and what are not considered cities

It's not open to consideration.  Whether or not a place is a city is a fact.  That's where you're going wrong.

Interestingly (or maybe not), every city in Yorkshire, bar one, has a Rugby League team, whereas only one of Lancashire's cities has one.

[Harry Stottle]

45 minutes ago, Griff said:

It's not open to consideration.  Whether or not a place is a city is a fact.  That's where you're going wrong.

Interestingly (or maybe not), every city in Yorkshire, bar one, has a Rugby League team, whereas only one of Lancashire's cities has one.

Ripon?

[Barley Mow]

5 minutes ago, Harry Stottle said:

Ripon?

Yes - But it probably doesn't fit South Bedfordshire Fan's definition of a city.

The next location for an expansion team? 

[Hopping Mad]

21 hours ago, Sidi Fidi Gold said:

I don't think the Football League saw Wigan as a target of strategic value , Wigan Borough were formed in 1920 and were admitted to the inaugural Division 3 North since most of the towns and cities in the north had teams in the top 2 divisions, they wouldn't have been spoilt for choice for teams to enter the newly formed 3rd tier. As for Wigan Athletic, they were a strong non-league team in the 1970s and were voted  into the League by chairmen of Football League clubs not the Football League.

Southport very unlucky to be voted out (in 1978), when Wigan took their Football League place. The Sandgrounders had been Division Four champions in 1973. The first vote ended with Southport and Wigan tying (some would say Southport should have survived because they hadn't actually been voted out). Wigan then got through on a second vote.

Edited April 15 by Hopping Mad

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

4 hours ago, Hopping Mad said:

And Halifax Town (founded 1911, elected to the Football League 1921, after playing only very local opposition).

Halifax were playing in the Midland League which was a prominent non league competition and were elected to the football league along with Lincoln and Chesterfield, who were also playing in the Midland League. Anyway if the Football League allowed teams to enter from Ashington, Nelson and Stalybridge then there's no reason why they wouldn't allow a team from Halifax in .

I've rambled on a bit here, what I'm trying to say is, it wasn't some kind of a strategic move to allow Halifax into the League, not when there were already 4 professional teams in West Yorkshire.

 

[Sidi Fidi Gold]

21 minutes ago, Hopping Mad said:

Southport very unlucky to be voted out (in 1978), when Wigan took their Football League place. The Sandgrounders had been Division Four champions in 1973. The first vote ended with Southport and Wigan tying (some would day Southport should have survived because they hadn't actually been voted put). Wigan then got through on a second vote.

I don't know the reasons for Southport's non re-election but in the early 70s Barrow had the same vote's as Hereford and lost on the 2nd vote, the reasons given for Barrows failed re-election was its geographical location and plans to build a speedway track around the pitch.

Anyway some say that re-election was stacked in favour of the league clubs.

[Griff]

1 hour ago, Harry Stottle said:

Ripon?

Correct.

[Griff]

1 hour ago, Barley Mow said:

Yes - But it probably doesn't fit South Bedfordshire Fan's definition of a city.

It has a very nice cathedral.

[SouthBedfordshireFan]

How do I tag multiple people here?

I intend to create a discussion post in the non-RL section of this forum regarding so please participate there.

Because I want to focus this post on those settlements that have or had a distinctive RL feel to them regardless if they are considered cities or not.

I bring this up that while yes that having a cathedral has historically conferred city status to a place and the status of royal charters does so too how does one categorise cities elsewhere especially countries and locations without a royal family or the minimal presence of Christianity?

Hope to hear from you all soon.

[Barley Mow]

59 minutes ago, SouthBedfordshireFan said:

...how does one categorise cities elsewhere especially countries and locations without a royal family or the minimal presence of Christianity?

 

That would depend on the culture, traditions and laws of any individual country.

Many languages don't differentiate between town and city and have a single word for any urban settlement. French - Ville, German - Stadt, etc.

The English language does differentiate and city status here is either acknowledged as having existed since (at least) medieval times on the basis of having a cathedral, or is granted by Royal Charter.

In the 1830s Ripon was the first place to have a church raised to the status of (Anglican) Cathedral in England since the 1500s. Their council assumed this automatically made Ripon a city and began calling themselves Ripon City Council. The situation was unclear though and they eventually petitioned The Crown to recognise their city status and were instead granted a Charter in 1865. Every one since has been created a city by Royal Charter.

Edited April 15 by Barley Mow

[sweaty craiq]

Historically Leyth Bent n Bongs had a large sporting population link with BWFC - days of pits n mills which lasts to a smaller extent today. Man U ladies and 21s play out of LSV but it seems despite the hype and cheap tickets less than 7000 watched yesterdays semi of the FAC for women

[sweaty craiq]

Historically Leyth Bent n Bongs had a large sporting population link with BWFC - days of pits n mills which lasts to a smaller extent today. Man U ladies and 21s play out of LSV but it seems despite the hype and cheap tickets less than 7000 watched yesterdays semi of the FAC for women