WHITEHAVEN have paid homage to their eventful history via a new heritage room at their Ortus REC (aka Recreation Ground) home.
It houses cherished club memorabilia, including vintage programmes, shirts, photographs and other memorabilia, as well as a television displaying interviews and clips of old matches.
Whitehaven have compiled heritage numbers which recognise every player to have turned out for the club.
They were formed in time to compete in the 1948-49 season, their first game a 5-0 home win over Hull FC, and attracted a record attendance of 18,500 for the visit of Wakefield in the 1959-60 Challenge Cup quarter-finals (Trinity were 21-10 winners).
Three years earlier, in 1956-57, Whitehaven had reached the semi-finals, taking on Leeds at Odsal before 49,094, but having led 9-8 through a Ron McMenemy try (then worth three points) and three John McKeown goals, were edged out 10-9.
Earlier that season, Whitehaven had beaten the touring Australians 14-11.
The club’s highest-ever league finish was sixth in what was then one division in the record-attendance campaign of 1959-60, when Eppie Gibson was player-coach.
The last time Whitehaven competed in the top flight was in 1983-84.
In both 2004 and 2005 under Steve McCormack, they reached the Championship Grand Final, losing 32-16 and 36-8 to Leigh and Castleford respectively. Both matches were at the then-Halton (now DCBL) Stadium, Widnes.
Current coach James Newton got the better of former team chief Anthony Murray, to whom he was an assistant, as Whitehaven beat Swinton 34-24 at the Ortus REC.
“At the end of the first half, we played some of the best stuff since I took over. It was great to get that win,” said Newton.