Radcliffe RFC

Radcliffe was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Radcliffe, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester,[1] England.

The club joined the Northern Union in 1901–02 and played for the single season in the Lancashire Senior Competition, which was effectively Division 2 (West).

History

The club had been founded some years before their single year in the semi-professional ranks. They had been drawn away to Wigan in the first round of the 1897 Challenge Cup, losing by 3 points to nil. The following year they entered the second Challenge Cup competition and lost again in the first round, this time away to Hull F.C. at the Boulevard by 19 points to nil.[2]

At the end of the 1901–02 season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 (7 from Lancashire and 10 from Yorkshire and new member South Shields) with the existing second competition scrapped.[3]

Radcliffe were one of the 4 Yorkshire (Goole, Heckmondwike, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge) and 2 Lancashire clubs (the other being Altrincham) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to what happened to the club. In Cherry and White it is said that the club "disappeared".[4]

Club league record

In the single season in which Radcliffe played semi-professional rugby league, 1901–02, there are few records readily available.[4]

Some of the achievements are as follows:-[5]

Season Competition Pos Team Name Pl W D L PW PA Diff Pts % Pts No of teams in league Notes Ref
1901–02Lancs Senior13Radcliffe21313[4]
Radcliffe had 2 points deducted. Only limited County League information is available for this season.

Heading Abbreviations
RL = Single Division; Pl = Games Played: W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points For; PA = Points Against; Diff = Points Difference (+ or -); Pts = League Points
% Pts = A percentage system was used to determine league positions due to clubs playing varying number of fixtures and against different opponents
League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.

Several fixtures and results

The following are just a few of Radcliffe's fixtures during the sole season (and others) in which they played semi-professional rugby league :-[4][6][7]

Season Date Competition Opponent Venue H/A Result Score Att Notes Ref
1896–97Sat 20 Mar 1897Challenge Cup 1st RdWiganFolly FieldALost0-3?1 [4]
1897–98Sat 5 Mar 1898Challenge Cup 1st RdHullBoulevardALost0-18? [2]
1901–0228 Sept 1901Lancs SeniorWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0-28?2[6]
1901–02Sat 2 Nov 1901Lancs SeniorSt. HelensHomeALost0-19?[7]
1901–02Sat 7 Dec 1901Lancs SeniorSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost6-23?[7]
1901–0212 Oct 1901Lancs SeniorWidnesHomeHLost3-14? [6]
1901–0218 Jan 1902Lancs SeniorWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0-40?2[6]
1901–02Sat 8 Mar 1902Lancs SeniorWiganSpringfield ParkALost0-22?3[4]
1901–02Mon 7 Apr 1902Lancs SeniorWiganHomeHLost5-21?[4]

Notes and comments

1 - Folly Fields is the stadium used by Wigan at the time until 1901. They then became sub-tenants of Springfield Park See below - Note 3.

2 - Lowerhouse Lane is the original site of the current ground used by Widnes. It was renamed Naughton Park in 1932 in honour of club secretary, Tom Naughton - and later renamed Halton Stadium after being completely rebuilt in 1997.

3 - Wigan became sub-tenants of Springfield Park, which they shared with Wigan United AFC, playing their first game there on 14 September 1901 at which a crowd of 4,000 saw them beat Morecambe 12–0, and the last game on 28 April 1902 when Wigan beat the Rest of Lancashire Senior Competition. A temporary ground was necessary to span the period between moving from Folly Fields and the new ground at Central Park being constructed.

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See also

References
  1. "Greater Manchester Gazetteer". Greater Manchester County Record Office. Places names – A. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  2. "Hull&Proud Results". Archived from the original on 2011-03-07.
  3. J C Lindley with personal recollections by D W Armitage (1973). 100 Years of Rugby - The History of Wakefield Trinity Football Club. The Wakefield Trinity Centenary Committee. pp. 37 and 38.
  4. "Cherry and White".
  5. Jack Winstanley & Malcolm Ryding (1975). John Player Rugby League Yearbook 1975–76. Queen Anne Press.
  6. "Widnes History".
  7. "Saints Heritage Society".
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