1945–46 Lancashire Cup


1945–46 was the thirty-third occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held, and the first since the end of the Second World War in Europe.

For the first time for several seasons there is a new name on the trophy; that of one of the founder members of the Northern Union, Widnes, who won the trophy by beating Wigan by the score of 7-3.

The match was played at Wilderspool, Warrington,. The attendance was 28,184 and receipts were £2,600.

Background

The number of teams entering showed little change from before the war.

St Helens Recs had already withdrawn from the league immediately after the end on the 1938-39 season. The club had been struggling to survive for a few years with falling attendances and the economic depression and it was obviously not possible for the town to sustain two top teams.

Leigh lost its ground to in August 1940 when Callender's Cable and Construction Company bought the Mather Lane site to store drums etc as part of the war effort. The club did not resume playing until the 1946–47 season when they found a temporary ground.

Workington Town from Cumberland had joined the league.

Overall, the number of teams entering this year’s competition had decreased from the pre-war total by just one and was now 12. The same pre-war fixture format was retained. This season saw no byes but two “blank” or “dummy” fixture in the first round. The second round now had two byes.

The first round of the competition was played on the basis of two legged, home and away, ties.

Competition and results

Round 1

Involved 6 matches and 12 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef
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1Sat 22 Sep 1945Barrow18-8WarringtonCraven Park
2Sat 22 Sep 1945Oldham7-5WiganWatersheddings
3Sat 22 Sep 1945Liverpool Stanley5-5Broughton RangersStanley Greyhound Sadium
4Sat 22 Sep 1945Rochdale Hornets7-2SwintonAthletic Grounds
5Sat 22 Sep 1945Widnes37-0SalfordNaughton Park
6Sat 22 Sep 1945Workington Town9-8St. HelensBorough Park1
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Round 1 – Second Leg

Involved 6 matches and 12 clubs. These are the reverse fixture from the first leg
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef
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1Sat 29 Sep 1945Warrington13-8BarrowWilderspool21-26
2Sat 29 Sep 1945Wigan19-0OldhamCentral Park24-7
3Sat 29 Sep 1945Broughton Rangers22-0Liverpool StanleyBelle Vue Stadium27-5
4Sat 29 Sep 1945Swinton9-2Rochdale HornetsStation Road11-9
5Sat 29 Sep 1945Salford2-15WidnesThe Willows2-52
6Sat 29 Sep 1945St. Helens21-11Workington TownKnowsley Road29-20
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Round 2 - Quarter Finals

Involved 2 matches and 6 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef
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1Wed 10 Oct 1945Swinton2-8WiganStation Road
2Wed 10 Oct 1945Widnes6-0BarrowNaughton Park
3St. Helensbye
4Broughton Rangersbye

Round 3 – Semi-Finals

Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef
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1Wed 17 Oct 1945Wigan18-5St. HelensCentral Park
2Wed 18 Oct 1945Widnes10-3Broughton RangersNaughton Park

Final

Teams and scorers

Widnes№Wigan
teams
Joe Bourke 1Martin Ryan
xMick Roberts2Gordon Ratcliffe
Colin Hutton3Ernie Ashcroft
Arthur Dagnall 4Ted Toohey
Austin Malone 5Ted Ward
Charlie Reynolds 6Jack Fleming
Tommy McCue 7Tommy Bradshaw
Alec Higgins8Ken Gee
Jack Hayes 9Joe Egan
Hugh McDowell10George Banks
Robert Roberts11Harry Atkinson
Fred Higgins12Frank Barton
Harry Millington13Jack Blan
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0HT0
Scorers
Tries
Charlie Reynolds TTed Toohey
Goals
Colin Hutton G
Referee

Scoring - Try = three points - Goal = two points - Drop goal = two points

The road to success

All the first round ties were played on a two leg basis
The first club named in each of the first round ties played the first leg at home
the scores shown in the first round are the aggregate score over the two legs
1 * The first match in the Lancashire Cup competition to be played by the new club and at this ground

2 * Wilderspool was the home ground of Warrington from 1883 to the end of the 2003 Summer season when they moved into the new purpose built Halliwell Jones Stadium. Wilderspool remained as a sports/Ruugby League ground and is/was used by Woolston Rovers/Warrington Wizards junior club.

The ground had a final capacity of 9,000 although the record attendance was set in a Challenge cup third round match on 13 March 1948 when 34,304 spectators saw Warrington lose to Wigan 10-13.