1977 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy


The 1977 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the thirteenth occasion on which the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition had been held. This year there was another new name added when Hull Kingston Rovers won the trophy by beating St. Helens in the final by the score of 26-11. The match was played at Craven Park, in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The attendance was 10,099, and the receipts were £6,586.

Background

The Rugby Football League's BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was a knock-out competition sponsored by the BBC and between rugby league clubs, entrance to which was conditional upon the club having floodlights. Most matches were played on an evening, and those of which the second half was televised, were played on a Tuesday evening.

Despite the competition being named as 'Floodlit', many matches took place during the afternoons and not under floodlights, and several of the entrants, including Barrow and Bramley did not have adequate lighting. And, when in 1973, due to the world oil crisis, the government restricted the use of floodlights in sport, all the matches, including the Trophy final, had to be played in the afternoon rather than at night.

The Rugby League season always ran from around August-time through to around May-time and this competition always took place early in the season, in the Autumn, with the final taking place in December

Competition and Results

This season Bramley, winners in 1973, did not enter the competition, but Batley joined the competition; thus the number of entrants remaining the same at twenty-two. The format remained as a knock-out competition from the preliminary round through to the final. The preliminary round involved twelve clubs, to reduce the numbers taking part in the competition proper to just sixteen.

Preliminary Round

Involved 6 matches and 12 Clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
PSun 28 Aug 1977Halifax5-43LeighThrum Hall
PTue 30 Aug 1977Huddersfield18-22WiganFartown
PTue 30 Aug 1977Salford39-5New HunsletThe Willows
PWed 7 Sep 1977Keighley25-2SwintonLawkholme Lane
PTue 13 Sep 1977Bramley4-14Wakefield TrinityMcLaren Field1
PTue 27 Sep 1977Leeds16-13WidnesHeadingley

Round 1 - First Round

Involved 8 matches and 16 Clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
1Wed 28 Sep 1977Barrow6-10LeighCraven Park
2Tue 4 Oct 1977Whitehaven5-6SalfordRecreation Ground
3Wed 5 Oct 1977Oldham13-11WarringtonWatersheddings
4Wed 5 Oct 1977Wakefield Trinity15-8KeighleyBelle Vue
5Tue 11 Oct 1977St. Helens51-0DewsburyKnowsley Road2,7542
6Wed 12 Oct 1977Leeds19-5Rochdale HornetsHeadingley
7Tue 25 Oct 1977Hull Kingston Rovers18-7WiganCraven Park 3
8Tue 18 Oct 1977Hull F.C.ACastlefordBoulevard4

Round 1 - First Round - Replay

Involved 8 matches and 16 Clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
8Wed 26 Oct 1977Hull F.C.7-10CastlefordBoulevard

Round 2 -Quarter Finals

Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
-
1Tue 1 Nov 1977Salford29-10OldhamThe Willows
2Tue 8 Nov 1977Wakefield Trinity14-22Hull Kingston RoversBelle Vue
3Tue 15 Nov 1977Castleford14-10LeedsWheldon Road
4Tue 22 Nov 1977Leigh7-14St. HelensHilton Park4,011

Round 3 – Semi-Finals

Involved 2 matches and 4 Clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome TeamScoreAway TeamVenueAttRecNotesRef
-
1Tue 29 Nov 1977Castleford5-23Hull Kingston RoversWheldon Road
2Tue 6 Dec 1977St. Helens7-4SalfordKnowsley Road3,500

Final

Teams and Scorers

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

The road to success

This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures