Altrincham (Rugby League)
Encyclopedia
Altrincham was a professional rugby league club.
The club was based in Altrincham
, a market town
within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester
, England
.
The town was originally in the County of Cheshire.
They joined the Northern Union
in 1901-02 and played for the single season in the Lancashire Senior Competition
, which was effectively Division 2 (West).
Although they were from Cheshire, they, like several other Cheshire clubs and some Cumberland
clubs, participated in the Lancashire Competitions.
Only limited County League information is available for this season (1901-02).
They joined the ranks of the (semi) professionals when they became members of the Northern Union
for the 1901-02 season finishing in 12th position out of 13 clubs (with an unenviable record of only one win and one draw).
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. This meant that teams were excluded from the senior competitions leaving them with several options :-
a) Join the new Lancashire League or the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade)
b) Join a new Yorkshire Senior League
c) reverting to amateur status within the Northern Union
d) revert back to rugby union
e) turn to Association Football, which many clubs did
f) fold
Altrincham were one of the 4 Yorkshire (Goole
, Heckmondwike
, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge
) and 2 Lancashire clubs (the other being Radcliffe
) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to which route the club followed.
However, based on the limited available information and taking into account the poor playing record, it is feasible to assume that the club folded (or as described in Cherry and White) "disappeared.
Some of the achievements are as follows:-
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.
The club was based in Altrincham
Altrincham
Altrincham is a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on flat ground south of the River Mersey about southwest of Manchester city centre, south-southwest of Sale and east of Warrington...
, a market town
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The town was originally in the County of Cheshire.
They joined the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
in 1901-02 and played for the single season in the Lancashire Senior Competition
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...
, which was effectively Division 2 (West).
Although they were from Cheshire, they, like several other Cheshire clubs and some Cumberland
Cumberland League
The Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
clubs, participated in the Lancashire Competitions.
Only limited County League information is available for this season (1901-02).
History
Very little is known about the Altrincham club.They joined the ranks of the (semi) professionals when they became members of the Northern Union
1901-02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football.-Season summary:The top seven sides from both the Lancashire and the Yorkshire Senior 1900-01 competitions of the NRFU, resigned and merged into a new league in 1901-02, that was won by Broughton Rangers...
for the 1901-02 season finishing in 12th position out of 13 clubs (with an unenviable record of only one win and one draw).
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
South Shields (Rugby League)
South Shields was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields South Shields was a (semi) professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields South Shields was a (semi) professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields (known locally as just...
) with the existing second competition scrapped. This meant that teams were excluded from the senior competitions leaving them with several options :-
a) Join the new Lancashire League or the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade)
b) Join a new Yorkshire Senior League
c) reverting to amateur status within the Northern Union
d) revert back to rugby union
e) turn to Association Football, which many clubs did
f) fold
Altrincham were one of the 4 Yorkshire (Goole
Goole (Rugby League)
Goole was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Goole, a small town and port in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike (Rugby League)
Heckmondwike was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Heckmondwike , a small town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, which is located geographically at the centre of West Yorkshire, England....
, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge (Rugby League)
Sowerby Bridge was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Sowerby Bridge, a small market town that lies within the Upper Calder Valley in the district of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, northern England, and approximately 3 miles from Halifax.The club joined the Northern Union in...
) and 2 Lancashire clubs (the other being Radcliffe
Radcliffe (Rugby League)
Radcliffe was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Radcliffe, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England....
) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to which route the club followed.
However, based on the limited available information and taking into account the poor playing record, it is feasible to assume that the club folded (or as described in Cherry and White) "disappeared.
Club League Record
In the single season in which Altrincham played (semi) professional Rugby League, 1901-02, there are few records readily available.Some of the achievements are as follows:-
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 & results
The following are just a few of Altrincham’s fixtures during the sole season in which they played (semi) professional Rugby League:-
| Season | Date | Competition | Opponent | Venue | H/A | Result | Score | Att | Notes | Ref | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-02 | 28 Sept 1901 | Lancs Senior | Widnes Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
Lowerhouse Lane Halton Stadium The Stobart Stadium Halton is a rugby league stadium in Widnes, England. The Widnes Vikings play their home games there as do Everton Reserves... |
A | Lost | 0-28 | ? | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 1901-02 | Sat 2 Nov 1901 | Lancs Senior | Wigan Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
Home | H | Lost | 2-28 | ? | |||||||||||||
| 1901-02 | 16 Nov 1901 | Lancs Senior | Widnes Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
Home | H | Lost | 0-16 | ? | | |- |
1901-02 | Sat 14 Dec 1901 | Lancs Senior | Wigan Wigan Warriors Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011.... |
Springfield Park Springfield Park (Wigan) Springfield Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home ground of Wigan Athletic F.C. until the club moved to the new JJB Stadium after the 1999 season. At its largest, the stadium held 40,000... |
A | Lost | 0-38 | ? | 1 | ||
| 1901-02 | Sat 4 Jan 1902 | Lancs Senior | St Helens | Home | H | Lost | 0-11 | ? | |||||||||||||
| 1901-02 | Sat 14 Dec 1901 | Lancs Senior | St Helens | Knowsley Rd Knowsley Road Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves... |
A | Lost | 0-35 | ? |
See also
British rugby league systemBritish rugby league system
The British rugby league system is based on four separate structures: the professional leagues administered by the Rugby Football League, the reserve leagues, the amateur leagues administered by British Amateur Rugby League Association and the Rugby League Conference.There is no system of automatic...
1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
Cumberland League
Cumberland League
The Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
List of defunct rugby league clubs
Rugby league county leagues
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...