Liverpool City (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
Liverpool City was a semi-professional rugby league
club from the city of Liverpool
in England
.
, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the professional game in the United Kingdom as being a team who lost every game in the season. In 1906-1907 they lost 30 games - they drew one against Bramley
which was expunged because the return game wasn't played and also lost to Pontefract
, but that result was expunged after Pontefract withdrew from the league. At the end of that season they were replaced by two Welsh
clubs, Merthyr Tydfil
and Ebbw Vale
.
The Liverpool City name would be resurrected by the Highfield franchise but there is no connection between the two clubs.
Despite the "Highfield" tag, Wigan Highfield played in Pemberton
down the road from the Highfield area of Wigan
. In 1921—22, the club made an application for full Rugby League status, but it was decided that their Tunstall Lane ground was not big enough. By incorporating a field, it was possible to increase the size of the ground and in the 1922—23 season the club entered the Rugby League as Wigan Highfield. Their first match was against Wigan on September 2 1922 at Tunstall Lane, in which Wigan
beat Wigan Highfield 25-10.
Highfield generally struggled in the lower half of the league tables but in 1927-1928 they managed to finish above Wigan in 7th place on points percentage. However in their ten year existence Wigan Highfield beat Wigan only once, 9-3 at Central Park
on 13 September 1930.
in west London under floodlights. The stadium authorities were impressed enough to take over Wigan Highfield, who had finished second from bottom in the league, and agreed to pay off their debts. They moved the club to White City and renamed the club London Highfield.
Highfield's first home game on 20th September 1933 was against Wakefield Trinity
in front of a crowd of around 6,000 spectators, which they lost narrowly 9 points to 8. Overall London Highfield played 38 games and finished in a credible 14th position on the table that year, having won 20 games and lost only 8. During the season Highfield also played a match against the touring Australian national team, of which the Australians won 20 points to 5 in front of a crowd of 14,500 spectators, which was also London Highfield's highest attendance for the season.
Despite this reasonable success the White City Company
deemed the venture unprofitable and decided not to continue with rugby league beyond the first season. Player's match fees and expenses, plus compensating other team's travel costs contributed largely to the club's loss that year of ₤8,000.
In 1935-36 Stanley won the Lancashire League
.
During the Second World War Liverpool Stanley continued playing, but in 1942 they dropped out, returning after the war in 1945-46.
For the start of the 1950-51 season the club moved to Mill Yard, Knotty Ash
and was renamed Liverpool City RLFC.
In 1956 they hosted the touring Australian national team, losing 40-12 in front of a crowd of over 4,700.
local authority for a 21-year lease at the new Alt Park Ground
which was eventually ready in August 1969. Alt Park was of a poor standard and often suffered from vandalism.
During their tenure as Huyton RLFC the club's colours were primarily amber shirts with a red and black V and black shorts. In the latter part of the 1970s the colours changed to red shirts with blue shorts & white socks for a brief period, and eventually an all-black shirt with red collar, white shorts and red socks.
It was during this period that club diehard Geoff Fletcher
joined Huyton in 1978. Geoff would remain with the club as player-coach and then subsequently through their various changes as manager in later years.
The club continued as Huyton RLFC and struggled in the second division until 1985, when the club moved to Runcorn FC's Canal Street Ground, Runcorn
after Alt Park's main stand was declared unsafe. The club then became known as Runcorn Highfield.
, the then tenants of the Canal Street ground, Runcorn FC and its board of directors had mooted the idea of gaining extra income by establishing a rugby league club. That year saw applications from new clubs Mansfield Marksman
& Sheffield Eagles
. When these clubs were elected into the Rugby Football League
Runcorn FC withdrew its application and instead decided to allow Huyton RLFC to move to their ground instead. Geoff Fletcher remained on initially as player-manager, and then moved unto an erroneous role on the board of directors when he retired from playing.
As Runcorn Highfield represented the new towns of Runcorn & Halton
the club adopted the green and yellow colours of the football club as well. The first game Highfield played was an exhibition game against local rivals Widnes
. They lost 40-8. Much of their tenure at Runcorn was generally unsuccessful and they drew little local support which was a contributing factor to their eventual departure from Canal Street.
When Runcorn Highfield drew Wigan
at home in the John Player Trophy
on 13 November, 1988, the club’s supporters saw it as an ideal opportunity to persuade the people of Runcorn
to come and give Highfield a try. However, the directors had the game switched to Central Park in exchange for a fee from Wigan, on the grounds that Canal Street did not have the capacity.
The players, seeing that the club would receive more money, asked for a greater share. However the directors refused, leading to a massed players' strike. The team that faced Wigan comprised a number of trialists and reserves together with the coach, Bill Ashurst
, who had come out of retirement. Highfield lost 92-2 in front of a crowd of 7,233 at Central Park
and Ashurst was sent off after 11 minutes. The club never seemed to recover from this blow, and they went on to lose every game in the 1989-90 season, finishing eight points behind second bottom club Nottingham City
.
When Runcorn Football Club increased the rent for Canal Street, Runcorn Highfield signed a 99-year agreement with St Helens Town FC
in August 1990 and moved to Hoghton Road, Sutton. The move was opposed by St Helens RLFC and the Rugby League Board but approved by the full Rugby League Council by 26 votes to 6 on 5 October, 1990. The club was renamed Highfield for the 1991-92 season. Highfield's playing colours were a representative combination of the past incarnations of the club, which consisted of yellow socks, black shorts and predominately red shirts with yellow, blue and green stripes across the shoulders and sleeves.
. Two years later they managed 11th place, above such teams as Fulham, Huddersfield
, Workington Town
and Keighley
. However, Highfield could only manage an average attendance of 331, rising to 515 the following season.
Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay
wanted to reduce the number of clubs in the lower division of the league in 1993. The three clubs finishing bottom of the second division would be demoted to the National Conference League
. It went to the wire with Blackpool
and Nottingham City
already relegated, the crucial last match at Nottingham on 12 April, 1993, between Nottingham City
and Highfield saw Highfield, under Geoff Fletcher, win 39-6 and Highfield survived at the expense of Chorley Borough
.
The 1994-95 season was a disaster for Highfield. They won only two games all season - against amateurs Ovenden
12-6 in the first round of the Regal Trophy and against Barrow
14-12 in the league. They lost to amateurs Beverley
27-4 in the Challenge Cup
and their final game (played at Rochdale Hornets
' ground
on 23 April 1995) was a humiliating 104-4 defeat by Keighley
. Their final home game was on 17 April 1995 when they lost 34-8 to Barrow in front of a crowd of 195. Needless to say they finished bottom of the Second Division with only two points. They conceded a grand total of 1,604 points in 30 league games.
Despite all this Highfield survived into the Super League
era but fared even worse in the 1995-96 season gaining just 1 point all season (a 24-24 draw against York
), their only win coming against amateurs Hemel Hempstead
in the first round of the Regal Trophy. Their final game was a 82-0 defeat away at Hunslet
on 21 January, 1996.
in Prescot
during the 1994-1995 season, a move that was made due to the tenants of Hoghton Road, St Helens Town FC deciding to increase the rent on the ground. Highfield RLFC played there until the start of the 1996 season, when they were then renamed Prescot Panthers to coincide with the start of the European Super League
. As the Prescot Panthers the club colours were predominately black shirts with gold checks and band across the shoulders and sleeves, black shorts and black/gold hooped socks. They enjoyed by their standards a comparatively successful season winning two games. They struggled on for the 1997 season again winning two games but bowed to the inevitable and resigned from the league at the end of the season. Ironically the club's final game was a 72-10 defeat by Carlisle
, who were also playing their final league game. Prescot finished at the bottom for a fifth successive season.
A brewery loan which had kept the club afloat both at Sutton (Highfield) and later on at Prescot changed hands and unfortunately for the club the new creditors wanted the loan to be repaid immediately. With this loan Geoff Fletcher had managed to sustain a social club at Valerie Park which provided the club with a small but sufficient income. When the brewery loan was recalled the Prescot Panthers were forced to go into administration and then ultimately receivership.
Chairman Geoff Fletcher accepted a one-off payment of about £30,000 for the club to resign from the Rugby Football League
. Equitable payments were then made from the £30,000 to the club's bankers and also to the few remaining Huyton-with-Roby RLFC Ltd Co. shareholders.
. The city has a thriving student rugby league scene; Liverpool University took part in the first university game in 1968 and the other universities have been regular participants in the BUSA competition.
Today there are a number of non-professional clubs in the city, including Liverpool Buccaneers
, who in 2006 won the regional final of the Rugby League Conference
and in 2008 were elevated to the Rugby League Conference
National division. Two junior clubs, Liverpool Lions (based in Croxteth
) and Liverpool Storm (based in Childwall
), have been established in 2008. They will be competing in the NWC Junior leagues in 2009. Rugby league has more recently returned to Huyton-with-Roby in the form of the Huyton Bulldogs A.R.L.F.C. Huyton Bulldogs
currently compete in the RL Merit League, and their home ground is at the Jubilee Playing Fields, Twigg Lane, Huyton.
A number of secondary school
s throughout Merseyside are now participating in the inaugural merit league and 2008 is the first year that Merseyside schools have qualified for the RFL's Champion Schools
tournament. Primary schools have been competing in tag festivals for a few years and the annual Tag World Cup is one of the major events in the Liverpool schools' competition calendar.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club from the city of Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
in 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 first Liverpool City - 1906-1907
A professional club first emerged in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, called Liverpool City in 1906, playing at the Stanley Athletics Ground. They hold an unwanted record in the professional game in the United Kingdom as being a team who lost every game in the season. In 1906-1907 they lost 30 games - they drew one against Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...
which was expunged because the return game wasn't played and also lost to Pontefract
Pontefract
Pontefract is an historic market town in West Yorkshire, England. Traditionally in the West Riding, near the A1 , the M62 motorway and Castleford. It is one of the five towns in the metropolitan borough of the City of Wakefield and has a population of 28,250...
, but that result was expunged after Pontefract withdrew from the league. At the end of that season they were replaced by two Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
clubs, Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil
Merthyr Tydfil is a town in Wales, with a population of about 30,000. Although once the largest town in Wales, it is now ranked as the 15th largest urban area in Wales. It also gives its name to a county borough, which has a population of around 55,000. It is located in the historic county of...
and Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale
Ebbw Vale is a town at the head of the valley formed by the Ebbw Fawr tributary of the Ebbw River, south Wales. It is the largest town and the administrative centre of Blaenau Gwent county borough...
.
The Liverpool City name would be resurrected by the Highfield franchise but there is no connection between the two clubs.
Wigan Highfield - 1880-1895 and 1902-1933
Wigan Highfield was formed around 1880 and went out of existence for a few years following the rugby schism of 1895. They reformed in 1902, the club originally playing in a league comprising the "A" teams of the major clubs. Although no colour photographs of the team exist it is generally assumed that Wigan Highfield's colours were yellow and blue.Despite the "Highfield" tag, Wigan Highfield played in Pemberton
Pemberton, Greater Manchester
Pemberton is an area of Wigan, and an electoral ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the southwestern bank of the River Douglas, contiguous to Wigan's town centre, and east of the M6 motorway...
down the road from the Highfield area of Wigan
Wigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
. In 1921—22, the club made an application for full Rugby League status, but it was decided that their Tunstall Lane ground was not big enough. By incorporating a field, it was possible to increase the size of the ground and in the 1922—23 season the club entered the Rugby League as Wigan Highfield. Their first match was against Wigan on September 2 1922 at Tunstall Lane, in which 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....
beat Wigan Highfield 25-10.
Highfield generally struggled in the lower half of the league tables but in 1927-1928 they managed to finish above Wigan in 7th place on points percentage. However in their ten year existence Wigan Highfield beat Wigan only once, 9-3 at Central Park
Central Park (Wigan)
Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...
on 13 September 1930.
London Highfield - 1933
In 1932, Leeds played Wigan in an exhibition match at the White City StadiumWhite City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
in west London under floodlights. The stadium authorities were impressed enough to take over Wigan Highfield, who had finished second from bottom in the league, and agreed to pay off their debts. They moved the club to White City and renamed the club London Highfield.
Highfield's first home game on 20th September 1933 was against Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
in front of a crowd of around 6,000 spectators, which they lost narrowly 9 points to 8. Overall London Highfield played 38 games and finished in a credible 14th position on the table that year, having won 20 games and lost only 8. During the season Highfield also played a match against the touring Australian national team, of which the Australians won 20 points to 5 in front of a crowd of 14,500 spectators, which was also London Highfield's highest attendance for the season.
Despite this reasonable success the White City Company
White City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
deemed the venture unprofitable and decided not to continue with rugby league beyond the first season. Player's match fees and expenses, plus compensating other team's travel costs contributed largely to the club's loss that year of ₤8,000.
Liverpool Stanley - 1934-1950 and the second Liverpool City - 1951-1968
In 1934, Highfield returned north to the Stanley greyhound stadium in Liverpool and became Liverpool Stanley. Liverpool Stanley's colours were distinct yellow jerseys with a blue band around the midrift and also on the sleeves, however later in their career due to acute money shortages the club relied upon handouts and donations, most notably from Mrs Rosalie Kyle and clothing coupons from supporters. During this period the kit colours and designs varied drastically, from all white shirts with black trim, white shirts with black Vs, and an all blue kit. During their final season as Liverpool Stanley the club turned out in a white shirt with "Corporation Green" band around the waist, the same colours they would wear later when they became Liverpool City RLFC.In 1935-36 Stanley won the Lancashire League
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...
.
During the Second World War Liverpool Stanley continued playing, but in 1942 they dropped out, returning after the war in 1945-46.
For the start of the 1950-51 season the club moved to Mill Yard, Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash
Knotty Ash is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Historically within Lancashire, at the 2001 Census, the population was 13,200.-Description:...
and was renamed Liverpool City RLFC.
In 1956 they hosted the touring Australian national team, losing 40-12 in front of a crowd of over 4,700.
Huyton RLFC - 1969-1984
In July 1964 the club's board were informed that the Knotty Ash lease would not be renewed and negotiations then took place with nearby HuytonHuyton
Huyton is a suburb of Liverpool within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley, with some parts belonging to the borough of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. It is part of the Liverpool Urban Area and has close associations with its neighbour, Roby, having both formerly been part of the Huyton with...
local authority for a 21-year lease at the new Alt Park Ground
River Alt
The River Alt is in Merseyside, England.The Alt runs from Hag Plantation in Huyton at , through Croxteth Park, roughly follows the M57 motorway south of Kirkby, then flows north of Aintree and south of Maghull...
which was eventually ready in August 1969. Alt Park was of a poor standard and often suffered from vandalism.
During their tenure as Huyton RLFC the club's colours were primarily amber shirts with a red and black V and black shorts. In the latter part of the 1970s the colours changed to red shirts with blue shorts & white socks for a brief period, and eventually an all-black shirt with red collar, white shorts and red socks.
It was during this period that club diehard Geoff Fletcher
Geoff Fletcher
Geoff Fletcher is a former rugby league player, coach and Chairman.Geoff Fletcher in his younger years played for Thatto Heath and later with Pilkington Recs where he played as a back and also as a winger. He later turned professional with Leigh...
joined Huyton in 1978. Geoff would remain with the club as player-coach and then subsequently through their various changes as manager in later years.
The club continued as Huyton RLFC and struggled in the second division until 1985, when the club moved to Runcorn FC's Canal Street Ground, Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
after Alt Park's main stand was declared unsafe. The club then became known as Runcorn Highfield.
Runcorn Highfield - 1985-1990
Around the time of Huyton RLFC's proposed move to RuncornRuncorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
, the then tenants of the Canal Street ground, Runcorn FC and its board of directors had mooted the idea of gaining extra income by establishing a rugby league club. That year saw applications from new clubs Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
& Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
. When these clubs were elected into the Rugby Football League
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...
Runcorn FC withdrew its application and instead decided to allow Huyton RLFC to move to their ground instead. Geoff Fletcher remained on initially as player-manager, and then moved unto an erroneous role on the board of directors when he retired from playing.
As Runcorn Highfield represented the new towns of Runcorn & Halton
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
the club adopted the green and yellow colours of the football club as well. The first game Highfield played was an exhibition game against local rivals 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...
. They lost 40-8. Much of their tenure at Runcorn was generally unsuccessful and they drew little local support which was a contributing factor to their eventual departure from Canal Street.
When Runcorn Highfield drew 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....
at home in the John Player Trophy
Regal Trophy
The Regal Trophy was a knock-out competition for British rugby league football clubs between 1971 and 1996.It was initially for professional clubs with the exception of two amateur teams who were finalists of the BARLA National Cup...
on 13 November, 1988, the club’s supporters saw it as an ideal opportunity to persuade the people of Runcorn
Runcorn
Runcorn is an industrial town and cargo port within the borough of Halton in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. In 2009, its population was estimated to be 61,500. The town is on the southern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form Runcorn Gap. Directly to the north...
to come and give Highfield a try. However, the directors had the game switched to Central Park in exchange for a fee from Wigan, on the grounds that Canal Street did not have the capacity.
The players, seeing that the club would receive more money, asked for a greater share. However the directors refused, leading to a massed players' strike. The team that faced Wigan comprised a number of trialists and reserves together with the coach, Bill Ashurst
Bill Ashurst
William "Bill" F. Ashurst is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s, and coach of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan , Penrith Panthers, Wakefield Trinity, and Runcorn Highfield, playing at , i.e...
, who had come out of retirement. Highfield lost 92-2 in front of a crowd of 7,233 at Central Park
Central Park (Wigan)
Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...
and Ashurst was sent off after 11 minutes. The club never seemed to recover from this blow, and they went on to lose every game in the 1989-90 season, finishing eight points behind second bottom club Nottingham City
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
.
When Runcorn Football Club increased the rent for Canal Street, Runcorn Highfield signed a 99-year agreement with St Helens Town FC
St Helens Town F.C.
St Helens Town A.F.C. are an English football club based in St Helens. The club are currently members of the Premier Division of the North West Counties League and play their home matches at Ashton Town's Edge Green Street.-History:...
in August 1990 and moved to Hoghton Road, Sutton. The move was opposed by St Helens RLFC and the Rugby League Board but approved by the full Rugby League Council by 26 votes to 6 on 5 October, 1990. The club was renamed Highfield for the 1991-92 season. Highfield's playing colours were a representative combination of the past incarnations of the club, which consisted of yellow socks, black shorts and predominately red shirts with yellow, blue and green stripes across the shoulders and sleeves.
Highfield - 1991-1996
In their first season Highfield finished a highly respectable 14th out of 20 clubs in Division Two, and reached the second round of the Challenge CupChallenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
. Two years later they managed 11th place, above such teams as Fulham, Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
, Workington Town
Workington Town
Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....
and Keighley
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
. However, Highfield could only manage an average attendance of 331, rising to 515 the following season.
Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay
Maurice Lindsay (Rugby League)
Maurice Lindsay is the current Chairman of Preston North End FC and the former chairman of Wigan Rugby League Football Club and had two stints at the club after being one of the 'Gang of Four' directors that used to run the club when it domininated the league in the 1980s.- Career :Lindsay was a...
wanted to reduce the number of clubs in the lower division of the league in 1993. The three clubs finishing bottom of the second division would be demoted to the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
. It went to the wire with Blackpool
Blackpool Borough
Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire.The team wore tangerine, black and white jerseys.-Blackpool Borough:...
and Nottingham City
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
already relegated, the crucial last match at Nottingham on 12 April, 1993, between Nottingham City
Mansfield Marksman
Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...
and Highfield saw Highfield, under Geoff Fletcher, win 39-6 and Highfield survived at the expense of Chorley Borough
Blackpool Panthers
Blackpool & The Fylde Panthers RLFC was an English professional rugby league club based in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. They played at Woodlands Memorial Ground owned by Fylde rugby union club...
.
The 1994-95 season was a disaster for Highfield. They won only two games all season - against amateurs Ovenden
Ovenden
Ovenden is a village in the county of West Yorkshire, England, located next to Boothtown and Illingworth and about 1 mile from Halifax town centre.Ovenden had a railway station, originally on the Halifax and Ovenden Junction Railway line...
12-6 in the first round of the Regal Trophy and against Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
14-12 in the league. They lost to amateurs Beverley
Beverley
Beverley is a market town, civil parish and the county town of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, located between the River Hull and the Westwood. The town is noted for Beverley Minster and architecturally-significant religious buildings along New Walk and other areas, as well as the Beverley...
27-4 in the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
and their final game (played at Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
' ground
Spotland Stadium
Spotland Stadium is a sports venue located at Willbutts Lane in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It is currently home to Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Hornets RLFC...
on 23 April 1995) was a humiliating 104-4 defeat by Keighley
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
. Their final home game was on 17 April 1995 when they lost 34-8 to Barrow in front of a crowd of 195. Needless to say they finished bottom of the Second Division with only two points. They conceded a grand total of 1,604 points in 30 league games.
Despite all this Highfield survived into the Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
era but fared even worse in the 1995-96 season gaining just 1 point all season (a 24-24 draw against York
York City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...
), their only win coming against amateurs Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Stags
Hemel Stags are a rugby league team based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire playing in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference.The club has played in a number of leagues over the years, from the London League, MASWARLA, National Conference League and the Alliance League...
in the first round of the Regal Trophy. Their final game was a 82-0 defeat away at Hunslet
Hunslet Hawks
Hunslet Hawks is a professional rugby league club based in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England. The club, sometimes known as 'the Parksiders' after their former stadium, are currently champions of Championship One.-History:-Early years:...
on 21 January, 1996.
Prescot Panthers - 1996-97
Highfield moved to Valerie ParkValerie Park
Valerie Park, traditionally known as Hope Street, is a stadium in Prescot, Merseyside. It is located on Eaton Street in the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley. It is home to Prescot Cables of the Northern Premier League and, since their formation in 2008, A.F.C...
in Prescot
Prescot
Prescot is a town and civil parish, within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It is 8 miles to the east of Liverpool city centre and lies within the historic boundaries of Lancashire. At the 2001 Census, the population was 11,184 .Prescot marks the beginning of the...
during the 1994-1995 season, a move that was made due to the tenants of Hoghton Road, St Helens Town FC deciding to increase the rent on the ground. Highfield RLFC played there until the start of the 1996 season, when they were then renamed Prescot Panthers to coincide with the start of the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
. As the Prescot Panthers the club colours were predominately black shirts with gold checks and band across the shoulders and sleeves, black shorts and black/gold hooped socks. They enjoyed by their standards a comparatively successful season winning two games. They struggled on for the 1997 season again winning two games but bowed to the inevitable and resigned from the league at the end of the season. Ironically the club's final game was a 72-10 defeat by Carlisle
Carlisle RLFC
Carlisle RLFC were a rugby league team based in Carlisle, Cumbria.-Early rugby league in Carlisle:Carlisle City, based at Harraby Greyhound Stadium close to Gillford Park, were admitted to the Northern Rugby Football Union for the 1928-29 season. They withdrew on November 8, 1928 after only ten...
, who were also playing their final league game. Prescot finished at the bottom for a fifth successive season.
A brewery loan which had kept the club afloat both at Sutton (Highfield) and later on at Prescot changed hands and unfortunately for the club the new creditors wanted the loan to be repaid immediately. With this loan Geoff Fletcher had managed to sustain a social club at Valerie Park which provided the club with a small but sufficient income. When the brewery loan was recalled the Prescot Panthers were forced to go into administration and then ultimately receivership.
Chairman Geoff Fletcher accepted a one-off payment of about £30,000 for the club to resign from the Rugby Football League
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...
. Equitable payments were then made from the £30,000 to the club's bankers and also to the few remaining Huyton-with-Roby RLFC Ltd Co. shareholders.
Rugby league in Liverpool - community, schools & universities
Rugby league is a developing sport in Liverpool, with many community partners assisting the sport's governing body (RFL) to offer opportunities to participate. These include well established professional clubs in the neighbouring towns of St Helens and WidnesWidnes 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...
. The city has a thriving student rugby league scene; Liverpool University took part in the first university game in 1968 and the other universities have been regular participants in the BUSA competition.
Today there are a number of non-professional clubs in the city, including Liverpool Buccaneers
Liverpool Buccaneers
Liverpool Buccaneers Rugby League Football Club are an amateur rugby league club from West Derby in Liverpool. The team play home games at Sefton RUFC in West Derby. Currently they play in the North West Premier division of the Rugby League Conference and the North West Merit League.-History:The...
, who in 2006 won the regional final of the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
and in 2008 were elevated to the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
National division. Two junior clubs, Liverpool Lions (based in Croxteth
Croxteth
Croxteth is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. Although housing in the area is predominantly modern, the suburb has some notable history. It is known locally as "Crocky"...
) and Liverpool Storm (based in Childwall
Childwall
Childwall is a suburb of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council Ward. It is located to the south of the city, bordered by Gateacre, Wavertree, Belle Vale, Broadgreen, Bowring Park and Mossley Hill...
), have been established in 2008. They will be competing in the NWC Junior leagues in 2009. Rugby league has more recently returned to Huyton-with-Roby in the form of the Huyton Bulldogs A.R.L.F.C. Huyton Bulldogs
Huyton Bulldogs
Huyton Bulldogs are a rugby league team based in Huyton, Merseyside. They play in the RL Merit League, which is a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference.-History of rugby league in Huyton:...
currently compete in the RL Merit League, and their home ground is at the Jubilee Playing Fields, Twigg Lane, Huyton.
A number of secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s throughout Merseyside are now participating in the inaugural merit league and 2008 is the first year that Merseyside schools have qualified for the RFL's Champion Schools
Champion Schools
The Champion Schools tournament is a full contact knock-out rugby league football competition open to every secondary school in England, Scotland and Wales and is the largest rugby league tournament in the World "RFL-13-05-07" The competition is operated by the Rugby Football League and the...
tournament. Primary schools have been competing in tag festivals for a few years and the annual Tag World Cup is one of the major events in the Liverpool schools' competition calendar.
Players earning international caps while at Wigan Highfield & Liverpool Stanley
- Raymond "Ray" AshbyRay AshbyRay Ashby is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Liverpool City, Wigan, and Blackpool Borough, playing at , or , i.e...
won caps for Great Britain while at Liverpool City 1964 France - Gordon A. AspinallGordon AspinallGordon A. Aspinall is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Liverpool Stanley.-International honours:...
won caps for England while at Liverpool Stanley 1943 Wales
- William "Billy" BelshawBilly BelshawWilliam "Billy" Belshaw is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s and '40s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Liverpool Stanley, and Warrington, playing at , or , i.e...
won caps for England while at Liverpool Stanley 1935 Wales, 1936 Wales, 1937 France, while at WarringtonWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
1938 France, Wales, 1939 France, Wales, 1940 Wales, 1941 Wales, 1943 Wales, 1945 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Liverpool Stanley 1936 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 1937 Australia, while at WarringtonWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
1937 Australia (2 matches)
- Nathan "Nat" BenthamNathan BenthamNathan "Nat" Bentham is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Liverpool Stanley, Halifax, and Warrington, playing at , i.e...
won caps for England while at Wigan Highfield 1928 Wales (2 matches), while at HalifaxHalifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
1929 Other Nations, while at WarringtonWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
1930 Other Nations (2 matches), and won caps for Great Britain while at Wigan Highfield 1928 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (3 matches), while at HalifaxHalifax RLFCHalifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
1929-30 Australia (2 matches), while at WarringtonWarrington WolvesWarrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
Australia (2 matches)
- Harry WoodsHarry Woods (rugby league)J. Harry Woods is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Liverpool Stanley, and Leeds, playing at , or , i.e...
won caps for England while at Liverpool Stanley 1935 France, Wales, while at LeedsLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
1937 France won caps, and won caps for Great Britain while at Liverpool Stanley 1936 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), LeedsLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
1937 Australia
Other notable players
- Robert "Bob" Burdell (#9) http://www.rugbyleague.org/features/content.php?feat_id=233&featcat_id=32 circa-1961
- John Close circa-1926
- George CurranGeorge CurranGeorge Curran was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Salford, and Liverpool City, playing at , or , i.e...
circa-1956
- David "Dave" Prescott (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1984) - Bill SayerBill SayerWilliam "Bill" 'Sos' Sayer was an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Wigan Highfield, Wigan and St. Helens, playing at , i.e...
- Geoffrey "Geoff" Walker (#7) http://www.rugbyleague.org/features/content.php?feat_id=233&featcat_id=32 circa-1961
- William "Willie" Berridge WelshWillie WelshWilliam "Willie" Berridge Welsh was a Scottish international rugby union player, and later rugby league player, who played for and the Lions....
, for ScotlandScotland national rugby union teamThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
(RU)Rugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
while at Hawick RFCHawick RFCHawick Rugby Football Club is a semi-professional rugby union side, currently playing in the Premiership Division One and Border League. The team are based at Mansfield Park at Hawick in the Scottish Borders....
(RU)Rugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
1927-33 21-caps (signed for London Highfield 1933-34)
- Danny Wilson
- Thomas WinnardThomas WinnardThomas "Tom"/"Tommy" Winnard is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s who at representative level has played for England, and Lancashire, and at club level for Wigan Highfield, St. Helens, and Bradford Northern, playing at , i.e...
circa-1930
External links
- Huyton Bulldogs RLFC
- Liverpool Buccaneers RLFC
- Liverpool Lions Junior RLFC
- Liverpool Storm Junior RLFC
- Runcorn RLC
- Images of Wigan Highfield RLFC
- Photo of a Highfield RLFC jersey from OLDRUGBYSHIRTS.com
- Photos of Prescot Panthers jerseys from OLDRUGBYSHIRTS.com
- RUGBY LEAGUE SEASON - SWINTON V. LIVERPOOL STANLEY video newsreel film 1937
- Huyton vs Bradford Northern 1971
