1979–80 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy

The 1979–80 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the fifteenth occasion on which the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition had been held.
This year, for the last time, a new name appeared on the trophy when Hull F.C. won the trophy by beating Hull Kingston Rovers by the score of 13-3
The match was played at Boulevard, in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire. The attendance was 18,500, and the receipts were £16,605
The attendance was a record for a BBC2 Floodlit Trophy, never to be beaten

1979–80 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
StructureFloodlit knockout championship
Teams22
WinnersHull F.C.
Runners-upHull Kingston Rovers

Background

This season saw no changes in the entrants, no new members and no withdrawals, the number remaining 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.

Competition and results

[1][2]

Preliminary round

Involved six matches and 12 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Notes Ref
PTue 4 Sep 1979Bramley5–21HunsletMcLaren Field
PTue 4 Sep 1979Hull F.C.8–1HalifaxBoulevard1[3]
PWed 5 Sep 1979Castleford22–12Wakefield TrinityWheldon Road[4]
PTue 11 Sep 1979Whitehaven5–29BarrowRecreation Ground
PWed 19 Sep 1979Oldham9–20St HelensWatersheddings1,355[5]
PWed 26 Sep 1979Warrington4–12LeighWilderspool[6]

First round

Involved eight matches and 16 clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Notes Ref
1Tue 25 Sep 1979Keighley9–2DewsburyLawkholme Lane
2Sun 30 Sep 1979Hull F.C.34–2HuddersfieldBoulevard2[2][3][7]
3Tue 2 Oct 1979Widnes27–13SwintonNaughton Park3[8]
4Tue 9 Oct 1979St Helens45–17Rochdale HornetsKnowsley Road3,0003 4[5]
5Tue 9 Oct 1979Salford24–6WiganThe Willows[9]
6Tue 16 Oct 1979Hull Kingston Rovers25–12CastlefordCraven Park3
7Tue 23 Oct 1979Hunslet10–12LeedsMount Pleasant3
8Tue 30 Oct 1979Leigh20–4BarrowHilton Park3

Second round

Involved four matches with eight clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Notes Ref
1Tue 6 Nov 1979Hull Kingston Rovers41–15KeighleyCraven Park3
2Tue 13 Nov 1979Leigh14–5WidnesHilton Park3[8]
3Tue 27 Nov 1979Hull F.C.16–9LeedsBoulevard3[3]
4Tue 20 Nov 1979St HelensP–PSalfordKnowsley Road[5]
RFri 30 Nov 1979St Helens15–10SalfordKnowsley Road4,500[5]

Semi-finals

Involved two matches and four clubs

Game No Fixture date Home team Score Away team Venue Att Notes Ref
1Tue 4 Dec 1979Hull F.C.9–6LeighBoulevard3[3]
2Tue 11 Dec 1979Hull Kingston Rovers10–7St HelensKnowsley Road7,7663[5]

Final

The attendance was a record for a BBC2 Floodlit Trophy final, never to be beaten.

18 December 1979
Hull 13 – 3 Hull Kingston Rovers
Tries: Evans, Dennison, Birdsall
Goals: Dennison (2)
 [10][11]
 Tries: Hubbard
The Boulevard, Hull
Attendance: 18,500
Referee: Billy Thompson (Huddersfield)

Teams
Hull F.C. No. Hull Kingston Rovers
Teams
Paul Woods1Ian Robinson
Graham Bray2Steve Hubbard
Graham Evans3Mike Smith
Phil Coupland4Bernard Watson
Steve Dennison5Clive Sullivan (c)
John Newlove6Dave Hall
Keith Hepworth7Allan Agar
Keith Tindall8Roy Holdstock
Ron Wileman9Graham Tyreman
Vince Farrar (c)10Brian Lockwood
Charlie Stone11Phil Lowe
Keith Boxall12Geoff Clarkson
Steve Norton13Phil Hogan
Subs
Graham Walters14Steve Hartley
Charlie Birdsall15John Millington
Arthur BuntingCoachRoger Millward

The road to success

This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures

First round Second round Semi-finals Final
            
Hull FC 34
Huddersfield 2
Hull FC 16
Leeds 9
Hunslet 10
Leeds 12
Hull FC 9
Leigh 6
Leigh 20
Barrow 4
Leigh 14
Widnes 5
Widnes 27
Swinton 13
Hull FC 13
Hull Kingston Rovers 3
Hull Kingston Rovers 25
Castleford 12
Hull Kingston Rovers 41
Keighley 15
Keighley 9
Dewsbury 2
Hull Kingston Rovers 10
St. Helens 7
St. Helens 45
Rochdale Hornets 17
St. Helens 15
Salford 10
Salford 24
Wigan 6

Notes and comments

1 * the first BBC2 Floodlit Trophy match to end with a team scoring 1 point
2 * Played in daylight
3 * This match was televised
4 * At the time this was the third highest score

Postscript

To date, this was the last season for the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Competition, which had taken place annually only since its inauguration in the 1965-66 season.
Despite several minor disagreements between the BBC and the RFL, including over shirt sponsorship in the early 1970s, overall the competition had been a great success.
However financial cutbacks at the BBC lead to its cancellation after the 1979–80 competition.
Therefore, this season was to be the last. It was greatly missed by many, including those living in a non-Rugby League area

Records from the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Competition

[12][13]

Record Holder
In Final
Team
Most appearances7St. Helens
Most wins4Castleford
Highest Score26-11Hull Kingston RoversSt. Helens 1977
Widest margin22-2St. Helens 1977Dewsbury 1975
Biggest Attendance18500Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers 1979
Highest receipts16605Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers 1979
Individual
Most tries2Roy MathiasSt. Helens v Dewsbury 1975
2Peter GlynnSt. Helens v Hull Kingston Rovers 1977
2Gerald "Ged" DunnHull Kingston Rovers v St. Helens 1977
2Stuart WrightWidnes v St. Helens 1978
Most goals4Ron WillettCastleford v Leigh 1967
4Kel CoslettSt. Helens v Rochdale Hornets 1971
4Dave HallHull Kingston Rovers v St. Helens 1977
Most points8The last 3 goal kickers
In Competition
Highest Score51-0St. HelensDewsbury (1977)
Greatest winning margin51-0St. HelensDewsbury (1977)
Highest Aggregate score54-16LeedsHull F.C. (1973)
Other high scores47-5St. HelensCastleford (1978)
47-11LeedsBramley (1978
'45-17St. HelensRochdale Hornets (1979)

See also

References
  1. "Rugby League Project".
  2. "Wigan "Cherry and White" matches".
  3. "HULL&PROUD - Stats - Fixtures & Results".
  4. "I'm Wakefield 'til I die..."
  5. "Saints Heritage Society - History - Season 1896-97".
  6. "Warrington Wolves - Results Archive - 1897". Archived from the original on 2 February 2014.
  7. "Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage" (PDF).
  8. "Widnes Vikings - History - Season In Review - 1896-97".
  9. "Wigan "Cherry and White" archived results". Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  10. Saxton, Irvin (ed.). History of Rugby League: No.86 1979–1980. League Publications. p. 14.
  11. Macklin, Keith (19 December 1979). "Hull's trophy triumph has taverns ringing". The Times. p. 9.
  12. Robert Gate (1991). Guinness Rugby League Fact Book. Guinness Publishing. ISBN 978-085112949 5.
  13. Spotter Series. Spotter book of Rugby League Facts. Dorset Publ.
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