Brighouse Rangers was a (semi) professional rugby league club. This club was based in Brighouse, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England.
The club played in the Wartime Emergency Leagues from 1915–16 to 1918–19 (January) but not the "Victory" League.
History Early history The previous Brighouse Rangers Football Club were founded in the 1870s, and joined the RFU in 1879, to become one of the founder members of the new Northern Union in 1895, played in the first season 1895–96, became the first winner of the Yorkshire Senior Competition in 1896–97, and continued for 11 seasons until 1905–06, and disbanded in summer 1906.
This club, Brighouse Rangers was in existence in 1915, but otherwise there is very little publicised information available.
Wartime Emergency League Brighouse Rangers joined the War League for season 1915–16 and spent three and a half years with very little success.
In the first season 1915–16 the club finished bottom out of the 24 clubs with 3 points.
In the second season 1916–17 Brighouse Rangers managed to finish second bottom out of 26 clubs with 2 points. The bottom club York also had 2 points, but had played one game more and therefore had a poorer percentage rating.
In the third season 1917–18 the club managed a slight improvement finishing 18th out of 22.
The next season, 1918–19 (Jan), commenced as another Wartime Emergency League but with the end of the war, the programme was terminated in January 1919, and a quickly arranged and shortened “Victory" League programme was instigated.
This programme was never completed - and no league tables were ever produced.
It is assumed that the club continued to have very limited success and folded before the start of the 1919 (Feb-May) “Victory” League as they do not appear in the league tables for this season.
Note - Nowhere in the official archives is the word "Victory" used. It has been used in this article to distinguish between the two competitions held in the 1918–19 season.
Successor clubs Brighouse Rugby League club have reformed numerous times since then.
The current club are amateurs Brighouse Rangers ARLFC. In the 1970 Brighouse played at Wellholme Park, near the Cricket Club. Towards the approach of the new millennium in 2000, Tesco bought the site including Brighouse ARLFC clubhouse and with the money, the club built anew on Russell Way, off Bradford Road.
Records Club league performance In a SeasonDetailsSeasonCompetitionCommentsNotesRefHighest League Position181917–18WELout of 22 clubs Lowest League Position251916–17WELout of 26 clubs and241915–16WELout of 24 clubs Most League Points101917–18WELout of possible 40 = 25% Fewest League Points21916–17WELout of possible 34 = 6% Most Points Scored (PF)751917–18WELIn 20 games = 3.75/game Most Points Conceded (PA)3441915–16WELIn 22 games = 3.23/game or3111916–17WELIn 17 games = 3.47/game Fewest Points Scored (PF)591916–17WELIn 17 games = 3.47/game or (PF)711915–16WELIn 22 games = 3.23/game Fewest Points Conceded (PA)3021917–18WELIn 20 games = 3.75/game Best Points Difference-2271917–18WELIn 20 games Worst Points Difference-2731915–16WELIn 22 games
Club league record SeasonCompetitionPosTeam Name PlWDLPFPADiffPts%No of teams in league NotesRef1915–16WEL24Brighouse Rangers22112071344-27336.82241916–17WEL25Brighouse Rangers17101659311-25225.89261917–18WEL18Brighouse Rangers20421475302-2271025221918–1919 (Jan)WEL position is unknown as League programme not completed and tables not calculated| Heading Abbreviations Pl = Games played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points for; PA = Points against; Diff = Points difference (+ or -); Pts = League Points League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.
Several fixtures and results The following a one of Brighouse Rangers’ fixtures for the four seasons in which they participated in the Wartime Emergency League :-
SeasonDateCompetitionOpponent VenueH/AResult Score AttNotesRef1917–18Sat 22 December 1917WELHullBoulevardHLost3-24 Heading Abbreviations CC Rx = Challenge Cup Round x; WEL = Wartime Emergency League:
Notes and comments 1 - The name "Victory" League is not used on official documents. It also has only been used here to distinguish between the two programmes which ran during the 1918–19 season.
See also British rugby league system History of rugby league The Great Schism – Rugby League View The Great Schism – Rugby Union View List of defunct rugby league clubs
References
External links 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season at wigan.rlfans.com Hull&Proud Fixtures & Results 1896/1897 Widnes Vikings - One team, one passion Season In Review - 1896–97 Saints Heritage Society Warington History Brighouse Rangers ARLFC - History