The 1949–50 Lancashire Cup competition was the 37th Rugby League Lancashire Cup. In the final, Wigan beat Leigh 20–7 to win the trophy. Thirty-five thousand people attended the match, which took place at Wilderspool, Warrington with receipts of £4,751. The attendance was the second-highest to date for the competition (for further information see Rugby league county cups). This was the fourth of Wigan's record-breaking run of six consecutive Lancashire Cup victories.
Background Overall, 14 teams entered this competition, the same number as in 1948, with Whitehaven being newly elected into the Rugby League at the start of the 1949–50 season, replacing the prior season's junior/amateur club entrant. No junior/amateur club took part during the 1949–50 season. The same pre-war fixture format was retained, with no bye, but one "blank" or "dummy" fixture in the first round. The second round contained one bye, but no "blank" fixture. As in the 1948–49 competition, all the first round matches were played on the basis of two legged (home and away) ties, and the remainder of the rounds on straight forward knock-out basis.
Competition and results
Round 1 7 matches (with no bye and one "blank" fixture) involving 14 clubs.
Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 27 Aug 1949Belle Vue Rangers18–2Rochdale HornetsBelle Vue Stadium2Sat 27 Aug 1949Liverpool Stanley0–41LeighStanley Greyhound Stadium3Sat 27 Aug 1949St. Helens0–7Workington TownKnowsley Road15,0004Sat 27 Aug 1949Salford9–22WarringtonThe Willows5Sat 27 Aug 1949Whitehaven3–2SwintonRecreation Ground1 6Sat 27 Aug 1949Widnes11–2BarrowNaughton Park7Sat 27 Aug 1949Wigan45–14OldhamCentral Park8 blankblank
Round 1 – second leg 7 matches (with no bye and one "blank" fixture) involving 14 clubs. These are the reverse fixture from the first leg.
Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Wed 31 Aug 1949Rochdale Hornets5–5Belle Vue RangersAthletic Grounds7–232Wed 31 Aug 1949Leigh38–7Liverpool StanleyKirkhall Lane79–73Wed 31 Aug 1949Workington Town7–4St. HelensBorough Park14–414,2564Wed 31 Aug 1949Warrington17–2SalfordWilderspool39–115Wed 31 Aug 1949Swinton23–2WhitehavenStation Road25–56Wed 31 Aug 1949Barrow7–5WidnesCraven Park9–167Wed 31 Aug 1949Oldham19–9WiganWatersheddings33–548 blankblank
Round 2 – quarterfinals 3 matches (with one bye) involving 7 clubs.
Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Wed 14 Sep 1949Warrington45–7Belle Vue RangersWilderspool2Wed 14 Sep 1949Wigan33–13SwintonCentral Park3Wed 14 Sep 1949Workington Town18–5WidnesBorough Park4 Leighbye
Round 3 – semifinals 2 matches involving 4 clubs.
Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef 1Mon 03 Oct 1949Leigh10–7WarringtonKirkhall Lane2Mon 03 Oct 1949Wigan30–17Workington TownCentral Park
Final Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef Saturday 29 October 1949Wigan20–7LeighWilderspool35,000£4,7512
Teams and scorers Wigan№Leigh Martin Ryan1Jimmy LedgardJack Hilton2Jack WoodJack Cunliffe3Norman HarrisErnie Ashcroft4Edward KerwickBrian Nordgren5Nebby CleworthCes Mountford6Jimmy RoweTommy Bradshaw7Peter RileyKen Gee8Alf EdgeJoe Egan9Terry StephensTed Slevin10Reg WheatleyBill Hudson11Ces RyanFrank Barton12Charlie PawseyBilly Blan13Jeff Burke 20score78HT2 Scorers Tries Brian Nordgren (4)TCleworth (1)Billy Blan (1)TJack Hilton (1)T Goals Ken Gee (1)GJimmy Ledgard (2)RefereeG. S. Phillips, Widnes Scoring: Try = three (3) points; Goal = two (2) points; Drop goal = two (2) points
Tournament bracket All the first round ties were played on a two leg (home and away) basis. The first club named in the first round played the first leg at home. The scores shown in the first round are the aggregate score over the two legs.
Notes and comments 1 * This was the first Lancashire Cup match to be played by Whitehaven as well as being the first match at this stadium. 2 * Wilderspool was the home ground of Warrington from 1883 through the 2003 summer season, after which they moved into the new Halliwell Jones Stadium. Wilderspool remained a sports/Rugby League facility, used by the Woolston Rovers/Warrington Wizards junior club. It had a final capacity of 9,000 although the record attendance was set in a Challenge cup third round match on 13 March 1948, when 34,304 spectators saw Warrington lose to Wigan 13–10.
See also 1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season Rugby league county cups
References
External links Saints Heritage Society 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 The Northern Union at warringtonwolves.org