The 1985–86 Lancashire Cup competition was the seventy-third occasion on which the tournament had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Warrington in the final by the score of 34-8.
Competition and results This season the total number of entrants remained at the 16 level. With this full sixteen members there was no need for “blank” or “dummy” fixtures or any byes.
Round 1 Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Sun 15 Sep 1985Barrow8-12WhitehavenCraven Park20112Sun 15 Sep 1985Leigh40-12OldhamHilton Park35003Sun 15 Sep 1985Rochdale Hornets6-17WidnesAthletic Grounds12694Sun 15 Sep 1985Runcorn Highfield16-38Workington TownCanal Street10005Sun 15 Sep 1985St. Helens72-8CarlisleKnowsley Road36306Sun 15 Sep 1985Salford18-14SwintonThe Willows34827Sun 15 Sep 1985Warrington30-3Blackpool BoroughWilderspool22348Sun 15 Sep 1985Wigan24-13FulhamCentral Park8943
Round 2 - Quarter-finals Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Wed 25 Sep 1985Leigh14-18WidnesHilton Park40002Wed 25 Sep 1985St. Helens26-8WhitehavenKnowsley Road38533Wed 25 Sep 1985Warrington38-4Workington TownWilderspool25184Wed 25 Sep 1985Wigan22-20SalfordCentral Park11188
Round 3 – Semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Wed 02 Oct 1985Warrington11-4WidnesWilderspool56332Wed 02 Oct 1985Wigan30-2St. HelensCentral Park18544
Final The match was played at Knowsley Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, (historically in the county of Lancashire). The attendance was 19,202 and receipts were £56,030. The attendance was again at a very pleasing level, the second of the five-year period when it would reach around the 20,000 level.
This was Wigan's second appearance in two years and a first victory in what would become a run of four victories and five appearances in five successive years.
Game NoFixture DateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef Sunday 13 October 1985Wigan34-8WarringtonKnowsley Road19202560301
Teams and scorers
Wigan№Warrington Teams Shaun Edwards1Brian JohnsonGary Henley-Smith2Brian CarbertDavid Stephenson3Paul CullenEllery Hanley4Phil BlakeColin Whitfield5Rick ThackraySteve Ella6Ken KellyMike Ford7Andy GregoryGreg Dowling8Bob EcclesNicky Kiss9Carl WebbShaun Wane10Bob JacksonNick Du Toit11Les BoydAndy Goodway12Mike GregoryIan Potter13Alan Rathbone Subs Steve Hampson (for Gary Henley-Smith 58 min)14Mark Forster (for Phil Blake 27 min)Brian Case (for Shaun Edwards 27 min)15Kevin Tamati (for Les Boyd 49 min)coach 34score812HT8 Scorers Tries Steve Ella (2)TBrian Johnson (1)Nicky Kiss (1)TEllery Hanley (1)TShaun Edwards (1)T Goals David Stephenson (7)GBrian Carbert (2)DisciplineAlan Rathbone - Sent Off -52 Min - Late Hit on Ian Potter Discipline Andy Gregory - Sent Off - 71min - Stamping on Nick Du ToitRefereeJohn Holdsworth (Kippax)Man of the matchSteve Ella - Wigan - sponsored byBurtonwood BreweryCompetition SponsorForshaws (Burtonwood Brewery Co Ltd) Scoring - Try = four points - Goal = two points - Drop goal = one point
The road to success
Notes 1 * Knowsley Road was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 to 2010. The final capacity was in the region of 18,000, although the actual record attendance was 35,695, set on 26 December 1949, for a league game between St Helens and Wigan
See also 1985–86 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