The 1944–45 Yorkshire Cup was the 37th occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held.
The Second World War was continuing and the Yorkshire Cup remained in the early part of the 1944–45 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season calendar
Halifax won the trophy by beating Hunslet in a two-legged final by an aggregate score of 14–3.
Hunslet played the first leg match at home (at Parkside, Hunslet, Leeds, now in West Yorkshire) and lost 3–12. The attendance was 11,213 and receipts were £744. Halifax were at home (at Thrum Hall) for the second leg match and duly won 2–0. The attendance at the second leg match was 9,800 and receipts £745.
Change in Club participation
Hull Kingston Rovers – The club dropped out of the wartime Lancashire league after the ‘first (1939–40) season. They did not return to league competition until 1945–46 peacetime season. Bramley – withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not rejoin until the 1945–46 season. Castleford – withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not participate for two seasons, re-joining for this 1944–45 season. Hunslet – withdrew after the third wartime season (1941–42) had finished and did not participate for one season, and re-joined in time for the 1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season Wigan - This club entered the Yorkshire Cup competition for the fifth successive season Oldham - The club, as Wigan, also entered the Yorkshire Cup competition and for the fifth successive season St. Helens - The club, as Wigan and Oldham, also entered the Yorkshire Cup competition and for their third successive season Barrow – withdrew after the end of the first (1939–40) season finished and did not rejoin the league, including the Yorkshire Cup until the 1943–44 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season. Dewsbury - had a relatively successful time during the war years. Managed by Eddie Waring, and with the side boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players, the club won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941–42 and again the following season 1942–43 (though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player). They were also runners-up in the Championship in 1943–44, Challenge Cup winners in 1943 and Yorkshire Cup final appearances in this season 1940–41 and winners in 1942–43.
Background This season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, Castleford rejoined after two seasons' absence, and with the Lancashire presence with the quartet of Wigan, Oldham, St. Helens and Barrow, this increased the entries by one, bringing the total up to seventeen.
This in turn resulted in no byes in the first round, and also the addition of one fixture in a preliminary round.
For the third successive year all the ties (this season including the actual final) were played on a two-legged home and away basis.
Competition and results Preliminary round – first leg Involved 1 match and 2 clubs The preliminary round tie was played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRefSat 7 Oct 1944Wakefield Trinity3–12HalifaxBelle Vue
Preliminary round – second leg Involved 1 match and 2 clubs All first round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRefSat 14 Oct 1944Halifax8–3Wakefield TrinityThrum Hall20–6
Round 1 – first leg Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs All first round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 21 Oct 1944Dewsbury6–4KeighleyCrown Flatt2Sat 21 Oct 1944Featherstone Rovers6–0LeedsPost Office Road3Sat 21 Oct 1944Halifax14–2BatleyThrum Hall4Sat 21 Oct 1944Huddersfield23–19HullFartown5Sat 21 Oct 1944Hunslet6–3CastlefordParkside6Sat 21 Oct 1944Oldham5–18WiganWatersheddings7Sat 21 Oct 1944St. Helens8–22BarrowKnowsley Road8Sat 21 Oct 1944York0–10Bradford NorthernClarence Street
Round 1 – second leg Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs All first round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 28 Oct 1944Keighley5–5DewsburyLawkholme Lane9–112Sat 28 Oct 1944Leeds5–3Featherstone RoversHeadingley5–93Sat 28 Oct 1944Batley0–12HalifaxMount Pleasant2–264Sat 28 Oct 1944Hull21–2HuddersfieldBoulevard40–255Sat 28 Oct 1944Castleford2–8HunsletWheldon Road 5–146Sat 28 Oct 1944Wigan39–2OldhamCentral Park57–77Sat 28 Oct 1944Barrow21–8St. HelensCraven Park43–168Sat 28 Oct 1944Bradford Northern45–5YorkOdsal55–5
Round 2 – quarterfinals – first leg Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs All second round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 04 Nov 1944Dewsbury0–0HullCrown Flatt2Sat 04 Nov 1944Featherstone Rovers0–12HunsletPost Office Road3Sat 04 Nov 1944Halifax10–0Bradford NorthernThrum Hall4Sat 04 Nov 1944Wigan9–5BarrowCentral Park
Round 2 – second leg Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs All second round ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 11 Nov 1944Hull5–7DewsburyBoulevard5–72Sat 11 Nov 1944Hunslet15–0Featherstone RoversParkside27–03Sat 11 Nov 1944Bradford Northern5–5HalifaxOdsal5–154Sat 11 Nov 1944Barrow5–2WiganCraven Park10–11
Round 3 – semifinals – first leg Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Both semi-final ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 18 Nov 1944Hunslet9–0DewsburyParkside2Sat 18 Nov 1944Wigan5–6HalifaxCentral Park
Semifinal – second leg Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Both semi-final ties are played on a two-legged home and away basis Game NoFixture dateHome teamScore Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef1Sat 25 Nov 1944Dewsbury0–2HunsletCrown Flatt0–112Sat 25 Nov 1944Halifax9–7WiganThrum Hall15–12
Final First leg The final was played on a two-legged home and away basis this season. Receipts for the first leg were £744.
HunsletNo.Halifax Teams Longley1Hubert LockwoodArthur Thurling2Jim BevanErnest Winter3Friend TaylorFrank Watson4George ToddFreddie Williamson5Alan PrescottBurnell6Fred RuleFletcher7Tommy McCueCyril Plenderleith8MorganJoe Britton9JonesDoug Billings10Hudson IrvingDes Clarkson11Mel MeekColin Stansfield12Hughie McDowellKen Traill13Jack Dixon Coach
Second leg Halifax won the Yorkshire Cup with an aggregate score of 14–3. Receipts for the second leg were £745.
HalifaxNo.HunsletTeamsHubert Lockwood1Jack WalkingtonJim Bevan2Arthur ThurlingFriend Taylor3Ernest WinterGeorge Todd4Frank WatsonAlan Prescott5Freddie WilliamsonFred Rule6BurnellTommy McCue7FletcherHughie McDowell8Cyril PlenderleithJones9Joe BrittonHudson Irving10Doug BillingsMel Meek11Colin StansfieldHarry Millington12Des ClarksonJack Dixon13Ken Traill Coach
See also 1944–45 Northern Rugby Football League Wartime Emergency League season Rugby league county cups
References
Sources
Yorkshire Cup 1944/45 at Rugby League Project