The 1988–89 Yorkshire Cup was the eighty-first occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup rugby league competition was held.
Leeds won the trophy by beating the previous season's runner-up, Castleford, with a score of 33–12. The match was played at Elland Road, Leeds, now in West Yorkshire. The attendance was 22,968 and receipts were £83,591. This was the sixth time in an eleven-year period in which Castleford, previously only winners once (in 1977), made eight appearances in the Yorkshire Cup final, winning four and finishing runners-up on the other four occasions. It was also the second season in succession that Castleford appeared, and lost, in the final within that eleven-year period.
Background In the 1988–89 season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, no new entrants and no "leavers" and so the total of entries remained the same at eighteen. As a result, a preliminary round was required to reduce the number of clubs entering the first round to sixteen.
Competition and results
Preliminary round Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefP1Wed 31 Aug 1988Bramley16–38LeedsMcLaren Field4,258P2Wed 31 Aug 1988Sheffield Eagles8–28Wakefield TrinityOwlerton Stadium1,356
Round 1 Involved 5 matches (with three byes) and 13 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sun 18 Sep 1988Castleford94–12HuddersfieldWheldon Road 3,1442Sun 18 Sep 1988Featherstone Rovers38–8DoncasterPost Office Road2,6823Sun 18 Sep 1988Halifax36–14BatleyThrum Hall5,3704Sun 18 Sep 1988Hull F.C.53–0HunsletBoulevard3,1535Sun 18 Sep 1988Keighley22–28Hull Kingston RoversLawkholme Lane1,5966Sun 18 Sep 1988Leeds24–21Bradford NorthernHeadingley10,9927Sun 18 Sep 1988Wakefield Trinity46–20DewsburyBelle Vue3,7338Sun 18 Sep 1988York25–4Mansfield MarksmanClarence Street1,370
Round 2 - Quarter-finals Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 27 Sep 1988Hull F.C.18–0Featherstone RoversBoulevard4,0102Wed 28 Sep 1988Castleford40–14YorkWheldon Road 3,1553Wed 28 Sep 1988Halifax24–2Hull Kingston RoversThrum Hall6,2964Wed 28 Sep 1988Leeds15–10Wakefield TrinityHeadingley11,150
Round 3 – Semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Wed 5 Oct 1988Halifax8–12CastlefordThrum Hall8,4322Wed 5 Oct 1988Leeds12–8Hull F.C.Headingley10,384
Final Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefSunday 16 October 1988Leeds33–12CastlefordElland Road22,968£83.591
Teams and scorers
Leeds№Castleford teams Gary Spencer1Gary BelcherAndrew Ettingshausen2David PlangeGarry Schofield3Tony MarchantDavid Stephenson4Giles BoothroydCarl Gibson5Chris ChapmanCliff Lyons6Grant AndersonRay Ashton7Robert "Bob" BeardmoreLee Crooks8Kevin WardColin Maskill9Kevin BeardmoreHugh Waddell10Keith EnglandRoy Powell11Martin KetteridgeMark Brooke-Cowden12Ron GibbsDavid Heron13John JoynerPaul Medley (for Mark Brooke-Cowden)14David Roockley (for Chris Chapman)Sam Backo (for Hugh Waddell)15Dean Sampson (for David Roockley)Malcolm "Mal" ReillyCoachDarryl van der Velde 33score1215HT12 Scorers Tries Garry Schofield (2)TGiles Boothroyd (1)Carl Gibson (2)TJohn Joyner (1)Paul Medley (1)T GoalsDavid Stephenson (6)GMartin Ketteridge (2) Drop Goals Garry Schofield (1)DGReferee Robin Whitfield (Widnes)White Rose Trophy for Man of the matchCliff Lyons - Leeds - sponsored byCompetition Sponsor John Smith's Brewery Tadcaster Scoring - Try = four points - Goal = two points - Drop goal = one point
The road to success The following chart excludes any preliminary round fixtures/results
See also 1988–89 Rugby Football League season Rugby league county cups
Notes
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