The 1971–72 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the seventh occasion on which the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition had been held. This year was another new name on the trophy St. Helens won the trophy by beating Rochdale Hornets by the score of 8-2 The match was played at Knowsley Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. The attendance was 9,255 and receipts were £2,493 This was St. Helens first victory after being runner-up in three of the previous six finals
Background This season saw no changes in the entrants, no new members and no withdrawals, the number remaining at eighteen. The format was changed back to that favoured in previous seasons when the preliminary round was played on a two-legged home and away basis with the rest of the tournament being played on a knock-out basis. The preliminary round involved four clubs, to reduce the numbers to sixteen.
Competition and results
Preliminary round – first leg Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef P1Mon 13 Sep 1971Wigan23-11BarrowCentral ParkP1Wed 15 Sep 1971Rochdale Hornets28-2OldhamAthletic Grounds
Preliminary round – second leg Involved 2 matches and the same 4 Clubs in reverse fixtures Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueaggAttRecNotesRef P2Mon 20 Sep 1971Barrow11-19WiganCraven Park22-42P2Wed 29 Sep 1971Oldham16-14Rochdale HornetsWatersheddings18-42
Round 1 – first round Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Tue 21 Sep 1971Hull F.C.23-16Wakefield TrinityBoulevard2Tue 21 Sep 1971Swinton9-14St. HelensStation Road2;6503Tue 28 Sep 1971Leeds33-13Hull Kingston RoversHeadingley4Wed 29 Sep 1971Halifax16-8KeighleyThrum Hall5Tue 5 Oct 1971Castleford7-8HuddersfieldWheldon Road 6Tue 12 Oct 1971Leigh6-2WarringtonHilton Park7Tue 19 Oct 1971Salford15-17Rochdale HornetsThe Willows8Tue 26 Oct 1971Wigan10-15WidnesCentral Park1
Round 2 – quarter finals Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Tue 2 Nov 1971Leeds26-10HalifaxHeadingley2Tue 9 Nov 1971Leigh4-13St. HelensHilton Park45003Tue 16 Nov 1971Huddersfield7-15Hull F.C.Fartown4Tue 23 Nov 1971Rochdale Hornets6-5WidnesAthletic Grounds
Round 3 – semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Tue 30 Nov 1971Leeds0-17St. HelensHeadingley6;2692Tue 7 Dec 1971Rochdale Hornets30-8Hull F.C.Athletic Grounds
Final Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef FTuesday 14 December 1971St. Helens8-2Rochdale HornetsKnowsley Road9,2552,4931 2 3
Teams and scorers
St. Helens№Rochdale Hornets teams Geoff Pimblett1Joe ChamberlainLes Jones2Norman BrelsfordBilly Benyon3J. CrelinJohnny Walsh4D. TaylorFrank Wilson5B. GloverKen Kelly6Frank MylerJeff Heaton7Peter GartlandGraham Rees8Peter BirchallAnthony "Tony" Karalius9P. ClarkeEric Chisnall10E. BrownEric Prescott11R. WeldingJohn Mantle12Billy SheffieldKel Coslett13Henry DeloozeSubsJohn Houghton14HammondJohn Stephens15Alan Hodkinson (for Billy Sheffield)Jim ChallinorCoachFrank Myler 8score24HT2 Scorers Goals Kel Coslett (4)GJoe Chamberlain (1)Referee"Sergeant Major" Eric Clay (Leeds) Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = two (2) points
The road to success This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures
Notes and comments 1 * This match was televised 2 * Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991 and 1991-92 and the St. Helens official archives give the attendance as 9,300, but RUGBYLEAGUEprojects gives it as 9,255 3 * Knowsley Road was the home of St Helens R.F.C. from 1890 until its closure in 2010. The final capacity was 17,500 although the record attendance was 35,695 set on 26 December 1949 for a league game between St Helens and Wigan.
See also 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season 1971 Lancashire Cup 1971 Yorkshire Cup BBC2 Floodlit Trophy 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 Huddersfield R L Heritage