The 1975–76 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the eleventh occasion on which the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition had been held.
St. Helens won the trophy by beating Dewsbury by the score of 22-2 The match was played at Knowsley Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. The attendance was 3,858, and the receipts were £1,747
Background This season saw no changes in the entrants, no new members and no withdrawals, the number remaining at twenty-two. The format was again changed slightly, in that the preliminary round as well as the remainder of the tournament was played on a knock-out basis. The preliminary round now involved twelve clubs, to reduce the numbers taking part in the competition proper to just sixteen.
Competition and results
Preliminary round Involved 6 matches and 12 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefPSun 14 Sep 1975Dewsbury7-3Wakefield TrinityCrown Flatt1PSun 14 Sep 1975Halifax6-32BramleyThrum HallPTue 23 Sep 1975Swinton6-12WarringtonStation RoadPWed 24 Sep 1975Leeds21-10CastlefordHeadingleyPTue 30 Sep 1975Wigan14-14SalfordCentral ParkPWed 8 Oct 1975Rochdale Hornets7-15St. HelensAthletic Grounds805
Preliminary round – replays Involved 4 matches and the same 8 Clubs in reverse fixtures (the other two matches were on a single leg basis) Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefRTue 7 Oct 1975Salford19-25WiganThe Willows
Round 1 – first round Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 30 Sep 1975Oldham16-10WidnesWatersheddings2Tue 7 Oct 1975Dewsbury22-10KeighleyCrown Flatt3Tue 7 Oct 1975Hull Kingston Rovers11-12HuddersfieldCraven Park (1)4Tue 14 Oct 1975Barrow12-7LeighCraven Park (1)5Tue 21 Oct 1975Hull F.C.18-11BramleyBoulevard6Tue 21 Oct 1975New Hunslet9-10LeedsElland Road Greyhound Stadium7Wed 22 Oct 1975St. Helens38-10WhitehavenKnowsley Road2,6008Tue 28 Oct 1975Warrington8-14WiganWilderspool2
Round 2 – quarter finals Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 4 Nov 1975Leeds17-10WiganHeadingley22Tue 11 Nov 1975Oldham9-11DewsburyWatersheddings3Tue 18 Nov 1975St. Helens36-13Hull F.C.Knowsley Road2,5004Tue 25 Nov 1975Barrow14-0HuddersfieldCraven Park
Round 3 – semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 2 Dec 1975St. Helens11-9BarrowKnowsley Road2.0002Tue 9 Dec 1975Dewsbury7-0LeedsCrown Flatt
Final Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefFTuesday 16 December 1975St. Helens22-2DewsburyKnowsley Road3,85817472 3 4
Teams and scorers
St. Helens№Dewsbury teams Geoff Pimblett1John LangleyLes Jones2John HegartyBilly Benyon3Graham ChalkleyDavid Hull4Ian SimpsonRoy Mathias5Garry MitchellFrank Wilson6Nigel StephensonJeff Heaton7Alan BatesJohn Mantle8Harry BeverleyAnthony "Tony" Karalius9Ray PriceMel James10Steve HankinsGeorge Nicholls11Steve HalloranEric Chisnall12Graham BellKel Coslett13Jeff GrayshonSubsDavid Eckersley14Stephen LeeGraham Liptrot15Phil ArtisEric AshtonCoachDave Cox 22score211HT0 Scorers Tries Billy Benyon (1)TDavid Hull (1)TRoy Mathias (2)TFrank Wilson (1)T Goals Kel Coslett (1)GNigel Stephenson (1)Geoff Pimblett (2)G Drop Goals Jeff Heaton (1)DGRefereeW H (Billy) Thompson (Huddersfield) 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 * Dewsbury, who joined the competition in season 1973–74, win their first game in the competition 2 * This match was televised 3 * The Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991 and 1991-92 and the RUGBYLEAGUEprojects gives the attendance as 3,858 but theofficial St. Helens archives give it as 3,850 4 * 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 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season 1975 Lancashire Cup 1975 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