This was the tenth season for rugby league's League Cup competition. It was again known as the John Player Trophy for sponsorship purposes.
Warrington won the final, beating Barrow by the score of 12-5 at Central Park, Wigan in front of a crowd of 12,802. The gate receipts were £21020.
Background This season saw only one change in the entrants, with the admittance of Fulham to the league and to this competition, resulted in only one junior club being invited, the total number remaining at thirty-two.
Competition and results
Round 1 - First Round
Involved 16 matches and 32 Clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sat 22 Nov 1980Hull F.C.12-0Bradford NorthernBoulevard108542Sat 22 Nov 1980Hunslet15-5Workington TownMount Pleasant7003Sun 23 Nov 1980Batley4-20HuddersfieldMount Pleasant17814Sun 23 Nov 1980Blackpool Borough21-7HuytonBorough Park4505Sun 23 Nov 1980Bramley10-11HalifaxMcLaren Field23386Sun 23 Nov 1980Castleford30-17St Helens RecsWheldon Road 282317Sun 23 Nov 1980Dewsbury12-37Featherstone RoversCrown Flatt27008Sun 23 Nov 1980Doncaster10-18WhitehavenBentley Road Stadium/Tattersfield4329Sun 23 Nov 1980Fulham9-3LeedsCraven Cottage1258310Sun 23 Nov 1980Keighley16-34Hull Kingston RoversLawkholme Lane3895211Sun 23 Nov 1980Leigh38-5Rochdale HornetsHilton Park316712Sun 23 Nov 1980St. Helens12-14WarringtonKnowsley Road794613Sun 23 Nov 1980Salford17-9WiganThe Willows371514Sun 23 Nov 1980Swinton10-12BarrowStation Road247015Sun 23 Nov 1980Widnes20-17Wakefield TrinityNaughton Park595616Sun 23 Nov 1980York11-9OldhamClarence Street5154
Round 2 - Second Round
Involved 8 matches and 16 Clubs Game NoFixture DateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef 1Sat 6 Dec 1980Warrington11-7Hull Kingston RoversWilderspool43252Sun 7 Dec 1980Barrow26-13HunsletCraven Park41853Sun 7 Dec 1980Blackpool Borough5-11HalifaxBorough Park17244Sun 7 Dec 1980Hull F.C.11-10YorkBoulevard111295Sun 7 Dec 1980Leigh17-9FulhamHilton Park76066Sun 7 Dec 1980Salford8-15CastlefordThe Willows34527Sun 7 Dec 1980Whitehaven22-3Featherstone RoversRecreation Ground39228Tue 9 Dec 1980Widnes25-9HuddersfieldNaughton Park3571
Round 3 -Quarter Finals
Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttNotesRef1Sat 13 Dec 1980Castleford18–10WidnesWheldon Road 357132Sun 14 Dec 1980Hull F.C.13–0WhitehavenBoulevard112283Sun 14 Dec 1980Leigh13–15BarrowHilton Park552144Sun 14 Dec 1980Warrington16–10HalifaxWilderspool5532
Round 4 – Semi-Finals
Involved 2 matches and 4 Clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sat 20 Dec 1980Warrington5-5CastlefordCentral Park38772Sat 10 Jan 1981Barrow13-10Hull F.C.Headingley11202
Round 3 – Semi-Finals - Replays Involved 1 match and 2 Clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sun 28 Dec 1980Warrington22-10CastlefordHeadingley9279
Final
Teams Warrington№BarrowSteve Hesford1Dave ElliottRick Thackray2Ralph McConnellIan Duane3Nigel FrenchJohn Bevan4Ian Ball (c)Mike Kelly5Tony WainwrightKen Kelly (c)6Mel MasonAlan Gwilliam7David CairnsNeil Courtney8David ChisnallTony Waller9Howard AllenBrian Case10Malcolm FlynnTommy Martyn11Kevin JamesIan Potter12Steve KirkbyEddie Hunter13Derek Hadley? not used14? not usedBob Eccles (for Eddie Hunter)15Eddie Szymala (for Howard Allen)Billy BenyonCoachFrank Foster
Prize money As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows: Finish PositionCash prizeNo. receiving prizeTotal cashWinner£8,5001£8,500Runner-up£4,0001£4,000Semi-finalists£2,0002£4,000Losers in Rd 3£1,0004£4,000Losers in Rd 2£8008£6,400Losers in Rd 1£60016£9,600Grand Total£36,500
The road to success This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures
Notes and comments 1 * Pilkington Recs are a Junior (amateur) club from St Helens, home ground was City Road until they moved to Ruskin Drive from 2011-12 2 * Wigan official archives gives the score as 15-34 but RUGBYLEAGUEproject gives it as 16-34 3 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject gives the attendance as 3,571, the same as the previously listed match (which was Widnes v Huddersfield in round 2), but the Widnes official website omits to give the attendance for this match, one of only a few matches for that season without an attendance noted 4 * Wigan official archives give the score as 13-10 but RUGBYLEAGUEproject gives it as 13-15. As Barrow progressed into the semi-final, the score given in the Wigan archives was obviously in error 5 * RUGBYLEAGUEproject gives the attendance as 12,820 but Rothman's Yearbooks 1990-91 and 1992-93 give it as 12,802 6 * The attendance was a record for the final of this tournament (but would be broken next season) 7 * Central Park was the home ground of Wigan with a final capacity of 18,000, although the record attendance was 47,747 for Wigan v St Helens 27 March 1959
See also 1980–81 Rugby Football League season 1980 Lancashire Cup 1980 Yorkshire Cup Player's No.6 Trophy Rugby league county cups
References General
Specific
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 Wakefield until I die