Category: Rugby League Clubs
The story of Askern Welfare’s involvement in the 1933 Challenge Cup is all the more remarkable when you consider that professional rugby league was not played in that part of South Yorkshire until 1951, and Askern was one of only two junior clubs operating in the district. The other remarkable fact about Askern’s involvement is that they staged the cup tie on their own ground.
Askern had been formed in 1926 during the coal strike, and in their six years in existence had won many trophies in the junior game. Initially the Wigan club was very reluctant to play the cup tie at the Welfare Ground and in the weeks leading up to the game had attempted to persuade Askern to switch the tie to Central Park. However, just a week before the game was due to take place and following a visit to the ground by their secretary, Wigan agreed that the improvements to the ground made by Askern were acceptable. That meant that the tie could go ahead, as scheduled, at the Welfare ground on Saturday the 11th February 1933. In the week leading up to the cup tie tons of material was transported to Askern in order to create a bank on the Doncaster Road side of the ground. The club borrowed turnstiles from Doncaster Racecourse, arranged for some seats to be provided and organised a special section for boys. Askern Welfare usually attracted about a hundred spectators to its home games, but with such attractive opponents the attendance was expected to be between three and four thousand.
Leading up the cup tie against Wigan, Askern had won seven of its ten league games, losing two and drawing one. In the preliminary rounds of the Challenge Cup Askern had beaten Brotherton St Johns 10 -6 in the first round, Crigglestone 11 -5 in the second. Leeds C.C. Dept 15 -4 in the third, Normanton 6 – 0 in the fourth and Buslingthorpe Vale 7 – 3 in the fifth round.
Askern Welfare’s team for the game contained a number of experienced former professional players including Jim Rudd, a centre or stand-off, who had played for Dewsbury and was a reserve when Dewsbury lost to Wigan in the 1929 Challenge Cup Final, the first to be played at Wembley.
The teams for this 1st Round Challenge Cup tie were:
Askern
Kelly, J. Thompson, Ackroyd, Rudd, Wilmer, Mattick, Stones, Flaherty, Barlow, Brooks, Hepworth, Clayton, A. Thompson.
Wigan
Sullivan, Morley, Wilson, Davies, Twose, Gee, Howarth, Mason, Welshby, Morgan, Dixon, Jones, Griffiths.
Referee: Mr J. Orford (Warrington)
Wigan fielding its strongest team, led by 21 points to nil at half time, and ran out 46 points to nil winners. The score appears to suggest it was a very one sided game, but the Askern team defended valiantly. They were competitive throughout the eighty minutes despite losing their influential Wigan born captain Alf Thompson just before half - time with a suspected broken leg. The loss of Thompson meant that Askern had to play the second half with twelve men. Another reason for the big Wigan score were the eleven goals out of fourteen attempts kicked by Jim Sullivan. The other Wigan scorers were wingers Albert Twose and Jack Morley who both scored three tries, with second row forward Frank Jones and hooker Joe Welshby adding a try each. Sullivan, to the amazement of the crowd, landed goals from all parts of the ground.
Jim Sullivan
Although the result did not go Askern’s way, the decision to stage the game at the Welfare ground was more than justified by the higher than expected attendance of 4,203 and gate receipts of £181. This cup tie must have made a lasting impression on all the people who witnessed it and was probably one of the biggest sporting events that had ever taken place in the small mining village.
I would like to thank Ancient & Loyal on Bluesky for contributing to this blog.
To read more about amateur clubs in the Challenge Cup check out:
‘Making Up The Numbers’
Available here
Askern Welfare v Wigan 11th February 1933
Askern had been formed in 1926 during the coal strike, and in their six years in existence had won many trophies in the junior game. Initially the Wigan club was very reluctant to play the cup tie at the Welfare Ground and in the weeks leading up to the game had attempted to persuade Askern to switch the tie to Central Park. However, just a week before the game was due to take place and following a visit to the ground by their secretary, Wigan agreed that the improvements to the ground made by Askern were acceptable. That meant that the tie could go ahead, as scheduled, at the Welfare ground on Saturday the 11th February 1933. In the week leading up to the cup tie tons of material was transported to Askern in order to create a bank on the Doncaster Road side of the ground. The club borrowed turnstiles from Doncaster Racecourse, arranged for some seats to be provided and organised a special section for boys. Askern Welfare usually attracted about a hundred spectators to its home games, but with such attractive opponents the attendance was expected to be between three and four thousand.
Leading up the cup tie against Wigan, Askern had won seven of its ten league games, losing two and drawing one. In the preliminary rounds of the Challenge Cup Askern had beaten Brotherton St Johns 10 -6 in the first round, Crigglestone 11 -5 in the second. Leeds C.C. Dept 15 -4 in the third, Normanton 6 – 0 in the fourth and Buslingthorpe Vale 7 – 3 in the fifth round.
Askern Welfare’s team for the game contained a number of experienced former professional players including Jim Rudd, a centre or stand-off, who had played for Dewsbury and was a reserve when Dewsbury lost to Wigan in the 1929 Challenge Cup Final, the first to be played at Wembley.
The teams for this 1st Round Challenge Cup tie were:
Askern
Kelly, J. Thompson, Ackroyd, Rudd, Wilmer, Mattick, Stones, Flaherty, Barlow, Brooks, Hepworth, Clayton, A. Thompson.
Wigan
Sullivan, Morley, Wilson, Davies, Twose, Gee, Howarth, Mason, Welshby, Morgan, Dixon, Jones, Griffiths.
Referee: Mr J. Orford (Warrington)
Wigan fielding its strongest team, led by 21 points to nil at half time, and ran out 46 points to nil winners. The score appears to suggest it was a very one sided game, but the Askern team defended valiantly. They were competitive throughout the eighty minutes despite losing their influential Wigan born captain Alf Thompson just before half - time with a suspected broken leg. The loss of Thompson meant that Askern had to play the second half with twelve men. Another reason for the big Wigan score were the eleven goals out of fourteen attempts kicked by Jim Sullivan. The other Wigan scorers were wingers Albert Twose and Jack Morley who both scored three tries, with second row forward Frank Jones and hooker Joe Welshby adding a try each. Sullivan, to the amazement of the crowd, landed goals from all parts of the ground.
Jim Sullivan
Although the result did not go Askern’s way, the decision to stage the game at the Welfare ground was more than justified by the higher than expected attendance of 4,203 and gate receipts of £181. This cup tie must have made a lasting impression on all the people who witnessed it and was probably one of the biggest sporting events that had ever taken place in the small mining village.
I would like to thank Ancient & Loyal on Bluesky for contributing to this blog.
To read more about amateur clubs in the Challenge Cup check out:
‘Making Up The Numbers’
Available here
