History - First Season - First Weekend

Thanks to the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union, a commencement was fairly made with the winter pastime in those counties on Saturday, though play was of course confined to the dissentient clubs. Speaking generally the play shown cannot be said to have been of a very brilliant character. The teams were not thoroughly representative in many cases, well-known players being absentees, and those who did turn out were only too obviously out of condition, and were glad when half-time offered opportunities for recuperating their wasted energies. The lesson of Saturday was that the teams are going to require a great deal of patience in the long journeys they 'will have to make to fulfill their engagements. Leeds, for instance, had to journey to Leigh. It was six o'clock before the game was finished, and the return journey was commenced at 7.50. With scarcely any wait in Manchester, it was nearly a quarter of an hour past midnight before Leeds was reached, and this must cause the Hull executive to look forward with some fear to their Lancashire engagements.

The weather on Saturday was far more suitable for cricket than for football, but the Leeds officials have cause for looking forward with some degree of confidence to the season's engagements from the playing point of view. Though the Leeds men had a long journey, they went through the ordeal of playing against what is regarded as the strongest forward team in Lancashire with great success. For this victory they are largely indebted to the play of their halfbacks, Midgley and Bastow, who obtained possession of the ball far more frequently than their opponents. but who did not feed the men behind them so well as they may be expected to do when the season is more advanced. R. Walton made a reappearance in the team and played very well, whilst Wright, Clarkson and Hainstock also rendered good service. S. Walker the full-back, did all that was required of him, though on one occasion he was guilty of some very risky play in attempting to run the ball out when he should have conceded a minor The two new forwards, Goodall, of the Yorkshire College, and Hills, of North Durham, also proved satisfactory acquisitions to the team. On the Leigh side Coop, the ex-Lancashire fullback, Wallwork and Gill were the most noticeable.

The weather at Warrington was more fit for cricket than football (sic), and both the Hunslet contingent and the home side seemed glad when the half-time period arrived. So well were the respective teams matched that neither side were able to score in the first half but on change of ends W. Goldthorpe dropped a goal for the Yorkshire club. It was a fine piece of work. He got possession of the ball near touch and, dodging past the majority of his opponents, reached the open field and sent the ball by a judicious kick flying over the Warrington crossbar Shortly afterwards Foden scored for the latter and Burton deserves every credit for his grand place-kick, as the ball was near touch when he put his toe to it and sent it high over the uprights. The five points to four victory for Warrington about fairly represents the game, as undoubtedly they had slightly the best of the play. The match, by-the-by, was very welcome to the supporters of the Yorkshire club. Hunslet, it will be remembered, had their ground suspended by the Rugby Union until the first Saturday in December, owing to the conduct of the spectators in ill-treating a referee, and the Northern Union as a consequence comes to the rescue just in the nick of time.

In point of play, the Batley v. Hull encounter was a fairly even affair, the dropped goal by Shaw giving the home side the victory Naturally, the want of practice was apparent, though at one period of the game as much determination was shown as if the season were well advanced. The evergreen Tom Elliker once more donned the Batley jersey as Jimmy Naylor's associate behind the pack, the three-quarter line comprising Goodall, Joe Naylor, Shaw and Oakland. For a first match fairly good combination marked their play, a feature which, though to a somewhat less degree, also characterised the visiting side. Lempriere and Wright at wing three-quarter did good service for Hull, many times spoiling the advances of the opposing forwards. In this latter department there was not much to choose between the two teams unless it be that the Mount Pleasant players were quicker on their feet and controlled the ball better in the pack. It was a friendly game, and was viewed by a large concourse of spectators.

The Tyldesley v. Manningham match was a keenly contested game, but the prevailing want of condition was only too evident, and long before the game was over the players had had enough. The first half was very fast, Tyldesley scoring soon after starting. Manningham had several chances of equalising, but performed badly at critical moments, and it was owing to this inability to seize the favourable chances which lost the Yorkshiremen the game. The home defence, too, was very keen, the veteran Shaw being as ubiquitous as ever, whilst the brothers Berry, Miller and Worthington were the most prominent of the others. Manningham combined most unselfishly, the forwards getting through a lot of work in smart fashion. Barraclough as usual was well to the fore, and Maxford and Needham were noticeable, the first-named being especially prominent for splendid work.

That the Northern Union has come to stay was evidently the general opinion at Stockport, where close upon ten thousand spectators assembled to witness the local team on duty against Brighouse Rangers. The football witnessed was of a high order, the Rangers gaining a thoroughly deserved victory The home team had the pull in the forward division, showing much more cohesion than their opponents who, however, defended splendidly Abbey's full-back play being the feature of the game. Lewis Brook at three-quarter back was also conspicuous, the try scored by the Yorkshireman being mainly due to a fine run by him. Forward, Nicholl, Armitage and Sugden were the pick, whilst for Stockport Savile played his usual safe game at three-quarter back.

It was only too evident that the Liversedge-Halifax encounter was a first match of the season, as there was not that judgment and combination shown which the spectators will expect to see later on. George Smith did good service for Liversedge but had Bob Wood been partnered at half-back with Harry Barker there would doubtless have been some object lessons in passing for which Liversedge has a reputation, as Rigg and Arnold would doubtless have known to their cost. Speaking generally the teams were well matched and the play was of an even character, Ashton Sykes's fine runs being amongst the best features of the game. The home team ought to have scored and during the second half had a splendid chance of doing so, about half a dozen of the players having the ball practically to themselves in a very favourable position. For a few minutes before time was called, they pinned Halifax on the line and there appeared every prospect of the score being equalised, but the defence was admirably effective. Both the fullbacks played well, and there were at times other smart individual performances on both sides.

A very weak team turned out for Bradford at Park Avenue but it proved far too strong for the Wakefield Trinitarians, who did not show any likelihood of maintaining the form they displayed at the end of last season. The Bradford team was short of such good men as Cooper, Murgatroyd, Briggs, Wilding, Ward, and Dobson, whilst the visitors lacked the services, among others, of Mackie, the captain, who has gone up to Cambridge and is about to enter the Church. It is understood, however, that Mackie will do his duty for his old team whenever possible and it is hoped that his influence as skipper will be sufficient to keep the team together, and to infuse some spirit in the fifteen.

Three of Saturday's League matches were 'peculiar' to Lancashire, the contesting teams being drawn in each case from that county Considering the powerful counter-attraction which the Salford Harriers sports afforded, the attendance at the Broughton Rangers v. Wigan match showed that the new Union has the full sympathy of football enthusiasts in Cottonopolis. The game, however, did not come up to the usual standard, both teams being obviously out of condition. Wigan on the whole had the best of things but were rather fortunate in winning by a goal and a dropped goal, and the result might easily have been different as the Rangers were unlucky in not scoring several times. The visitors' forwards were by far the better lot, and when in proper trim will be a formidable lot to face. A significant sign of the times is the appearance in the Rangers' ranks of two Salford players, viz. Alf Barrett, who has represented Lancashire several times as centre three-quarter, and S. Deakin, a forward.

The Runcorn v. Widnes game was very one-sided, though towards the close, play was of an exceedingly fast and exciting character. Despite the fact that they lost the services of their captain early in the first half, the home team were leading at the interval by two goals to nothing, and they continued to maintain the advantage to the end, Widnes only securing a dropped goal from a lucky shot of Rispan's. The encounter between St Helens and Rochdale Hornets caused great excitement in the former town, and it says much for the energy and determination which the Hornets put into their work that, with eight points against them at half-time, they were not only able to prevent their opponents from scoring further, but succeeded in placing them on the defensive, and placing a penalty goal to their own credit.