County Championship : Sat Jan 17, 2015 5:33 pm  

Hi, I'm trying to find out the date (and result) of the last County Championship final - I think it was during season 1982-83?

Wikipedia shows a match between Yorkshire and Lancashire at Leigh as the last final - Yorkshire won 22-21 - but actually I'm not sure if that is the right competition, as their list doesn't show Cumberland ever winning it, which I believe they did a few times?

Any information, especially the date of the last final, greatly appreciated

Thanks

Re: County Championship : Sat Jan 17, 2015 6:54 pm  

Just digging some more and maybe there wasn't a separate final - ws it just a league? Does anyone know exactly when it was played/finished off in 1982-83?

Thanks :-O

Re: County Championship : Sun Jan 18, 2015 10:32 am  

Looked in my oldest Rothmans (the 1988-89 version). There's a list of County Championship titles, ending in 1982-83 with Yorkshire. The two previous years the winner shown is Cumbria (the only two wins under that name). Cumberland's last win was 1966-67.

The yearbook also includes the line-ups and results of games for Lancashire and Yorkshire, including games against Cumbria. This is where it gets a bit odd. The 1982-83 tournament was held on 23, 26 and 30 May 1982, which I would call "1981/82". Yorkshire played in and won the first two games, the second of which was the 22-21 victory over Lancashire at Leigh that you mention. Pretty sure the normal format was three games and a league table.

For a few years from 1986 there was a War of the Roses match as the RFL decided to ignore the rest of the country. Attendances were higher than for the last County Championship games, but essentially it was a dismal failure. Personally, I will take no real interest in such competitions until Hampshire enter.

Re: County Championship : Sun Jan 18, 2015 12:28 pm  

Found it in the 82/83 Rothman's, the Championship was moved from the Autumn to the end of May because of the arrival of the '82 'Roos. It was decided on a League basis, with the results being:
Yorkshire 22 Cumbria 7 (played at Castleford, att. 1211).
Lancashire 21 Yorkshire 22 (played at Widnes, att. 1738).
Cumbria8 Lancashire 46 (played at Workington, att.732).
The aggregate attendance of only 3681 meant the end of an already dying competition.

Re: County Championship : Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:06 pm  

Didn't they play a game around 10 years ago at Headingley, Leigh's Neil Turley played...that's why I remember it.

Re: County Championship : Mon Jan 19, 2015 1:00 pm  

Budgiezilla wrote:

Didn't they play a game around 10 years ago at Headingley, Leigh's Neil Turley played...that's why I remember it.

There was a roses game played at Bradford around this time. It was notorious as Steve Prescott suffered his career ending injury in the game. Think it was 2004

Re: County Championship : Sat Jan 24, 2015 12:48 pm  

Brilliant stuff, thanks all

Re: County Championship : Sun Jan 25, 2015 9:09 pm  

the artist wrote:

There was a roses game played at Bradford around this time. It was notorious as Steve Prescott suffered his career ending injury in the game. Think it was 2004

Yorkshire won 56-6 on 2 July 2003.