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The 1939–40 Northern Rugby Football League season was the first season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency League necessitated by the Second World War. In this first Wartime season the clubs each played the same number of fixtures (with just a few exceptions), unlike the following seasons when the clubs played literally as and when they could, with more and more clubs withdrawing.
Contents
Events leading up to World War Two
Prior to the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, most clubs had played three fixtures (on Saturday 26th, Thursday 31 August and Saturday 2 September).
During the following week, the Northern Rugby League decided, after publicity from the Government, to suspend the championship. They almost immediately inaugurated two regional (Lancashire and Yorkshire), Wartime Emergency Leagues, with the winner of each league meeting in a play-off final to decide the overall winner.
These competitions started (for most clubs) on 7 October 1939.
The Wartime Emergency Leagues did not count as an official league championship.
The Challenge Cup was suspended for season 1939–40.
Season summary
The 1939–40 Wartime Emergency season began just a month after Britain had declared War on Germany following their invasion of Poland in early September.
Bradford Northern finished the regular season as clear leaders on top of the Yorkshire League while Swinton finished on top of the Lancashire League, beating Salford on points difference (+220 to +157). In a two legged play-off between the two. Bradford Northern took the title.
The Challenge Cup was suspended for the season.
Swinton beat Widnes by an aggregate score of 24-15 over two ties to win the Lancashire Cup, and Featherstone Rovers beat Wakefield Trinity at Odsal, before a small crown of 7,077 by a score of 12-9 to win the Yorkshire Cup.
Lancashire Section
Despite their success on the pitch, St Helens Recs played their last game on 29 April 1939. The game was away at Hull KR and Recs lost 25-12. The club had been suffering for a while on falling attendances and the economic depression and it appeared that it was not possible for the town to sustain two teams. On completion of the season 1938-39 the club folded and did not take part in the 1939–40 season.
Championship Play-Off
The Championship was decided by a two leg play-off between the Champions of the Yorkshire and Lancashire (the winners of the two leagues) on a home and away basis.
1st leg – Swinton lost to Bradford Northern 13-21 at Station Rd in front of a crowd of 4,800 (receipts £237.0.0)
2nd leg - Bradford Northern beat Swinton 16-9 at Odsal with an attendance of 11,721 (receipts £570.0.0)
Champions - Bradford Northern won 37-22 on aggregate.
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup Competition was suspended for this season, but the Northern Union managed to fit in the two County Cups.
Lancashire Cup
Below are given some of the fixtures and results from this year’s Lancashire Cup competition.
Yorkshire Cup
In the 2nd round, on Saturday 8 June 1940, Wakefield Trinity beat Hull at Belle Vue 27-3
In the final of the Yorkshire County Cup, Featherstone Rovers beat Wakefield Trinity at Odsal, Bradford, by 12 points to 9