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The 1941–42 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the third season of the rugby league’s Wartime Emergency League necessitated by the Second World War.
As in the previous (second) Wartime season, the clubs each played a different number of games and several clubs dropped out . In fact as only 17 of the original clubs remained (and only Oldham, St Helens and Wigan from west of the Pennines) the leagues were amalgamated into one single Championship.
Contents
Season summary
The 1941–42 season began on Saturday 6 September 1941. As there were now only three Lancashire clubs who have not had to close down and withdraw from the League, the Northern Rugby League decided to unite all the 17 remaining clubs into one single Competition. As the clubs were still playing different number of matches, the league positions and the title would be decided on a percentage basis.
At the completion of the regular season Dewsbury were on top of the league both on points scored (39 points) and percentage success (81.25%). Bradford Northern were second and the highest Lancashire team were placed sixth (Wigan).
Dewsbury went on to defeat Bradford Northern 13-0 in the play-off final. and win the Championship for the second consecutive season.
The Wartime Emergency Leagues did not count as an official league championship.
In the Challenge Cup Final the same two clubs as last season contested the tie, with the same result, Leeds beat Halifax 15-10 at Odsal.
The Lancashire Cup, suspended for season 1940–41 remained so for the rest of the war and again Wigan competed in the Yorkshire Cup.
Bradford Northern beat Halifax 24-0 at Fartown in front of a 5,989 (receipts were £635.0.0). This was Bradford Northern's second consecutive victory in this tournament.
Previous withdrawals
The following clubs had withdrawn from the League, before this 1941–42 season began :-
St Helens Recs – who folded before the war started
Barrow – withdrew after the end of the first (1939–40) ‘season finished and did not rejoin until the 1943–44 season.
Hull Kingston Rovers – withdrew after the end of the first (1939–40) ‘season finished and did not rejoin until the 1945–46 season.
Rochdale Hornets – As Hull Kingston Rovers.
Widnes – As Hull Kingston Rovers.
New withdrawals
Broughton Rangers – withdrew prior to this season 1941–42 commencing and not re-joining until the 1945–46 season.
Leigh - During the Second World War, the club was forced to leave its ground as the adjacent cable factory extended onto the land. The townsfolk of Leigh, acting on chairman James Hilton's inspiration, cleared some fields on the edge of the town, and built a new stadium, including moving and rebuilding the old grandstand from the original ground. In 1941–42, Leigh quit the wartime Lancashire league and would not return to the league until 1946–47 when they played as a temporary measure at the Athletic Ground, Holden Road before moving to Kirkhall Lane (which was later officially renamed Hilton Park after James Hilton.
Liverpool Stanley – As Broughton Rangers.
Salford - Salford had continued to function, but it was a struggle. At the beginning of January 1941, the club decided to cease playing, due to poor gates. As Broughton Rangers, the club withdrew prior to this season 1941–42 commencing and not re-joining until the 1945–46 season. In November 1942, manager Lance Todd was killed in a car crash.
Swinton - As Broughton Rangers.
Warrington - During the War, it was difficult to play matches and therefore pay the bills. To help out the club committee decided that a Limited Company of 10,000 £1 shares was to be created. The Warrington Football Club Limited became a reality. But times were still hard and like Broughton Rangers, the club withdrew prior to this season 1941–42 commencing and not re-joining until the 1945–46 season.
Dewsbury had a relatively successful time during the war years. Managed by Eddie Waring, and with the side boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players, the club won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941–42 and again the following season 1942–43 (though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player). They were also runners-up in the Championship in 1943–44, Challenge Cup winners in 1943 and Yorkshire Cup final appearances in this season 1940–41 and winners in 1942–43.
Records
Bramley joined the ranks of the clubs with the unenviable record of losing every league match during the season.
Bramley withdrew from competitions for the following seasons.
A full list to date of all clubs with this record is as follows :-
Championship Play-Off
The final was played at Headingley, the attendance was 18,000 and receipts £1,121.0.0
Challenge Cup
Below are given some of the fixtures and results from this year’s Challenge Cup competition.
Swinton, who had not entered the League programme, took part in this competition.
Lancashire Cup
The Lancashire Cup, suspended for season 1940–41 remained so for the rest of the war and again Wigan competed in the Yorkshire Cup.
Yorkshire Cup
In the Final of the Yorkshire County Cup, Leeds beat Halifax 15-10 at Odsal in front of a crowd of 15,250 and with receipts of £1,276.0.0.
This is the second year running that these two teams contested the Final, in each case Leeds winning.
Below are given some of the fixtures and results from this year’s Yorkshire Cup competition.