Normanton (rugby league)


Normanton was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Normanton, a small town within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England.
The club joined the Northern Union in 1898–99 and played for a total of five seasons until 1905–06.
They played at the Mopsey Garth ground.
The club started out as founder members of the Yorkshire Senior Competition Division 2, and moved as the competition structures changed.

History

The first rugby club in Normanton was established in 1879 and used the Midland Hotel as its base.
Together with 14 other clubs including Hull Kingston Rovers and Keighley, Normanton were one of the founders of the third division of the Yorkshire Senior Competition, then known as the Yorkshire Rugby Union Intermediate Competition, in 1893.
After the Great Schism in 1895, Normanton remained true to the Rugby Football Union. until eventually following the majority of other Yorkshire clubs and joining the Northern Union in 1898. They, together with Eastmoor, Featherstone Rovers, Goole, Hull Kingston Rovers, Kinsley, Outwood Parish Church, Ripon, Rothwell and York, were among the founders of the Yorkshire Second Competition.
In season 1899–00 Normanton finished top of this league, and on the way beat Leeds in the first round of the Challenge Cup before losing to Batley in the second round.
In 1901–02 Normanton were elected into the Yorkshire Senior Competition where they finished a creditable 8th, one place above local rivals Castleford out of 14.
At the end of the 1901–02 season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 with the existing second competition scrapped.
1901–02 Normanton, being one of the fortunate ones, joined the new second division and finished 12th out of 18 teams. In 1903–04 Normanton continued to play in the Second division, but struggled and finished in 17th and bottom place. The 1904–05 season was a little better and Normanton managed to finish 10th out of 14; one place below Castleford.
1905–06 saw the Rugby League revert to one single division of 31 clubs. Normanton finished in 26th position but in doing so ended the season in financial difficulties. The Northern Union allowed Millom and Normanton to cancel their game due to the cost of travelling. At the end of the season Normanton was forced to fold..

New club

A new club, Hopetown Rovers, was quickly formed in time for the new season. The new club joined the Wakefield and Dewsbury District League, using the Huntsman Inn as a base and playing on Normanton Common. Thus continuing the existence of a rugby league club in the town. The club later went through several transitions and name change including to Normanton ARLFC and finally Normanton Knights ARLFC in the early 1980s

Club league record

The league positions for Normanton for the five years in which they played semi-professional rugby league are given in the following table :-

Heading Abbreviations

RL = Single Division; Pl = Games Played: W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points For; PA = Points Against; Diff = Points Difference ; Pts = League Points

% Pts = A percentage system was used to determine league positions due to clubs playing varying number of fixtures and against different opponents

League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.

Several fixtures and results

The following are just a few of Normanton’s fixtures during the five season in which they played semi-professional rugby league :-
SeasonDateCompetitionOpponentVenueH/AResultScoreAttNotesRef
1897–98Sat 3 Sep 1898Yorks Sec Comp DerwsburyMopsey GarthHWon16-3?1
1899–00date unknownCC R1Leedsvenue unknownWon?
1899–00date unknownCC R2Batleyvenue unknownLost?
1903–04Sat 3 Oct 19032nd DivSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost0-27?
1903–04Sat 30 Jan 19042nd DivSt. HelensMopsey GarthHLost6-8?
1905–06Sat 20 Jan 1906RLSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost3-28?
1905–06Sat 31 Mar 1906RLSt. HelensMopsey GarthHLost5–9?
1908–09Sat 27 Feb 1909Challenge Cup 1st RdHullHomeHLost10-20?
1911-1217 Feb 1912Challenge Cup 1st RdWarringtonHomeHDrew6-6?
1911-1219 Feb 1912CC 1st Round replayWarringtonWilderspoolALost0-75?

Normanton players who have turned professional

The following is an incomplete list of Normanton players who have turned professional.
Voyce of Normanton played in The Rest's 5-7 defeat by Leeds in the 1901–02 Yorkshire Senior Competition Champions versus The Rest match at Headingley Stadium on Saturday 19 April 1902.