The Player’s
No.6 Trophy was introduced in 1971/2.The
competition ran until the 1995/6 Centenary Season when as the Regal Trophy it
made its final appearance prior to the introduction of Super League.In the 25 years of the competition Warrington won the trophy on four occasions, the second
best behind Wigan’s record eight wins.
Warrington made a poor start to the new competition
in 1971/2 by losing their first match 16-9 to Halifax at Wilderspool on 14 November
1971.Derek Noonan score the Wire’s try,
Derek Whitehead kicked 2 goals and Ken Hindley dropped a goal before a crowd of
3,595.Halifax
went on to become the shock winners of the first Player’s No6 Trophy when the
Bruce Burton inspired side overcame Wakefield
22-11 in the final. Amateurs Thames
Board Mills also played in that first season, losing 27-7 to Huddersfield.
The Wire won the trophy and £ 5,000 prize
money, the second of four cups won in the 1973/4 season.Oldham, Castleford, Dewsbury and St Helens were all defeated, at Wilderspool as the Wire
progressed to the final.Rochdale
Hornets were defeated 27-16 in the final at Wigan,
before a crowd of 9,347.Noonan (2),
Mike Nicholas, Whitehead and John Bevan scored tries with Whitehead kicking 6
goals.Skipper Kevin Ashcroft won the
man of the match award and promptly gave the £ 25 prize money to the groundsman
for making the Central Park pitch playable in
very difficult conditions.
Wilderspool Stadium was the host to the
1974/5 final when Bradford Northern beat Widnes
3-2 in a fiercely contested game played in atrocious conditions.
In 1977/8 wins over Blackpool Borough,
Salford, Featherstone Rovers and Wakefield Trinity put Warrington into their second final.Warrington won
a tight derby match with Widnes 9-4 at St Helens
before a 10,258 crowd.John Bevan scored
the only try of the match and man of the match Steve Hesford kicked 3 goals
The following season Warrington
and Widnes again competed the John Player final at St
Helens.This time the
Chemics came out on top 16-4. Hesford
kicked 2 goals for Warrington.
Warrington won their third John Player Trophy in the
1980/1 season.The Wire defeated Barrow
12-5 at BurndenPark,
Bolton in front of 12,820 spectators.John Bevan scored two early tries, through
the creativity of man of the match Tommy Martyn, Hesford kicked 2 goals and
dropped 2 goals.
Warrington visited Bolton again for the 1986/7 final
against Wigan.Warrington’s 14 match unbeaten run came
to a shuddering end as Wigan triumphed 18-4
before a crowd of 21,144.Mark Forster
scored the Warrington
try.
Warrington’s last trophy win was in the 1990/1 Regal
Trophy final at Headingley.Warrington defeated
Bradford Northern 12-4 in a dour final with Mark Thomas scoring the match’s
only try in the last minute.4 goals from
David Lyon ensured that skipper Des Drummond lifted the trophy for the
Wire.Packman Billy McGinty won the man
of the match award.
Warrington’s final appearance in the final was in
1994/5 when they were heavily defeated by the star-studded Wigan side 40-10, in
the first final to be played at the new McAlpine Stadium, Huddersfield
in front of a capacity crowd of 19,636.Forster scored 2 tries and Jonathan Davies kicked a goal.
Warrington reached the semi-final of the final Regal
Trophy competition in 1995/6.The tie at
St Helens was postponed to a Thursday night
because of the frost and the Wire suffered their worst moment with a
devastating 80-0 defeat.
do you have something to add?
Do have you have something to add to this memory? You can send us your memories and pictures via email or by dropping off your story or pictures we will scan them in and return them to you.
