Next
week’s 108th Challenge Cup Final at Wembley will be Warrington’s 14th
appearance in the Cup Final.The famous
old trophy has been won on five occasions.Saturday’s final will be the third against Huddersfield who beat Warrington in 1913 and
1933.
Warrington first reached the Challenge Cup Final in 1901, when
they met the side that had won the first two Challenge Cups, Batley.Favourites Batley clinched their third
Challenge Cup with two first half tries to win 6-0 before a then record crowd
of 29,659 at Headingley.Warrington were
to make four further Challenge Cup Final appearances in the period before the
First World War, winning two and losing two.
A
3-8 defeat in 1904 saw Halifax
retain the Trophy.The first Challenge
Cup win came in 1905, when two Jack Fish tries secured a 6-0 win over Hull
KR.Two years later the cup was won in the
first thirteen-a-side final. Fish scored
a try and kicked 4 goals, Isherwood and Hockenhull also scored tries as Warrington defeated Oldham
17-3.
Warrington lost to Harold Wagstaff’s Huddersfield
team in the 1913 final 9-5.Mid-table
Warrington put up a brave show against the Huddersfield team of stars, finally
losing in the closing quarter after leading for much of the match when Sam
Moorhouse crossed for his hat-trick try.
Between
the Wars Warrington appeared in three Cup Finals, losing them all.A late drop goal in 1928 gave Swinton a 5-3
win in the last final before the move to Wembley.Warrington’s
first appearance at Wembley was in 1933 against Huddersfield.Huddersfield
won an exciting final 21-17, both sides scoring three tries.Warrington
were back at Wembley in 1936, only to lose 2-18 to Leeds in a drab final, which
Warrington
dominated the 64 scrums but could not score a try.
In
the 1950’s Warrington
made two Challenge Cup Final appearances at Wembley winning them both.In 1950 arch rivals Widnes
were blown away 19-0, with Gerry Helme winning the Lance Todd Trophy.Four years later a tryless Wembley final was
drawn 4-4 with Halifax.The replay at Odsal drew a then world record
crowd of 102,569.Amidst unbelievable
scenes the Wire put on a much improved performance to win the Cup 8-4, Gerry
Helme, the scorer of the winning try, again winning the Lance Todd Trophy.
Warrington then had to wait 20 years before making their next
Challenge Cup Final, in 1974 against Featherstone Rovers.Player coach Alex Murphy dropped two goals to
help his side win a brutal encounter 24-9.Skipper Kevin Ashcroft and Mike Nicholas scored tries and Lance Todd
winner Derek Whitehead booted over seven goals.The following year Warrington returned to
Wembley but lost to Widnes 7-14, despite an
early try from John Bevan.
1990
was Warrington’s
last appearance in the Final before a capacity Wembley crowd of 77,729.Wigan became
the first club to win the Cup for the third successive time, with a 36-14
victory.Skipper Mike Gregory gave a
great performance despite his side being outclassed.He scored one try, made another for Dave Lyon
and pulled off some tremendous tackles in defence.
The
question on everyone’s lips is can Adrian Morley join Jack Hallam, Jack Fish,
Harry Bath, Eric Frodsham and Kevin Ashcroft and become the sixth Warrington
captain to lift the famous Challenge Cup Trophy aloft.
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.
