1952–53 Challenge Cup

The 1952–53 Challenge Cup was the 52nd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.[1]

1952–53 Challenge Cup
Duration5 rounds
Winners Huddersfield
Runners-up St Helens
Lance Todd Trophy Peter Ramsden

First round

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Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
07 Feb Barrow 20 Featherstone Rovers 8
07 Feb Batley 6 Bradford Northern 15
07 Feb Belle Vue Rangers 10 Keighley 2
07 Feb Halifax 14 Dewsbury 7
07 Feb Huddersfield 36 Castleford 14
07 Feb Hull Kingston Rovers 12 Doncaster 0
07 Feb Hunslet 14 Workington Town 12
07 Feb Leigh 34 Bramley 10
07 Feb Liverpool 3 Swinton 26
07 Feb Orford Tannery 2 Warrington 46
07 Feb St Helens 20 Oldham 4
07 Feb Salford 24 York 14
07 Feb Wakefield Trinity 9 Leeds 33
07 Feb Whitehaven 13 Hull FC 6
07 Feb Widnes 28 NDLB 0
07 Feb Wigan 27 Rochdale Hornets 7
14 Feb Bramley 3 Leigh 11
14 Feb Castleford 2 Huddersfield 6
14 Feb Doncaster 5 Hull Kingston Rovers 5
14 Feb Featherstone Rovers 5 Barrow 15
14 Feb Hull FC 14 Whitehaven 5
14 Feb Keighley 7 Belle Vue Rangers 0
14 Feb NDLB 3 Widnes 22
14 Feb Oldham 5 St Helens 5
14 Feb Swinton 12 Liverpool 4
14 Feb Warrington 46 Orford Tannery 8
14 Feb Workington Town 12 Hunslet 8
17 Feb Dewsbury 2 Halifax 16
18 Feb Leeds 32 Wakefield Trinity 9
18 Feb York 3 Salford 8
19 Feb Rochdale Hornets 15 Wigan 24
23 Feb Bradford Northern 17 Batley 3

Second round

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Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
28 Feb Bradford Northern 18 Salford 4
28 Feb Huddersfield 21 Barrow 7
28 Feb Hull Kingston Rovers 14 Swinton 3
28 Feb Leeds 26 Widnes 17
28 Feb Leigh 7 Halifax 7
28 Feb St Helens 28 Belle Vue Rangers 0
28 Feb Warrington 10 Workington Town 2
28 Feb Wigan 18 Hull FC 10
04 Mar Halifax 4 Leigh 7

Quarterfinals

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A club record 69,429 people watch the Challenge Cup 3rd Round tie at Odsal between Bradford Northern and Huddersfield. Larger crowds had watched matches at Odsal, but this was the largest involving the home side.[2]

Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
14 Mar Bradford Northern 7 Huddersfield 17
14 Mar Leigh 3 St Helens 12
14 Mar Warrington 25 Leeds 8
14 Mar Wigan 25 Hull Kingston Rovers 6

Semifinals

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Date Team one Score one Team two Score two
28 Mar Huddersfield 7 Wigan 0
28 Mar Warrington 3 St Helens 9

Final

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In the final, Huddersfield beat St. Helens 15-10 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 89,588. This produced a record gate taking for a Challenge Cup final of £31,000.[3]

This was Huddersfield’s sixth Cup final win in seven Final appearances, including one win during the Second World War.[4] coached by William R. 'Bill' Smith, their stand-off half, Peter Ramsden, became the youngest player to win the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match at 19.[5] the Huddersfield team also featured Australian Pat Devery and New Zealand's Peter Henderson.

25 April 1953
Huddersfield 15 - 10 St Helens
Tries: Ramsden (2), Banks
Goals: Devery, Cooper (2)
Report
Tries: Llewellyn, Langfield
Goals Langfield
DG Langfield
Wembley, London
Attendance: 89,588

Coverage

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The draw for the first round of the cup was broadcast live on television, and was the first time a rugby league cup draw had been televised.[6]

The final itself was untelevised, as the Rugby League Council refused permission to broadcast the match due to concerns that this would impact the attendance.[7]

References

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  1. ^ "Challenge Cup 1952/53". Rugby League Project.
  2. ^ "Bradford Bulls History". Archived from the original on 2009-04-25. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
  3. ^ Goodman, Tom (27 April 1953). "St. Helen's hooted in R.L. Cup final". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  4. ^ Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
  5. ^ news.bbc.co.uk (11 May 2004). "Cup final facts". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2011.
  6. ^ "Castleford Visitors To Fartown". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. No. 28030. 10 January 1953. p. 5 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. ^ "Cup final not for TV". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Mercury. No. 32865. 6 January 1953. p. 6 – via British Newspaper Archive.