Goole (Rugby League)
Encyclopedia
Goole was a professional rugby league club.
The club was based in Goole
, a small town
(population just under 20,000) and port
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
, England
. It is situated on the (Yorkshire) Ouse
, at it’s confluence
with the River Don and approximately 45 miles (72 km) inland.
The club joined the ranks of the Northern Union
(semi) professionals in 1901-02
and played for the single season in the Yorkshire Senior Competition
, which was effectively Division 2 (East).
Only limited County League information is available for this season (1901-02
).
After the Great Schism of 1895, the Rugby Football Union
declared that playing for or against a Northern Union
team was an act of professionalism, punishable by a life ban from the RFU
.
This immediately posed problems at a local level.
But it wasn’t just clubs that were threatened.
Any player who had any contact with the Northern Union
was thrown out of the Rugby Union.
In February 1896, a Wyke
player was banned for life for travelling with Brighouse Rangers to a match at Leigh
, despite not even playing in the match.
Many other similar and seemingly petty and ridiculous incidents took place.
Most bizarrely of all, in January 1898 Goole RUFC were ordered not to play a charity rugby match against a touring Little Red Riding Hood pantomime troupe; this was deemed to be an act of professionalism because earlier on its tour the troupe had played in a charity match with Batley
.
Very shortly after that Goole RUFC changed code and joined the Northern Union
.
In that year, 1898, they, together with Eastmoor, Featherstone, Hull Kingston Rovers
, Kinsley, Normanton
, Outwood Parish Church, Ripon, Rothwell, and York, were among the founders of the Yorkshire Second Competition (Eastern Section).
At the end of the 1901-02
season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 (7 from Lancashire and 10 from Yorkshire and new member South Shields
) with the existing second competition scrapped. This meant that teams were excluded from the senior competitions leaving them with several options :-
a) Join the new Lancashire League or the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade)
b) Join a new Yorkshire Senior League
c) reverting to amateur status within the Northern Union
d) revert back to rugby union
e) turn to Association Football, which many clubs did
f) fold
Goole was one of the 4 Yorkshire (the others being, Heckmondwike
, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge
) and 2 Lancashire clubs (Altrincham
and Radcliffe
) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to which route the club followed.
However, before eventually folding, it is assumed that Goole took either route 2 or 3 as they were drawn against Hull in the Challenge Cup, two years later.
, there are few records readily available.
Some of the achievements are as follows:-
RL = Single Division; Pl = Games Played: W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points For; PA = Points Against; Diff = Points Difference (+ or -); 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.
The club was based in Goole
Goole
Goole is a town, civil parish and port located approximately inland on the confluence of the rivers Don and Ouse in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, a small town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
(population just under 20,000) and port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
in the East Riding of Yorkshire
East Riding of Yorkshire
The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Yorkshire, is a local government district with unitary authority status, and a ceremonial county of England. For ceremonial purposes the county also includes the city of Kingston upon Hull, which is a separate unitary authority...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is situated on the (Yorkshire) Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
, at it’s confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
with the River Don and approximately 45 miles (72 km) inland.
The club joined the ranks of the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
(semi) professionals in 1901-02
1901-02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football.-Season summary:The top seven sides from both the Lancashire and the Yorkshire Senior 1900-01 competitions of the NRFU, resigned and merged into a new league in 1901-02, that was won by Broughton Rangers...
and played for the single season in the Yorkshire Senior Competition
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...
, which was effectively Division 2 (East).
Only limited County League information is available for this season (1901-02
1901-02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football.-Season summary:The top seven sides from both the Lancashire and the Yorkshire Senior 1900-01 competitions of the NRFU, resigned and merged into a new league in 1901-02, that was won by Broughton Rangers...
).
History
Very little is known about the early years of Goole club.After the Great Schism of 1895, the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
declared that playing for or against a Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
team was an act of professionalism, punishable by a life ban from the RFU
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
.
This immediately posed problems at a local level.
But it wasn’t just clubs that were threatened.
Any player who had any contact with the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
was thrown out of the Rugby Union.
In February 1896, a Wyke
Wyke
Wyke is a Ward in Bradford Metropolitan District in the county of West Yorkshire, England, named after the village of Wyke....
player was banned for life for travelling with Brighouse Rangers to a match at Leigh
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...
, despite not even playing in the match.
Many other similar and seemingly petty and ridiculous incidents took place.
Most bizarrely of all, in January 1898 Goole RUFC were ordered not to play a charity rugby match against a touring Little Red Riding Hood pantomime troupe; this was deemed to be an act of professionalism because earlier on its tour the troupe had played in a charity match with Batley
Batley Bulldogs
Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895...
.
Very shortly after that Goole RUFC changed code and joined the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
.
In that year, 1898, they, together with Eastmoor, Featherstone, Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
, Kinsley, Normanton
Normanton (Rugby League)
Normanton was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Normanton, a small town within the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England....
, Outwood Parish Church, Ripon, Rothwell, and York, were among the founders of the Yorkshire Second Competition (Eastern Section).
At the end of the 1901-02
1901-02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football.-Season summary:The top seven sides from both the Lancashire and the Yorkshire Senior 1900-01 competitions of the NRFU, resigned and merged into a new league in 1901-02, that was won by Broughton Rangers...
season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 (7 from Lancashire and 10 from Yorkshire and new member South Shields
South Shields (Rugby League)
South Shields was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields South Shields was a (semi) professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields South Shields was a (semi) professional rugby league club.The club was based in South Shields (known locally as just...
) with the existing second competition scrapped. This meant that teams were excluded from the senior competitions leaving them with several options :-
a) Join the new Lancashire League or the Lancashire Combination (reserve grade)
b) Join a new Yorkshire Senior League
c) reverting to amateur status within the Northern Union
d) revert back to rugby union
e) turn to Association Football, which many clubs did
f) fold
Goole was one of the 4 Yorkshire (the others being, Heckmondwike
Heckmondwike (Rugby League)
Heckmondwike was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Heckmondwike , a small town in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, which is located geographically at the centre of West Yorkshire, England....
, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge
Sowerby Bridge (Rugby League)
Sowerby Bridge was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Sowerby Bridge, a small market town that lies within the Upper Calder Valley in the district of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, northern England, and approximately 3 miles from Halifax.The club joined the Northern Union in...
) and 2 Lancashire clubs (Altrincham
Altrincham (Rugby League)
Altrincham was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Altrincham, a market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England.The town was originally in the County of Cheshire....
and Radcliffe
Radcliffe (Rugby League)
Radcliffe was a professional rugby league club.The club was based in Radcliffe, a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Bury, in Greater Manchester, England....
) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to which route the club followed.
However, before eventually folding, it is assumed that Goole took either route 2 or 3 as they were drawn against Hull in the Challenge Cup, two years later.
Club League Record
In the single season in which Goole played (semi) professional Rugby League, 1901-021901-02 Northern Rugby Football Union season
The 1901–02 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the seventh season of rugby league football.-Season summary:The top seven sides from both the Lancashire and the Yorkshire Senior 1900-01 competitions of the NRFU, resigned and merged into a new league in 1901-02, that was won by Broughton Rangers...
, there are few records readily available.
Some of the achievements are as follows:-
| Season | Competition | Pos | Team Name | Pl | W | D | L | PW | PA | Diff | Pts | % Pts | No of teams in league | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1901-02 | Yorks Senior | 12 | Goole | 13 | 14 | ||||||||||
| Only limited County League information is available for this season. | |||||||||||||||
RL = Single Division; Pl = Games Played: W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points For; PA = Points Against; Diff = Points Difference (+ or -); 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 & results
The following are just a couple of Goole’s fixtures. The first from the year before, and the second from two years after, the sole season in which they played (semi) professional Rugby League :-| Season | Date | Competition | Opponent | Venue | H/A | Result | Score | Att | Notes | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1899-00 | 24 Mar 1900 | Chall Cup R d 1 | Warrington Warrington Wolves Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003.... |
Wildespool Wilderspool Stadium Wilderspool Stadium is a rugby league stadium located in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. It holds just over 9,000, after substantial decreases for crowd safety... |
A | Lost | 0-44 | ? | ||
| 1901-02 | Sat 14 Feb 1903 | Chall Cup R d 1 | Hull Hull FC Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull FC, is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition... |
The Boulevard The Boulevard (Stadium) The Boulevard was a multi-purpose stadium in Hull, England. The venue was saved from demolition and reopened on 25 October 2007 as the home of greyhound racing in the city. It can also be used as a community stadium hosting amateur rugby league matches... |
H | Lost | ** | ? | ||
| **The score unknown, but Hull proceeded to beat Hull Marlborough 45-0 in the next round | ||||||||||
See also
British rugby league systemBritish rugby league system
The British rugby league system is based on four separate structures: the professional leagues administered by the Rugby Football League, the reserve leagues, the amateur leagues administered by British Amateur Rugby League Association and the Rugby League Conference.There is no system of automatic...
Season 1901-02
Cumberland League
Cumberland League
The Cumberland League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Cumberland.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association . Teams from the Cumberland league can apply for election to the National Conference League if they meet minimum...
The Great Schism – Rugby League View
The Great Schism – Rugby Union View
Rugby league county leagues
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...
List of defunct rugby league clubs
External links
- 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season at wigan.rlfans.com
- Hull&Proud Fixtures & Results 1896/1897
- Widnes Vikings - One team, one passion Season In Review - 1896-97
- Saints Heritage Society
- Warington History
- After the Aftermath
- Wyke ARLFC Club Info History
- Eastmoor Dragons ARLFC Club Info History 2