The big cup tie today took place at Headingley where Hunslet faced Bradford Northern in the Yorkshire Cup Final. In 1963 Northern had withdrawn from the league due to falling attendances and a new club rose from the ashes in July 1964. They had progressed to this final after wins over Keighley, Hull KR and Huddersfield. It would be fair to say public sympathy was with Bradford but Hunslet were coming off their Wembley appearance at the end of the previous season. Unfortunately they would be without Brian Gabbitas and Kenny Eyre, Alan Preece and Billy Baldwinson substituting. As at Wembley Hunslet conceded a penalty at the kick off but this time the goal attempt failed. Hunslet made the early breaks through Gunney and Ramsey but both sides missed penalty chances before Clawson put Northern ahead 2-0. The game then became scrappy largely due to Hunslet’s keen tackling but Bradford extended their lead to 7-0 before Barry Lee pulled a try back before half-time. Hunslet started the second half in top gear with Gunney, Ward and Shelton making breaks but the try wouldn’t come, Langton getting two points from a penalty. Bradford hit back with a converted try and Ramsey and Shelton then combined to put Tommy Thompson in for a try but Langton missed with the kick. Langton hit the post with a 70th minute penalty and Bradford made sure of the cup 5 minutes later with a converted try to make it 17-8.
Hunslet brought their fair share of players up from the Valleys over the years and today in 1948 was the debut of Jack Evans against Featherstone Rovers at home. Initially used as a centre he gravitated to full-back when Tus Griffiths moved to the new Doncaster club in 1951. He soon caught the eye of the selectors playing for Great Britain and Wales in 1950/51 and going on to make 10 Wales appearances and 7 for Great Britain. In 1953/54 he played in the Tour Trial but unfortunately didn’t make the cut. His Hunslet career spanned eight seasons, 245 matches, 17 tries and 88 goals. He was struck off in 1956 when he was promoted at the Ministry of Works and had to move to London. He was back in 1957/58 when he was coach of the “A” Team.
In more recent times, prop Andy Bateman was signed from Hunslet Parkside ARLFC in the summer of 1983 and made his first appearance today in that year at Rochdale Hornets. He was called up for a Great Britain summer training camp in 1986 and was a nomination for Second Division Player Of The Year the following year. In 1989 after 99 games and 24 tries St Helens put in an offer for Andy which Hunslet accepted. The Saints Heritage Society Heritage webpage tells us Andy made his debut against the touring Kiwis and with an outstanding performance at Castleford in the Challenge Cup (scoring two tries) he looked to be in for a successful Saints career but unfortunately injuries wrecked his chances and after a couple of loan spells at Keighley and Sheffield Eagles he hung up his boots in 1994.
Featherstone Rovers joined the northern union in the early days and played as a junior club until 1921/22 when they became a senior club in the Northern Rugby League and played home and away fixtures against Hunslet. In WW1 the number of clubs competing needed bolstering and Featherstone Rovers along with St Helens Recs and Brighouse Rangers were brought in. Technically friendly matches, the two clubs first locked horns today in 1915 at Featherstone and the home side won 19-13. They would not meet again until 1921.
Hunslet had two other Yorkshire Cup semi-finals to negotiate after the Second World War but unfortunately exited the competition against Wakefield Trinity in 1946 at Belle Vue 4-7 and Keighley 9-15 at Lawkholme Lane in 1951.
The club’s representatives today were Edward Kaye in 1889’s Yorkshire Trial, Johnny Coulson for Cumberland against Hector Crowther and Ernest Young for Yorkshire in 1926 at Whitehaven. Johnny scored a try in a Cumberland 17-5 win. And Neil Lowe had a couple of Scotland outings in 2010 and 2011 against France (lost 12-26 at Albi) and Ireland (won 26-6 at Glasgow).
In 1897 Albert Goldthorpe stretched the goals in a Northern Union match record to five against Leeds at Parkside and 100 years later Gary Kemble became New Hunslet’s second hat-trick try scorer at home to Workington Town.
