After Woodhouse Hill and Parkside, Hunslet started life at their third home today in 1973 as they faced Huyton at Elland Road Greyhound Stadium. A crowd of 4,500 attended which would have pleased the directors as only 700 were at the last match at Parkside. Geoff Nicholls had a good day scoring one try and seven goals in a 23-0 win. His 17 points would, at the end of the season, set the first points in a game record for New Hunslet. Barry Lee and George Clark scored the other two tries.Fred Pickup became the first player to make his debut in the new era.

Despite the impending breakout of hostilities with Nazi Germany the 1939/40 season started as planned today with a home game against Salford. Despite a 8-10 defeat the highlight was Sam Newbound’s try where he scattered the Salford pack in breaking through to score.

Sam Newbound

As with the 1948/49 season, 1970/71 started with the players refusing to play without improved match payments. The club wanted to reduce first team pay from £14 to £12, knock £1 off Sunday payments and reduce “A” Team terms. Hunslet signed on a full team of Leeds and District amateurs to fulfil the fixture at Oldham, losing 54-5. To allow for the amateurs to be registered 11 player had to be crossed off. A Yorkshire Cup tie with Doncaster was scheduled but the amateurs were registered after the closure of the cup register so the club had to forfeit the tie. After a home league game against Bramley, the Rugby League offered to take over the club or suspend them for the season, There was a fine of £50 for irregularities in signing the amateurs and £100 for not playing the cup-tie. The players took a vote and agreed to play for the new terms as not to do so would “send the club down the drain”. They refused to play Sundays. They asked Dewsbury to change the next fixture back to Saturday. They refused, the League backed them and the game was postponed  Five players were transfer listed and Eric Payne and Billy Baldwinson were suspended due to their behaviour in the changing rooms after the Bramley game.

Two long serving players registered with the club today. In 1932 it was winger George Dennis signing on from Heworth. He would play 160 games for the Parksiders including the 1934 Challenge Cup Final. His biggest claim to fame was scoring 7 tried against Bradford Northern in 1934, a record which still stands. George retired in 1937 due to work commitments but later played for hometown club York with his brother L Dennis.

George Dennis

Ted Carroll signed from Castleford Rugby Union in 1946 but had played for Leeds City Boys as a junior. He was selected once for Yorkshire and one season was “invited” to RL Headquarters to discuss his disciplinary record – “once more and you’re finished” he was allegedly told and there is no record of him getting sent off again. Starting as centre and moving to second-row, he played 282 games and scored 64 tries.

A Yorkshire Cup tie at Wakefield Trinity opened the 1990/91 season but it was lost 18-28.