Eastern Region Competition
Sincere thanks to David Gronow for permission to publish the following article and photographs.
When the re-introduction of the two division format was introduced in season 1962-63 - exactly sixty years after they were last tried - it was realised that it alone would not provide clubs with sufficient fixtures - thirty eight - each season.
To rectify that situation the Yorkshire and Lancashire County Leagues were suspended and the League programme preceded by Eastern and Western Divisional Championships, combining First and Second Division clubs.
The term ‘Eastern and Western’ were used because Cumberland clubs joined with Lancashire clubs in the West.
Each club had to play two others that were from the same region, but outside its division - it was hoped that those additional four would maintain a number of traditional ‘derby’ engagements.
A League table was compiled from these results, with the top four in a play-off situation - first playing fourth on the ground of the first, the second playing third on the ground of the second, the winners playing on a neutral ground in the final.
The majority of clubs for many years favoured two divisions, but had been unable to support a two-thirds majority, some of the clubs had to be wooed over to the idea of two divisions.
It was not likely that they would vote for any scheme which would deprive them of their best fixtures.
Consequently, a scheme had to be devised which would enable the lower clubs to have fixtures against the leading teams, fixtures which they would be deprived of in the Second Division - hence the Eastern and Western Championships - giving them the opportunity to gain additional revenue from the prospect of increased attendances against the leading clubs that the two divisional format would not allow, also the chance of toppling one of the leading teams.
In season 1962-63 the competition was played between August and September 1962, with Huddersfield playing Doncaster, Bradford, Dewsbury and Batley home and away.
The Fartowners won all their eight games to finish top of the Eastern Region with a better points difference from Hull KR who also won all their eight matches.
In the semi-final of the play-offs Huddersfield beat Halifax 17-0 at Fartown, with Hull KR successful in overcoming Featherstone Rovers 27-11 at Craven Park to qualify for the Final Play-Off at Headingley, Leeds, on 10 November 1962 - Hull KR delighting their followers by beating Huddersfield 13-10.
The teams that day were:
Huddersfield
Dyson ( 2 goals): Senior, Booth, Haywood (try), Stocks: Deighton, Smales (try): Rowe, Close, Noble, Kilroy, Bowman, Redfearn
Hull KR
Kellett (2 goals): Paul ( 2 tries), Major, Burwell B, Harris (try): Burwell A, Bunting: Coverdale, Flanagan, Drake, Tyson, Murphy, Bonner
Referee: Mr W Watkinson (Manchester)
Attendance: 6,822
In season 1963-64 - interspersed with League, Yorkshire Cup and Challenge Cup games - Huddersfield finished mid-table (played 6, won 3, lost 3) after games against Bradford, Batley and Doncaster on a home and away basis - Halifax going on to beat Castleford 20-12 in the Final at Fartown in front of a crowd of 10,679 on 23 May 1964.
When the two-division experiment was abandoned at the end of 1963-64, the Divisional Championships were abandoned as well.
Eastern Region Final Programme 1963Programme for the Hull KR-Huddersfield Eastern Region Championship Final at Headingley, Leeds, on Saturday 10 November 1962 |
Pre-Eastern Region Final 1962
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Hudds v Doncaster ER 1962The Huddersfield team that beat Doncaster 18-12 in the Eastern Region Championship at Fartown, 11 August 1962 |
