1936–37 Challenge Cup#Final
{{short description|Rugby league competition}}
{{Infobox Rugby football league challenge cup
|title = 1936–37 Challenge Cup
|league =
|logo =
|pixels =
|duration = 5 Rounds
|no_of_teams = 32
|highest_attendance =
|lowest_attendance =
|avg_attendance =
|TV =
|biggest_home_win =
|biggest_away_win =
|season = 1936–37
|season_champs = Widnes
|season_champ_name = Winners
|second_place = Keighley
|MVP =
|MVP_link =
|top_scorer =
|prevseason_link = 1935–36 Challenge Cup
|prevseason_year = 1935–36
|nextseason_link = 1937–38 Challenge Cup
|nextseason_year = 1937–38
}}
The 1936–37 Challenge Cup was the 37th tournament of rugby league's oldest trophy, the Challenge Cup. 32 clubs entered the competition which was won by Widnes who beat Keighley 18–5 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 8 May 1937. This was Widnes' second win in the competition and, to date, Keighley's only appearance in the final.
First round
The first round draw was made on 13 January 1937. 16 ties were drawn that were played on 13 February 1937.{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001465/19370114/109/0005 |title=Rugby League Cup: Draw made for the first round of tourney |newspaper=Sheffield Independent |date=14 January 1937 |page=5 |issue=((25,654)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}
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| bgcolor=#C1D8FF
!rowspan=2; width=19%|Home !rowspan=2; width=6%|Score !rowspan=2; width=19%|Away !colspan=3|Match information |
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!width=10%|Referee !width=7%|Attendance !width=9%|Receipts |
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| Bramley | 0–6 | Dewsbury | L Greenwood | 3,400 | £167 |
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| Goole | 2–14 | J Orford | 2,500 | £100 |
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| Hunslet | 2–5 | Keighley | A E Harding | 10,300 | £553 |
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| Leigh | 0–28 | A Brown | 3,000 | £144 |
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| Oldham | 4–15 | Wigan | A S Dobson | 18,000 | £1075 |
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| 0–10 | A Hill | 7,200 | £396 |
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| 4–11 | F Peel | 7,000 | £285 |
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| Salford | 4–10 | J E Taylor | 26,700 | £1,647 |
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| Halifax | 8–2 | Barrow | J Edden | 9,000 | £650 |
| bgcolor=#F5FAFF
| 13–5 | J W Webb | 7,000 | £288 |
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| 39–0 | B Timility | 10,000 | not given |
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| Swinton | 9–5 | L Thorpe | 4,238 | £190 |
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| 2–0 | Leeds | F Fairhurst | 18,600 | £1,109 |
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| Widnes | 39–2 | Higginshaw | B Laughlin | 4,000 | £241 |
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| York | 18–4 | A Holbrook | 3,797 | £188 |
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| Batley | 2–2 | P Cowell | 10,400 | £550 |
| style="background:#c1d8ff;"
! colspan=6 | Source:{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000748/19370215/159/0009 |title=Saturday's results and league tables |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |page=9 |issue=((30,331)) |date=15 February 1937 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000711/19370212/360/0013 |title=Rugby League cup-ties |newspaper=Lancashire Evening Post |date=12 February 1937 |page=13 |issue=((15,611)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000748/19370215/185/0011 |title=Cup crowds and cash |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=15 February 1937 |page=11 |issue=((30,331)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} |
=First round replay=
The replay between Castleford and Batley was played on the Wednesday 17 February 1937.
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| bgcolor=#C1D8FF
!rowspan=2; width=19%|Home !rowspan=2; width=6%|Score !rowspan=2; width=19%|Away !colspan=3|Match information |
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!width=10%|Referee !width=7%|Attendance !width=9%|Receipts |
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| 8–4 | Batley | P Cowell | 10,875 | £522/10/- |
| style="background:#c1d8ff;"
! colspan=6 | Source:{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19370217/136/0010 |title=R.L. Cup. First round re-play. |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |page=10 |issue=((16,009)) |date=17 February 1937 |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19370218/507/0019 |title=Castleford win Cup replay |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=18 February 1937 |page=19 |issue=((27,942)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} |
Second round
The draw for the second round was made on 15 February 1937 with the eight ties schedules 27 February. Only six ties were played that day as heavy snow forced the postponement of the game at Bradford and the match between Widnes and Dewsbury was abandoned at half-time with the score 8–0 to Widnes.
{{notelist}}
=Second round replays=
The replay between Castleford and Wigan was played on the Wednesday 3 March 1937 and the rescheduled Widnes v Dewsbury game was played on Thursday 4 March.
| border=1 style="border-collapse:collapse; font-size:90%; text-align:center;" cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 width=70% |
| bgcolor=#C1D8FF
!rowspan=2; width=19%|Home !rowspan=2; width=6%|Score !rowspan=2; width=19%|Away !colspan=3|Match information |
| bgcolor=#CCCCCC
!width=10%|Referee !width=7%|Attendance !width=9%|Receipts |
| bgcolor=#F5FAFF
| 6–13 | Wigan | F Peel | 26,000 | £1,200 |
| bgcolor=#F5FAFF
| Widnes | 12–7 | Dewsbury | A Hill | 8,000 | £383 |
| style="background:#c1d8ff;"
! colspan=6 | Source:{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000748/19370305/282/0011 |title=Dewsbury's great rally |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=5 March 1937 |page=11 |issue=((30,347)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}}{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000687/19370304/424/0019 |title=Castleford fight all the way |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=4 March 1937 |page=19 |issue=((27,954)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} |
Third round
The third round draw was made on 1 March, ties were due to be played on 13 March,{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000748/19370302/229/0009 |title=Draw and officials |newspaper=Leeds Mercury |date=2 March 1937 |page=9 |issue=((30,334)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} but the weather played a part again and the match between Huddersfield and Wigan was postponed and played on 17 March.
Semi-finals
The draw for the semi-finals was delayed until the third round tie between Huddersfield and Wigan had been played and was made on 18 March. The semi-finals were played at neutral venues on Saturday 3 April.
=Semi-final replay=
Wakefield and Keighley met to replay their tie at Fartown Huddersfield on 7 April.
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!rowspan=2; width=19%|First team drawn !rowspan=2; width=6%|Score !rowspan=2; width=19%|Second team drawn !colspan=4|Match information |
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!width=10%|Venue !width=10%|Referee !width=7%|Attendance !width=9%|Receipts |
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| 3–5 | Keighley | Fartown, Huddersfield | A E Harding | 14,400 | £1,072 |
| style="background:#c1d8ff;"
! colspan=7 | Source:{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000687/19370408/442/0019 |title=Northern Rugby League: Challenge Cup — semi-final replay |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=8 April 1937 |page=19 |issue=((27,983)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} |
Final
{{rugbyleaguebox
| bg = #eeeeee
| date = 8 May 1937
| time = 3:00 pm BST
| team1 = Widnes
| score = 18 – 5
| report =
| team2 = Keighley
| try1 = Shannon
McCue
Barber
Silcock
| goal1 = Topping (3)
| try2 = Lloyd
| goal2 = Sherburn
| stadium = Wembley Stadium, London
| attendance = 47,699
| referee = P Cowell
}}
{{Rugby league match squad
| collapsed =n
| hometeam =Widnes
| awayteam =Keighley
| squadsize =13
| location =n
| homeCoach =
| homeFB = Walter Bradley
| homeWG1 = Frank Whyte
| homeCE1 = Peter Topping
| homeCE2 = Ken Barber
| homeWG2 = Alan Evans
| homeSO = Tommy Shannon
| homeSH = Tommy McCue
| homePR1 = Nat Silcock (c)
| homeHK = Jimmy Jones
| homePR2 = Alec Higgins
| homeSR1 = Hugh McDowell
| homeSR2 = Bob Roberts
| homeLF = Harry Millington
| homeIN1 =
| homeIN2 =
| homeIN3 =
| homeIN4 =
| awayCoach =
| awayFB = Iorwerth Herbert
| awayWG1 = Joseph Sherburn
| awayCE1 = Idris Towill
| awayCE2 = Gwyn Parker
| awayWG2 = Reg Lloyd
| awaySO = Llewellyn Bevan
| awaySH = Dai Davies
| awayPR1 = James Traill
| awayHK = Cyril Halliday
| awayPR2 = Hal Jones
| awaySR1 = George Dixon
| awaySR2 = Fred Talbot
| awayLF = James Gill
| awayIN1 =
| awayIN2 =
| awayIN3 =
| awayIN4 =
}}
Widnes and Keighley met in the final at Wembley Stadium on 8 May 1937. Widnes went 5–0 up within the first ten minutes as Tommy Shannon scored a try which Peter Topping converted. Just before the half-hour mark, Widnes scored another try as Tommy McCue over to give Widnes an 8–0 lead which remained the score at half-time. Immediately after the second half kicked off, Keighley were awarded a penalty which Joseph Sherburn kicked to reduce Widnes' lead to six points. Some Keighley pressure came to nothing and Ken Barber intercepted a pass to score Widnes' third try which Topping converted. Five minutes later Widnes' put the game beyond Keighley's reach as captain Nat Silcock scored their fourth try. Topping missed the conversion but made amends by kicking a penalty after an hours play. With the score 18–2 with minutes left to play, Keighley scored their only try as Reg Lloyd went over making the final score 18–5 to Widnes.{{cite news |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19370508/086/0010 |title=Widnes had Wembley way with them |newspaper=Hull Daily Mail |date=8 May 1937 |page=10 |issue=((16,077)) |url-access=subscription |via=British Newspaper Archive}} The attendance or the game was 47,699 and the gate receipts totalled £6,579.{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/defeat-still-hailed-as-a-magnificent-achievement-1-2493117 |title=Defeat still hailed as 'a magnificent achievement' |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=7 March 2008 }}
{{clear}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Widnes - 1936–37 Challenge Cup Final winners}}
{{Challenge Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:1936-37 Challenge Cup}}