1984–85 John Player Special Trophy

Rugby league season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This was the fourteenth season for the League Cup, which was again known as the John Player Special Trophy for sponsorship purposes.

StructureNational knockout championship

Teams38

WinnersHull Kingston Rovers

Runners-upHull F.C.

Quick facts Structure, Teams ...

1984–85 John Player Special Trophy
Structure	National knockout championship
Teams	38
Winners	Hull Kingston Rovers
Runners-up	Hull F.C.
← 1983–84 1985–86 →

Close

Hull Kingston Rovers claimed the trophy by beating their local rivals Hull F.C. by the score of 12–0 in the final. The match was played at Boothferry Park, Kingston upon Hull on 26 January 1985 and the attendance was 25,326. Gate receipts were £69,355 (equivalent to £215,000 in 2025).^[1]

Background

This season saw several changes in the entrants:

Cardiff City Blue Dragons were renamed Bridgend Blue Dragons and Kent Invicta were renamed Southend Invicta
Mansfield Marksman and Sheffield Eagles joined the league and also the competition
Huyton changed their name to Runcorn Highfield and moved from Alt Park, Huyton to Canal Street, Runcorn
and the re-introduction of the invitation to two junior clubs.

This involved an increase in entrants to thirty-eight, in turn resulting in a six-match, 12-club preliminary round to reduce the number of clubs taking part in the first round proper to thirty-two.

Competition and results

Preliminary round

Involved six matches and 12 clubs

More information Game No., Fixture date ...

Game No.	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Attend	Rec	Notes	Ref

1	Fri 2 Nov 1984	Myson (Hull)		2-8		Dewsbury	Boulevard			^[a]
2	Sun 4 Nov 1984	Bramley		20-6		Southend Invicta	McLaren Field	572
3	Sun 4 Nov 1984	Keighley		24-10		Bradford Dudley Hill	Lawkholme Lane	1570		^[b], ^[c]
4	Sun 4 Nov 1984	Sheffield Eagles		17-6		Wakefield Trinity	Owlerton Stadium	1279		^[d]	^[6]
5	Wed 7 Nov 1984	Carlisle		8-26		Bradford Northern	Brunton Park	1215		^[e]
6	Wed 7 Nov 1984	Hunslet		2-6		Workington Town	Elland Road	719		^[e]

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Round 1 – First round

^[7] Involved 16 matches and 32 clubs

More information Game No, Fixture date ...

Game No	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Att	Rec	Notes	Ref

1	Sat 17 Nov 1984	Hull Kingston Rovers		32-5		Leigh	Craven Park (1)	4541		^[f]
2	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Bradford Northern		22-1		Swinton	Odsal	3712
3	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Bramley		12-10		Blackpool Borough	McLaren Field	653
4	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Bridgend Blue Dragons		4-42		Castleford	Coychurch Road, Bridgend	1803		^[g]
5	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Dewsbury		14-8		Salford	Crown Flatt	1176
6	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Featherstone Rovers		17-12		Barrow	Post Office Road	1651
7	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Fulham		14-36		Hull F.C.	Polytechnic of Central London	2324		^[h]	^[8]
8	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Leeds		50-2		Sheffield Eagles	Headingley	4881
9	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Rochdale Hornets		10-8		Mansfield Marksman	Athletic Grounds	620
10	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Runcorn Highfield		18-5		Batley	Alt Park, Huyton	760
11	Sun 18 Nov 1984	St. Helens		60-8		Keighley	Knowsley Road	5145			^[9]
12	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Warrington		5-17		Halifax	Wilderspool	4171			^[10]
13	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Whitehaven		64-0		Doncaster	Recreation Ground	1717		^[i]
14	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Wigan		50-6		Huddersfield Barracudas	Central Park	7375			^[3]^[11]
15	Sun 18 Nov 1984	Workington Town		12-22		Widnes	Derwent Park	1010			^[12]
16	Sun 18 Nov 1984	York		6-22		Oldham	Clarence Street	2504

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Round 2 – Second round

^[13] Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs

More information Game No, Fixture date ...

Game No	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Att	Rec	Notes	Ref

1	Sat 1 Dec 1984	Leeds		10-4		Wigan	Headingley	9261			^[3]
2	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Bradford Northern		12-12		St. Helens	Odsal	9419			^[9]
3	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Bramley		33-5		Whitehaven	McLaren Field	1358
4	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Dewsbury		31-16		Runcorn Highfield	Crown Flatt	1242
5	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Halifax		20-18		Castleford	Thrum Hall	4784
6	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Hull F.C.		26-14		Oldham	Boulevard	11500		^[j]	^[8]
7	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Hull Kingston Rovers		34-12		Rochdale Hornets	Craven Park (1)	4835
8	Sun 2 Dec 1984	Widnes		28-10		Featherstone Rovers	Naughton Park	3850			^[12]

Close

Round 2 – Second round replays

Involved one match and two clubs

More information Game No, Fixture date ...

Game No	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Attend	Rec	Notes	Ref

1	Wed 5 Dec 1984	St. Helens		24–10		Bradford Northern	Knowsley Road	10156			^[9]

Close

Round 3 – Quarter-finals

Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs:^[13]

More information Game No, Fixture date ...

Game No	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Att	Rec	Notes	Ref
1	Sat 22 Dec 1984	St. Helens		8–14		Halifax	Knowsley Road	5,768			^[9]
2	Sun 23 Dec 1984	Dewsbury		8–22		Hull F.C.	Crown Flatt	7,197			^[14]
3	Sun 23 Dec 1984	Hull Kingston Rovers		14–6		Widnes	Craven Park	7,710			^[15]
4	Sun 23 Dec 1984	Leeds		28–14		Bramley	Headingley	6,404

Close

Round 4 – Semi-finals

Involved two matches and four clubs:^[13]

More information Game No, Fixture date ...

Game No	Fixture date	Home team		Score		Away team	Venue	Attend	Rec	Notes	Ref
1	Sat 29 Dec 1984	Hull Kingston Rovers		14–8		Halifax	Headingley	6,390			^[16]
2	Sat 5 Jan 1985	Hull F.C.		18–6		Leeds	Boothferry Park	13,214			^[17]

Close

Final

1985 John Player Special Trophy Final

26 January 1985
12:00 GMT (UTC+0)

More information Hull F.C., 0 – 12 ...

Hull F.C.	0 – 12	Hull Kingston Rovers
Tries: 0	1st: 0 – 8 2nd: 0 – 4 Report	Tries: 3 Hogan 18' Prohm 23' Clark 72' Goals: 0 Fairbairn (0/3)

Close

Boothferry Park, Kingston upon Hull
Attendance: 25,326^[k]
Referee: Stanley Wall
Man of the Match: Paul Harkin (Hull Kingston Rovers)

More information Hull F.C., Position ...

Hull F.C.		Position	Hull Kingston Rovers
1	Gary Kemble 21'	Fullback	1	George Fairbairn
2	Steve Evans	Wing	2	Garry Clark 72'
3	Fred Ah Kuoi	Centre	3	Ian Robinson
4	James Leuluai	Centre	4	Gary Prohm 23'
5	Dane O'Hara	Wing	5	David Laws
6	David Topliss (c)	Stand-off	6	Mike Smith
7	Peter Sterling	Scrum-half	7	Paul Harkin
8	Phil Edmonds 64'	Prop	8	Mark Broadhurst
9	Shaun Patrick	Hooker	9	David Watkinson (c)
10	Paul Rose	Prop	10	Asuquo Ema
11	Lee Crooks	Second-row	11	Chris Burton
12	Wayne Proctor	Second-row	12	Phil Hogan 18'
13	Gary Divorty	Loose forward	13	Gavin Miller
14	Garry Schofield 21'	Interchange	14	John Lydiat
15	Andy Dannatt 64'	Interchange	15	Len Casey
	Arthur Bunting	Head coach		Roger Millward

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Prize money

As part of the sponsorship deal and funds, the prize money awarded to the competing teams for this season is as follows :-

More information Finish position, Cash prize ...

Finish position	Cash prize	No. receiving prize	Total cash

Winner	?	1	?
Runner-up	?	1	?
semi-finalist	?	2	?
loser in Rd 3	?	4	?
loser in Rd 2	?	8	?
Loser in Rd 1	?	16	?
Loser in prelim round	?	?	?

Grand total

Close

The road to success

This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures

	First round					Second round					Third round					Semi-finals					Final

	Hull Kingston Rovers		32

	Leigh		5
						Hull Kingston Rovers		35

						Rochdale Hornets		12
	Rochdale Hornets		10

	Mansfield Marksman		8
											Hull Kingston Rovers		14

											Widnes		6
	Workington Town		12

	Widnes		22
						Widnes		28

						Featherstone Rovers		10
	Featherstone Rovers		17

	Barrow		12
																Hull Kingston Rovers		14

																Halifax		8
	Bradford Northern		22

	Swinton		1
						Bradford Northern		12 (10)

						St. Helens		12 (24)
	St. Helens		60

	Keighley		8
											St. Helens		8

											Halifax		14
	Warrington		5

	Halifax		17
						Halifax		20

						Castleford		18
	Bridgend Blue Dragons		4

	Castleford		42
																					Hull Kingston Rovers		12

																					Hull		0
	Dewsbury		14

	Salford		8
						Dewsbury		31

						Runcorn Highfield		16
	Runcorn Highfield		18

	Batley		5
											Dewsbury		8

											Hull		22
	Fulham		14

	Hull		36
						Hull		26

						Oldham		14
	York		6

	Oldham		22
																Hull		18

																Leeds		6
	Leeds		50

	Sheffield Eagles		2
						Leeds		10

						Wigan		4
	Wigan		50

	Huddersfield Barracudas		6
											Leeds		28

											Bramley		14
	Bramley		12

	Blackpool Borough		10
						Bramley		33

						Whitehaven		5
	Whitehaven		64

	Doncaster		0

Notes

[a]
Myson are a Junior (amateur) club from Hull.
[b]
Bradford Dudley Hill are a Junior (amateur) club from Bradford.
[c]
Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990-1991^[4] and 1991-92,^[5] and the Rugby League Project^[2] gives score as 24-10, but Wigan official archives^[3] gives it as 24-8
[d]
Rugby League Project^[2] and Wakefield Till I Die^[6] give the score as 17-6 but Wigan official archives^[3] gives it as 17-8
[e]
This fixture not shown on Wigan official archives^[7]
[f]
Rugby League Project^[2] give score as 32-5 but Wigan official archives^[3] gives it as 32-6
[g]
Rugby League Project^[2] give score as 4-42 but Wigan official archives ^[3] gives it as 4-34
[h]
Venue possibly Crystal Palace NSC or Chiswick Poly Sports Ground.
[i]
The highest winning margin to date between professional clubs.
[j]
Rugby League Project^[2] and Hull official archives^[8] give score as 26-14 but Wigan official archives^[3] gives it as 23-14
[k]
The attendance at this final was a new record, which would never be beaten in the competition.

See also

References

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