History
Rugby Union days
In the summer of 1885, the club carried out a tour of South Wales.
In 1886, Runcorn played Warrington in the semi-final of the South West Lancashire and Border Towns Trophy. A fight between players on the pitch resulted in a player from each side being sent off. Some time later during the match, a Runcorn player was injured and when the referee refused to allow this injured player to be replaced by the previously sent off player, the Runcorn team walked off the field. At this point, the referee abandoned the match. The Cup competition committee decided that the match should be replayed. Warrington duly won this match at Southport. It was 1891 before the animosity between the clubs subsided sufficiently for them to recommence playing each other.[1]
In March 1889, Runcorn, at the time Cheshire champions, played the touring New Zealand Maoris team before a crowd of about 9,000 at Irwell Lane Enclosure.[2] Runcorn were led at the time by regular captain Hughie Hughes.
Club Colours
Amber & Black (1876-1884)[3]
Myrtle Green (1884-1918)[3]
Ground
Irwell Lane Enclosure[2]
Runcorn join the Northern Union
Leading up to the "Great Schism", twelve of the top Yorkshire clubs held a meeting on Tuesday, 20 August 1895, at the Mitre Hotel,[4] Leeds, at which they agreed that they should meet with the Rugby Union to put forward the idea of forming a Northern Union, not as a complete breakaway, but a suggestion which the Union immediately rejected out of hand.
On 27 August 1895 an emergency meeting of nine Lancashire clubs agreed to support their Yorkshire counterparts if they decided to break away. Runcorn was not among the nine.
Two days later on the 29 August, the representatives of these 21 clubs (by this time, Stockport had joined the others, but their representative, being unable to attend, had telegraphed the meeting requesting his club’s admission to the new organisation) met in The George Hotel, Huddersfield in the West Riding of Yorkshire, a setting which was to become famous (or infamous) in the world of rugby. And all but Dewsbury agreed to the break-away.
A further meeting was held several days later, to formalise the agreement, at which Runcorn applied to join the Northern Union, and was admitted, becoming the twenty-second member in the inaugural season's league
Northern Union
The first Northern Union season (1895–96) started on Saturday, 7 September, and Runcorn’s first match was a home game against Widnes which they won, 15–4. All 22 clubs played in a combined league, yet games against clubs in the same county were also used to provide the two separate county leagues. Runcorn finished in third position overall, and also won the Lancashire league title (Manningham won the Rugby League title and were also Yorkshire Champions, with Halifax finishing in second positions in both these competitions).
For the following five seasons (1896–97 to 1900–01 inclusive), the two counties were kept apart, each having their own Senior Competition; this after comments or complaints from several clubs about the expenses in travelling long(ish) distances. Runcorn finished in 4th, 10th, 7th, 1st and 3rd positions respectively.
At the end of the 1900–01 season, the top seven clubs in each of the county leagues decided to break away and form a single division, and Runcorn, after finishing in 3rd position, were among this group of clubs. In season 1901–02, Runcorn finished again in 3rd position.
This formula was successful and for the following season, a second division was also formed. Runcorn remained in the top league (Division 1) of the competition which ran in this format for the next three seasons (1902–03 to 1904–05) after which the two divisions were combined. In these seasons Runcorn finishing in 4th, 16th and 18th (bottom) position.
The following season (1905–06) one single division operated, a format which would continue for many years, thus removing the possibility of Runcorn being relegated. As it was impossible for all the clubs to play each other both home and away, clubs from the same county played each other home and away, and arranged inter-county matches as and when they could. Because not all clubs played the same number of matches, positions were decided on percentage basis. Runcorn finished 10th out of the 31 clubs.
In 1906–07, Runcorn finished in 3rd position, their highest placing for several years, and a position, which history would show, was the start of a rapid decline in the club’s playing fortunes. Although in 1907, Runcorn defeated the New Zealand All Golds[5] 9-0 in a famous game played in driving rain.
In the next eight seasons (1907–08 to 1914–15) Runcorn finished 13th, 11th, 16th, 22nd, 24th, 19th, 21st and 25th respectively. In this last season (1914–15) Runcorn finished in a very poor bottom position with no wins, only one draw and 1 point from 27 matches.
By this time the country was involved in the First World War and sporting competitions were being cancelled/abandoned. Rugby League was no exception, yet managed to organise a friendly series of Wartime Emergency Leagues. Several clubs withdrew for the duration, and some later re-joined; but those competing did so on a very limited scale, all organising their own fixtures, usually against local rivals to cut down on the travelling. Runcorn had a very poor return for their efforts finishing in 23rd out of 24 (1915–16), 22nd out of 26 (1916–17) and 21st out of 22 (1917–18). In these three seasons, Runcorn struggled, winning only five matches out of 51.
The club folded in August 1918 season.[3]
With the full resumption of the league competition in 1919–20 Warrington signed many of the players from the recently disbanded Runcorn club.[6]
Players of note
These include :
- Jim Butterworth,[7] England international
- Sam Houghton (b in Runcorn – d 1920 in Runcorn) played for Runcorn at both rugby union, and professional rugby league, and for England, and Cheshire at Rugby Union
- Jim Jolley was an English professional rugby league footballer playing for Runcorn and later Warrington as a stand-off at club level and Great Britain, and England circa 1908–1909 at international level)
- Alf Kennedy,[8] England international
- Dick Padbury (b 1886 in Runcorn district) played for Runcorn RFC, as a prop, or hooker and England
- Joe Richardson (b circa 1877 - d November 1904) halfback who also played for Cheshire
- Harry Speakman (b 1864 in Runcorn – d 1915 Townsville, Australia) was a fine player who never played for his country. He took part in the first (unofficial) 1888 British Lions (rugby union) tour to New Zealand, and Australia, from which he never returned, instead choosing to stay, and in doing so, help to develop the game in Australia.
- Samuel Sam Walker.[9] England international
- Edgar Wrigley (b 1886 in Masterton, New Zealand - d 1958 (aged 71) in Huddersfield, England) dual-code international rugby union, and rugby league footballer
Club colours
The club played in all myrtle green.[10][11]
Grounds
The Rugby club played at Canal Street (also known as Irwell Lane)[3]
When the Runcorn RFC failed to survive the ravages of the First World War, the ground was purchased by a Mr. R H Posnett, the owner of Highfield and Camden Tannery, and the works recreation club founded as Runcorn Football Club in 1918.
Coincidentally, Huyton Rugby League Club, seeking to relocate from their ground in Liverpool, moved to Canal Street under a ground sharing agreement with Runcorn F C, changing their name to Runcorn Highfield RLFC, from season 1985–86 to 1989–90 inclusive
At the end of the 1999–2000 season, the football club, struggling with massive debts and dwindling attendances, sold the ground and moved to Stobart Stadium, home of Widnes Vikings Rugby League Club, for several years before finally closing after season 2005–06.[12]
The ground itself, by now in a dilapidated and a dangerous condition, was sold to developers and is now a housing development, the Linnets Park housing estate
