Stockport RFC was a Rugby League club in Stockport, England.
The club became founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League) after the English rugby schism, and resultant breakaway meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, in 1895.
They played for eight seasons in the seasons 1895–96 to 1902–03, when they finished bottom of the newly instituted Division Two.
Like several other Cheshire clubs, they participated in the Lancashire competitions.
They had a rivalry with fellow Cheshire side Runcorn RFC.
History
Early days
Stockport RFC was founded 1884 by men associated with Stockport Sunday School, the largest such school in the world at the time.
The club first played on a field behind their HQ - The Plough Inn, Shaw Heath and the first gate was 3sh 9d. = 19p.
On 12 January 1889 they played a friendly against the Maori touring team, which attracted around 4,000 spectators and ended up in a 3-3 draw. The Maoris had just come off of beating Ireland, Wigan, St Helens, Salford, and Swansea, among others, so the draw was a somewhat notable feat. This was the 42nd game of the 1888/89 Maori tour.
They managed to attract top Lancs & Yorks clubs to the Plough ground and such was the rise in popularity that they moved in with Stockport Cricket Club at Cale Green in 1890, averaging crowds of 3,000.
Northern Union
Before the break with Rugby Union, Stockport, like many other clubs from Lancashire and Yorkshire, had suffered punishment by the RFU for "broken time" payments. When the 22 clubs met at The George Hotel, Huddersfield, the representative of Stockport had been unable to attend the meeting personally and so had telegraphed the meeting requesting the club's admission to the new organisation. This was duly accepted.
After the Great Schism in 1895, Stockport were one of the founder members of the new league. In the first season 1895–96 the league consisted of 22 clubs and Stockport finished in 17th position.
In the second season 1896–97 the league was divided into Yorkshire and Lancashire, Stockport playing in the latter section, where they would stay for all but one of the remainder of their semi-professional existence. They finished in 5th position out of 14 teams.
In the two following seasons, still in the Lancashire section, season 1897–98 and 1898–99 they finished in 11th position out of 14 teams.
In the fifth season, 1899–1900 they improved slightly finishing 9th out of 14 teams. This was also their most successful season in the Challenge Cup, they defeated Hunslet 2-0, Tyldesley 5-2 and Radcliffe 24-3 before bowing out in the Quarter-Finals losing 0-3 to Widnes.
In 1900–01, still in the Lancashire Senior League, Stockport dropped to 12th place out the 14 teams.
In 1901–02 14 clubs broke away to form the Northern Rugby League. Stockport were not among these, and as a result of this, interest and gates dwindled, so together with the remaining clubs and several additions from the lower county leagues, continued in the Lancashire Senior league, which became in effect division 2 (West). A slightly better season saw a mid-table finish in 6th place out of the 13 clubs.
At the end of the 1901–02 season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 (7 from Lancashire and 10 from Yorkshire and new member South Shields) with the existing second competition scrapped.
In 1902–03 Stockport were elected into the new 2nd Division losing many of their top pro players, In this, their eighth and last season among the semi-professional clubs, Stockport finished 18th out of 18 clubs, bottom of the league with only 11 points, whereas Morecambe, the second bottom, had 20 points.
In May 1903, the town’s rugby and football clubs met and it was suggested that the rugby club should disband. Nothing was decided but the debate lingered and the Yorkshire Post of 16 July 1903 reported: “Certain conditions have been drawn up in connection with the proposed transfer of the ground to the Association club and it is understood they will be in all probability accepted. The opinion prevails that the Rugby Club will shortly disband.”
At a meeting on Saturday 15 August 1903, the plan to disband was confirmed. Stockport County F.C took over £350 in liabilities owed to a well-known gentleman [Mr Sykes] in the town. The rugby club, it was reported, had been sorely tried by the rapid strides made by the association game in Stockport and had fallen deeper into debt. The last Captain, Yorkshireman William Robinson, took a tobacconist’s shop on Castle street, Edgeley.
"(Stockport) County gained admission to the Second Division of the Football League in 1900, and following this elevation - and consequent requirement for a larger ground - the club moved to its current home of Edgeley Park in 1902, which was then the home of Stockport Rugby League Club. The rugby club folded a few years later, leaving County as sole tenants."
Stadium Stockport RFC first played on a field behind their Headquarters - The Plough Inn, Shaw Heath. The cost of entry to the first gate was 3sh 9d. = 19p.
In 1890 they moved in with Stockport Cricket Club at Beech road, Cale Green.
In 1891 they moved into the newly built Edgeley Park, the land the stadium was built on was donated to the club by the Sykes Family, Owner’s of Sykes Bleaching Company
Colours
The club's colour was maroon.
Records
Club scoring record In a SeasonDetailsSeasonCompetitionNotesRefHighest League Position51896–97Lancs Sen CompOut of 14 clubs Lowest League Position181902–032nd DivOut of 18 clubs Most League Points321895–96RLOut of possible 84 = 38% or301896–97Lancs Sen CompOut of possible 52 = 58% Fewest League Points111902–032nd DivOut of possible 68 = 16% Most Points Scored (PF)1711895–96RLIn 42 games = 4.07/game or1571896–97Lancs Sen CompIn 26 games = 6.04/game Most Points Conceded (PA)3171898–99Lancs Sen CompIn 26 games = 12.2/game Fewest Points Scored (PF)691902–032nd DivIn 34 games = 2.03/game Fewest Points Conceded (PA)1361899–1900Lancs Sen CompIn 26 games = 5.23/game Best Points Difference201896–97Lancs Sen CompIn 26 games Worst Points Difference-2761902–032nd DivIn 26 games Club records Best League performance: 5th(out of 14 clubs) 1896/97 Northern Rugby Football Union(Lancs Senior)
Best Challenge cup performance: Quarter-Final 1899/1900 Highest attendance: Approximately 10,000(at Plough ground) 1895/96 Northern Rugby Football Union
Club league record SeasonCompetitionPosTeam Name PlWDLPFPADiffPts% PtsNo of teams in league NotesRef1895–96Northern Rugby Football Union17Stockport4212822171315-144 3222 1896–97NRFU(Lancs Senior)5Stockport261421015713720 3014 1897–98NRFU(Lancs Senior)11Stockport268216154253–99 18141898–99NRFU(Lancs Senior)11Stockport265120102317-215 11141899–1900NRFU(Lancs Senior)9Stockport2610214126136-10 22141900–01NRFU(Lancs Senior)12Stockport266317102184-82 15141901–02NRFU(Lancs Senior)6Stockport24133815110645 2713 Stockport had 2 points deducted.Only limited County League information is available for this season.1902–03NRFU(2nd Division)18Stockport34512869348-279 1118 Heading Abbreviations Pl = Games played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Lose; PF = Points for; PA = Points against; Diff = Points difference (+ or -); Pts = League Points League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0.
Several fixtures and results The following are just a few of Stockport's fixtures from the eight seasons in which they played (semi) professional Rugby League :-
SeasonDateCompetitionOpponent VenueH/AResult ScoreAttendanceNotesRef1895–96Sat 28 Sep 1895RLSt. HelensKnowsley RdAWon3–0 1895–96 26 Oct 1895RLWarringtonEdgeley ParkHDraw 3–3 1895–96Sat 9 Nov 1895RLHullEdgeley ParkHWon3–0 1895–96 30 Nov 1895RLWidnesEdgeley ParkHLost0–5 1895–96Wed 25 Dec 1895RLWiganFolly Fields ALost0–16 1 1895–96 -1-–0-1896RLWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost10–14 2 1895–96Sat 18 Jan 1896RLSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHWon18–3 1895–96Sat 7 Mar 1896RLHullBoulevardALost5–15 1895–96 6 Apr 1896RLWarringtonWilderspoolALost 3–14 1895–96Sun 26 Apr 1896RLWiganEdgeley ParkHWon8–3 1896–97Sat 12 Sep 1896Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHWon12–0 1896–97 19 Sep 1896Lancs Sen CompWarringtonEdgeley ParkHWon15–5 1896–97Mon 12 Oct 1896FriendlyHullBoulevardAWon5–0 1896–97 5 Dec 1896Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHWon12–3 1896–97Sat 19 Dec 1896Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHWon13–6 1896–97 9 Jan 1897Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0–9 2 1896–97 13 Feb 1897Lancs Sen CompWarringtonWilderspoolALost 5–9 1896–97Sat 13 Mar 1897Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost0–9 1896–97Wed 17 Mar 1897Lancs Sen CompWiganFolly Fields ADraw0–0 1 1897–98 25 Sep 1897Lancs Sen CompWarringtonWilderspoolALost 7–10 1897–98 27 Nov 1897Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0–6 1897–98Sat 11 Dec 1897Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHWon14–7 1897–98Sat 8 Jan 1898Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHLost4–6 1897–98 29 Jan 1898Lancs Sen CompWarringtonEdgeley ParkHWon13–3 1897–98 12 Feb 1898Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHLost5–9 1897–98Sat 19 Feb 1898Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost0–27 1897–98Fri 8 Apr 1898Lancs Sen CompWiganFolly Fields ADraw5–5 1 1898–99Sat 8 Oct 1898Lancs Sen CompWiganFolly Fields ALost8–19 1 1898–99 17 Dec 1898Lancs Sen CompWarringtonWilderspoolALost 6–8 1898–99 7 Jan 1899Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHLost0–10 1898–99 14 Jan 1899Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost10–26 2 1898–99Sat 25 Feb 1899Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHWon3–0 1898–99Sat 4 Mar 1899Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHLost3–13 1898–99 1 Apr 1899Lancs Sen CompWarringtonEdgeley ParkHWon12–2 1898–99Thu 20 Apr 1899Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost10–13 1899–1900 9 Sep 1899Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHWon18–5 1899–1900 16 Sep 1899Lancs Sen CompWarringtonWilderspoolALost 0–15 1899–1900Sat 21 Oct 1899Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost3–17 1899–1900 4 Nov 1899Lancs Sen CompWarringtonEdgeley ParkHLost 0–3 1899–1900Sat 25 Nov 1899Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHLost3–6 1899–1900 30 Dec 1899Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHWon21–3 1899–1900 24 Feb 1900Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0–2 2 1899–1900 10 Mar 1900Lancs Sen CompWiganFolly Fields ALost0–2 1899–1900 7 Apr 1900Challenge Cup QFWidnesEdgeley ParkHLost0–3 1900–01 22 Sep 1900Lancs Sen CompWarringtonEdgeley ParkHWon 8–3 1900–01Sat 6 Oct 1900Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost0–3 1900–01 24 Nov 1900Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0–5 2 1900–01Sat 1 Dec 1900Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHWon5–0 1900–01 23 Feb 1901Lancs Sen CompWarringtonWilderspoolALost 3–10 1900–01Sat 9 Mar 1901CC R2St. HelensKnowsley RdADraw0–0 1900–01Wed 13 Mar 1901CC R2 ReplaySt. HelensEdgeley ParkHLost5–11 1900–01 16 Mar 1901Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHWon13–0 1900–01 6 Apr 1901Lancs Sen CompWiganFolly Fields ALost2–9 1 1900–01 13 Apr 1901Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHWon13–0 1901–02Sat 12 Oct 1901Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensEdgeley ParkHWon3–0 1901–02 2 Nov 1901Lancs Sen CompWidnesEdgeley ParkHLost0–2 1901–02 25 Dec 1901Lancs Sen CompWiganEdgeley ParkHWon6–5 1901–02 1 Jan 1902Lancs Sen CompWiganSpringfield ParkALost3–10 3 1901–02Sat 18 Jan 1902Lancs Sen CompSt. HelensKnowsley RdALost7–13 1901–02 25 Jan 1902Lancs Sen CompWidnesLowerhouse LaneALost0–12 2 1902–03 14 Feb 1903CC R1WiganSpringfield ParkALost0–8 3 Heading Abbreviations CC Rx = Challenge Cup Round x; LC Rx = Lancashire Cup Competition; JPT Rx = John Player Trophy; REGAL Rx = Regal Trophy.
Notes and comments 1 - Folly Fields is the stadium used by Wigan at the time until 1901. They then became sub-tenants of Springfield Park See below - Note 3.
2 - Lowerhouse Lane is the original site of the current ground used by Widnes. It was renamed Naughton Park in 1932 in honour of club secretary, Tom Naughton - and later renamed Halton Stadium after being completely rebuilt in 1997.