The 1987–88 Yorkshire Cup was the 80th occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition was held. Bradford Northern won the trophy by beating Castleford by the score of 11–2 in a replay after drawing the first match 12–12. The competition was sponsored by John Smith's Brewery.
This was the fifth time in the incredible eleven-year period in which Castleford, previously only once winners in 1977, will make eight appearances in the Yorkshire Cup final, winning on four and ending as runner-up on four occasions. This season there were no junior/amateur clubs taking part, no new entrants and no "leavers" and so the total of entries remained the same at eighteen. This in turn resulted in the necessity to continue with a preliminary round to reduce the number of clubs entering the first round to sixteen.
Background The Rugby Football League's Yorkshire Cup competition was a knock-out competition between (mainly professional) rugby league clubs from the county of Yorkshire. The actual area was at times increased to encompass other teams from outside the county such as Newcastle, Mansfield, Coventry, and even London (in the form of Acton & Willesden). The Rugby League season always (until the onset of "Summer Rugby" in 1996) ran from around August-time through to around May-time and this competition always took place early in the season, in the Autumn, with the final taking place in (or just before) December (The only exception to this was when disruption of the fixture list was caused during, and immediately after, the two World Wars)
Competition and results Preliminary round Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefP1Wed 2 Sep 1987Hull F.C.54–8Huddersfield BarracudasBoulevard2402P2Wed 2 Sep 1987Wakefield Trinity25–14DewsburyBelle Vue1723
Round 1 Involved 8 matches (with no byes) and 16 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Sun 13 Sep 1987Bramley39–12DoncasterMcLaren Field8282Sun 13 Sep 1987Castleford32–12HunsletWheldon Road 47483Sun 13 Sep 1987Featherstone Rovers28–6BatleyPost Office Road14334Sun 13 Sep 1987Hull Kingston Rovers12–19Bradford NorthernCraven Park (1)38525Sun 13 Sep 1987Keighley12–34HalifaxLawkholme Lane40866Sun 13 Sep 1987Leeds28–24Hull F.C.Headingley77047Sun 13 Sep 1987Mansfield Marksman18–23YorkLowmoor Road2568Sun 13 Sep 1987Wakefield Trinity32–18Sheffield EaglesBelle Vue2111
Round 2 - Quarter-finals Involved 4 matches and 8 clubs
Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 22 Sep 1987Bramley6–30Bradford NorthernMcLaren Field21812Wed 23 Sep 1987Featherstone Rovers43–6YorkPost Office Road16173Wed 23 Sep 1987Halifax0–10CastlefordThrum Hall61014Wed 23 Sep 1987Leeds36–8Wakefield TrinityHeadingley6693
Round 3 – Semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture DateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Wed 30 Sep 1987Bradford Northern16–5LeedsOdsal77302Wed 30 Sep 1987Featherstone Rovers8–36CastlefordPost Office Road5329
Final The initial match was played at Headingley, Leeds. The score was 12–12, the attendance was 10,947, and receipts were £40,283. This match was the final appearance for Bradford Northern's Welsh former rugby union international Terry Holmes, who announced his retirement shortly after this game due to a persistent knee problem.
Bradford Northern№Castleford teams Gary Mercer1David RoockleyPhil Ford2David PlangeSteve McGowan3Tony MarchantRoger Simpson4Michael BeattieRichard Francis5Gary HydeKeith Mumby6John JoynerPaul Harkin7Roy SouthernwoodJeff Grayshon8Alan ShillitoBrian Noble9Kevin BeardmoreBrendan Hill10Kevin WardKelvin Skerrett11Martin KetteridgeKarl Fairbank12John FifitaTerry Holmes13Bob LindnerSubstitutesNeil Roebuck (for Terry Holmes)14Robert "Bob" Beardmore (for Alan Shillito)David Hobbs (for Jeff Grayshon)15Dean Sampson (for Kevin Beardmore)Barry SeabourneCoachDavid Sampson
Final - Replay The replay was at Elland Road, Leeds. Bradford Northern won the match 11–2, the attendance was 8,175, and receipts were £30,732. The game was marred by a brawl between both sets of players which took place just before half time. Bradford's Karl Fairbank and Castleford's John Joyner were sent to the sin bin as a result. A further player from each team (Kelvin Skerrett and John Fifita) were sin-binned for separate incidents during the second half.
Bradford Northern№Castleford teams Keith Mumby1David RoockleyPhil Ford2David PlangeSteve McGowan3Tony MarchantGary Mercer4Michael BeattieRoger Simpson5Gary HydeRussell Stewart6Roy SouthernwoodPaul Harkin7Robert "Bob" BeardmoreDavid Hobbs8Kevin WardBrian Noble9Kenny HillBrendan Hill10John FifitaKelvin Skerrett11Martin KetteridgeKarl Fairbank12Keith EnglandWayne Heron13John JoynerSubstitutesNeil Roebuck14Giles Boothroyd (for Keith England)David Redfearn15Dean Sampson (for John Fifita)Barry SeabourneCoachDavid Sampson
The road to success The following chart excludes any preliminary round fixtures/results
See also 1987–88 Rugby Football League season Rugby league county cups
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References