The 1970–71 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the sixth occasion on which the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition had been held. This year was another new name on the trophy - and ALSO St. Helens' third time in six years as runner-up Leeds won the trophy by beating St. Helens by the score of 9-5 The match was played at Headingley, Leeds, now in West Yorkshire. The attendance was 7,612 and receipts were £2,189
Background This season saw no changes in the entrants, no new members and no withdrawals, the number remaining at eighteen. The format was changed slightly removing the two-legged home and away ties from the preliminary round and playing the whole competition on a knock-out basis. The preliminary round involved four clubs, to reduce the numbers to sixteen.
Competition and results
Preliminary round Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefPTue 29 Sep 1970Huddersfield16-14Wakefield TrinityFartownPThu 8 Oct 1970Leigh17-0SwintonHilton Park
Round 1 – first round Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 15 Sep 1970Wigan28-0KeighleyCentral Park2Fri 19 Sep 1970Hull Kingston Rovers25-13WarringtonCraven Park (1)3Tue 29 Sep 1970St. Helens14-7CastlefordKnowsley Road70004Tue 6 Oct 1970Barrow6-15LeedsCraven Park5Tue 13 Oct 1970Halifax14-15Hull F.C.Thrum Hall6Tue 20 Oct 1970Salford2-7WidnesThe Willows7Fri 23 Oct 1970Huddersfield14-5OldhamFartown8Tue 27 Oct 1970Leigh14-5Rochdale HornetsHilton Park
Round 2 – quarter finals Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 3 Nov 1970Hull Kingston Rovers18-8Hull F.C.Craven Park (1)2Tue 10 Nov 1970Widnes6-16LeedsNaughton Park3Tue 24 Nov 1970Wigan25-9HuddersfieldCentral Park14Mon 30 Nov 1970Leigh4-10St. HelensHilton Park10372
Round 3 – semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 1 Dec 1970Leeds24-2Hull Kingston RoversHeadingley2Tue 8 Dec 1970Wigan7-7St. HelensCentral Park103721
Round 3 – Semi-finals – replays Involved 1 match and 2 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefRSun 13 Dec 1970St. Helens16-15WiganKnowsley Road10285
Final Game NoFixture dateHome team Score Away teamVenueAttRecNotesRefFTuesday 15 December 1970Leeds9-5St. HelensHeadingley7,6122,1891 2
Teams and scorers Leeds№St. Helens teams John Holmes1Frank BarrowAlan Smith2Les JonesSyd Hynes3Billy BenyonRonnie Cowan4Johnny WalshJohn Atkinson5Frank WilsonAnthony "Tony" Wainwright6Alan WhittleMick Shoebottom7Jeff HeatonJohn Burke8Graham ReesTony Fisher9Anthony "Tony" KaraliusEdward/Edwin "Ted" Barnard10Eric ChisnallBob Haigh11John MantleBill Ramsey12Eric PrescottRay Batten13Kel CoslettDerek TurnerCoachJim Challinor 9score57HT3 Scorers Tries Syd Hynes (1)TLes Jones (1) Goals John Holmes (2)GKel Coslett (1)Syd Hynes (1)GRefereeE. Lawrinson (Warrington) Scoring - Try = three (3) points - Goal = two (2) points - Drop goal = two (2) points
The road to success This tree excludes any preliminary round fixtures
Notes and comments 1 * This match was televised 2 * Headingley, Leeds, is the home ground of Leeds RLFC with a capacity of 21,000. The record attendance was 40,175 for a league match between Leeds and Bradford Northern on 21 May 1947.
See also 1970–71 Northern Rugby Football League season 1970 Lancashire Cup 1970 Yorkshire Cup BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Rugby league county cups
References
External links Saints Heritage Society 1896–97 Northern Rugby Football Union season at wigan.rlfans.com Hull&Proud Fixtures & Results 1896/1897 Widnes Vikings - One team, one passion Season In Review - 1896-97 The Northern Union at warringtonwolves.org Huddersfield R L Heritage