The 1978–79 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was the 14th staging of the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy competition, and was held in 1978.
Previous two times runner-up Widnes won the trophy by beating the previous year's winners and cup holders St. Helens by 13-7. The match was played at Knowsley Road, Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. 10,250 fans attended, and the receipts were £7,017.
Background This season Batley dropped out after only one season, but Bramley returned; thus the number of entrants remaining the same at twenty-two. The format remained as a knock-out competition from the preliminary round through to the final. The preliminary round involved twelve clubs, to reduce the numbers taking part in the competition proper to just sixteen.
Competition and results
Preliminary round Involved 6 matches and 12 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefPSat 26 Aug 1978Leeds47–11BramleyHeadingley100991 2PSun 27 Aug 1978Barrow17–11OldhamCraven ParkPSun 27 Aug 1978Wigan27–10SwintonCentral ParkPTue 5 Sep 1978Hull Kingston Rovers39–2New HunsletCraven Park (1)PTue 5 Sep 1978Keighley10–0DewsburyLawkholme LanePTue 12 Sep 1978St. Helens13–9WarringtonKnowsley Road5,000
First round Involved 8 matches and 16 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 26 Sep 1978Castleford20–11Wakefield TrinityWheldon Road 32Thu 28 Sep 1978Barrow17–5LeighCraven Park3Tue 3 Oct 1978Halifax12–21Hull Kingston RoversThrum Hall34Tue 3 Oct 1978Keighley15–25HuddersfieldLawkholme Lane5Tue 3 Oct 1978Widnes17–13WhitehavenNaughton Park6Tue 10 Oct 1978Leeds8–14Hull F.C.Headingley7Tue 17 Oct 1978Salford15–17St. HelensThe Willows4,63238Tue 24 Oct 1978Wigan13–2Rochdale HornetsCentral Park3
Second round Involved 4 matches with 8 clubs
Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 31 Oct 1978Barrow0–6Hull F.C.Craven Park2Tue 7 Nov 1978St. Helens47–5CastlefordKnowsley Road4,24753Wed 15 Nov 1978Rochdale Hornets10–9HuddersfieldAthletic Grounds4Tue 21 Nov 1978Hull Kingston RoversPWidnesCraven Park (1)6
Replay Involved 1 matches and 2 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefRTue 21 Nov 1978Hull Kingston Rovers10–13WidnesCraven Park (1)
Semi-finals Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRef1Tue 28 Nov 1978Hull F.C.5–13St HelensBoulevard8,42832Tue 05 Dec 1978Rochdale HornetsPWidnesAthletic Grounds7
Replay Involved 2 matches and 4 clubs Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefRFri 08 Dec 1978Rochdale Hornets9–26WidnesAthletic Grounds
Final Game NoFixture dateHome teamScoreAway teamVenueAttRecNotesRefFTuesday 12 December 1978St Helens7–13WidnesKnowsley Road10,2507,0173 8 9
Teams and scorers
Widnes№St. Helens teams David Eckersley1Geoff PimblettStuart Wright2Les JonesEric Hughes3Peter GlynnMal Aspey4Eddie CunninghamPeter Shaw5Roy MathiasMick Burke6Bill FrancisReg Bowden 7Neil HoldingBrian Hogan8Dave ChisnallKeith Elwell9Graham LiptrotJim Mills10Mel JamesMick Adams11George NichollsAlan Dearden12John KnightonDoug Laughton13Harry PinnerDoug LaughtonCoachEric Ashton 13score78HT5 Scorers TriesStuart Wright (2)TDavid "Dave" Chisnall (1)Mick Burke (1)T GoalsMick Burke (2)GGeoff Pimblett (2)RefereeJ McDonald (Wigan) 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
1 * At the time this was the second highest score, only to be equalled about two months later in the Second round 2 * The RUGBYLEAGUEprojects gives the attendance as 10,099 but this appears to be the attendance at the previous year's final added in error 3 * This match was televised 5 * At the time this equalled the second highest score 6 * Postponed due to pending court case brought by Wigan against the RFL 7 * Postponed 8 * The Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1990–1991 and 1991-92 and the RUGBYLEAGUEprojects gives the attendance as 10,250 but the official St. Helens archives give it as 10,500 9 * Knowsley Road was the home of St Helens R.F.C. from 1890 until its closure in 2010. The final capacity was 17,500 although the record attendance was 35,695 set on 26 December 1949 for a league game between St Helens and Wigan.
See also 1978–79 Northern Rugby Football League season 1978 Lancashire Cup 1978 Yorkshire Cup BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Rugby league county cups
References
External links