1943 Dewsbury Fixtures – an eventful season
The 1942- 43 season was an eventful one for Dewsbury – the side was boosted by guest players brought into the team by the innovative Eddie Waring, resulting in bumper crowds at Crown Flatt, all keen to see the likes of Jim Sullivan, Gus Risman, Barney Hudson, Roy Francis et al in action.
Dewsbury went on to a second consecutive Yorkshire Cup Final (played over 2 legs), defeating Huddersfield in the first leg (7-0) in front of 11000 spectators at Dewsbury and then holding Huddersfield to (2-0) at Fartown.
But the Challenge Cup proved controversial – each round was played over two legs resulting in a drawn-out competition. Dewsbury beat Hull, Huddersfield and Oldham on the way to the final, where they took on a Leeds side said to be unbeatable in the Rugby League Cup Final. Dewsbury played magnificently at Crown Flatt in the first leg, winning 16-9. At Headingley, two days later, Leeds took the victory (6-0) but the aggregate score of 16-15 to Dewsbury, meant the Dewsbury were Challenge Cup Winners.
The Leagues were being completed on a percentage basis (not all clubs could fulfil fixtures, so this was deemed the fairest way of determining league position). Bradford Northern were Dewsbury’s Championship Trophy semi-final opponents – but although they beat Dewsbury at Crown Flatt, Bradford were found to have fielded an illegible player, so Dewsbury went through to the final. Dewsbury took on Halifax over two legs. A crowd of 7000 at Crown Flaff roared Dewsbury to a victory (11-3). At Thrum Hall, Dewsbury also came away with the win (13-22) and they THOUGHT they had the Championship trophy. But two months later, the league upheld an objection by Bradford Northern, that Dewsbury had also fielded an illegible player – Frank Smith. That objection was upheld and the whole competition was declared null and void!
