Dewsbury Rams: Difference between revisions
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On [[21 April]] [[1898]] an historic meeting was held at the Black Bull public house to consider the possibility of forming a new [[Northern Union]] club. The question was discussed at some length and over £100 in donations was promised. Ironically it was local rivals [[Batley Bulldogs|Batley]] who helped Dewsbury gain election to the Northern Union. They were fully supportive of Dewsbury's bid and obviously looked forward to rekindling the rivalry, as well as their pockets, with the derby matches and also to thank the old Dewsbury supporters who had switched their support to Mount Pleasant during the two or three preceding seasons. |
On [[21 April]] [[1898]] an historic meeting was held at the Black Bull public house to consider the possibility of forming a new [[Northern Union]] club. The question was discussed at some length and over £100 in donations was promised. Ironically it was local rivals [[Batley Bulldogs|Batley]] who helped Dewsbury gain election to the Northern Union. They were fully supportive of Dewsbury's bid and obviously looked forward to rekindling the rivalry, as well as their pockets, with the derby matches and also to thank the old Dewsbury supporters who had switched their support to Mount Pleasant during the two or three preceding seasons. |
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At a subsequent discussion at the parish church school on 5 May, it was announced that members of the committee had met with Mr Lipscomb, agent to Lord Savile, and had signed an agreement to lease the Crown Flatt estate as from 1 July 1898. Red, amber and black were adopted as club colours during June 1898. |
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Dewsbury joined the Northern Union in 1901-02; six years after opting not to join the breakaway which led to the formation of the sport. In 1902/3 The Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Dewsbury was one of the new teams to join the second division. |
Dewsbury joined the Northern Union in 1901-02; six years after opting not to join the breakaway which led to the formation of the sport. In 1902/3 The Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Dewsbury was one of the new teams to join the second division. |
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The club's first major success came in 1912, when they beat Oldham 8-5 in the Challenge Cup final at Headingley. In 1929, Dewsbury also had the honour of playing in the first Wembley Challenge Cup final, losing 13-2 to Wigan. |
The club's first major success came in 1912, when they beat Oldham 8-5 in the Challenge Cup final at Headingley. In 1929, Dewsbury also had the honour of playing in the first Wembley Challenge Cup final, losing 13-2 to Wigan. |
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Managed by [[Eddie Waring]], Dewsbury enjoyed huge success during the Second World War when their side was boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players. Dewsbury won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941-42 and again the following season, though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player. They were also runners-up in 1943-44. |
Managed by [[Eddie Waring]], Dewsbury enjoyed huge success during the Second World War when their side was boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players. Dewsbury won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941-42 and again the following season, though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player. They were also runners-up in 1943-44. |
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=== Post World War two=== |
=== Post World War two=== |
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Revision as of 15:05, 4 November 2007
| Ram | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Dewsbury Rams Rugby League Football Club |
| Colours | Red, Amber and Black |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Website | www.dewsburyrams.co.uk |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) | |
| Competition | National League One |
Dewsbury Rams RLFC are a rugby league team based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They compete in the LHF Healthplan National League One and play their home games at the Tetley's Stadium, on Owl Lane.
The current first team coach is Andy Kelly.
History
Dewsbury Athletic and Football Club
The idea of establishing a rugby football club in Dewsbury originated among a few friends at a meeting at the Little Saddle Inn in 1875. Established with immediate effect, Dewsbury Athletic and Football Club enrolled between 30 and 40 members.
During the course of the 1879/80 season the club colours changed from blue and cardinal to black, crimson and yellow.
The first fixture was played near Sugar Field adjacent to the Crown Flatt ground. The team consisted of seven members of the committee. The club soon realised they needed a ground and the following year secured a sub tenancy at Crown Flatt for £200. 1881 saw the club's first success in the Yorkshire Challenge Cup beating Huddersfield, Bradford and Halifax before an Alfred Newsome drop goal gave them victory over Wakefield in the Final.
When York paid a visit to Crown Flatt on 25 September 1886, the home team took to the field wearing white jerseys that incorporated the Borough coat of arms. By 1895, the year in which the Northern Union was established, Dewsbury were sporting blue and white.
Crown Flatt was rapidly gaining the reputation as one of the best-equipped ground in Yorkshire. This was further enhanced when the club purchased the famous "Noah's Ark" stand at a cost of £250. In 1888, the club amalgamated with Savile Cricket Club and United Clerks’ Cricket Club to form Dewsbury and Savile Cricket and Football Club.
The Yorkshire Senior Competition was formed in 1892 and Dewsbury immediately became members. However, the club struggled and finished in the bottom three due to financial problems. It therefore came as a big surprise that, at the famous meeting at the George Hotel, Dewsbury were the only members of the YSC not to agree to form the Northern Union. They elected to remain in the YSC and marginally improved their position in the league to 10th. Next season however they were back at the bottom.
In 1897-98 it was no better and halfway through the season the club decided to abandon rugby union and withdrew from the league concentrating on soccer instead. A breakaway movement soon developed and moves were soon afoot to found the club known today as Dewsbury Rams.
New club formed
On 21 April 1898 an historic meeting was held at the Black Bull public house to consider the possibility of forming a new Northern Union club. The question was discussed at some length and over £100 in donations was promised. Ironically it was local rivals Batley who helped Dewsbury gain election to the Northern Union. They were fully supportive of Dewsbury's bid and obviously looked forward to rekindling the rivalry, as well as their pockets, with the derby matches and also to thank the old Dewsbury supporters who had switched their support to Mount Pleasant during the two or three preceding seasons.
At a subsequent discussion at the parish church school on 5 May, it was announced that members of the committee had met with Mr Lipscomb, agent to Lord Savile, and had signed an agreement to lease the Crown Flatt estate as from 1 July 1898. Red, amber and black were adopted as club colours during June 1898.
Dewsbury joined the Northern Union in 1901-02; six years after opting not to join the breakaway which led to the formation of the sport. In 1902/3 The Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Dewsbury was one of the new teams to join the second division.
The club's first major success came in 1912, when they beat Oldham 8-5 in the Challenge Cup final at Headingley. In 1929, Dewsbury also had the honour of playing in the first Wembley Challenge Cup final, losing 13-2 to Wigan.
Managed by Eddie Waring, Dewsbury enjoyed huge success during the Second World War when their side was boosted by the inclusion of a number of big-name guest players. Dewsbury won the Wartime Emergency League in 1941-42 and again the following season, though that championship was declared null and void when it was discovered they had played an ineligible player. They were also runners-up in 1943-44.
Post World War two
In 1972, Maurice Bamford arrived at Dewsbury as a coach. Dewsbury's only championship title came in the 1972/73 season when they beat Leeds in the play-off final at Bradford's Odsal Stadium 22-13. They had been hammered 36-9 by the same opposition in the Yorkshire Cup final earlier that season. Dewsbury, captained by Mike Stephenson finished 8th in the league but the title was to be decided through a series of play-offs in which they also defeated Oldham, Featherstone and Warrington on their way to glory.
Many people argued about the validity of the centenary celebrations held in 1975, holding that the centenary should not have been held until 1998.
On 13 September 1988, at about 4pm, three youths deliberately set fire to the historic wooden stand erected in 1914. The stand was in excellent condition, the club having just spent £25,000 bringing it up to the required safety standards. The club also lost everything gathered over the past 113 years; programmes, records and memorabilia.
However, the fire enabled the club to build a new state of the art stadium at Owl Lane, Shaw Cross, Dewsbury and on the 14 April 1991 Dewsbury RLFC played their last home game at Crown Flatt against Barrow and went on to play their home games at Batley's Mount Pleasant whilst the new ground was being built.
The club played their first home game at the new Crown Flatt stadium (often erroneously called New Crown Flatt) on 6th September 1994 in front of another full house against Barrow, a match they won 82-6.
The Rams suffix was adopted in 1996 as part of the sport's transition from a winter to a summer schedule and despite its partial return to the old setup, the moniker has stuck.
Crown Flatt stadium was renamed Ram Stadium in 1998.
Recent Times
The Rams have enjoyed a high degree of success in recent years. They finished top of the Northern Ford Premiership for two consecutive seasons in 1999 and 2000, as well as winning the Grand Final and Trans-Pennine Cup in 2000. Despite the Rams' sustained success, they were denied entry to Super League mainly because of an insufficient stadium capacity. The Rams proposed ground sharing with Sheffield Eagles playing home games at their Don Valley Stadium while Dewsbury's stadium was improved was turned down by the RFL. After a difficult couple of seasons following this, and many argue because of this, the club were relegated to rugby league's 3rd tier for the first time in ten years.
In 2005, The stadium was again renamed and the Tetley's Stadium was to host the Rams' fist successful season since that grand final victory, mainly due to a strong recruitment drive which brought several big names to the club including 'local lads' Ryan Sheridan and Darren Rogers. The team went on to reach the play-off final where they were defeated by NL1 strugglers and local rivals Batley Bulldogs, 28-26.
The season after, they went one better and Andy Kelly's side were crowned champions of [[National League Two]. They finished top of the division, two points ahead of Sheffield Eagles, and were promoted to National League One along with the Eagles, who won the division's play off series. Further accolades for the Rams, to round off a massively successful campaign, included being crowned National League team of the year.
The club's first season in NL1 the following year was always going to be tough. Many had tipped the Rams, along with play-off winners Sheffield Eagles, to go straight back down. But, with new signings Dean Lawford and Josh Weeden adding extra impetus, Dewsbury finished the season just outside the play-off places in 7th.
2008 Squad
As of Saturday 3rd November.
- Andy Bostock
- Alex Bretherton
- Austin Buchanan
- Richard Chapman
- Liam Crawley
- Kane Epati
- Mark Field
- Liam Finn
- Tere Glassie
- Luke Haigh
- Chris Hall
- Joe Helme
- Keegan Hirst
- Dean Lawford
- Eddie Mack
- Dominic Maloney
- Bryn Powell
- Martin Robinson
- Aaron Trinder
- Pat Walker
- Josh Weeden
The Future
With survival in National League One secured for the time being, the Rams can look to really cement a spot amongst the top 20 clubs in the country. Celtic Crusaders were crowned National League Two Champions, and with the expected step-up to full time, the fledgling Welsh side along with a resurgent Featherstone Rovers will mount a serious threat to the club's status in the division.
Stadium
- See also Crown Flatt
The stadium has two covered stands, one seated and one standing with an approximate capacity of 3,500 including 900 seats and fantastic disabled facilities. As part of the Rams' Community Development Programme, the stadium also hosts matches for a number of other organisations. This ranges from local schools matches, representative amateur and student rugby league games to American football matches and fun days.
There are plans to develop the complex over the next couple of years as the club aims to bring the ground up to Super League standards.
Major Honours
- Division Two Championship: 1904/05
- Challenge Cup : 1911/12, 1942/43 (2 times)
- Yorkshire Cup Runners-up: 1918-19, 1921-22, 1940-41, 1972/73 (4 times)
- Yorkshire Cup: 1925/26, 1927/28, 1942/43 (3 times)
- Championship: 1972/73
- Yorkshire League: 1975/76
- BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Finalists: 1975/76
- Northern Ford Premiership Grand Finalists: 1999
- Northern Ford Premiership League Leaders: 1999, 2000 (2 times)
- Northern Ford Premiership: 2000
- Trans-Pennine Cup: 2000
- Boxing Day Challenge: 2001, 2004, 2005 (3 times)
- National League Two Grand Finalists: 2005
- National League Two Champions 2006
- National League Team of the year 2006
Records
Team Records
- Biggest victory: 90-5 vs Blackpool on 4 April 1993
- Biggest defeat: 74-16 vs St. Helens on 18 July 1999
- Highest attendance:
- Crown Flatt: 26,584 vs Halifax in the Yorkshire Cup on 30 October 1920
- The Tetley's Stadium: 3,995 vs Batley on 26 December 1994
Individual Records
- Season
- Match
- Goals: 13 by Greg Pearce vs Blackpool Gladiators on 4 April 1993.
and by Francis Maloney vs Hunslet Hawks on 25 March 2007
- Tries: 8 by Dai Thomas vs Liverpool on 13 April 1907
- Points: 32 by Les Holliday v Barrow on 11 September 1994
- Career
- Goals: 863 by Nigel Stephenson (1967-78 and 1984-86)
- Tries: 144 by Joe Lyman (1913 to 1931)