Explore the History and Heritage of Featherstone Rovers

Season 1976/77

Played Won Drew Lost F A League League Position
41 28 2 11 771 430 First Division 1st of 16 clubs

Highlight

Being Rugby League Champions!


Leading Try Scorer   Leading Goal Kicker
Peter Smith 20   Steve Quinn 152

Chairman   Club Captain
Charlie Raybould   Vince Farrar

Season Summary

Simply the greatest achievement in the clubs history – topping the elite division over 30 games and winning by a clear 5 point margin.  Given the limited finances at Featherstone it was almost unimaginable before the mid-seventies and a feat the club has never come close to repeating in the following decades.  Largely keeping injury free for most of the season was probably the key.  The pack with Thompson, Bridges, Farrar, Smith, Stone, Bell and Gibbins was the best around, the backs with Newlove, Butler, Dyas, Fennell, Kellett, Box, Quinn, Gilbert, Evans, Bray, Coventry, Tuffs and Marsden were underrated but more than did their job in delivering the title.  Understated new coach Keith Cotton also played his part.  

A loss in the Yorkshire Cup Final (where Leeds played at home!) and early exits in the cup competitions were disappointments at the time but probably helped deliver the title.  The only real blackspot remained club finances where there was a sizeable loss despite crowds averaging 3,315 the highest since 1963/64. The players got £35 for a win, £12.50 for a loss so nobody got rich but what an achievement!


Dream Team


             
  Full Back  
  Harold Box  
 
Winger   Centre   Centre   Winger
Dave Dyas   Neil Tuffs   Steve Quinn   Ken Kellett
 
  Stand Off   Scrum Half  
  John Newlove   Dale Fennell  
 
  Prop   Hooker   Prop  
  Jimmy Thompson   Keith Bridges   Vince Farrar  
 
  Second Row   Second Row  
  Charlie Sone   Peter Smith  
 
  Loose Forward  
  Keith Bell  
 


Matches

Date Venue Competition Opponents Result Points For Points Against Match Link
22 August 1976 Tattersfield Yorkshire Cup Doncaster W 54 5 View
29 August 1976 Belle Vue Yorkshire Cup Wakefield Trinity W 16 9 View
04 September 1976 Headingley Division One Leeds D 12 12 View
08 September 1976 Post Office Road Yorkshire Cup New Hunslet W 34 0 View
12 September 1976 Post Office Road Division One Salford L 12 23 View
19 September 1976 Craven Park Hull Division One Hull Kingston Rovers W 21 8 View
26 September 1976 Post Office Road Division One Rochdale Hornets W 31 24 View
03 October 1976 Hilton Park Division One Leigh W 8 4 View
10 October 1976 Post Office Road Division One Hull Kingston Rovers W 31 13 View
16 October 1976 Headingley Yorkshire Cup Leeds L 12 16 View
24 October 1976 Post Office Road John Player Trophy Whitehaven W 43 13 View
31 October 1976 Post Office Road Division One Leigh W 28 9 View
07 November 1976 Naughton Park John Player Trophy Widnes L 0 10 View
14 November 1976 Knowsley Road Division One St Helens L 17 22 View
21 November 1976 Post Office Road Division One Bradford Northern W 7 5 View
28 November 1976 Wilderspool Division One Warrington L 9 10 View
12 December 1976 Watersheddings Division One Oldham W 23 5 View
19 December 1976 Derwent Park Division One Workington Town W 14 7 View
27 December 1976 Post Office Road Division One Castleford D 8 8 View
02 January 1977 Post Office Road Division One Wakefield Trinity W 52 0 View
09 January 1977 Central Park Division One Wigan L 13 20 View
23 January 1977 Naughton Park Division One Widnes W 12 7 View
06 February 1977 Athletic Grounds Division One Rochdale Hornets W 16 9 View
13 February 1977 Recreation Ground Challenge Cup Whitehaven W 6 5 View
20 February 1977 Post Office Road Division One Barrow W 33 10 View
27 February 1977 Odsal Challenge Cup Bradford Northern L 7 12 View
06 March 1977 Post Office Road Division One Oldham W 33 17 View
11 March 1977 The Willows Division One Salford W 18 17 View
20 March 1977 Odsal Division One Bradford Northern L 5 21 View
27 March 1977 Post Office Road Division One Warrington W 11 5 View
29 March 1977 Post Office Road Division One St Helens W 24 7 View
03 April 1977 Post Office Road Division One Leeds W 21 8 View
06 April 1977 Post Office Road Division One Widnes W 29 3 View
08 April 1977 Belle Vue Division One Wakefield Trinity L 7 12 View
11 April 1977 Wheldon Road Division One Castleford L 14 16 View
16 April 1977 Post Office Road Division One Wigan W 20 14 View
20 April 1977 Craven Park Barrow Division One Barrow W 7 5 View
24 April 1977 Post Office Road Division One Workington Town W 32 13 View
01 May 1977 Post Office Road Play-off Bradford Northern W 13 2 View
11 May 1977 Post Office Road Play-off Warrington W 17 13 View
15 May 1977 Wilderspool Play-off Warrington L 1 11 View


Player Season Records

Individual player appearance and scoring records for the season can be found here.


Information

Currently no extra information to display.