1924 Challenge Cup

Before the 1923/24 season however, Wigan had only reached the Final on two occasions, losing both to Broughton Rangers in 1911 and Huddersfield in 1920. It would take 102 years until Wigan avenged their defeat to Harold Wagstaff's men!. Wigan hadn't been at the races at all in the competition and with their 2 Final losses, they had also lost in 4 other Semi Finals. Hopefully, that was to change in the 1923/24 season. Wigan now boasted a terrifying back line that included free-scoring wingers Johnny Ring and Attie van Heerden, along with goal-kicking prince Jim Sullivan at fullback. In the League campaign, Wigan got off to a flyer by winning their first four matches against Wigan Highfield, Halifax, Salford and Hull FC before losing away to Leigh 13-9 (Johnny Ring scoring a hat-trick). A win against Barrow and another 13-9 loss, this time to Batley, gave Wigan a bit of time to think where they were at. By the end of October, Wigan started another run of form with four more comfortable wins on the trot before Oldham stopped the Central Park march on the 1st December with a 10-2 win at Watersheddings. It was only a blip however, as Wigan went through December unbeaten by thrashing Salford 49-0, defeating Huddersfield (18-10) and Swinton (10-4), thrashing local rivals St Helens 44-2 (four players scored 2 tries each) on Boxing Day before ending the year by narrowly pushing aside Broughton Rangers 5-0. 1923 ended with Wigan at the top of the League competition having played 17, winning 14 and losing 3, giving the club a leading total of a 82.35% win rate. Batley were sat in second place on 73% whilst Hunslet occupied third on 69%.

As you can see, things were looking bright for Wigan who were a full 10% of wins clear of Batley. The form continued throughout January though Wigan lost twice to Widnes (2-0) and Broughton Rangers (8-2). Although Wigan had now lost 5 games, their greatest loss was by 8 points or fewer which says a lot about the Wigan defence at the time. Even better, Wigan had 5 Great Britain Tourists called up for their Tour which included Jim Sullivan, Tommy Howley, Jack Price, Johnny Ring and Danny Hurcombe. You couldn't have asked for five better British players in the same team at the time, Wigan were lucky!

As February came around, people were starting to get excited again for the Challenge Cup. Wigan's involvement in the Lancashire did not last long, losing in the second round to Oldham at the end of October, so the Wigan public were feeling hungry for a bit of Cup rugby. They were soon to get it! The back story so far in the League is that Wigan were doing fine, clear in the table with a tight defence. The league form, people hoped, would elevate Wigan to their first Final triumph but first they had to negotiate three rounds before any thought of a Final appearance. Wigan were due to play Leigh in the first round on Saturday 16th February and Wigan surely got a perfect warmup courtesy of Hull Kingston Rovers. A week before the first round tie, Hull K.R. travelled to Central Park in harsh sleety conditions. Wigan won 36-5 yet Attie van Heerden managed to cross the line five times in front of nearly 9,000 spectators. The mean Wigan defence managed to keep Hull KR out for most of the match but with the win, Wigan were first in the League, having played 26, losing 5 with a win rate of 80.76%. A local derby was next, in the Challenge Cup! An interesting fact thus far was that Wigan had only lost on one occasion at Central Park in the Challenge Cup, that was to Huddersfield, so the omens were good.

Shortly after the restart, Wigan were gifted with a penalty after Leigh had failed to play the ball correctly on their own goal line. Jim Sullivan took the two points and to equal the score up. It could have gone worse for Wigan when Leigh back Mooney broke through and kicked the ball over Sullivan's head. The ball was picked up and passed to E. Thomas but luckily for Wigan he knocked on with a certain score on the cards.

With twelve minutes left on the timekeepers Golden Albert, Wigan took the lead through a penalty kick by Sullivan. Leigh had gifted Wigan the 2 points when Leigh were penalised for obstruction in their own half. Sullivan landed the goal amongst "scenes of great enthusiasm" by the home support. Through the second half, the Leigh defence held firm, as did Wigan's. Leigh could have snatched it towards the end when Wigan back Owens made a mistake which gave Leigh the opportunity to score. Thankfully, Wigan had Jim Sullivan in the team and with a fine tackle saved a score at the end. Wigan were now through to the second round draw, which would be made at Headingley, Leeds the following Monday. Wigan were drawn at home to play Broughton Rangers two weeks later in Round Two.

Wigan lost the toss in the gleaming sunshine (as depicted by the above newspaper cartoon) at Central Park. Wigan started the better and after a kicking exchange that, would have bored many at Twickenham, between the fullbacks, Sullivan eventually found touch near the Broughton ten yard line. From the scrum, Johnny Ring dashed to within a yard of the line before Jerram picked up and darted over after just four minutes of play. Although the angle for Sullivan to convert wasn't hard, Old Jim (who was actually young in 1924) misjudged the wind and missed. Wigan continued to press against the Rangers line when Hurcombe and Howley nearly forced their way over before Van Heerden was forced into touch after a terrific pass by Parker. Wigan furthered their lead shortly after when, despite Broughton making way up field for once, Sullivan kicked a penalty from 3 yards inside his own half after Broughton were penalised for being offside. When Broughton thought they were just about to get back into the game after being under pressure since the start, Johnny Ring intercepted a pass to run in unopposed under the posts.

After an exchange of penalties Wigan went further ahead by Howley. Good play from Jerram and Hurcombe ensured that a well placed pass sent the Wigan centre under the posts and another 2 point gift for Jim Sullivan. The game was over by now with half time approaching but Billy Bentham refused to give in. After a break, he scooted down field with only Sullivan to beat but decided to kick and have a foot chase to the line. Sullivan was too good and fielded perfectly to stop the Great British Tourist from letting the Rangers get a foothold in the match. Immediately afterward, Van Heerden was loudly cheered for wonderful play. The South African received a pass from his own 25 yard line near the touchline and sprinted downfield. He was challenged by the Broughton fullback Rowlands but cleverly, Attie kicked over Rowlands head, collected and scored under the sticks. Wigan could have scored twice more before halftime when Ring was bundled into touch and Parker knocked on a yard from the try line after a low pass by Howley. The whistle sounded with Wigan going into the Pavilion 20-0 at half time.

Wigan immediately carried on as they had finished in the first half. Sullivan floated a pass out to Van Heerden who again ran up most of the field. This time the fullback Rowlands got his man and Van Heerden was tackled. Luckily for Wigan, Jerram was close by and a quick pick up saw him score. Had Jerram not have been near the scene, the referee would have surely given Wigan a penalty try as Van Heerden was obstructed earlier in play. Four minutes into half time, Roffey scored near the posts with Sullivan adding the conversion. Wigan now were going to score at will and that they did. Sullivan kicked a penalty from the halfway line after Broughton gave away a penalty whilst Sullivan and Van Heerden linked up well. Ring scored twice more with Roffey gaining another to end the game 49-0 to Wigan. This was one of Broughton's heaviest defeats and one they would rather forget at the time. Wigan were electric that day, the backs' of Ring, Howley, Parker and Van Heerden were unplayable with their passing moves being top quality. Many people said Wigan had never played a game of rugby league any better in thirty years. Wigan's record of losing only once in the Cup at Central Park would be carried over to 1925 (Flimby & Fothergill anyone?) as the Quarter Final draw meant that Wigan were to travel to Hunslet in a draw made at the Griffin Hotel, Leeds on Monday 3rd March.

Hunslet were still in the game, they were beating Wigan in the forward department but lagging behind in the backs. After the break, a quick breakaway by the Hunslet pack ought to have resulted in a score, but it was the Central Park men who secured the points. A few minutes after the re-start, Howley cleverly intercepted a pass by Young to Cottam. The Wigan centre ran up field, made a short punt and followed up to score near the posts. Sullivan kicked the tricky goal to give Wigan a 13-0 lead. The Hunslet forwards kept at it though, continuously edging up field from scrummages and winning the tackles. Wigan's hero was to be Attie Van Heerden. The South African intercepted several passes near the Wigan goal, on one occasion, one interception saved a certain try for Hunslet. However, Hunslet were rewarded for their continued pressure as eleven minutes into the second half, they got onto the scoresheet at long last. From a scrummage, one of their forwards literally pushed his way across the defending Wigan backs over in the corner but failed at the conversion attempt to make it 13-3. Such was the Wigan three-quarter dominance, Clarkson of Hunslet was moved from the forwards into a back position to try and cancel out whatever the Wigan quartette threw at them. The numerical advantage did not help as the speed and passing of Wigan was too great for the five Hunslet backs to cope with. Hunslet scored a late consolation try after frantic play by both sets of players, chief of whom Sullivan, led to the ball being free and finding a hunslet set of hands to go in for the score. Wigan had won and now were in their seventh Cup semi final, just a game away from the Final.

Earlier in the game, Barrow suffered the loss of their forward Daniels who had a nasty cut on his head. Upon his return, Daniels got the Barrovian's moving again and being more than aggressive with the Wigan boys. Barrow were now on the front foot and could have taken the lead when Braithwaite passed to centre Carr who advanced toward the Wigan line, but luckily he was tackled in time and without support, surrendered a fine scoring opportunity. Just as things were going well for Barrow, it got a lot worse. Gunning went off injured and almost immediately after this, Johnny Ring scored his second try of the game, evading four tacklers to score at the corner. Sullivan again missed the attempt as Wigan moved up to 6 points.

Barrow then came close again via Thornburrow who only had to receive the ball to score on the line but failed to get hold. Less than a minute later, Barrow came within inches of the Wigan line after Wallace made a burst up field before passing to Scott who was ultimately tackled just in time. Wigan were on the back foot again as Scott tried his luck once more but Jim Sullivan managed to snatch the ball and kick it clear at the goal line. Wigan needed a break, and they got it via Danny Hurcombe, literally. Hurcombe found an opening after a scrummage in midfield and ran up field before passing to Parker who then gave to Attie Van Heereden to score in at the corner. Van Heerden had now scored in every round of the Cup but more importantly, for now, was that Sullivan had missed his third difficult kick of the afternoon.

Harry Banks, the Wigan forward, dribbled the ball upfield for an age. he looked certain to score when he only had the Barrow fullback Spencer to beat. Spencer heroically dived at Banks' feet and somehow prevented a certain score. In a fantastic bit of play for the spectator, Spencer then got up, collected the ball, passed to centre Carr who then ran halfway upfield before passing to Thornburrow who transferred a low kick towards the Wigan goal line. Luckily for Wigan it found touch just before it got to the corner flag. Just before halftime, and after several Barrow efforts at a try, Sullivan missed his fourth kick of the game after Barrow were penalised when Wiganer Rowley was tripped. Half time came with Wigan leading 9-2, but it should have been a lot more.

Johnny Ring then thought he had a hat trick of tries but for only it to be ruled out via a forward pass. Not to worry though, Hurcombe, who must have been the Man of the Match by now, put in a kick from a scrummage and successfully pounced upon it to score a minute after Ring's disallowed try. Sullivan kicked his third goal. Barrow with eleven men were now waiting for the hooter. Wigan scored two more tries via Price and Van Heerden, both failed to be converted by Terrible Jim. It didn't matter... not one jot! Wigan were now in the Cup Final for the third time in their history with their 30-5 win over Barrow.

Oldham had successfully held off Huddersfield in the other semi final to make it an all-Lancastrian affair for the first time since 1911. Weirdly, Wigan were in the 1911 Final but lost to Broughton Rangers 4-0. The press and fans were now asking whether it would be third time lucky for Wigan and rightly so. Oldham had appeared in three previous Finals but had only been successful once, 25 years earlier. By all accounts, the Semi against Barrow was a dull occasion. Wigan had failed to emulate their League form whilst their backs lacked fluid passing, resourcefulness and accuracy. In fact, only one passing move resulted in a try from the Wigan backs - the last try of the game via van Heerden. Jack Price took great pleasure in showing how to get the ball from the forwards to the Wigan backs when he filled in for Syd Jerram at halfback. The pairing of Jerram and Hurcombe was average at best and the fluidity of passing was only sparked once Jerram was sent off and Price filled in. All that mattered was that Wigan were into their third Cup Final... against Oldham.

The time had now come. Would Wigan make it third time lucky and win the only competition they had eluded them thus far? Oldham had beaten Huddersfield in a close encounter at Thrum Hall, Halifax, in the other Semi Final and were keen to win the Cup for only the second time. This was Oldham's fourth Final and they were keen to win it for the first time since 1899. Preparations for the Final had begun weeks before. Playing at the Athletic Grounds in Rochdale, a record crowd was expected between the League leaders and third placed Oldham. Oldham had only a few miles west to travel whilst Wigan only had to negotiate Bolton. The choice of Final was a popular one, the Athletic Grounds could hold upward of 35,000 spectators and the authorities estimated that the current record of 35,500 (occurring in the 1922 Final at Headingley) would easily be broken. So popular in fact that Rochdale Magistrates Court, on the 7th April sanctioned the opening of all public houses at Rochdale from 11am - 10pm with the idea that with the public houses being open longer, road traffic and congestion would be eased as upwards of 40,000 people were to be expected. The Oldham Rugby Club made preparations of their own. They had also gone through the town's Magistrate to ensure that their club house would be open until late if Oldham happened to win the Cup as celebrations were obviously to be expected. In Wigan however, the Borough's Chief Constable didn't see it necessary to open until 11pm and an extension of licensing for the evening of the Cup Final failed to materialise, much to the disappointment of many a Wiganer.

Who knows what happened to those four Wigan men who set off at 3.30am to walk the 26 miles to Rochdale. I am sure they were part of the homecoming celebrations though! Wigan, on returning home, had a magnificent reception from a crowd of 100,000 people. Yes, an estimated 100,000 from all across the borough had descended upon Wigan to welcome home their heroes. The townships of Aspull, Standish, Pemberton, Ince and as far as Ashton united for this historic occasion. Half an hour before the Wigan players returned home on train, Wallgate and Standishgate were impassable for vehicular traffic, and the tramway service had to be suspended. All along the processional route, Wallgate, Standishgate, Greenough Street, Scholes and Rodney Street were a concrete wall of people and whilst the excitement was high, the crowd remained somehow orderly. Only two men, out of 100,000 or so were arrested for drunkenness (probably football fans) and no accidents were reported. The Chief Constable had no problems with his men and would have been quite relieved that his decision to not allow public house openings times to extend was a successful one.

The band of the 8th Batallion Manchester Regiment assembled at the L. and N.W. Station and led by a posse of mounted police, with the team in a galley decorated charabanc, and another motor vehicle conveying the direction, they proceeded to the Town Hall where the civic reception took place. After a while of congratulatory handshakes and speeches, the team set off again along King Street, up Wallgate and down Standishgate to the club headquarters through a dense sea of people. Scenes like this had never been seen before in Wigan. It was late into the night that the crowd started to die down and even the mounted police horses were dressed in Wigan colours of cherry and white. Everywhere you looked you could see streamers and banners congratulating Wigan from house and shop windows to flag poles and barges on the canals. That day lived long in the memories of who was there to witness it.

During the civic reception at the Town Hall, the players were greeted by the Mayor Mr. J. Cavey in the Old Council Chamber. They Mayor was supported by Mr. J. Allen Parkinson MP and Alderman James Walkden, the president of the Wigan Club. The Mayor gave a speech:

"The Wigan Rugby Football Club had been in existence for a very long time, and had won every trophy that was to be won except the Northern Union Cup. They had come very near winning it on several occasions, and that day they had brought it off with honour and credit to themselves and the town. There were no two opinions about the merits of the two teams. and the Mayors of Rochdale and Oldham even acknowledged that the better team had won. The game had not been more than fifteen minutes in progress when it became the general impression that Wigan were a winning team. The question of a civic reception may cause some quibbling, but he would not make any apology.

It went on...The Mayor looked upon the sport as something that was good for the people and for the betterment of people. Mr Cavey thought that it was an honour for him to be the first Mayor to welcome home a successful Wigan team. With a little bit of foresight, the Mayor had hoped that the time was not far distant when the Rugby League authorities would see to it that a bigger and better ground was secured for such an occasion as the Cup Final.

It is also good to see how the game was viewed by the critics:

"The match itself was another revelation of the all-round brilliance of the Wigan team and more particularly of the real effectiveness of their forwards. It was in the pack where Oldham's hopes lay, but they were even beaten at their own game, and getting down to solid solid scrummages, the Blues (Wigan) obtained possession time after time. When the ball came loose, there was only one team in it, and that was not Oldham. With rapid movement and brisk short passing, Wigan were always forging ahead, and the men from Watersheddings spent practically the whole afternoon endeavouring to stem onslaughts on their own lines. Looking back, I cannot recall Oldham being really dangerous more than three times in the whole match" - Daily Courier.

"Wigan were full of sparkle, and were always relishing their work. The forwards have not played better this season, finishing as strong as they began. There were two outstanding men, and these were Van Rooyen and Price. The South African was brilliant, using his great weight to advantage, and always being in the thick of the fray, whilst Price was always giving out judicious passes and being altogether a successful rover. At half back, Jerram and Hurcombe were superior to Hesketh and Bates, though the Oldham pair did some clever things without materialising. There was, however, more variation about the play of the Wigan pair. Jerram was always changing his tactics, while Hurcombe's defence was as strong as his attack. Parker was the pick of the Wigan centres. He had a safe pair of hands, gave out some judicious passes, and was a dour defender... Ring on the left flank, was none too prominent. It was only in the closing stages he began to show his paces. Van Heerden, on the other hand, was always in the picture, his work being stamped with the hall-mark. What a dangerous tackler he is!.. Sullivan also at full back was strong. He went down in great style to forward rushes, and so far as I could see made only one mistake during the whole course of the game. He was superior to Knapman, for the Oldham full back's defence was at times shaky" - The Sporting Chronicle.

And in 2022... Wigan is still winning this famous old trophy!