BBC2 Floodlit Trophy


The BBC2 Floodlit Trophy was an annual knockout competition for British rugby league clubs. Organised by the Rugby Football League, the competition was open to all professional clubs with floodlights installed.
First held in 1965–66, games were typically played during the middle of the week, and were broadcast on BBC television. Eight teams competed during the first season, but the tournament was quickly expanded as more teams erected floodlights at their grounds.
The competition's most successful club was Castleford, who won the trophy four times, including the inaugural tournament. The last staging of the competition was in 1979–80, won by Hull, before the competition was cancelled due to financial cutbacks by the BBC.

History

The tournament was not Rugby League's first foray into evening television; the 1955–56 season saw a tournament titled the Independent Television Floodlit Trophy. Eight clubs participated in a series of games played at football grounds in the London area, with Warrington eventually running out 43–18 victors over Leigh.
In 1965, the rugby league management committee agreed to the televising of a mid-week floodlit competition consisting of eight teams, with director of BBC2, broadcaster David Attenborough, being instrumental in its creation. When the competition was first mooted only a few grounds were equipped with floodlights, but the tournament prompted several clubs to apply for loans from the Rugby Football League to install them. The tournament was intended to coincide with the launch of BBC2 in the North of England.
The tournament was played during the early part of the season. Each week, one match would be played under floodlights on a Tuesday evening; the second half of this match that would be broadcast live on BBC2. Non-televised matches were played at various times, depending on clubs' commitments in more prestigious tournaments. Despite the title many matches did not take place under floodlights; clubs such as Barrow and Bramley did not possess adequate lighting.
The first season, 1965–66, eight clubs - Castleford, Leeds, Leigh, Oldham, St. Helens, Swinton, Warrington and Widnes took part. Seven of the eight teams had floodlights and Leeds installed theirs the following season.
The four-tackles-then-a-scrum rule was first introduced in the competition's second season, in October 1966, before being implemented in all competitions by December.
Castleford won the trophy in the first season, 1965–66 and won the trophy the most times, on three more occasions 1966–67, 1967–68 and 1976–77.
Despite disagreements over shirt sponsorship in the early 1970s, Rugby League remained a mainstay of BBC Television during the 1970s, and 1980s, although the commitment to the Floodlit Trophy decreased before financial cutbacks at the BBC lead to its cancellation after the 1979–80 competition. In the last final, Hull F.C. beat local rivals Hull Kingston Rovers.

List of finals

YearSeasonWinnersScoreRunner-upVenueDate
19651965–66 season Castleford4–0 St. HelensKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 14 December 1965
19661966–67 season Castleford7–2 SwintonWheldon Road, CastlefordTuesday, 20 December 1966
19671967–68 season Castleford8–5 LeighHeadingley, LeedsSaturday, 16 January 1968
19681968–69 season Wigan7–4 St. HelensCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 17 December 1968
19691969–70 season Leigh11–6 WiganCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 16 December 1969
19701970–71 season Leeds9–5 St. HelensHeadingley, LeedsTuesday, 15 December 1970
19711971–72 season St. Helens8–2 Rochdale HornetsKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 14 December 1971
19721972–73 season Leigh5–0 WidnesCentral Park, WiganTuesday, 19 December 1972
19731973–74 season Bramley15–7 WidnesNaughton Park, WidnesTuesday, 18 December 1973
19741974–75 season Salford0–0 WarringtonThe Willows, SalfordTuesday, 17 December 1974
Salford10–5 WarringtonWilderspool, WarringtonTuesday, 28 January 1975
19751975–76 season St. Helens22–2 DewsburyKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 16 December 1975
19761976–77 season Castleford12–4 LeighHilton Park, LeighTuesday, 14 December 1976
19771977–78 season Hull Kingston Rovers26–11 St. HelensCraven Park, HullTuesday, 13 December 1977
19781978–79 season Widnes13–7 St. HelensKnowsley Road, St. HelensTuesday, 12 December 1978
19791979–80 season Hull F.C.13–3 Hull Kingston RoversThe Boulevard, HullTuesday, 18 December 1979

Wins by club

ClubWinsWinning years
1Castleford41965, 1966, 1967, 1976
2=Leigh21969, 1972
St Helens21971, 1975
4=Bramley11973
Hull11979
Hull Kingston Rovers11977
Leeds11970
Salford11974
Widnes11978
Wigan11968

Records from the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Competition

RecordHolder
In Final
Team
Most appearances7St. Helens
Most wins4Castleford
Highest Score26-11Hull Kingston RoversSt. Helens 1977
Widest margin22-2St. Helens 1977Dewsbury 1975
Biggest Attendance18500Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers 1979
Highest receipts16605Hull F.C. v Hull Kingston Rovers 1979
Individual
Most tries2Roy MathiasSt. Helens v Dewsbury 1975
2Peter GlynnSt. Helens v Hull Kingston Rovers 1977
2Gerald "Ged" DunnHull Kingston Rovers v St. Helens 1977
2Stuart WrightWidnes v St. Helens 1978
Most goals4Ron WillettCastleford v Leigh 1967
4Kel CoslettSt. Helens v Rochdale Hornets 1971
4Dave HallHull Kingston Rovers v St. Helens 1977
Most points8The last 3 goal kickers
In Competition
Highest Score51-0St. HelensDewsbury
Greatest winning margin51-0St. HelensDewsbury
Highest Aggregate score54-16LeedsHull F.C.
Other high scores47-5St. HelensCastleford
47-11LeedsBramley