Clubs > Illingworth > The 1980’s
The 1980’s
The new decade saw much better news off the field. The club moved to their own home of ground and clubhouse as part of the Illingworth Sports and Social Club at Mason Green in time for the 1982-83 season leaving behind a number of nomadic years moving headquarters from pub to pub and once again playing games on Saville Park as they had lost their Tar Hill field to development.
On the field there was a season of consolidation in the League playing in Division 1 for the 1980-81 season and Illingworth finished a creditable 6th. Illingworth’s good season continued when they qualified for the Halifax Cup Final. On the day, they were not good enough and they came runners up, defeated by the well-established Mixenden side.
The following season was a very different scene as the team struggled and finished in bottom position on the ladder and were relegated to Division 2.
Off the field, Illingworth were being supported by an army of volunteers and in 1983 Fred Pierce was presented the Pennine League Division 6 Clubman of the Year Award.
The arrival of new coach, Paul Sutcliffe for the 1983-84 season returned Illingworth to winning ways as they performed respectively in the League and won the Halifax Cup, captained by G. Quill, at Thrum Hall. Tim Hardcastle, a long-time player with Illingworth, was scored a great try that day.
Tim was also on the score sheet for Illingworth first team’s highest ever score when he scored six tries in the Pennine Cup first round game against Division 7 side Birkenshaw in a 98-6 victory when the team scored 19 tries.
Over the years, many local lads played for Illingworth. Pete Emmett, now a successful MC and host, was first introduced to Rugby League in the 1980’s
“by my Dad who took me to Thrum Hall. He also watched both Ovenden and Illingworth and I went to train at Illingworth”
Like many players, Pete enjoyed the whole Rugby League experience recalling the atmosphere in the changing rooms and all the banter between the players. At 17 he was “training with the Open Age team with included much older lads like Geoff Ingham”.
In 1985, he was picked as sub for the “A” team to play away at Shipley Britannia and ended up on the wing. Paul Sutcliffe was Pete’s first coach and Pete remembers several games clearly from his eight seasons at Illingworth:
“I even played prop in a game v Ovenden! In another at Underbank, I had broken bones and a perforated eardrum!”
One Halifax Courier match preview from this period sticks in everyone’s memory and that was one prior to a League game against Bradford side, Clayton. Tim Hardcastle described the occasion:
“the report pointed out that we (Illingworth) were struggling to score points, suggesting we would be beaten again against Clayton. This was great motivation for us. The comment in changing room before the game was “let’s show the Courier””.
The motivation worked as Illingworth were triumphant 54-10.
The team was enjoying a creditable period in Pennine Division 1 usually finishing in mid-table although this came to an end in
the 1987-88 season when they finished bottom of Division 1 and were relegated.
Illingworth had a good season in 1988-89. This was a season with a few new faces from other clubs including second rower Tim Gilligan who had played 5 seasons at Sowerby Spartans before being persuaded to join Illingworth initially by Guss Gudor and also by the “mates” atmosphere into which he was immediately welcomed.
“Illingworth was tightest family of a club, full of great lads!”
Tim was to stay 8 seasons with Illingworth and maintains:
“the Illingworth versus Ovenden game was always THE game and intensified training in the week before”.
This period is said to have been the highest for social activities in the Illingworth club. Tim Gilligan recalls the post games socialising:
“after the game the lads would have their food and have a few drinks and would be singing. Home games were sponsored by a local taxi company so we would order eight taxis to wherever we had decided to go out for the night”.
The 1988-89 season concluded with another Halifax Cup run and another appearance at Thrum Hall although on the day they were well beaten by a lively Keighley Albion side.