The 1980’s
The decade started in a higher division and life in Division 3 was somewhat harder for this developing Elland team as they met fewer “A” teams. The list of their opponents for the 1980-81 season included established sides such as Shaw, Victoria Rangers, Todmorden, Emley Moor and Greetland All Rounders.
Club favourite Mark Cahill played in many games over the seasons for Elland and remembers the Division 3 season well. Memories of cold grounds have stuck with him:
“two cold grounds were Greetland and Queensbury. One game at Greetland was 0-0 at half time but I scored three tries in the second half and we won 14-3. Another game at Queensbury was on a very cold day and their changing room only had a corner bath which held only three players!”
“Other grounds that were cold were Underbank on a hilltop above Holmfirth and Todmorden where changing was in an old railway carriage, there was a single bucket of water for each player and a stream running across the pitch!”
Elland worked hard throughout the season finishing as runners-up and being promoted for the second successive season. Elland won 10 and drew 2 of their 16 league games being pipped to the top spot by Shaw. Elland looked forward to the following season in Pennine Division 2.
In 1981, the club undertook a mini tour down to London to assist with the spread of Rugby League in the capital which raised their profile within the game. This was a trip they repeated again later in 1987 as they played two games on the weekend Fulham played Halifax in the RFL Challenge Cup.
The 1981-82 season in Division 2 saw Elland meeting a whole list of new opponents including Moldgreen, Clayton, Keighley Albion, Spotland and Wyke. With 10 teams in the division, Elland played eighteen games winning 12 and drawing one. Elland finished a creditable third just missing out on promotion.
As both Elland teams looked forward to the 1982-83 season, Elland kicked off in August 1982 with a successful day at the Halifax and District Annual Sevens sponsored by local company, Bondina. Elland beat local rivals Greetland All Rounders, Park Amateurs, Illingworth on their way to a final victory against Keighley Albion by 24-12. As a matter of record, Elland also won the tug of war competition.
There was always good coverage of Amateur Rugby League in the Halifax Courier and Elland had become a prominent fixture in their coverage. The preview of the 1982-83 season read:
“This is Elland’s fifth season and, they feel, their best yet. The first team compete in Division Two, the second team in Division Six and with several new players recruited, the club can now field three open age sides in addition to the under15’s and under 17’s and, hopefully, under 13’s.”
“Elland had little luck in cup football (last season) with away draws in all five competitions. Chief coach this year will be Les Coulter, with Richard Appleyard in charge of second team affairs and Billy Betts, Ian Hill, Neil Parkin and Craig Smith sharing junior team duties.”
The Courier also gave an insight into the reason for the success of Elland over its first four season.
“Elland is very much a family club with five Fairbank brothers (David, Dick, Mark, Karl and John) in the ranks, plus three Coulter brothers (Les, John and Paul), the two Gaukrogers (Mick and Chris) and even a father and son combination, Tony and Mark Bannister.”
Elland’s stay in Pennine League Division 2 proved to be short lived as they were promoted as Champions.
The 1982-83 season concluded with Elland’s first silverware as they reached the Halifax Cup Final for the first time lifting the trophy at Thrum Hall after defeating a lively Siddal team. The Elland team was typical of the time with three Fairbanks, two Gaukrogers and a Coulter featuring.
With the Fairbank brothers and the other star players Elland obviously threatened success and were also able to field a “B” team for the 1983-84, using Elland Rec as a second field and sometimes Stainland for youth matches. With the introduction of the “B” team, it was reported that Elland had over 150 registered players across six teams, three open age teams together with U19, U17 and U15’s. Elland became the first BARLA club to field three open age teams.
The 1983-84 season was another story of success as Elland performed well in the Pennine League Division 1 finally being promoted and they twice returned to Thrum Hall: in the Halifax Championship Final against Park Amateurs where they lifted the trophy for the first time and in the Halifax Cup final where they were again victorious. The club also reached the final of the Pennine Cup for the first time although the game did not go their way and they went on 14-7 to an experienced Waterhead side.
The success of the Elland continued as they embarked on their next adventure in the Pennine Premier Division for the 1984-85 season. Elland surprised many people by winning 12 of their 14 games in topflight to finish as Champions. Indeed, the press were so impressed the club won the “Mitre Open Rugby Amateur Club of the Month Award” in December 1984. The Halifax double was achieved for a second year in succession as the Halifax Cup and the Halifax Championship trophies retuned to the Elland club. Park Amateurs were again the runners up in the Championship final.
Elland were an ambitious club and were looking to join the National Conference League and test themselves at a higher level. They had negotiations with Halifax Town about playing at the Shay Stadium however although agreement was reported as close, the move was not to be sanctioned as clubs were not allowed to be based and play at professional ground!
It was definitely business as usual in the 1985-86 season as Elland continued to win games in the Pennine League although this season they “only” managed to win 11 of their 14 games and finished in second place in the Premier Division. The team included some great Elland players – Haydn Perrett, Mick Gaukroger, Kevin Mount, Terry Manning and goal kicker, Dave Knight. Elland also continued their double run with a third Halifax double in a row winning the Halifax Cup and then a gain defeating Park Amateurs to take the Halifax Championship. They also added the Halifax 7’s Cup to their trophy cabinet. Add the excellent run to the semi-final of the Pennine Cup and 1985-86 was an amazing season for Elland.
For the team performance in that season, Elland were awarded the BARLA Team of the Year. Individual awards also came Elland’s way as Karl Fairbanks was voted BARLA Player of the Year and D Mellor took the Pennine League Premier Division Clubman of the Year Award.
How could the team follow such a great season as they looked toward the 1986-7 campaign? It was to be another memorable season in the clubs still, short history.
Elland took the Halifax 7’s once again and there followed a fantastic victory in the BARLA Yorkshire Cup Final at Post Office Road, Featherstone, with a team including the Fairbank brothers, Terry Manning, Kevin Mount and Hayden Perrett. There opponents were Jubilee (Featherstone) who they defeated by 24-12. Their Yorkshire Cup Final achievement qualified the team for the RFL Challenge Cup and in January 1987 they played a home tie against Heworth (York). On that day, Elland ran out second in a close game which finished 6-10 to Heworth.
The end of season run in was just as enthralling as they won not only the Halifax Cup, beating Park Amateurs 48-18 but also the Pennine Challenge Cup and the Pennine League Premier Division Title. They featured again in the Halifax Championship final but went down to perennial adversaries, Park Amateurs by 28 points to 6.
The following season saw Elland complete the most meteoric rise in BARLA’s history when they fought their way through to the 1987-8 BARLA National Cup Final; only the second Halifax club to achieve this. The final was played at Wigan’s Central Park Stadium where the opponents were local team, Wigan St Patricks. A record crowd of 5000 was present at the fixture, the pinnacle of the BARLA knockout competitions.. Sadly, for Elland the loss of players due to injury during the semi-final victory and during the first forty minutes of the final seriously affected the team’s performance overall and despite having an 8-6 half-time lead, it was St. Patricks who won the game by 28-8 and who lifted the trophy.
The season continued with further success in the Pennine League Premier Division as Elland showed their dominance once again and took the winner’s spot. In the local knockout competitions, they fell at the final hurdle in the Halifax Cup Final against Worth Village and in the Halifax Championship Final against, you guessed it, Park Amateurs.
The subsequent loss of several key players, including Karl Fairbank, his brothers John, Mark and Dick , Terry Manning and Pete Richardson, to the professional ranks depleted the club’s first team but the club continued to prosper. This meant that the 1988-89 season was one of consolidation with the introduction of several youngsters into the first team ranks. The team played well enough to assure Premier Division for the next season. They progressed to the Halifax Championship Final but were pipped to the trophy by Ovenden.
Elland were also back in the capital early in 1989 as they were drawn against Hornsey Lambs in the second round of the BARLA National Cup. Elland’s powerful running and tackling proved too much for the London side and Elland were, of course, victorious with a final score of 40-10. The day’s highlights included meeting Olympian Daley Thompson who was training at the venue and the stop on the way home at what was described as “one of Flockton’s top night spots where mine host put on after hours entertainment with his four Doberman Pinchers.” Players and supporters apparently had a very good weekend.
Only two weeks before the start of the 1989-90 season the first team was still without a coach and it was reported that there was a very low morale level at the club in general. However, former full back, Mick Gaukroger, stepped up to take on the role and this steadied the ship. The team remained in the Premier Division and did indeed reach the quarter finals of the Yorkshire Cup where they lost out to West Bowling in a close contest which finished 14-10. The season did end on a high when Elland won the Blackpool 7’s tournament.
As the last season of the decade came to a close, Elland could look back on an amazing ten years of unparalleled success. Their record of continued promotion to the Pennine League Premier Division, a Yorkshire Cup victory, a BARLA National Cup Final, four Halifax Cup wins together with two Halifax Championship victories from a total of six Championship Final appearances was a memorable and record-breaking period for the club. Elland were fortunate to have two great coaches in Les Coulter and Laurie Hinchcliffe. Having set up the club, Les Coulter must take credit for the club’s success and for bringing the high standards which set the foundation for the success on the field before moving into professional coaching with Keighley in 1986. Laurie Hinchcliffe came in and used his vast experience to keep them at the top.