Clubs > Greetland All Rounders > Previous Clubs

Previous Clubs

The first mention of a rugby team playing in Greetland was as early as 1881.

Greetland, also referred to as “Greetland Rangers”, had their headquarters at the Rose and Crown Inn on the Rochdale Road. Their pitch was described at the time as being at “almost unacceptable heights”. In reality was not too far up the hill from the public house on what was then known as Shutts Lane. They had a useful side and went on to win the Halifax (Charity) Cup in 1890. The following year, 1891, they moved to The Holmes at North Dean in West Vale which was close to the present-day Heath Old Boys pitch. The rental was reported as £30 a year ( £3,000 in today’s money). However, the accommodation was an open stand and a covered press box. Their star player was half-back George Schofield: he signed for Halifax but returned in 1892 to take on the role of captain.  Greetland were also involved in the Yorkshire Cup from 1887.

As rugby in Yorkshire and the North in general became more formalised in the 1890’s, Greetland joined the Yorkshire League  Number 3 Competition Group B in 1893.

Although the club had some success it folded in1894.

There is no rugby in Greetland for the next 30 years until the start of the First World War. In 1914, an Under 18 intermediate league replaced the open age and Greetland joined.

This Greetland Under 18 team continued after the war and grew into an open-age team. Things went well for a time as they finished third behind Rastrick and Elland in 1921-2. They also featured in the Bradford and Huddersfield Leagues in addition to playing in the Halifax and District League. In 1921 they entered the Halifax Cup, reaching the quarter-final only to lose out to Halifax “A” at their home ground in Greetland. Despite this success,  they disappeared from the scene once again in 1923.