Clubs > King Cross Park > The 1980’s
The 1980’s
As the decade began, the Park Amateurs club was in a good place with a home ground at the Barracks, two open age teams, junior teams at U13, U15, and U17 together with a strong committee. Their ranks were bolstered from time to time by players joining them from other clubs such as Lee Gray and Mick Adams when the Mixenden club folded in the mid-1980’s.
The club even found time to have an annual club handbook for members.
Park were playing some attractive Rugby League and were firmly at home in Pennine Division 1 where they started the decade in 4th place. The team performance was consistent and the following year they improved their position to 3rd winning 12 of their 18 games and finishing just behind Ovenden and Mixenden who were both promoted. Away from the pitch, the club was recognised at the end of season Pennine League Awards when Dave Fennell won the Sportsman of the Year award.
The club has a couple of years using the Clarence Hotel as their headquarters and then Park Amateurs moved to a former Lord Raglan public house on Hanson Lane/Raglan Street on 12th February 1983 and this became their headquarters for several seasons.
There were more changes at Park in the 1983-84 season, Dave Sutcliffe, “Buckett,” resigned as coach in January 84. Former Halifax, Bradford and Keighley professional player, Lee Greenwood, took over as player/coach. This was a notable the season because one of Park Amateurs professional longest serving players, John Dunne, made his memorable debut as a 17-year-old in the “A” against Siddal “A”.
“I played in the second row and my introduction was a punch in the first scrum!”
As the1983-84 season came to a climax Park reached the final of the Halifax Championship for the first time but were beaten by Elland in the Thrum Hall final by 22
points to 16. This was to be the start of a really, fierce rivalry between the two clubs for the top spot in Halifax.
1984-85 started with some optimism and the team went well in Pennine Division 1. They again entered the Yorkshire Cup and progressed but were beaten by a strong NDLB (National Dock Labour Board) side from Hull in the 4th round.
The league season in Division I was a real success for Park as they led the way for most of the season. They were pushed all the way but won 13 of 20 games and were crowned the Division 1 Champions. The club was looking forward to life in Pennine Premier Division.
The season ended with another trip to Thrum Hall for the Halifax Championship Final. And as was to become “business as usual” they met Elland. It was not a good day for Park who lost 40-10 to the Elland team full of Fairbanks. The trophy was presented to Elland Captain , Dave Fairbank, by Halifax and Wales legend Colin Dixon. For the record, Mark Cahill of Elland was chosen by Colin Dixon as Man of the Match.
Park started life in the Pennine Premier Division at the start of the 1985-86 season.
They lost coach Lee Greenwood in 1986 whose final game was in October against hang Heaton.
Former Halifax favourite, Mick Blacker, became head coach in the November 1986. There was further good news as Mick decides to continue to play and he attracted a number of players to the club. In that 1985-86 season, Park won their first game in the Premier Division at the 11th attempt in February 1986 with a victory against West Bowling. Scott Rawlinson scored hat trick. this was to be their only victory of the year as they lost 13 of 14 games and their stay in the Premier Division lasted just one season.
Cup success just evaded Park in the Pennine President’s Cup where they came up against Waterhead (Oldham) in the final. It was an injury hit team that went into the final and although they built up a 14-6 lead they lost player/coach Mick Blacker to injury and then had Lee Gray sent off. Scott and Mark Rawlinson were in great form for the final as was John Maguire. However, it was Waterhead who took the trophy after a tense tussle by 21 points to 14.
The season finished on a another high as Park won their way through once again to the Halifax Championship and waiting for them at Thrum Hall was of predictably perennial rivals Elland. In a fiery game, Elland were down to 11 men having had two players sent from the field for tackles on player/coach, Mick Blacker, early in the second half. Despite the reduced numbers, Elland defeated Park by 26-16.
John Dunne has good memories of the times at Park.
“We always felt we were one of the top two teams in Halifax.”
“We went to away games in an old banger of a minibus – Dave Cockcroft, the driver. We would get back from away games at 9pm as we stopped off at pubs on the way back. No mobiles in those days!”
After their disappointing season in the Premier Division, Park regrouped and set out on the 1986-7 season in Division 1. They had some good wins such as over in Rochdale when they racked up the points to win 74-2 against Spotland, Scott Rawlinson, one of Park’s key players, scored four tries. By the end of the season Park had won 16 of their 18 games and secured promotion back to Premier Division at the first attempt.
Looking back at that season, John Dunne maintains that:
“Scott Rawlinson was the best player I’ve play alongside.”
Unfortunately for Park, Scott wanted to play at a higher level and moved in September for the 1987-88 season across to Dudley Hill in Bradford who were playing in the National Conference League.
In conversation, Scott looked back at those times.
“I have great memories of my time at Park. I remember me and Lea (Roberts) playing for Halifax “A” over at Central Park. Jason Robinson was playing for Wigan and Lea couldn’t catch him! When I started at Park they were still training at the Catholic Club. I remember the smell of old wood in the changing rooms at the Barracks! Mick Blacker was the coach for a few seasons.”
He continued:
“ I was sad to leave Park but I wanted to test myself at the highest possible level and that meant moving. I went to Dudley Hill to play NCL and hopefully to play for Yorkshire and GB. It was however a surprise when I was told I had to play for Bradford Inter Town team and was not allowed to play for Halifax!”
Park Amateurs fierce rivalry with Elland continued as the two clubs met again, this time in both the Halifax Cup and Halifax Championship finals. In the Halifax Cup, it was Elland who came out on top by 48-18. A real disappointment for the Park Amateurs club. The Championship Final was a very different game with the score remaining close throughout the 80 minutes, This time it was Park Amateurs who were victorious by 18 -6 and who were crowned Halifax Champions.
At the end of season Pennine Awards, Park’s John Sutcliffe work at the club was recognised and he was awarded Division 1 Clubman of the Year.
Park had another very difficult season in 1988-89 as by early 1989 they were fighting to spectre of relegation. In February, they were up against those fierce rivals at Elland once again in a vital league game. It was a close encounter with Park coming home with a 4 points to 2 victory. The destinies of both Park Amateurs and Elland were to inextricably linked later in the season. The two played in the reverse fixture toward the end of the season and the Barracks was to see an epic struggle. Park need to win to secure survival in the Premier Division and Elland needed to win to keep their title hopes alive. Park won the game by 18-4 but it was the Park defence that really won the day with John Dunne Phil Walsh, Lee Gray and Simon Campbell in the front line.
The same season Park progressed as far as the semi-final of Yorkshire Cup beating National Conference League team Dudley Hill, including former Park players Scott and Mark Rawlinson, 15-14 in quarter final over in Bradford. Unfortunately, this excellent victory was at the cost of injuries to three key players in Mick Adam, John Hammond and Sean Olroyd. The semi-final was away at Hunslet Junction just six days later. John Dunne was involved in the game but his main memory of the interesting changing facilities which were under the Hunslet Junction public house. “It was a very low beer cellar” Park played their hearts out but in the end went down by 15-10.
Park were now enjoying life in the Premier division and in September 1989 Eric Roberts became the new Park coach. The 1989-90 season was their best ever in the league. They won 10 of their 14 games to give them their highest league finish to date a 3rd place.
The 1990 Halifax Cup final was Park versus Greetland All Rounders. Park beat Greetland at Thrum Hall. John Dunne was awarded the Man of the Match trophy, although it was teammate Garry Widdop who scored a brace of tries to secure victory.
Both Park and Greetland All Rounders were back at Thrum Hall for the Halifax Championship Final. It was a very tight game with the outcome in doubt until the very last minute of the games when star player, Dave Roberts , scored a 79th minute try and kicked the conversion to give Park the game and the Championship by 16-14.