Whilst most people will still be getting over the post-semi final euphoria, it is worth pointing out another significance with fixture .... 2010 marks the centenary of Leeds' first Challenge Cup Final victory, over Hull in the 1909-10 season.

Like the adaptation to Summer Rugby, it is true to say that Leeds were slow to change to the brave new world of professional, broken time rugby and certainly for the years around the turn of the 19th / 20th century, the side from Headingley were the fourth best Leeds side in the competition (behind Hunslet, Bramley and Leeds Parish Church). Indeed, it could be argued that for one season only, the Leeds team competed outside of the top flight for its only time in history, as the team contested the Yorkshire Senior Competition and whilst the best teams in the NU played in a 'Super League' (yes, some ideas are just not new !)

Certainly in the years leading up to 1909-10, the club's form was patchy. In 1907-08, they managed a mere 8 wins out of 36 games in the league. In 1908-09 they played the Australian tourists on Christmas Day at Headingley and got over 12 000 watching.

One of the influential players of that era and was the catalyst in the turnaround of Leeds' fortunes was Billy Ward, he along with Frank 'Bucket' Young and Fred Webster (both feature in the club's Millenium Hall Of Fame) helped Leeds to their first ever cup win in 1910.

The first round was a tight game, beating Hull KR 5-3 at home and indeed, Leeds received home advantage throughout the cup rounds. The second round saw off Rochdale Hornets 13-3 and Young was influential in the tight match that saw Leeds see off Keighley 7-4.

The semi final was played at a neutral venue in Manchester and saw Leeds face Warrington. Leeds were cruising with an 8-0 cushion, when Warrington came back and the Loiners scraped the final 11 - 10.

Of course, in 1910, things were different than today. The old Wembley stadium (knocked down in 2000) was 12 years away from being built, the Titanic was yet to sail and powered flight was still in its infancy. Nor had the population encountered the horrors of the first world war some four years in the future. Even the Lazonby Cup wasn't contested for the first time until the end of the following season.

Most travel to away games for both fans and teams was by train and this was the case for the final. Again, with a similarity to this weekend, it was played at Fartown in Huddersfield (only a couple of miles from the Galpharm and still there, in parts, if you know what to look for).

The game started late and both teams were delayed travelling by rail problems. Hull FC at the time were one of the form rugby teams and boasted all time great, Billy Batten in their ranks. Leeds were really up against it when they lost Jimmy Sanders through injury and the other 12 hung on for a 7-7 draw (no subs or rotation in those days), nor were their floodlights or even extra time on the day used to decide the winner. Thus, a draw on the Saturday saw a replay on the Monday afternoon at the same venue.

So, on Monday 18th April 1910, Leeds took the field again and this time ran out convincing winners of the NU Challenge Cup for the first time, by beating Hull 26-12 and lifted the trophy for the first time.

Billy Ward and Fred Webster were the Leeds representatives on the first Northern Union tour down under in 1910. Webster also still holds the club record 8 tries in a game for the 102-0 demolition of Coventry a couple of years later.

So, with Wembley a couple of weeks away, things are far different for players and fans in the modern era, but as you're walking towards the arch, spare a though for the likes of 'Bucket', Billy and rest of the boys of 1910 .... It was as important to them then, as it is you now and without that win, who knows what might have happend to the club in those early years of the 20th Century. Let's hope perhaps the greatest team in history can emulate them ?

A joy to read thanks

i was looking at the list of club legends and photo's on the steps up to the taverner's suite recently and i particularly liked the one of Fred Webster with his wife and the challenge cup outside their home on kirkstall road.
come lads win it for those 1910 legends

It's getting more difficult to have some form of connection with the very early days of the club and I bet there weren't many there yesterday that saw the significance or similarities between the dates and venues.

It's also worth remembering that Warrington were our foes for the first ever championship final win at Odsal at the end of the 1960 - 61 season too ....

and we beat warrington in 1936 our first visit to wembley.some like Harry Jepson it was the first great leeds side, and some say this is leeds 3rd great leeds side.
result in 1936 leeds 18 -warrington 2

fantastic read Admiral

would be a great honour to win it now

Very touching post mate

Thanks. Interesting read.

An excellent read there Admiral. I wonder how many lads from that squad survived the First World War.

It's every now time isn't it. Can't wait for 2110.

Edit: Sorry about that, the alzheimers is kicking in early today.

Frank "bucket" Young...any idea how he came by that nickname? Was it the result of some prodigious drinking feat? And if so, did it match up to those of gary "bathtub" Schofield?

Quality CW.

yes because he hardly ever dropped a high kick/up and under etc.
when ken thornett arrived in 1960 he was called bucket11

Just to show how different the game was in that era, he broke the Leeds goal kicking record for a season with 37 in 1908/09 and scored just the 1 try in a 159 game career at Leeds. His try came V Barry at Headingley in a game where Leeds topped 50 points for the first time (56-0).

The 1910 Challenge Cup (Northern Union Cup as it was known at the time) victory was Leeds first Cup win in their history. It would be 12 more years before they added a second, a Yorkshire Cup triumph in 1922.

Yeah, I watched that old footage of Leeds v Hunslet from the early 20th century. I can believe that there were few tries scored in those days (to be honest, the standard wasn't a lot higher than it was in the most recent 6 nations) but I'm surprised that the goal kicking record was so low.

Here's a question: which player has played most games for Leeds without scoring a single try?