Only you are old enough to remember that

I was thinking the other night that something like this would be interesting, I didn't realise it had already been done! How did it work?
My idea (whilst laying in bed awake) was along the lines of combining SL and the Championship and making a few new geographically based groups of teams. Each team within that area would play the other teams just once and then the top so many teams from each area would go into the 'elite' play offs to see who was crowned 'champions', the bottom ones could play off against Championship 1 teams to see who should go where next season. I think that would be a nice way to get rid of the SL/Championship divide, which really needs addressing in my opinion!

18th Man that sounds a bit like the NFL system in the US where they have regional groups and teams can have normal season fixtures with teams in other groups. You have to be at/near the top of your group/region to make the play offs.

It would elevate a lot of lower clubs but the RFL would probably see it as diluting the quality of the premier teams.

There was only 1 division of around 32 teams. All the Yorkshire teams played each other plus 3 from Lancashire home and away. I think so as to even up numbers, Huddersfield, being the closest Yorkshire team to Lancashire was in the "Lancashire League". You had both a Lancashire and Yorkshire League table with the respective winners being crowned Yorkshire & Lancashire League Leaders.

However the main one was the combined table with the team who finished top being the "League Leaders". Then there was a "Top 16" play off with 1 v 16, 2 v 15 etc. and so on until 2 remained who then played each other in the Final with the winners being crowned "RL Champions".

We won the Chamionship in 1967 beating St Helens 21-9 (I think) in a replay at Station Road, Swinton after a 7-7 draw at Headingley and again in 1968 beating Hull KR 17-10 at Headingley. Happy Days.

To be honest I envy you, at least in RL terms

Wasn't around in them days but considering we won the Yorkshire League 11 times suggests we actually played in ..............the Yorkshire league !!

When did they stop that then? I prefer that idea!

Yes, I remember it too.

I think you will find that he is referring to the days of the Top 16 play offs (1964 to 1973). You won your last Yorkshire League title in 1951/52 - even before my time.

That system of Top 16 play offs ran from 1964 to 1973 when we had one division. There were 2 divisions prior to 1964 and we went back to 2 divisions in 1973/74 season.

The county leagues ended in 1970, the top 16 play-offs weren't regional but 1v16, 2v15, 3v14 etc etc i think.

Correct but it ran from 1964 to 1973. There was only one division of 30 but split into a Yorkshire League and a Lancashire League of 15 teams (but a combined table). Each team played 34 games - 28 games home and away against the other teams in the Yorkshire League/Lancashire League and 6 games home and away against 3 teams from the other side of the pennines. At the end of the season we had the Top 16 Play Offs which we won twice in 1967 and 1968.

In order to get an even split between Yorkshire League and Lancashire League (which included the teams from Cumberland) Huddersfield played as part of the Lancashire League during this period I believe and that is what Jack in the Box is referring to.

Huddersfield won their 11 Yorkshire League titles well before this with the last one being in 1951/52 I believe.

fair enough, i'm only going by what i've read.........i'll have to ask our more senior supporters who will no doubt remember every game