The Break of 1895
Events of sixty-five years ago are beyond the memories of most of us, and so it is that, however much the chronicler would like to give a comprehensive account of the happenings of that fateful 1985, he finds himself limited by the brevity of such notes as are available. For Rugby football it was a momentous year, though the evidences seem to point to the existence of serious differences which had been simmering underneath for some time.
What were they? And what were the difficulties which eventually led to the break which became known as “The Great Split”? As the cleavage is still with us and shows no signs of being a principle of major importance was, and still is, involved.
We are interested in this through Trinity’s being one of the clubs concerned. We have said that Trinity’s repute had grown rapidly as being a side capable of meeting the best, and that fixtures had for some time had been arranged between our club and some of the best-known sides in the South of England and in Wales. These games must have had great attractions, and Trinity, as other teams of similar calibre in these parts, must have been keenly desirous of being able to continue them. But, for players of these Northern clubs, such away engagements meant loss of wages for time taken off from employment in order to take the long journeys - an expense which some of them, at least, would ill be able to afford. The clubs were letting it be known that, in order to fulfil such fixtures with properly representative sides, they wished to be allowed to pay their players for broken time.
Surely all life, in so far as it is evolutionary, must be a matter of re-adjustment, and one must be prepared for such a thing as wise adjustments to circumstances one cannot alter. The situation was a well-defined one. Either the English Rugby Union must recognise this peculiar nature of the request and make the necessary allowances or the Northern clubs must renounce their opportunities of the fixtures they found so attractive. In such a situation one could well ask what happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object.
For whilst the Rugby Union were to prove disconcertingly unaccommodating, the Northern clubs persisted in their attitude. There was some support for the views of the Northerners, but not enough. And if to us, after all this time, it could seem that the request was a reasonable one, we must take note of the fact that then, as now, there were those to whom any suggestion of payment, for any cause whatever, was abhorrent, was sufficient in fact to set them digging trenches.
Not only that, but the counter-attacks were strong. It may have been felt that what might appear as a rather innocuous request could, if granted, be the first step along the road to full professionalism. As to that, we cannot know, nor, at this distance of time, can we put forward as fact something which can only be surmise.
The Rugby Union intimated what their ruling would be - not only a definite negative, but further directives against certain other facets of the problem which could in the least suggest payment for services. The penalty would be exclusion for club and player alike.
When the Northern clubs met at Huddersfield in August of 1895 they could have no doubt in their minds but that they must either yield or break away. Here was indeed the point of no return. There was no middle way, for it was clear that, even if a compromise could have been suggested, any attempt in that direction was doomed to failure in face of the Union’s rigid attitude.
These Northerners proved as resolute as the Union. They had moved quickly, the new season being close at hand. This Huddersfield meeting expressed itself as being of opinion that the time was opportune for the formation of a Northern Rugby Football Union, in which the principle of payment for broken time would be recognised. And so the Northern Union came into existence.
Trinity and the other northern clubs were outward bound on a new course, and they would know that, whatever troubled waters they might find ahead, there could be no return to their previous anchorage. This severance with the old ties does not appear to have caused much regret in the city. With almost general acceptance of a move which seemed inevitable, here was general expectancy of a bright new era. It would be hard to convince Rugby League devotees of to-day that our forebears did any other than take the wisest course.
Trinity’s start in the Northern Union
Payment for broken time having been agreed upon by the new body, the eventual emergence of some system of financial reward for players may have been seen as a possible consequence. It did not immediately follow, and it cannot be predicted that it would have followed had the clubs been able to remain in their previous affiliation. We wish to avoid entering the realm of conjecture.
Though no important alteration in the laws of the game was immediately made, it was clear that the new game would be highly competitive and must be directed in as many ways as possible towards the securing of a wide public support. The need to increase the game’s attractiveness as a spectacle would lead to a quickening of tempo on the field, and changes with that object in view would doubtless be in mind. The early disappearance of the line-out seems to suggest this.
Saturday, September 7th, 1895. At Bradford.
Bradford 11 points, Trinity nil.
Trinity team: Harry Kershaw; R.B. Wood, Tommy Howell, W. Gameson, J. Goldthorpe, E. Milsom, J. Anderton, J. Allchurch, J. Eyre, J. Day, J.T. Ducker, W.Binns, C. Crossland, W. Varley, T. Westerby.
On September 21st, at Belle Vue, Trinity registered their first win when they defeated Wigan 15-9, Bill Walton scoring Trinity’s first try under Northern Union rules.
It has to be recorded, however, that in those early months, Trinity did not fare as well as had been hoped. Although the club had always had a good supply of players from local sources, one of its early problems in its changed circumstances was likely to be the strengthening of the side to enable it to cope with the strong competition it was evidently going to meet, and there were early signs that the recruiting nets might need to be more widely spread. Not for long, however, did Trinity lag, and, after a season or two of settling down, they were able to show that they intended to be - and were capable of being a force to be reckoned with under the new code.
Jimmy Metcalfe
Of the many fine players who figured in Trinity’s ranks in the early N.U. days was one who gave outstanding service to the club and in whom the players could always have supreme confidence on the last line of defence. Jimmy Metcalfe soon won recognition as one of the finest full-backs in the country.
RU Days and Northern Union honours
Wakefield Trinity F.C. Season 1884-85
Wakefield Trinity F.C.
Winners of the Northern Union Football Challenge Cup 1908-9
Wakefield Trinity 17 Hull 0 At Headingley
Back Row: J. Taylor, E.W. Bennett, W.Lynch, O. Unsworth, Mr. J.B. Cooke, A.K. Crossland, H Beaumont, J. Walton, G. Taylor
Centre: Mr. E. Parker, H. Kershaw, J.D. Metcalfe, H. Slater (captain), J. Auton, S. Parkes, Mr. J.H. Fallas
Front Row: D. Holmes, W.G. Simpson, T.H. Newbould, E. Sidwell
Born in Cumberland, Jimmy’s early football was with the Askham-in-Furness, with whom he started in 1890 under R.U. rules. His first club in Yorkshire was Barnsley R.U. and thence to Featherstone. Whilst there, in season 1896-7, he played twice for North v South - these being R.U. trial matches - and in that season, too, he figured in all Yorkshire’s R.U. county games.
It was later - but still in 1897 - that he turned to the Northern Union code and joined Trinity. Here his distinctions were continued and he was a member of the Yorkshire N.U. side which won the County Championship of 1897-8 and again in 1898-9.
We can hardly do justice to his fine career in what must necessarily be a short account, but mention must be made of the fact that he played in Trinity’s successful Cup Final at Headingley in 1909, when he was thirty-six years old. And that was not the end. He did not cease to play until 1911, and in his last match for Trinity, gave a final display of his goal-kicking ability by adding three to his wonderful record.
Jimmy’s record of kicking eleven goals in a match has been equalled twice, but never extended. He set up the record on April 6th, 1909, against Bramley at Belle Vue. Trinity’s score was 11-15-67 to 2-2-10.
Ground Improvements
Rather extensive ground improvements were made at Belle Vue in those early N.U. days, and included a track for cycle racing round the outer edge of the playing area. The re-constituted ground was opened on September 24th, 1898, by Lord Milton, the Liberal-Unionist M.P. for Wakefield.
On that day Trinity played Halifax and lost by 13 points to nil, the first try on the new ground being scored by Fred Firth, of Halifax. Trinity’s team was:
J.D. Metcalfe; Tommy Howell, Billy Malkin, R.E. (Dicky) Lockwood, Horace Price; Harry Kershaw, Jos. Breakwell; Bill Walton (capt.), C. Crossland, Appleyard, George Thresh, Hale, Parker, Gallimore, L. Whittaker.
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