1965–66 Challenge Cup

The 1965–66 Challenge Cup was the 65th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.^[1]

1965–66 Challenge Cup

Duration	5 rounds
Number of teams	32
Highest attendance	98,536
Broadcast partners	BBC TV
Winners	St Helens
Runners-up	Wigan
Lance Todd Trophy	Len Killeen
← 1964–65 1966–67 →

The final was contested by St Helens and Wigan at Wembley Stadium in London.

The final was played on Saturday 21 May 1966, where St Helens beat Wigan 21–2 in front of a crowd of 98,536.^[2]

The Lance Todd Trophy was awarded to St Helens winger Len Killeen, who also kicked an exceptionally long goal from well inside his own half.

First round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
25 Feb	Widnes	Brookhouse	23-5
26 Feb	Barrow	Crosfield Recs	11-2
26 Feb	Batley	Huddersfield	4-4
26 Feb	Blackpool Borough	Workington Town	2-16
26 Feb	Bradford Northern	Doncaster	23-2
26 Feb	Bramley	Hull Kingston Rovers	5-5
26 Feb	Featherstone Rovers	Rochdale Hornets	22-6
26 Feb	Hull	Salford	11-2
26 Feb	Hunslet	Whitehaven	7-9
26 Feb	Keighley	Dewsbury	4-5
26 Feb	Leeds	York	17-4
26 Feb	Leigh	Liverpool City	15-6
26 Feb	Swinton	Oldham	18-5
26 Feb	Wakefield Trinity	St Helens	0-10
26 Feb	Warrington	Castleford	15-7
26 Feb	Wigan	Halifax	8-4
01 Mar - replay	Huddersfield	Batley	23-5
01 Mar - replay	Hull Kingston Rovers	Bramley	7-2

Second round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
19 Mar	Leeds	Hull	22-12
19 Mar	Featherstone Rovers	Warrington	14-15
19 Mar	Wigan	Whitehaven	40-6
19 Mar	Widnes	Bradford Northern	6-7
19 Mar	Huddersfield	Leigh	8-0
19 Mar	Workington Town	Hull Kingston Rovers	5-7
19 Mar	Dewsbury	Barrow	23-15
19 Mar	St Helens	Swinton	16-4

Quarter-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
04 Apr	St Helens	Hull Kingston Rovers	12-10
05 Apr	Dewsbury	Huddersfield	8-2
06 Apr	Bradford Northern	Wigan	6-15
06 Apr	Warrington	Leeds	2-2
15 Apr	Leeds	Warrington	8-0

Semi-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
16 Apr	St Helens	Dewsbury	12-5
23 Apr	Wigan	Leeds	7-2

Final

St Helens	21 – 2	Wigan
Try: Bishop, Killeen, Mantle Goal: Killeen (5), Mantle	Report	Goal: Gilfedder

21 May 1966

Wembley Stadium, London Attendance: 98,536 Referee: H. G. Hunt (Warrington)[3] Player of the Match: Len Killeen

FB 1 Frank Barrow RW 2 Tom van Vollenhoven RC 3 Alex Murphy LC 4 Billy Benyon LW 5 Len Killeen SO 6 Peter Harvey SH 7 Tommy Bishop PR 8 Albert Halsall HK 9 Bill Sayer PR 10 Cliff Watson SR 11 Ray French SR 12 John Warlow LF 13 John Mantle Substitutes (not used): IC 14 Tony Barrow IC 15 Jeff Hitchen Coach: Joe Coan

FB 1 Ray Ashby RW 2 Billy Boston RC 3 David Stephens LC 4 Eric Ashton (c) LW 5 Trevor Lake SO 6 Cliff Hill SH 7 Frank Parr PR 8 Danny Gardiner HK 9 Tom Woosey PR 10 Brian McTigue SR 11 Tony Stephens SR 12 Laurie Gilfedder LF 13 Harry Major Substitutes (not used): IC 14  ? IC 15  ? Player-coach: Eric Ashton

Crowd listed in some sources as 100,000 for Final.

References

1. "Challenge Cup 1965/66". Rugby League Project.
2. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
3. "21st May 1966: St Helens 21 Wigan 2 (Challenge Cup Final)". www.cherryandwhite.co.uk. RLFANS.COM. Retrieved 22 August 2017.

External links

• "Saints humble the Old Enemy". Saints Heritage Society. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
• Challenge Cup official website Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Challenge Cup 1965/66 results at Rugby League Project