1973–74 Challenge Cup

The 1973–74 Challenge Cup was the 73rd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup.

1973–74 Challenge Cup

Highest attendance	77,400
Broadcast partners	BBC
Winners	Warrington
Runners-up	Featherstone Rovers
Lance Todd Trophy	Derek Whitehead
← 1972–73 1974–75 →

The final was contested by Warrington and Featherstone Rovers at Wembley.

Warrington beat Featherstone Rovers 24-9 at Wembley in front of a crowd of 77,400.^[1]

The winner of the Lance Todd Trophy was the Warrington fullback, Derek Whitehead.^[2]

Warrington defeated Huddersfield, Huyton, Wigan and Dewsbury to get to the final against Featherstone Rovers.^[3]

This was Warrington’s fourth Cup final win in ten Final appearances.

Warrington's full-back Derek Whitehead won the Lance Todd Trophy for man-of-the-match.^[4]

First round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
02 Feb	Barrow	Featherstone Rovers	3-11
02 Feb	Lock Lane	Wigan	9-37
02 Feb	Workington Town	York	14-4
03 Feb	Batley	Leeds	7-18
03 Feb	Castleford	Bradford Northern	4-15
03 Feb	Dewsbury	New Hunslet	13-4
03 Feb	Hull FC	Hull Kingston Rovers	2-13
03 Feb	Huyton	Doncaster	16-2
03 Feb	Leigh	Kippax White Swan	63-7
03 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	Halifax	13-6
03 Feb	St Helens	Keighley	27-5
03 Feb	Salford	Oldham	26-12
03 Feb	Swinton	Blackpool	19-8
03 Feb	Warrington	Huddersfield	34-4
03 Feb	Whitehaven	Bramley	5-8
03 Feb	Widnes	Wakefield Trinity	27-7

Second round

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
23 Feb	Leeds	Salford	10-6
24 Feb	Leigh	Widnes	11-7
24 Feb	Rochdale Hornets	Wigan	8-25
24 Feb	St Helens	Bramley	10-5
24 Feb	Swinton	Bradford Northern	10-19
24 Feb	Warrington	Huyton	21-6
24 Feb	Workington Town	Dewsbury	4-14
26 Feb	Hull Kingston Rovers	Featherstone Rovers	9-12

Quarter-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
10 Mar	Bradford Northern	Featherstone Rovers	0-5
10 Mar	Dewsbury	Leeds	9-2
10 Mar	Leigh	St Helens	11-5
10 Mar	Wigan	Warrington	6-10

Semi-finals

Date	Team one	Team two	Score
23 Mar	Warrington	Dewsbury	17-7
30 Mar	Featherstone Rovers	Leigh	21-14

Final

Warrington	24 – 9	Featherstone Rovers
Try: Ashcroft, Nicholas Goal: Whitehead (7) Drop goal: Murphy (2)	Report	Try: Newlove Goal: Box (3)

11 May 1974

Wembley, London Attendance: 77,400 Referee: S. Shepherd (Oldham)[5] Player of the Match: Derek Whitehead

1 Derek Whitehead 2 Mike Philbin 3 Derek Noonan 4 Alan Whittle 5 John Bevan 6 Alex Murphy (c) 7 Parry Gordon 8 David Chisnall 9 Kevin Ashcroft 10 Bobby Wanbon 11 Mike Nicholas 12 Dave Wright 13 Barry Philbin Substitutes: 14 Billy Pickup 15 Brian Brady Coach: Alex Murphy

1 Harold Box 2 Dave Dyas 3 Michael Smith 4 Dave Hartley 5 Graham Bray 6 John Newlove (c) 7 Steve Nash 8 Les Tonks 9 John Keith Bridges 10 Billy Harris 11 Alan Rhodes 12 Jimmy Thompson 13 Keith Bell Substitutes: 14 David Busfield 15 Charlie Stone Coach: Peter Fox

References

1. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
2. Raymond Fletcher; David Howes (1995). Rothmans Rugby League Yearbook 1995-1996. London: Headline Book Publishing. p. 199. ISBN 0-7472-7817-2.
3. "Victory parade for Wolves players". BBC News. UK: BBC. 30 August 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
4. "RFL Challenge Cup Roll of Honour". Archived from the original on 2009-04-03. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
5. Mather, Harold (13 May 1974). "Murphy leads the revival". The Guardian. London. p. 24.

External links

• Challenge Cup official website Archived 2014-01-22 at the Wayback Machine
• Challenge Cup 1973/74 results at Rugby League Project