| Featherstone Rovers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 1906 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Featherstone, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground(s) | Post Office Road | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 6,750 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman |  Paul Coventry |
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| Coach | David Hobbs |
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| League | National League 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Season underway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Official website | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| http://www.featherstonerovers.com/ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone (near Pontefract), West Yorkshire in England. Featherstone is a Town in the City of Wakefield district in West Yorkshire, England. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Post Office Road, currently styled as the The Chris Moyles Stadium for sponsorship purposes (and previously the Lionheart Stadium after sponsorship from UK Coal Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C. History See also History of rugby league The grass roots of rugby league can be traced to early football history, through the playing of ball games Featherstone is a Town in the City of Wakefield district in West Yorkshire, England. Pontefract is a Market town in West Yorkshire, England near the A1 (or Great North Road the M62 motorway, and Castleford. West Yorkshire is a Metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland To many people they are known as Fev or "The Colliers", highlighting the close link between the club and the local mining community. The idea that if they were short of a player or two before match time they would trawl the local collieries to make up the numbers is a myth. They play at Post Office Road which was rebranded in 2007 as The Chris Moyles Stadium. Post Office Road, currently styled as the The Chris Moyles Stadium for sponsorship purposes (and previously the Lionheart Stadium after sponsorship from UK Coal
Featherstone is a small ex-coal-mining town with a population of around 16,000 and for many years "Fev" have graced the top levels of the game in a manner that belies their smalltown background. Their local rivals are Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity. Castleford Tigers are a Rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional Rugby league club that plays in the National Leagues.
They have won the Challenge Cup 3 times, in 1967, 1973 and 1983; and in 1977 won the Championship. The Challenge Cup (as of 2008 known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons is a knockout cup competition for Rugby league clubs across Europe The Rugby League Championship was the major professional competition organised by the Rugby Football League in Great Britain.
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History
Early years
Featherstone Rovers club was formed in the Railway Hotel in 1902 and reformed in 1906. The club were originally made up of local miners and between 1912-3 played at the Featherstone Main Collery Welfare ground.
Featherstone became a semi-professional club on 14 June 1921, beating Bradford Northern in their first game as a senior club. Their first game at Post Office Road attracted 4,000 fans.
Rovers reached the Championship final after just seven seasons, losing 11-0 to Swinton, and were beaten by Leeds in the following season's Yorkshire Cup decider. Swinton Lions is a British Rugby league club from Swinton and Pendlebury, Greater Manchester, England.
Rovers' first major silverware was won in 1939-40, when they lifted the Yorkshire Cup.
Post-war
Rovers' first visit to Wembley Stadium was in the 1952 Challenge Cup Final, the first to be televised. They were defeated 18-10 by Workington Town in front of a crowd of 72,093. Workington Town is a Rugby league team playing in Workington in West Cumbria.
In 1959, the club's record attendance was set at 17,531 for a third round Challenge Cup match against St Helens. This was more than the population of Featherstone.
Rovers' first ever Challenge Cup Final success came in 1967 when despite their lowly league position they defeated Bradford Northern, Wakefield Tinity, Castleford and Leeds to get to Wembley Stadium. Barrow provided the opposition in the final where a crowd of 77,000 paid a then record £54,435 to watch the game. Barrow Raiders are a British Rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria. Rovers won the match 17-12. Only Widnes in 1937 had accomplished the feat from a lower position in the league table.
Rovers repeated the feat seven years later, when Bradford Northern were beaten 33-14.
In 1966/67, Featherstone Rovers reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup but were beaten 25-12 by Hull Kingston Rovers. Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is a British Rugby league club playing in Super League (Europe, having won promotion from National
Featherstone Rovers won the Challenge Cup on May 7, 1983 beating Hull 14-12 in front of an 84,969 Wembley crowd. The Challenge Cup (as of 2008 known as the Carnegie Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons is a knockout cup competition for Rugby league clubs across Europe Events 558 - In Constantinople, the dome of the Hagia Sophia collapses Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Hull FC is a professional Rugby league football club formed in 1865 and based in Hull, East Yorkshire, England. Steve Quinn secured their victory with a late penalty goal.
Rovers were crowned Division One champions in 1976-77 and won the Second Division title three years later and again in 1992-93.
Summer rugby era
When a Rupert Murdoch-funded Super League competition was proposed, part of the deal was that some traditional clubs would merge. Featherstone Rovers were asked to merge with local rivals Castleford and Wakefield Trinity to form a new club, Calder, which would compete in the Super League. Castleford Tigers are a Rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional Rugby league club that plays in the National Leagues. This was, however, resisted. Rovers missed the cut for Super League and were beaten by a last-gasp Wakefield Trinity try in the 1998 lower division Grand Final.
Peter Roe was in charge of Featherstone from 1999 to October 2001, before leaving to take charge of Wakefield Trinity. He was replaced by his assistant Ian Fairhurst.
In November 2002, Featherstone went into administration, owing the Inland Revenue £97,000 and with total debts of £403,000. [1]
In September 2003, Andy Kelly's contract was not renewed following their failure to reach the National League One play-offs for the first time in six years. [2]
In 2005, David Hobbs was appointed coach of Featherstone Rovers half-way through the season after Gary Price left, he failed to save Rovers from relegation to National League Two. David Hobbs is a Rugby league coach former coach of National League 1 side Featherstone Rovers. Media Some games are shown on Sky Sports, games involving Celtic Crusaders are shown on Welsh-language channel S4C.
In late 2006, the "Friends Of Featherstone" were formed, their main aim being to provide money for contracts for players to ensure that Rovers gained promotion to National League One. The money raised enabled Rovers to sign players such as Paul Handforth, Chris Ross, Tommy Haughey, Jamie Field & Loz Wildbore.
In 2007, Rovers won promotion from National League Two with a 24-6 win over Oldham RLFC at Headingley, on the same day that their local rivals Castleford Tigers gained promotion and amateurs Featherstone Lions beat much fancied Bramley 40-32 to complete a remarkable day for the area.
Club honours
- Championship
- Runners-up 1927-28
- Division One (old)
- Champions 1976-77
- Rugby League Challenge Cup
- Winners 1967, 1973, 1983
- Runners-up 1952, 1974
- Division Two
- Champions 1979-80, 1992-93, 1992-93
- Runners-up 1987-88
- Division One (new)
- Grand Finalists 1998
- National League Two
- Grand Final Winners: 2007
- Yorkshire Cup
- Winners 1939-40, 1959-60
- Runners-up 1928-29, 1963-64, 1966-67, 1969-70, 1970-71, 1976-77, 1977-78, 1989-90
- Captain Morgan Trophy
- Runners-up 1973-74
- Yorkshire League
- Runners-up 1928, 1962
2008 Squad
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For more details on this topic, see Featherstone Rovers 2008.
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Sources
References
- ^ Rovers chief in upbeat mood BBC Sport, 15 November 2002
- ^ Kelly leaves Rovers BBC Sport, 15 November 2003
External links
- Featherstone Rovers official website
- FevNet Rovers Community Rugby League
- Featherstone Rovers official forum
- Featherstone Rovers forum on rlfans.com
- National League website
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