On this day 101 years ago on Saturday 24th April 1920, Hull FC claimed their first-ever Championship title, defeating Huddersfield 3-2 in the play-off final at Headingley…
Results wise, this was Hull’s finest season thus far in the Northern Union resulting in a 2nd-place finish in the league. After the opening day loss at Halifax, only a further four league games were lost up to and including New Year’s Day at Rochdale.
Following that, only a home loss to Oldham on Valentine’s Day 1920 spoiled the league record until the final two matches at Easter, during which Hull played 4 games in 5 days.
The second of that quartet was designated Billy Batten’s Benefit match, which reaised £1,079, a monumental sum for those days, and a clear indication of the extent of the affection felt by supporters. Second position in the league was already secure by the time the Easter programme had arrived. Leeds, having finished third came to the Boulevard in the play-off semi-final and were dispatched 11 – 0.
So, for the first time Hull made passage into the Championship Final where, on 24th April 1920, the opposition were Huddersfield, the ‘Team of all the Talents’, who sought win to achieve a second ‘All Four Cups’ season following their all-conquering season in 1914-15.
Although much was made of the fact that the Fartowners were without their five tourists, it was also a fact that Hull were without Billy Stone, who had also departed on the tour, and Jimmy Devereux, Eddie Caswell (both injured), Ned Rogers (ill) and forwards Tom Herridge, Jack Beasty and Fred Newsome, all suspended through dismissals in successive Easter matches.
The loss of half their pack of forwards notwithstanding, Hull matched the Huddersfield six in a dour forward battle in which penalties were the main feature of the first half, although unsuccessful apart from the solitary effort kicked by Holland on 27 minutes which gave Huddersfield the lead.
The award was for offside at a scrum by Batten which he fiercely contested. After a flare-up three minutes before half-time, following an alleged tripping incident, Alf Grice was sent off, leaving Hull another front line forward short for the remainder of the game.
More missed penalties by both sides together with failed drop-goal attempts were a feature of the second half in which Hull gradually looked the more threatening as the game went on. Francis broke and kicked through for Batten whose kick on rolled slowly over the dead ball line, so agonisingly slowly before he could reach it to score.
But, it all came right for Billy and for Hull when, on 72 minutes, he drove through a defensive wall to set Markham up for a run down the wing and then take his return pass to score with what the Hull Daily Mail described as “a superhuman effort”.
So, at long last, Hull attained the Northern Union Championship and Billy Batten was three-quarters of the way to his second full set of winners medals.
Hull: J. Holdsworth; A.Francis, W.Batten, J.Kennedy, J.W.Markham; T.Milner,J. Hulme; A.Grice, E.C.Shield, W.Holder, R.Taylor, H.Garrett, J.E.Wyburn.
Huddersfield: M.Holland; G.Todd, T.Gleeson, A.Rosenfeld, H.Pogson; C.Marsden, R.Habron; J.W.Higson, G.Naylor, A.Swinden, T.Fenwick , A.Sherwood, H.Sutcliffe.
Referee – A Hestford (Broughton).
Att: 12,900
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