Salford RLFC – The birth 1873

FROM CAVENDISH STREET TO WEASTE LANE. 

After playing just a season at New Barnes, crowds remained relatively low compared to the largely populated township of Salford, It was felt by the board that the people of Salford were unable to relate to a team that, not only played under an unknown street name but also a team that lacked any Salford born heroes.

The clubs headquarters at this time was the Clowes Hotel on Trafford Road, and it was here in 1879 that several meetings took place, meetings that would shape the future of Rugby in Salford forever.

Due to the visionary of Cavendish Honorary Club Secretary Archie A Sutherland and Crescent secretary James Higson it was agreed that for the benefit of the sport Cavendish FC would amalgamate with The Crescent Football Club , once more the club would be renamed and thanks to the persistence and forward thinking of Sutherland, this name would be simply “Salford RFC”. The first match played under the name of Salford was an away visit to Yorkshire outfit Dewsbury on October 4th 1879 and a week later Salford entertained Widnes at The New Barnes, with G.A Hulme becoming the first ever ‘Salford’ Try scorer.

The decision to merge was one that neither club would regret, fortunes changed on and off the field, not only was local interest growing but Salford went on to record an impressive 247 wins out of 263 , this success owing to the sprinkling of talent available to them from the once previously separate teams.

1879- Salford played 14 matches, winning eight and drawing three, club secretary and pivotal player  Archie Sutherland appeared in every match that season

Salford started the 1880-81 season in splendid fashion winning five and drawing one of their first seven fixtures, the only loss coming against local rivals Swinton, it was after this defeat to our neighbours that the season declined and Salford went on to record just one win and a draw from the final six fixtures. It was in the 1981-82 season that the club became known as Salford, with the local patrons of Salford now onside the team went on a victory run that stunned the league with only four defeats in 22 months.

1883-84 saw the birth of the famous Scarlet Red Jersey after a decision by the Committee to abandon the uniform of amber, black and scarlet stripes.

The 1885-86 season were ones of undisputed progress the “ Royal Reds” losing only three games during the campaign whilst Salford star J. Jackson gained county honours for Lancashire, the Salford clubs first representative honour.

With improvements on the field in 1887,  came the financial reward to make improvements off it. Due to the success of the team the club was able to boast a net cash balance of £204 whilst  spending £100 on having a new Pavilion, turnstiles and ground work completed to make The New Barnes a fitting venue for both players and spectators.

1888-89 saw changes off the field Sir Lees Knowles M.P was appointed club president. On the field despite a bright start and  due to an international  call up of Salford players Harry Eagles, Williams , Jack Anderton and Tom Kent the side was decimated and won only two of the remaining fixtures that season.

1890-91 due to the growth in stature of the Salford club it was deemed necessary to move the clubs annual meeting from the N.W hotel to the much larger Salford Town Hall. It was during this season that a stand capable of housing 2,000 spectators was declared open by club president Sir Lees Knowles, unfortunately the erection of such a stand couldn’t withstand the elements of nature  and after a particularly fierce gale part of the stand was swept 300 yards away into the racecourse part of the ground!

In the 1889/93 were the team had developed a reputation for free-flowing rugby and with the try scoring exploits of Salford born captain, teenage flank sensation Frank Miles, Salford were the first team to win the newly introduced Lancashire Club Championship in 1893. 

The Royal Reds as Salford were affectionately known completed season 1893-94 with a record of 20 wins and 4 draws from 39 fixtures.

As the players went about their business on the field,  Mutiny off the field was ahead as the debate of payments and professionalism was the talking point. The Salford club were suspended from action charged with making payments to new signing  J.Smith.

Salford weren’t the only team to have the penalty of suspension handed out to them as both Wigan and Leigh fell to the same fate for the same ‘crime’ of professionalism. 

As the history books will tell you a meeting of historical sporting significance was held on August 29th 1895 at The George Hotel , Huddersfield. This meeting of aggrieved Union clubs ended with the formation of “The Northern Rugby Football Union”  or as we know it today the code called “Rugby League Football”.

Due to feelings of paranoia that Yorkshire clubs  were “keeping something in the dark” from their Lancashire counterparts. Salford club councillor James Higson declined the invitation for Salford to join the revolutionary breakaway movement, for the time being anyway.

After a slightly disappointing 1896 season of only 10 victories, and six draws  from 34 fixtures, Salford took the momentary decision to join the rebels of The Northern Rugby Football Union. Salford found the change to the Northern Union a happy one and they were soon gaining an enviable reputation

Despite relative league success , Salford failed to capture any silverware in the following three seasons, losing out to  Batley in the 1897 cup semi-final  and again in the final of 1899, defeated by Yorkshire club Hunslet 15-8.

Salford’s biggest match of the 1900 season was a cup final against the old foe Swinton at Fallowfield. This match was reported to be an epic contest ending in a Swinton victory of 16-8. The 1901-02 campaign in the newly formed Northern Rugby League, Salford finished as league runners-up to talented neighbours Broughton Rangers. The Rangers doing the coveted “double”over Reds, once more defeating Salford 25-0 in the Final of the challenge cup.

It was on November 30th 1901, after 22 years that Salford would play their final fixture at The New Barnes enclosure, due to being served with notice to quit the land to make way for the continuing expansion of the Salford Docks. As luck would have it this move would take Salford to their spiritual home ground, the place they would call home for 110 years, obtaining land at the Willows Estate, in the Weaste Lane area of Salford.