1980–81 Fulham RLFC season explained

The 1980-81 Fulham RLFC season was the first in the club's history. They entered into the 1980–81 Second Division of the Rugby Football League. They also competed in the 1980–81 Challenge Cup and the 1980–81 League Cup. They finished the season in 3rd place and were promoted to the top tier of professional rugby league in the UK.

Birth of Fulham RLFC

In 1980, Fulham Football Club chairman Ernie Clay, set up a rugby league team at Craven Cottage, with the intention of creating another income stream for the football club. Warrington director Harold Genders, who had helped to persuade Clay of the benefits of starting a rugby league club in the capital, resigned from the Warrington board to become managing director of Fulham R.L.F.C. The Rugby Football League (RFL), keen to encourage the expansion of the sport beyond its traditional Northern heartland, accepted the new club with 26 clubs voting in favour, with three abstentions at the League's AGM.^[1]

One of the game's leading players, Reg Bowden, was recruited by Genders to act as player-coach. He cost the club £25,000 at a time when the world record transfer fee was £40,000.^[2]

The club's first signing was Roy Lester on a free transfer from Warrington. Within nine weeks, Genders and Bowden had assembled a team of experienced players approaching retirement, together with a few promising youngsters.

Nearly 10,000 Londoners turned up for the opening game at Craven Cottage to see the newly formed side convincingly beat highly regarded Wigan 24–5. The new Fulham RL team quickly proved to be very competitive and went on to win promotion at the end of their inaugural season.

Second Division League Table

	Club	P	W	D	L	PF	PA	Pts
1	York	28	23	0	5	649	331	46
2	Wigan	28	20	3	5	597	293	43
3	Fulham	28	20	0	8	447	237	40
4	Whitehaven	28	19	1	8	409	250	39
5	Huddersfield	28	18	1	9	429	310	37
6	Swinton	28	18	1	9	440	302	36
7	Keighley	28	14	1	13	445	501	29
8	Hunslet	28	13	1	14	447	430	27
9		28	13	1	14	433	418	27
10	Rochdale Hornets	28	13	0	15	406	418	26
11	Batley	28	12	0	16	386	432	24
- align=center style="background:"	12	Dewsbury	28	11	1	16	346	364	23
13	Doncaster	28	5	0	23	250	562	10
14	Blackpool Borough	28	4	1	23	212	419	9
15	Huyton	28	2	0	26	211	796	4

Champions

Play-offs

Promoted

Relegated

^[3]

Players

Name	Appearances	Substitute	Total Appearances	Tries	Goals	Drop Goals	Points
Dave Allen	23	2	25	4	0	0	12
	23	4	27	16	0	0	48
	22	0	22	2	0	0	6
	28	1	29	4	0	0	12
	26	0	26	13	0	0	39
	5	1	6	0	0	0	0
	25	2	27	12	5	10	56
	19	0	19	8	0	0	24
	21	3	24	1	0	0	3
	7	6	13	2	0	0	6
	25	1	26	2	0	0	6
	20	2	22	2	0	0	6
	15	8	23	3	0	0	9
	28	0	28	6	75	3	171
	2	0	2	0	0	0	0
	18	0	18	4	0	0	12
	9	0	9	2	3	0	12
	18	4	22	3	0	0	9
	4	7	11	1	0	0	3
	7	7	14	3	0	0	9
	20	3	23	4	0	0	12
	23	2	25	4	0	0	12
	2	0	2	0	0	0	0

^{[3] [4]}

Results

Date	Competition	Opposition	Venue	Result	Score	Attendance
	14.09.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	24-5	9554
	21.09.1980	Second Division		Away	Loss	24-13	3027
	28.09.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	25-11	5589
	05.10.1980	Second Division		Away	Win	2-15	906
	12.10.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	30-7	5971
	19.10.1980	Second Division		Away	Win	16-28	672
	26.10.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	23-5	7159
	09.11.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	10-7	5405
	16.11.1980	Second Division		Away	Win	7-9	2500
	23.11.1980	John Player Trophy Round 1		Home	Win	9-3	12,583
	30.11.1980	Second Division		Away	Loss	15-2	8100
	07.12.1980	John Player Trophy Round 2		Away	Loss	17-9	7606
	21.12.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	19-5	5629
	28.12.1980	Second Division		Home	Win	15-5	6237
	04.01.1981	Second Division		Away	Loss	6-0	4235
	11.01.1981	Second Division		Home	Loss	8-24	6162
	18.01.1981	Second Division		Away	Win	11-21	1750
	25.01.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	25-4	5805
	01.02.1981	Second Division		Away	Win	11-12	1842
	08.02.1981	Second Division		Away	Loss	13-9	3550
	15.02.1981	Challenge Cup round 1		Home	Loss	5-9	15,013
	01.03.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	8-0	4715
	08.03.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	24-3	5285
	15.03.1981	Second Division		Away	Win	3-19	500
	22.03.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	16-4	5258
	29.03.1981	Second Division		Away	Loss	15-10	7351
	05.04.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	15-0	6707
	12.04.1981	Second Division		Away	Loss	10-8	3250
	16.04.1981	Second Division		Away	Win	5-19	2750
	19.04.1981	Second Division		Away	Loss	8-3	2435
	20.04.1981	Second Division		Home	Win	37-11	5867
	01.05.1981	Challenge		Home	Win	20-8	11,926

^{[3] [5]}

External links

• Rugby League Project

Notes and References

1. Book: Huxley. John. Howes. David. Encyclopedia of Rugby League Football. 1980. Robert Hale. London. 0709181337.
2. Book: Farrar. Dave. Lush. Peter. From Fulham to Wembley. 2000. London League Publications. London. 978-0952606444.
3. Book: Genders. Harold. The Fulham Dream. 2000. London League Publications. London. 978-0952606499.
4. https://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/teams/london-broncos/transfers.html Gains & Losses
5. Book: Farrar. Dave. Lush. Peter. Touch and Go: A History of Professional Rugby League in London. 1995. London League Publications. London. 978-0952606406.