Widnes v Castleford: The clash of the underdogs

Next week’s second semi-final of the Challenge Cup will feature two underdog teams. The August 10 clash on live BBC national television will feature Widnes and Castleford, who will fight for a berth at Wembley Stadium.

There were times when rugby league provided the occasional upset in these big matches. Take Sheffield Eagles giant killing of Wigan in the 1998 final or village team Featherstone Rovers against the odds victory against the might of Hull FC 14-12.

Castleford and Widnes are not the biggest or most illustrious of rugby league clubs. Both come from small and gritty towns but epitomise the essence and lifeblood of English rugby league. The last time these clubs made the final was back in 1992 (Castleford) and 1993 (Widnes).

Both lost to the mighty Wigan team who won eight straight from 1988 to 1995. Castleford last won in 1986 when they beat Hull Kingston Rovers 15-14 at Wembley. Featuring in the final was a little known indigenous player from Brisbane, Jamie Sandy. Having debuted for Brisbane’s Wests Panthers, Sandy scored a classic try in the corner to seal a historic victory for Çastleford. It seemed all of Castleford was at Wembley that day and certainly most of the town’s 40,000 population lined the streets to welcome their hero’s home.

In 1984 Widnes last tasted victory in a Challenge Cup final against Wigan, dominating 19-6. Upsets have been few and far between in the past couple of decades.

The winner of Castleford and Widnes will certainly put themselves in the category of underdog victories if they are to go on and beat either Leeds or Warrington, the other semi -finalists.

Widnes was founded as a soccer club in 1875. The club is one of the original members of the breakaway Northern Union in 1895. Their traditional nickname is the ‘Chemics’ after the main industry of this Cheshire town, near the Liverpool conurbation.

Affectionately labelled the ‘Cup kings’ during the 1970s and 80s, Widnes won many trophies including challenge cups, championships and premiership finals. In the 1989-90 season, Widnes was crowned World Club Champions after sweeping aside a star-laden Canberra Raiders side 30-18.

After an era of riches, Widnes went into decline. Their historic but ageing Naughton Park was crumbling and they spent time in the lower division. With a new stadium redeveloped on the site of their old ground in 2007 and a benefactor in the guise of a successful local businessman, Widnes finally made it back into Super League in 2012.

Playing in their traditional black and white the club was rebranded the ‘The Vikings’ for the modern era.

Castleford were formed in 1926 and are one of the original founding members of Super League in 1996. They have been based at their current ground, Wheldon Road, since 1927. Approaching their ground is like viewing a large car machinist’s yard with all the corrugated iron that envelops the terraced stand behind the goal posts. The opposite terrace is open.

Not much has changed in over 90 years, with a quaint wooden stand along one side featuring member’s names and numbers on the flip up wooden seats.

The club is in the process of getting council and government approvals to build a compact new stadium in the region. In one sense it will be a sad day to see such a grand old relic of the game disappear but if Castleford are to compete, let alone survive, a shiny new home is seen as a necessity.

Castleford is a club which has competed well against the bigger clubs. In the shadows of Leeds and Bradford, they have always had a large and fanatical supporter base. Indeed, a quarter of the town’s population regularly attend games.

The club has only been relegated from Super League twice in 2005 and 2007 and their supporters on large stuck with the team during the drop. Since 1992, the club have been known as the ‘Tigers’.

Given the modernisation of club mascots in Super League, ‘Tigers’ probably suited a team playing in amber and black.

Prior, Castleford were affectionately known as the ‘Glassblowers’ – an industry in the town. ‘Classy Cas’ was another nickname adopted most probably during their back to back Challenge Cup final glories against Salford and Wigan in 1969 and 1970 before 97,000 and 95,000 plus crowds respectively.

It was an apt description of a club that at times beat the big guns and kept its head high for most of its competitive history.

For one game and one more perhaps in the final, the romanticism of the oldest and most prestigious rugby league knockout cup comes alive. Either Cas or Widnes have a chance to break the domination of the big four or five in recent years and English rugby league will be more the better for it.

Castleford Challenge Cup Final victories: 1935, 1969, 1970, 1986. Runners up: 1992.

Widnes Challenge Cup Final victories: 1930, 1937, 1964, 1975, 1979, 1981, 1984. Runners up: 1934, 1950, 1976, 1977, 1982 (lost in a replay), 1983.