1891-1895

Season 1891-2 was very much better. Losing only six matches in all Leeds reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup. They took a strong side to Huddersfield to meet Hunslet, the other finalists: F. T. Wilkinson; R. Place, T. Summersgill, B. Walker; J. H. Potter, T. Watts; W. Donaldson, W.Lorriman, E. Hudson, G. B. Naylor, M. Fletcher, T. Cousins, J. P. Munro, W. Watson and J. Lewthwaite. J. H. Potter, who had played in the St. John?s Cup Final in 1887, was the only remaining link between the two cup teams. Hunslet, thanks to the Goldthorpes, ran out comfortable winners by 21 points to nil.

That season J. H. Potter set up a club record by kicking twelve goals in one match. It has since been equalled, but never surpassed. Potter, incidentally was at this time the heaviest man in the team, weighing 13 stones 9 Ibs., and a rare half-back he made. But the side was good all round as may be gathered from its scoring strength: Place had 24 tries that season, while Benny Walker, the other winger, had 13; Tommy Summersgill, the centre, had 22, and Potter 13.

It was the best season Leeds had in the Rugby Union. In their three remaining seasons as an amateur club they never got beyond the second round of the County Cup, but it is worth noting that except for the season in which they were finalists, all the finals were played at Headingley:

April 11th 1891: Pontefract 3 Wakefield Trinity 3
Attendance: 17,720
Receipts: ?889

April 22nd 1893: Halifax 8 Batley 2
Attendance: 17,288
Receipts: ?820

April 21st 1894: Hlaifax 38 Castleford 6
Attendance: 16,093
Receipts: ?723

April 20th 1895: Brighthouse 16 Morley 4
Attendance: 14,038
Receipts: ?639

The biggest attendance at Headingley for a Rugby Union match was that for the 3rd Round Cup Tie with Halifax on April 2nd, 1892: 27,654