1918-1919

The Emergency League continued on a 12-a-side basis for the opening months of the season, but with the cessation of hostilities on November 11th, the League Secretary, Mr. John Wilson, and his Committee made immediate arrangements for the resumption of a fully competitive League programme. This was arranged on a County League basis and the first matches were played on January 18th, with the normal complement of 13 players.

Leeds opened with a match at Thrum Hall on January 25th, and although they met with defeat it was a memorable game in that the illustrious Jim Bacon made his first appearance as a bona-fide Leeds player. He had already played under the assumed name of Arthur James some six weeks earlier, when he had visited Leeds to see his old friend, Dan Lewis. His display on that occasion showed obvious skill but it was the Boxing Day International at Swansea, when Wales played a team of amateurs and professionals against the New Zealand? Trench? team, which had the decisive bearing on Bacon?s career. That afternoon he partnered Willie Davies, of Leeds, and it was a pass from Davies-one of those straight clean passes for which Davies was famed-which sent Bacon half the length of the field for the winning try. Word of that try and Bacon?s speed and dash reached Headingley, and the result of it all was a trip by Mr. James Goldthorpe, then the Leeds Secretary, and Dan Lewis to Cross Keys. Bacon thought that he was not good enough for professional football, but the Leeds folk did and they felt highly satisfied when they got his signature to the necessary forms. The happenings of the following nine years prove that the capture of Bacon was one of the best pieces of business ever done in Wales by Leeds officials.

In February, Leeds negotiated the transfer from Bramley of Squire Stockwell, winger, who had been assisting Leeds for some months during the War Emergency, and had revealed such promise that the Committee were anxious to retain his services. L. Marshall joined the Barley Mow club in part exchange. Stockwell proved to be another great capture, and his name is still revered by those who were fortunate enough to see him in action. Efforts continued to be made at full pressure to bring the playing strength up to the desired standard. W. N. Whiting, forward, was signed towards the end of the season, but his career at Headingley was to be comparatively short.

The Leeds record in the shortened County League programme was encouraging. Hull headed the table, but we finished as runners-up.