1924-1925

Although our season?s endeavours brought no major honours to Headingley interest was maintained at a high level throughout, and the team certainly met with more success than in the previous campaign.

The season opened on a bright note with the news that Billy Bowen had been given permission to play again, and he was consequently appointed captain. During the close season the management had succeeded in obtaining the services of two talented Welsh Rugby Union International backs: Mel Rosser from Penarth, and Joe Jones from Swansea. Rosser was to play an extremely valuable part in raising the fortunes of the club and during his seven seasons at Headingley, in which he made 223 appearances, he became a great favourite. His sterling play earned him a place in the 1928 party to tour Australia and New Zealand.

Fifteen points from the first nine League matches resulted in the team holding the third place in the table at the end of October, but once again November brought disaster in the shape of five successive defeats-four in the League programme and one in the Yorkshire Cup Semi-Final. By Christmas, then, we had slipped back to tenth position. A successful spell took us back to the fringe of the ?first four? by mid February, but a heavy defeat at Headingley at the hands of St. Helens Recs. finally put paid to our championship hopes.

?Lady luck? smiled on us in the Yorkshire Cup Competition as we were drawn at home on each occasion. Victories over Castleford and Dewsbury raised enthusiasm to fever pitch so that 27,000 spectators assembled at Headingley to witness the Semi-Final match with Wakefield Trinity. The game hung in the balance right to the final whistle as Leeds pressed hotly to regain the lead but finally went down by 4 points to 5. Many will recall, and few present will ever forget, an incident which probably cost Leeds the match. Leeds were penalised and Pollard essayed a kick at goal. His shot passed some five yards wide of the near post and at a great height. As the ball would have dropped amongst the spectators Walmsley caught it on the full whilst standing with both feet well outside the field of play. He then threw it forward to Bacon for the ?drop-out?, but to the amazement of the Leeds players the referee ordered a five-yard scrum immediately in front of the posts. A quick heel by Wakefield resulted and ?Jonty? Parkin, always the opportunist, was over the line in a flash. Apparently the touch judge indicated that the goal kick had been unsuccessful but omitted to indicate the ball had also gone dead.

Following an easy win over Twelve Apostles in the 1st Round of the R. L. Cup, we gained a magnificent victory over Wigan at Headingley by 2 points to nil, and once again enthusiasm ran high after Batley had been defeated at Mount Pleasant by 5 points to 4 in the 3rd Round. But the narrow defeat at the hands of Wakefield Trinity in the Yorkshire Cup Semi-Final was repeated in the R.L. Cup Semi-Final when Hull Kingston Rovers won by 7 points to 6. After playing against a strong wind, Leeds faced a deficit of seven points at the interval, but sterling work in the second half almost brought victory in spite of alack of possession from the scrums.

So after a season of great hopes and thrilling matches the only honour left to Leeds was that of being Runners-up in the Yorkshire League Championship, but there were happy memories of many fine victories and several honourable defeats.

Signings made during the season included Tommy Bailey, Winger from Buslingthorpe Vale; W. Stephenson, a forward from Bramley; and Joe Half, a hooker from Dewsbury; whilst two young reserve players, ?Ginger? Thomas and Jack Woolmore, showed considerable promise in making 21 and 5 first team appearances respectively.

Headingley was the venue for two Cup Finals. Wakefield Trinity defeated Batley by nine points to eight to win the Yorkshire Cup, and Oldham won the R.L. Challenge Cup by beating Hull K. R. by sixteen points to three.