Belle Vue Rangers
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Broughton Rangers were one of the twenty-one
rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...
clubs which met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, in 1895 to form the Northern Rugby Football Union. They were originally based in Broughton,
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
, but in 1933 moved to
Gorton Gorton is an area of Manchester in Greater Manchester, England. It is to the southeast of Manchester city centre. The population at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 36,055. Neighbouring areas include Levenshulme and Openshaw. A ...
,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
to play at the
Belle Vue Stadium Belle Vue Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, where the first race around an oval track in Britain was held on 24 July 1926. It has also been used for motorcycle speedw ...
, and were renamed Belle Vue Rangers in 1946. The club folded in 1955.


History


1877–1905: Foundation

The club was founded in 1877 as Broughton and added Rangers for its second season. The club's headquarters was the Bridge Inn on Lower Broughton Road and home games were played at
Wheater's Field Wheater's Field was a stadium, rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, Broughton, County Borough of Salford, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Rugby Football League, Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, ...
. On 15 December 1888, Rangers lost to New Zealand Natives 8–0. From 1892 the headquarters was the Grosvenor Hotel on the corner of Great Clowes Street and Clarence Street. A motion to join the
Northern Union The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Footb ...
was moved by the club captain and carried unanimously. Broughton Rangers was one of 21 clubs which met at the
George Hotel, Huddersfield The George Hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, is a Grade II* listed building, designed by William Wallen, with an Italianate façade. It was built in 1848–50. The hotel is famous as the birthplace of rugby league football in ...
on 29 August 1895 and formed the Northern Rugby Football Union. Broughton had a successful start in the Northern Union, winning the Lancashire League in 1896–97 and 1898–99. In 1901–02 the county leagues were amalgamated and Rangers were inaugural champions, securing the title by February and finishing 12 points ahead of Salford. Broughton secured the
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
, winning the
Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...
with a 25–0 victory over
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
at
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
, with captain Bob Wilson the first player to score three tries in a final.


1906–1917: Early success

Rangers appeared in successive Lancashire Cup finals in 1906–07 and 1907–08, beating
Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...
15–6 at
Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...
,
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
but losing to
Oldham Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...
16–9 at Rochdale 12 months later. The Rangers reached the top-four semi-finals in 1907–08, losing to
All Four Cups Winning All Four Cups referred to winning all four competitions available to a United Kingdom, British rugby league side in the top division between 1907 and 1970. The cups available to win were the Rugby Football League Championship First Divisi ...
winners
Hunslet Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the Leeds city centre, city centre and has an industrial past. It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside (ward), Hunslet and Riverside ward of Lee ...
. In October 1907, Broughton Rangers lost 14–20 to
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
during their All Golds tour. New Zealand led early in the game and despite a Rangers comeback, the tourists won in front of 24,000 spectators. The club won the 1910–11 Challenge Cup, beating
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
4–0 at the Willows, Salford in front of a crowd of 8,000. Broughton's last game at Wheater's Field was against St. Helens on 9 April 1913 before moving to
the Cliff A cliff is a vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliff, The Cliff or The Cliffs may also refer to: Buildings *Cliff Brewery, a former brewery near Ipswich, England *Cliff Palace, largest cliff dwelling in North America *The Cliffs, a histo ...
on Lower Broughton Road, Higher Broughton.


Inter-war years

Broughton's highest league position between 1918 and 1939 was sixth in 1935–36 and its lowest, 27th in 1927–28, with Rangers generally finishing in the bottom half of the league. The only trophy won in the inter-war years was the
1920–21 Lancashire Cup The 1920–21 Lancashire Cup competition was the thirteenth playing of this regional rugby league competition. Broughton Rangers beat Leigh Centurions, Leigh in the final at The Willows, Salford, The Willows, Salford, Greater Manchester, Salford ...
, when they defeated
Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staffor ...
6–3 at Salford in front of 25,000 spectators. In 1933, Broughton Rangers moved to
Belle Vue Stadium Belle Vue Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, where the first race around an oval track in Britain was held on 24 July 1926. It has also been used for motorcycle speedw ...
, inside the speedway track. On 18 September 1935 Rangers signed future
Lance Todd Trophy The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to man of the match in the annual Challenge Cup Final. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was kill ...
winner
Frank Whitcombe Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardif ...
from
Army Rugby Union The Army Rugby Union (ARU) is the governing body for rugby union in the British Army and a constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The ARU was formed on 31 December 1906 and marked the fulfilment of Lieutenant J. E. C. "Birdie" Partr ...
, buying him out of the army for a fee of £100. Two years later in 1938, they sold him to
Bradford Northern The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, and compete in the Championship, the second tier of British rugby league. The club have won the League Championship six times, the Challenge Cup f ...
for £850, a world record fee for a front row forward. In 1941–42 the club dropped out of the wartime emergency league and did not return to league competition until 1945–46.


Belle Vue Rangers

In 1946–47, Broughton was renamed Belle Vue Rangers, and reached the Lancashire Cup final, a 9–3 defeat by Wigan at
Station Road, Swinton Station Road was a stadium in Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. It was the home of Swinton Rugby League Club between 1929 and 1992 and was widely recognised as one of the finest grounds in the Rugby League. Swinton moved to Station Road w ...
. The club repeated this feat in 1947–48; losing again to Wigan 10–7 at
Wilderspool Wilderspool is a district of Warrington, Cheshire, England, near the town centre. It consists of Wilderspool Causeway and the streets coming off it, the limits being the River Mersey into Stockton Heath (where it turns into London Road), Bridge ...
,
Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...
. After the war, Rangers finished mid-table or above but after finishing 12th in 1950–51, Rangers finished 30th, second from bottom in 1954–55, its last season before the club folded.


Stadia

*
Belle Vue Stadium Belle Vue Stadium was a Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom, greyhound racing track in Belle Vue, Manchester, England, where the first race around an oval track in Britain was held on 24 July 1926. It has also been used for motorcycle speedw ...
,
Manchester Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, 1933–55 *
The Cliff A cliff is a vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliff, The Cliff or The Cliffs may also refer to: Buildings *Cliff Brewery, a former brewery near Ipswich, England *Cliff Palace, largest cliff dwelling in North America *The Cliffs, a histo ...
,
Higher Broughton Broughton is a suburb and district of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Located on the east bank of the River Irwell, it is northwest of Manchester and south of Prestwich. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, the form ...
,
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
, 1913–33 *
Wheater's Field Wheater's Field was a stadium, rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, Broughton, County Borough of Salford, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Rugby Football League, Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, ...
,
Lower Broughton Broughton is a suburb and district of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. Located on the east bank of the River Irwell, it is northwest of Manchester and south of Prestwich. Historically in Lancashire, the former manor house, Broughton Hall ...
,
Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...
, 1892–1913


Honours

*
Rugby Football League Championship The Rugby Football League Championship First Division was the top division of rugby league in Great Britain between 1895 and 1996, when it was replaced by the Super League. History 1895–1904: Foundations The first season of rugby leagu ...
: 1 **1901–02 *
Challenge Cup The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...
: 2 **1901–02, 1910–11 * Lancashire Cup: 2 **1906–07, 1920–21 * Lancashire League: 2 **1896–97, 1898–99


Players earning international caps while at Broughton Rangers/Belle Vue Rangers

* Billy Bentham won caps for ''England'' while at Broughton 1922 Wales, 1926 Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Broughton 1924 New Zealand (2 matches) * George Bunter won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1940 Wales * "Bert" Cambridge won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1935 France * James "Jim" Clampitt won caps for ''England'' while at Broughton 1909 Wales, 1911 Wales, Australia, 1912 Wales, 1913 Wales, 1914 Wales won caps, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Broughton 1908 New Zealand, 1911 Australia, 1914 New Zealand * James "Jim" Cumberbatch won caps for ''England'' while at Broughton 1937 France, while at
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
1938 Wales * John "Jack" Flynn won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1908 New Zealand * John "Jack" Garvey won caps for ''England'' while at St. Helens 1933 Other Nationalities, while at Broughton 1936 Wales * Elwyn Gwyther represented ''Wales XV (RU)'' while at Llanelli RFC in the 'Victory International' non-Test matches between December 1945 and April 1946, and won caps for ''Wales (RL)'' while at Belle Vue Rangers, and Leeds 1947...1953 15-caps, and won caps for ''Great Britain (RL)'' while at Belle Vue Rangers in 1947 against New Zealand (2 matches), in 1950 against Australia (3 matches), and in 1951 against New Zealand * Andrew Hogg won caps for ''England'' while at Broughton 1908 Wales, New Zealand, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Broughton 1908 New Zealand won caps for '' Other Nationalities'' while at Broughton ?-caps * Edward "Ned" Jones won a cap for ''Wales'' while at Broughton Rangers 1913 1-cap * Glyn Jones won a cap for ''Wales'' while at Broughton Rangers 1946 1-cap *
Stan McCormick Stanley "Stan"/ "Mac" McCormick (5 July 1923 – July 1999) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, and coached in the 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England ...
won caps for ''England'' while at Belle Vue 1948 Wales, France, while at St. Helens 1949 Wales, France, 1951 Wales, 1953 France (2 matches), Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Belle Vue 1948 Australia (2 matches), while at St. Helens Australia * Doug Phillips won caps for ''Wales'' while at Oldham and Belle Vue Rangers 1945...1951 9-caps, and won caps, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Oldham in 1946 against Australia (3 matches), and while at Belle Vue Rangers in 1950 against Australia * Robert "Bob" Poole won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1905 Other Nationalities * John "Jack" Price won caps for ''England'' while at Broughton 1921 Australia, while at
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
1922 Wales, 1924 Other Nationalities, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Broughton 1921–22 Australia (2 matches), while at
Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...
1924 Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches) *
Ray Price Noble Ray Price (January 12, 1926 – December 16, 2013) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone is regarded as among the best male voices of country music, and his innovations, such as prope ...
won caps for ''Wales'' while at Belle Vue Rangers 1948...1953 6-caps, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Warrington in 1954 against Australia, and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1955 against New Zealand, in 1956 against Australia (3 matches), and in 1957 against France (2 matches) * Arthur "Artie" V. Royle won a cap for ''England (RU)'' while at Broughton in
1889 Events January * January 1 ** The total solar eclipse of January 1, 1889 is seen over parts of California and Nevada. ** Paiute spiritual leader Wovoka experiences a vision, leading to the start of the Ghost Dance movement in the Dakotas ...
against New Zealand Natives * George Ruddick won caps for ''Wales'' while at Broughton Rangers 1908...1910 3-caps, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Broughton Rangers in 1908 against New Zealand (2 matches), and in 1910 against Australia, and Australasia *
Robert Seddon Robert Lionel Seddon (birth registered October→December 1860 in Salford district – 15 August 1888) was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Broughton Rangers and Swinton and county rugby for Lancashire. S ...
won caps for ''England (RU)'' while at Broughton Rangers in 1887 against Wales, Ireland and Scotland. He was also the first captain of a British Isles team in 1888 and died on the tour. * Billy Stott (1946 Challenge Cup Winner and 1946
Lance Todd Trophy The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to man of the match in the annual Challenge Cup Final. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was kill ...
Winner with while at
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
) won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1936 Wales * Alfred Teggin won caps for ''England (RU)'' while at Broughton Rangers in 1884 against Ireland, in 1885 against Wales, in 1886 against Ireland and Scotland, and in 1887 against Ireland, and Scotland * Ernest "Ernie" Thompson won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1936 Wales * Melbourne "Mel" Tierney won a cap for ''Wales'' while at Belle Vue Rangers 1953 1-cap *
Frank Whitcombe Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardif ...
won caps for ''Wales'' while at Broughton Rangers, and Bradford Northern 1938...1948 14-caps, and won caps for Great Britain while at Bradford Northern in 1946 against Australia (2 matches).
Lance Todd Trophy The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to man of the match in the annual Challenge Cup Final. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was kill ...
winner at Wembley 1948 * Robert "Bob" Wilson won a cap for ''England'' while at Broughton 1905 Other Nationalities


Other notable players

*
Edward Edward is an English male name. It is derived from the Anglo-Saxon name ''Ēadweard'', composed of the elements '' ēad'' "wealth, fortunate; prosperous" and '' weard'' "guardian, protector”. History The name Edward was very popular in Anglo-S ...
Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...
Ashworh 1945–46 * Eric Ayles * William H. "Billy" Barlow
1911 Challenge Cup Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory are added to the Commonwealth of Australia. * January 3 ** 1911 Kebin earthquake: An earthquake of 7.7 Mom ...
winner * James Leonard Battersby mid-1920s, also
North Sydney North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. And is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney Council. History The Indigenous people on the s ...
* George Beatty * Harry Dagnan * David "Dai" Morgan Davies *
Derek Day Sir Derek Malcolm Day (29 November 1927 – 7 March 2015) was a British diplomat and field hockey player who competed ta the 1952 Summer Olympics. Biography Day was educated at Hurstpierpoint College and studied at St Catharine's College, ...
* William "Billy" Dingsdale * George Dixon * John "Jack" Elwyn Evans *
Jim Featherstone James "Jim"/"Jimmy" J. Featherstone (25 February 1923 – 6 May 2014) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at clu ...
* Maurice Gallagher * Albert Gregory *
Bryn Howells Bryn Howells (9 February 1911 – 6 June 1983) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Llanelli RFC, a ...
* Bill Hunt *
David James Dewi, Dai, Dafydd or David James may refer to: Performers *David James (actor, born 1839) (1839–1893), English stage comic and a founder of London's Vaudeville Theatre *David James (actor, born 1967) (born 1967), Australian presenter of ABC's ''P ...
* Evan James * Jack Mannion * Edward Melling * Dai Morgan *
Harry Pimblett Harry may refer to: Television * ''Harry'' (American TV series), 1987 comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (New Zealand TV series), 2013 crime drama starring Oscar K ...
*
Stanley Powell Stanley J. Powell (19 July 1916 – ) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Cilfynydd RFC in the backs, and representative level r ...
*
Dai Rees David James Rees, (31 March 1913 – 15 November 1983) was one of the Britain's leading golfers either side of the Second World War. The winner of many prestigious tournaments in Britain, Europe and farther afield, Rees is best remembered as ...
* Tommy Rees * J. Robertson
Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...
against
Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...
at
The Oval The Oval, currently named for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club sinc ...
on Saturday 12 March 1887 * J. Scott * Thomas Steele (VC) * Billy Teall * Jack Tonge * Silas Warwick


References

Notes Bibliography * {{DEFAULTSORT:Broughton Rangers Sport in the City of Salford Rugby league teams in Greater Manchester Defunct rugby league teams in England Defunct rugby union teams in England Sports clubs and teams disestablished in 1955 Rugby clubs established in 1877 Rugby clubs disestablished in 1955 Founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union 1877 establishments in England 1955 disestablishments in England