1890 - 1903 - The Clubs in the Hartlepools Junior Cup

Images from just a handful of the many Junior Clubs, that marked the Rugby scene in the two Boroughs during the 1890s, Quite a few would be age based, records make mention clubs as being for players “on average 16 years of age” for example and as young as “13^1/2 as was the case with St Hilda’s Choir RFC on one occasion. .  Many of them played at some time in the Hartlepools Junior Cup (which was restricted to players under 20 years of age) as well as the County Cup Competitions and operated from pubs and church-based organisations.

By 1900, the game at this level was struggling, by that year Rovers III had only played a few games all season as so many Junior Clubs were defunct, Bertie Morison at Old Boys had brought the Big Three together to talk of forming a League of Junior Clubs to revive matters. By 1903 Harold Pyman had taken matters in hand and formed the Pyman Cup Competition on a home and away basis (no use of the word “League” for political purposes) and his initiative continues to today.

Gallery images

• 1890 - Hartlepools Junior Cup -1890 - 1903
• 1892 - Stranton Parish Church RFC
• 1892 - Throston Clarence
• 1897 - Hartlepool Excelsior
• 1897 - Hartlepool Excelsior - Onward & Upward
• 1898 - Hartlepool Wanderers
• 1898 - Hartlepool Wanderers (2)
• 1898 - West Hartlepool East End
• 1899 - Hartlepool Barbarians v Wallsend
• 1899 - New Stranton Celtic
• 1900 - Hartlepool Excelsior - Winners of the Cup.
• 1900 Hartlepool Excelsior - E Nichol
• 1901 - Empress Rovers
• 1901 - Hartlepool Albion (Throston Albion)
• 1902 - 1st Coy Hartlepool Boys' Brigade - Hpool's Junior Cup Winners.