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Featherstone Rovers

Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone (near Pontefract), West Yorkshire in England. To many people they are known as Fev or "The Colliers", highlighting the close link between the club and the local mining community. The idea that if they were short of a player or two before match time they would trawl the local collieries to make up the numbers is a myth. They play at Post Office Road which was rebranded in 2007 as The Chris Moyles Stadium.

Featherstone is a small ex-coal-mining town with a population of around 16,000 and for many years "Fev" have graced the top levels of the game in a manner that belies their smalltown background. Their local rivals are Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity.

They have won the Challenge Cup 3 times, in 1967, 1973 and 1983; and in 1977 won the Championship.

History

Early years

Featherstone Rovers club was formed in the Railway Hotel in 1902 and reformed in 1906. The club were originally made up of local miners and between 1912-3 played at the Featherstone Main Collery Welfare ground.

Featherstone became a semi-professional club on 14 June 1921, beating Bradford Northern in their first game as a senior club. Their first game at Post Office Road attracted 4,000 fans.

Rovers reached the Championship final after just seven seasons, losing 11-0 to Swinton, and were beaten by Leeds in the following season's Yorkshire Cup decider.

Rovers' first major silverware was won in 1939-40, when they lifted the Yorkshire Cup.

Post-war

Rovers' first visit to Wembley Stadium was in the 1952 Challenge Cup Final, the first to be televised. They were defeated 18-10 by Workington Town in front of a crowd of 72,093.

In 1959, the club's record attendance was set at 17,531 for a third round Challenge Cup match against St Helens. This was more than the population of Featherstone.

Rovers' first ever Challenge Cup Final success came in 1967 when despite their lowly league position they defeated Bradford Northern, Wakefield Tinity, Castleford and Leeds to get to Wembley Stadium. Barrow provided the opposition in the final where a crowd of 77,000 paid a then record £54,435 to watch the game. Rovers won the match 17-12. Only Widnes in 1937 had accomplished the feat from a lower position in the league table.

Rovers repeated the feat seven years later, when Bradford Northern were beaten 33-14.

In 1966/67, Featherstone Rovers reached the final of the Yorkshire Cup but were beaten 25-12 by Hull Kingston Rovers.

Rovers were crowned Division One champions in 1976-77 and won the Second Division title three years later.

Allan Agar joined Featherstone as captain-coach in December 1982.

Featherstone Rovers won the Challenge Cup on May 7 1983 beating Hull 14-12 in front of an 84,969 Wembley crowd. Steve Quinn secured their victory with a late penalty goal.

Rovers won the Second Division title when they were relegated for the 1992-93 season.

Summer rugby era

When a Rupert Murdoch-funded Super League competition was proposed, part of the deal was that some traditional clubs would merge. Featherstone Rovers were asked to merge with local rivals Castleford and Wakefield Trinity to form a new club, Calder, which would compete in the Super League. This was, however, resisted. Rovers missed the cut for Super League and were beaten by a last-gasp Wakefield Trinity try in the 1998 lower division Grand Final.

Peter Roe was in charge of Featherstone from 1999 to October 2001, before leaving to take charge of Wakefield Trinity. He was replaced by his assistant Ian Fairhurst.

In November 2002, Featherstone went into administration, owing the Inland Revenue £97,000 and with total debts of £403,000.

In September 2003, Andy Kelly's contract was not renewed following their failure to reach the National League One play-offs for the first time in six years.

In 2005, David Hobbs was appointed coach of Featherstone Rovers half-way through the season after Gary Price left, he failed to save Rovers from relegation to National League Two.

In late 2006, the "Friends Of Featherstone" were formed, their main aim being to provide money for contracts for players to ensure that Rovers gained promotion to National League One. The money raised enabled Rovers to sign players such as Paul Handforth, Chris Ross, Tommy Haughey, Jamie Field & Loz Wildbore.

In 2007, Rovers won promotion from National League Two with a 24-6 win over Oldham RLFC at Headingley, on the same day that their local rivals Castleford Tigers gained promotion and amateurs Featherstone Lions beat much fancied Bramley 40-32 to complete a remarkable day for the area.