Changing Times

1970

The Club is in dire financial straights and faces closure. After a public appeal fails to raise sufficient funds, local businessman Ossie Davies stepped in and took over and saved the Club. Davies was Chairman of builders Leonard Fairclough. He immediately set about putting plans together to secure the financial future of the Club. His vision was to cater for the needs of all ages and tastes of the ever increasing population in Warrington by creating a modern and comprehensive leisure complex.

1971

In January, former groundsman Jack Hamblett was presented with a cheque for £542, being the money raised from his testimonial fund. Jack set a record of 50 years service as groundsman and few people have given such loyal service to the Club.

Warrington finish 22nd in the league, their lowest ever finishing position, with 13 wins and 2 draws from 34 matches. The average attendance of 2,901 is the lowest ever recorded at Wilderspool.

On 20th May, Alex Murphy, fresh from his triumphs with Leigh is appointed player coach.

The south terrace is demolished to make way for the new Leisure Centre. The roof to this stand is moved to cover the Spion Kop, which is reduced in size and the terrace relaid in concrete.

Murphy brought in a number of new faces, notably Dave Chisnall and Geoff Clarkson from Leigh, Bobby Wanbon from St Helens, Toby Du Toit a South African and Frank Reynolds from Aberavon Rugby Union Club.

In September, Warrington defeat the New Zealand tourists 13-2. Chisnall, Pitman and Henighan scored tries and Whitehead kicked 2 goals. A crowd of 6,295 witness the match.

The John Player Trophy is introduced. Warrington lose their first match in the new competition to, the eventual winners, Halifax 16-9 at Wilderspool.

1972

Challenge Cup tie wins over Batley, Castleford after a replay and Bramley led to a semi-final tie with St Helens. The first match, at Wigan, ended in a 10-10 draw, with Alex Murphy and Toby Du Toit scoring tries, Du Toit kicked a goal and Murphy dropped a goal. Warrington lost another bruising match at Wigan 6-10 to a late and dubious St Helens try. Du Toit kicked 2 goals and Murphy dropped a goal before a crowd of 32,380.

The six-tackle rule is introduced. Timekeepers with a hooter system take responsibility from referees for controlling time in matches.

After a very average first season in charge, Murphy brought in some very good players to streng then the team. They included Great Britain hooker Kevin Ashcroft from Leigh, rugby union players from Wales Mike Nicholas, Denis Curling and Clive Jones.

In October Wilderspool hosted the Lancashire Cup final, when Salford beat Swinton 25-11 to win the trophy for the first time since 1936, again at Wilderspool. A crowd of 6,879 saw the star-studded Salford side win handsomely.

In November the Leisure Club on the Priory Street side of the ground was opened. Built at a cost of £300,000 the club included concert room, bars, sauna and squash courts. There was some seating under the huge glass window but Wilderspool effectively became a three sided ground with its capacity cut to 21,000.

On 25th November former secretary Bob Anderton died at the age of 84. Warrington were at the top of the league at the time. Mr. Anderton must go down in history as one of rugby league's greatest administrators.

On Boxing Day Wilderspool witnessed the first sending off of Mike Nicholas, in Wire colours in a 6-6 draw with Leigh. This was to become a regular sight over the next eight years.

1973

A 20 match unbeaten run in the league helped Warrington win the League Leaders Trophy by finishing top of the league. They were guaranteed top spot before losing three of the last four matches. The win was a tribute to the magnetic leadership of player coach Alex Murphy and the ambition of the new Wilderspool hierarchy. This was a dramatic improvement on the previous season's 15th place.

Warrington beat Wigan and Rochdale Hornets in the play-offs, before suffering a shock 7-12 defeat to Dewsbury in the semi-final at Wilderspool. Dewsbury then went on to win the final Championship Final.

The RFL introduced two divisions for the 1973/4 season to replace the one league. Warrington were shown fourth in a compilation table of all league matches going back to the start of Northern League in 1901/2. They had a 60.97% success rate and finished behind Wigan, Leeds and Oldham.

In September Wales and British Lion rugby union winger John Bevan joined Warrington, for £12,000. He made a try scoring debut in a 22-5 victory over Castleford at Wilderspool.

Wilderspool again hosted the Lancashire Cup final, when 8,522 people saw Wigan beat Salford 19-9.

In December Wilderspool staged its only ever Test match, when Australia defeated Great Britain 15-5, before a crowd of 10,019. The match went ahead despite the freezing conditions and the bone hard frozen pitch because Australia had to leave for France the following morning. Remarkably, despite Warrington being the most successful side in the domestic game, not one player from the Club played against the 1973 Kangaroos.

1974

In January, Warrington won the Captain Morgan Trophy in its one and only season. The trophy was restricted to the sixteen clubs that won their Lancashire and Yorkshire Cup first round ties. The Wire beat Wigan, Castleford and Leeds to reach the final. Featherstone Rovers were defeated 4-0 in the final at Salford, with man of the match, Derek Whitehead kicking two goals.

Easy home victories over Oldham, Castleford, Dewsbury and St Helens saw Warrington through to the final of the Player's No. 6 Trophy. In the final Warrington thoroughly deserved their 27-16 victory over Rochdale Hornets at Wigan. Mike Nicholas, Derek Noonan (2), John Bevan and Derek Whitehead scored tries and Whitehead kicked 6 goals. Skipper Kevin Ashcroft won the man of the match award.

On 3rd March, scrum half Parry Gordon scored five tries in a 26-10 over Dewsbury, in the first division match, at Wilderspool. Amazingly he was overlooked for selection for the Great Britain tour and a place was given to the Dewsbury scrum half, Alan Bates.

Murphy inspired Warrington win through to the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley for the first time in 20 years. Second division basement clubs Huddersfield and Huyton were easily defeated at Wilderspool before a third round visit to Wigan. Three Kevin Ashcroft drop goals saw the Wire home 10-6. In the semi final Dewsbury were defeated 17-7 at Wigan, with tries from Frank Reynolds, Alan Whittle and John Bevan, Derek Whitehead kicked two goals and Kevin Ashcroft dropped two goals.

Warrington won the Challenge Cup final with a decisive 24-9 win over Featherstone Rovers. 80,000 saw player coach Alex Murphy stage manage the match as though it were a Hollywood blockbuster, such that Featherstone were completely bewildered as to what was happening. Kevin Ashcroft and Mike Nicholas scored tries, Lance Todd Trophy winner Derek Whitehead kicked 6 penalty goals and a conversion, whilst Alex Murphy dropped 2 goals from 4 attempts.

A week later the Warrington season finished on 18th May with a Championship Final win over St Helens at Wigan, before a crowd of 18,556. The foundations of a nail biting 13-12 victory were laid by Warrington's tireless and hard working pack. Mike Philbin, Brian Brady and Derek Noonan scored tries and Derek Whitehead kicked two conversions. Loose forward Barry Philbin was a deserved winner of the Harry Sunderland trophy as man of the match. The match finished with a spate of drop goals, with Alex Murphy missing 6 and Kevin Ashcroft 3.

So ended Warrington's most successful season with Locker Cup, Captain Morgan Trophy, Player's No 6 Trophy, Challenge Cup and Club Championship Trophy all finishing up in the Wilderspool Trophy cabinet. The Club must have had the largest wage bill and insurance premium in the game. Warrington played a record 51 matches during the season. The average home league attendance increased by 71% over the previous season. The average league attendance of 7,323 was the highest since 1956/7.

As a consequence of Alex Murphy's drop goal strategy, their value is halved to one point.

Kevin Ashcroft, John Bevan and Mike Nicholas were selected for the Great Britain tour of Australasia. However a knee injury suffered in the Challenge Cup final caused Mike Nicholas to withdraw. Bevan played in the First and Third Tests against Australia scoring a try and the First and Third Tests against New Zealand scoring 3 tries and Ashcroft was sub in the First Test against New Zealand. Bevan finished the tour the second leading try scorer with 15.
Warrington competed in their only BBC2 Floodlight Trophy final when they lost the replay to Salford 10-5 at Wilderspool. John Bevan scored the Wires try and Whitehead kicked a goal, before a crowd of 5,778. The first match, the only ever drawn final had finished scoreless, at Salford.

1975

Bradford Northern won their first major trophy in 26 years when they defeated Widnes 3-2 in the Player's No 6 Trophy final at Wilderspool. A crowd of 5,915 braved the atrocious weather conditions witnessed a fiercely contested game.

Challenge Cup victories against Halifax, Wigan and New Hunslet enabled Warrington to reach the semi-final where they played Leeds at Wigan. The Wire were well on top in the match and three tries from John Bevan and one goal from Derek Whitehead saw the cup holders return to Wembley. Widnes dominated the final to come out winners 14-7. John Bevan scored a try and Derek Whitehead kicked 2 goals. Kevin Ashcroft excelled in a poor Warrington performance.

A run of 9 wins in the last 10 league matches enabled Warrington to finish 6th in the league. They were beaten in the Premiership play-off 14-22 at Bradford.

Whilst the first team may have had a disappointing season the "A" team went through unbeaten, winning the Lancashire Combination with ease.

Warrington were well represented in the World Cup, with Dave Chisnall, Parry Gordon, Tommy Martyn, Derek Noonan and Barry Philbin in the England squad, coached by Alex Murphy, and John Bevan, Mike Nicholas and Bobby Wanbon in the Welsh squad.

Kevin Ashcroft returns to Leigh and Dave Chisnall is transferred to Swinton. They are replaced by Tony Miller from Huddersfield and Brian Butler from Bradford.