13 ways the world has changed since Wakefield’s last major final: 17,000 days ago
(L-R): Margaret Thatcher, Brian Clough and Art Garfunkel all made the headlines in 1979.
Wakefield Trinity are in the Super League Grand Final for the first time – and are within 80 minutes of a first league title in almost 60 years.
But this is the first major final of any kind that one of rugby league’s grand old clubs has played in for almost 50 years altogether – dating back to their last game in a showpiece decider, the 1979 Challenge Cup final, which they lost to Widnes. They did make the Yorkshire Cup final in 1991.. but that’s defunct, so we’re excluding it!
And the world is a very different place indeed since Wakefield were last playing in a game to win a major rugby league trophy – both within the sport and outside of it. Here’s 13 ways how..
1. 94,000 people were at the cup final
The Challenge Cup final has faded in popularity these days but back in the 1970s, it was the biggest event on the rugby league calendar. Nothing underlines that point more than the fact that the game in question, Wakefield’s loss to Widnes, had over 94,000 people at Wembley Stadium.
Widnes won that game 12-3 incidentally, with Wakefield’s only points coming through an Andy Fletcher try. Over 17,000 days later, they are back in a big final.
2. Margaret Thatcher had just become Prime Minister
Quite literally just, too: just two days before.
3. The Man of Steel came from Widnes
Widnes were strong that season, underlined by their win in the Challenge Cup final. And their talismanic forward Doug Laughton was the standout player in the British game after he was crowned the third winner of the Man of Steel award. He is one of three Widnes players to win the honour, with Joe Lydon and Martin Offiah also doing the same after Laughton.
4. Art Garfunkel was top of the charts
There were some big musical moments in 1979 – but on the exact day Wakefield Trinity walked out at Wembley, Art Garfunkel was sat at the top of the charts in the UK with his hit, Bright Eyes. It’s fair to say the musical world is very different these days with that in mind!
5. Kramer vs Kramer was the big movie hit
Later in May 1979, the smash hit Alien was released for the first time. The James Bond film Moonraker was another big box office hit of the year but the big movie in 1979 was Kramer vs Kramer, which smashed box office records.
6. A pint of milk cost 14p
It’s the classic comparison for how times were different back in the good old days – and nothing underlines what a different world we live in now than the price of a pint of milk back in 1979! 14p wouldn’t get you much these days..
7. There were far more rugby league trophies on offer
It wasn’t just the Challenge Cup and the First Division on offer. There was the end-of-season Premiership (won by Leeds that year), Widnes won the John Player Trophy and the Lancashire Cup, Bradford Northern beat York to be crowned Yorkshire Cup winners and Widnes won another cup too with victory in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy.
There weren’t many concerns over player welfare and a congested calendar back then!
8. Liverpool were champions of England
Onto another sport; the late-1970s and early-1980s were synonymous with a couple of great English footballing sides and one of them, Liverpool, were the winners of the old First Division.
9. Brian Clough was about to win the European Cup
But shortly after Liverpool won the league, the team who finished second went on to be crowned champions of Europe for the very first time, as Brian Clough led Nottingham Forest to what would be the first of two consecutive victories in the European Cup final.
10. The average house cost..
..£13,650. That’s about the price of a hospitality box for an entire season in Super League these days!
11. The Walkman was about to be released
Portable music was about to become the big new thing in the world, as Sony released the Walkman shortly after Wakefield played in the Challenge Cup final.
12. Terry Griffiths was the best snooker player in the world
A week before the 1979 Challenge Cup final, the other big spring sporting event in the north of England saw Terry Griffiths defeat Dennis Taylor 24-16 to be crowned the winner of the World Snooker Championship, at a time when the sport was about to experience a huge surge in popularity.
13. Great Britain were still a (BIG) thing in rugby league
The Lions concept has faded away in the modern era, sadly. But it was still in its heyday in the 1970s, and shortly after Wakefield’s appearance in the Challenge Cup final, Great Britain headed for Australasia.
Three Trinity players went with them; John Burke, Trevor Skerrett and David Topliss. But the tour was a disaster; the Lions lost to Australia 3-0, injuries caused key players to return home early while Great Britain’s insipid performances led to a dip in attendances Down Under and a financial loss estimated at around £300,000.
And one way it hasn’t..
Hull KR were champions of England – which they still are in the present day for at least another few days! Rovers were winners of the First Division in 1978-79.. but this weekend, it could be Wakefield Trinity who are kings of the British game.
