Law Cup returns

The annual Law Cup Fixture returns to Spotland this year after a year’s absence due to the weather.

Ian Talbot’s men go into battle for the historic trophy and the bragging rights that come with it without Captain Wayne English and talismanic stand off Paul Crook due to other commitments, but Talbot is in no doubt what the local encounter means to Hornets fans.

The Infirmary Cup was first contested between Rochdale Hornets and Oldham in May 1921. The trophy was donated by Rochdale MP the Right Hon A. J. Law with proceeds to be split between the infirmaries in both towns. The trophy first became known as the Law Cup in 1949 to recognise it's original benefactor.

The first match, on 7 May ended in an inauspicious 0-0 draw with Oldham winning the replay 12-2 and therefore being the first recipients of the trophy.

The competition then became an early or pre-season event. Hornets' first success came on 8 September 1923 with a 13-5 victory over the old enemy at the Athletic Grounds.

It's interesting to note that the first team to win away was Oldham at the tenth time of asking and in those 10 meetings the away team failed to score in double figures on nine occasions!

Oldham’s first win at the Athletic Grounds was in 1929 whilst Hornets had to wait until 1947 to record their first win at Watersheddings.

Oldham's record win was in 1961 when they won 53-13 at home whilst Hornets' record win was in 1933 when they won by 48-8 closely followed by Derrick Fox's team in 1999 with a 48-10 triumph. The 48-10 win also brought to an end a run of seven successive victories by Oldham.

Hornets longest winning run in the history of the trophy was six consecutive wins between 1947 and 1952. The scorers in that 48-10 triumph for Hornets were Shaw and Swann with a brace apiece with Wild, Hilton, Coussins and Coult also crossing the whitewash and the ever-reliable boot of Fox providing eight goals.

One other notable record saw Tommy Rees play in 11 consecutive matches between 1928 and 1938.

After Hornets' 13-5 win in 1966, the Law Cup was not contested again until 1973 with Oldham claiming the games were getting 'too torrid'.

Since that time both clubs have changed grounds with Hornets moving to Spotland and Oldham on to Boundary Park and more recently Whitebank.

A recent addition to the pleasantries has been the Karl Marriott Trophy. Karl, a Young Lion, ex Hornet fans favourite, passed away following training in October 1998. Everyone at Hornets fondly remembers Karl and as such has dedicated the Karl Marriott Trophy to the Law Cup man of the match.

The game is pay on the gate, kicking off at 3pm, with the Man City v Leeds FA Cup tie showed in the bar.