Thornhill Trojans

Thornhill Trojans are an amateur rugby league club situated in Thornhill, West Yorkshire; they currently compete in the Pennine Premier Division.

The current head coach is James Ratcliffe, former York City Knights coach.

Thornhill ARLFC was formed in 1988 at a meeting held at Thornhill Edge Club, attended by Thornhill Gate Officials, players and supporters along with Thornhill Lees Juniors parents and officials.

Previously to that, Rugby League in the Thornhill area had been played under the Overthorpe Rangers and Gate Inn Banner. The club started by electing to have Overthorpe Sports Club as the club's headquarters.

Players still had to get changed in the old council building at the entrance to Overthorpe Park, but a lot of people rallied round and the old dressing rooms were given a face-lift in 1994 when a lot of players got involved to improve the facility. This included the fabrication, erecting and welding of new rugby posts, and barriers around the field with an army of helpers. An old joiners shop at the top of the yard was also converted to make 2 more dressing rooms, showering facilities, and a tea room. Overthorpe also had two dressing rooms, so at one specific time three games could actually be played at once.

In the summer of 1994, the club applied for National Conference Membership after having good cup runs in the County Cups under Johnny Harpin's astute coaching. At Christmas 1994, Thornhill played Blackpool and qualified for the very first time into the Rugby League cup on May 1. In January 1995 the club drew Hull KR away on Sunday 13 January, but on that occasion the game was called off at approximately 10.30 am. The game was rescheduled on 15 January at 7.30 pm. Seven supporters buses were taken to Humberside for the game and Andy Smith became the first Thornhill player to score a try in the Rugby League Cup, although Thornhill were beaten.

The club secured promotion in its first season in the NCL and at the end of the year also qualified for the club's only appearance in the County Cup Final versus Skirlaugh at Tetley's Stadium, Dewsbury on December 23, 1995. In front of 2500 spectators Thornhill were beaten by Skirlaugh who took the trophy winning 11–6 with Steve Barwick scoring Thornhill's only try. Further big games were to follow, and Thornhill went to Swinton in 1996, Featherstone in 1997 and Dewsbury in 1998 in the Rugby League Cup. At the beginning of 2000, Thornhill travelled to Sheffield to play the 1998 victors over Wigan and on that January day, Thornhill pulled off the biggest shock by beating the Sheffield Eagles and becoming the toast of the amateur game; This being the first time a Heavy Woollen Club had achieved this. At the 2009–10 National Conference League Awards evening held at Headingley Stadium, the club won Programme of the Year and Andrew Byram was Secretary of the year.

...
Wikipedia