# 1980–81 Lancashire Cup

The 1980–81 Lancashire Cup (known as the Forshaws Lancashire Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 68th staging of the rugby league knockout competition, the Lancashire Cup.
Warrington won the trophy with a 26–10 victory over Second Division side Wigan.

## Background

The total number of teams entering the competition remained at last season’s total of 14 with no junior/amateur clubs taking part.

## Competition and results
### First Round

Involved six matches and 12 clubs. Barrow and Whitehaven received byes into the next round. Huyton's match against Warrington was moved to Wilderspool due to vandalism at Huyton's home ground, Alt Park.
| Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att |
| 1 | 15 August 1980 | Swinton | 5–11 | Oldham | Station Road | 2026 |
| 2 | 17 August 1980 | Blackpool Borough | 2–31 | Widnes | Borough Park | 2200 |
| 3 | 17 August 1980 | Huyton | 2–31 | Warrington | Wilderspool | 1937 |
| 4 | 17 August 1980 | Salford | 23–12 | Leigh | The Willows | 3579 |
| 5 | 17 August 1980 | Wigan | 25–10 | Rochdale Hornets | Central Park | 3562 |
| 6 | 17 August 1980 | Workington Town | 5–15 | St. Helens | Derwent Park | 2957 |

### Second Round

Involved four matches and eight clubs
| Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att |
| 1 | 24 August 1980 | Barrow | 9–16 | Warrington | Craven Park | 3328 |
| 2 | 24 August 1980 | Oldham | 15–13 | Salford | Watersheddings | 3445 |
| 3 | 24 August 1980 | Whitehaven | 10–13 | Wigan | Recreation Ground | 3910 |
| 4 | 24 August 1980 | Widnes | 22–20 | St. Helens | Naughton Park | 8427 |

### Semi-finals

Involved two matches and four clubs.
| Game No | Fixture Date | Home Team | Score | Away Team | Venue | Att | Ref |
| 1 | 10 September 1980 | Oldham | 2–11 | Warrington | Watersheddings | 3963 | |
| 2 | 10 September 1980 | Widnes | 10–14 | Wigan | Naughton Park | 6563 | |

### Final

The final was played at Knowsley Road, St Helens, with an attendance of 6,279 and gate receipts of £8,629. This was Warrington's seventh Lancashire Cup win, and their first since 1965.
* 4 October 1980
| Warrington | 26 – 10 | Wigan |
| Tries: Martyn, Bevan, Thackray, Hesford Goals: Hesford (7) | | Tries: Fairbairn, Ramsdale Goals: Fairbairn (2) |
* Knowsley Road, St Helens Attendance: 6,279 Referee: Gerry Kershaw (Easingwold) Player of the Match: Tony Waller

#### Teams

| Warrington | № | Wigan |
| Derek Finnegan | 1 | George Fairbairn (c) |
| Richard Thackray | 2 | Dennis Ramsdale |
| Ian Duane | 3 | Dave Willicombe |
| John Bevan | 4 | Steve Davies |
| Steve Hesford | 5 | Jimmy Hornby |
| Ken Kelly (c) | 6 | Martin Foy |
| Alan Gwilliam | 7 | Les Bolton |
| Neil Courtney | 8 | Steve Breheny |
| Tony Waller | 9 | John Pendlebury |
| Brian Case | 10 | Steve O'Neill |
| Tommy Martyn | 11 | Bill Melling |
| Bob Eccles | 12 | John Clough |
| Edwin Hunter | 13 | Terry Hollingsworth |
| Tony Worrall | 14 | Bernard Coyle (for Les Bolton) |
| Ian Potter (for Bob Eccles) | 15 | Malcolm Smith (for John Pendlebury) |
| Billy Benyon | Coach | George Fairbairn |

### The road to success

| First round | First round | First round | Second round | Second round | Second round | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final | Final |
| Swinton | Swinton | 5 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oldham | Oldham | 11 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Oldham | Oldham | 11 | Oldham | Oldham | 15 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Salford | Salford | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Salford | Salford | 23 | Salford | Salford | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Leigh | Leigh | 12 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Leigh | Leigh | 12 | | | | Oldham | Oldham | 2 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Warrington | Warrington | 11 | | | | |
| Barrow | Barrow | | | | | | | | Warrington | Warrington | 11 | | | | |
| bye | bye | | | | | | | | | | | |
| bye | bye | | Barrow | Barrow | 9 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Warrington | Warrington | 16 | | | | | | | |
| Huyton | Huyton | 2 | Warrington | Warrington | 16 | | | | | | | |
| Warrington | Warrington | 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Warrington | Warrington | 31 | | | | | | | | Warrington | Warrington | 26 |
| | | | | | | | | | | Wigan | Wigan | 10 |
| Blackpool Borough | Blackpool Borough | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | Wigan | Wigan | 10 |
| Widnes | Widnes | 31 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Widnes | Widnes | 31 | Widnes | Widnes | 22 | | | | | | | |
| | | | St. Helens | St. Helens | 20 | | | | | | | |
| Workington Town | Workington Town | 5 | St. Helens | St. Helens | 20 | | | | | | | |
| St. Helens | St. Helens | 15 | | | | | | | | | | |
| St. Helens | St. Helens | 15 | | | | Widnes | Widnes | 10 | | | | |
| | | | | | | Wigan | Wigan | 14 | | | | |
| Whitehaven | Whitehaven | | | | | | | | Wigan | Wigan | 14 | | | | |
| bye | bye | | | | | | | | | | | |
| bye | bye | | Whitehaven | Whitehaven | 10 | | | | | | | |
| | | | Wigan | Wigan | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Wigan | Wigan | 25 | Wigan | Wigan | 13 | | | | | | | |
| Rochdale Hornets | Rochdale Hornets | 10 | | | | | | | | | | |