Rams mark 1973 triumph

Dewsbury beat local rivals Leeds to claim the crown, and now plan to pull out all the stops in celebration of the club’s finest hour.

A reunion dinner will be held at The Tetley’s Stadium on Friday with members of the 1973 squad. The dinner will be a hot buffet and guests will have the chance to mingle with the ’73 heroes.

Tickets to the dinner cost £10 and can be bought from Rams general manager Angie Burkinshaw on 01924 465489 or by emailing [email protected].

Nostalgic matchday programmes in the style of the 1973 editions will also be available at Rams games in the build-up to the anniversary, while fans will have the opportunity to get their hands on special commemorative shirts emblazoned with the names of all 17 members of the Championship-winning squad.

This year’s home kit has been carefully modelled to resemble that of the 1973 squad, down to the thickness of the iconic stripes and the black square on which the squad number sits.

The club is also hoping to hold a special friendly match between Rams Legends and GB Allstars later in the year.

In June, the Rams will be hosting a celebration along with Dewsbury Town Team, a campaign group made up of locals who want to improve the town centre.

The event will mark not only the 40th anniversary of the Championship triumph, but also the arrival of the Rugby League World Cup in England, ahead of which both Dewsbury and Batley are holding RLWC festivals.

Another celebration of the 1973 Championship will be held at the Camra Beer Festival at Dewsbury Town Hall on May 16.

To mark the anniversary of one of the region’s finest sporting triumphs, the Reporter Series will also be producing a special eight-page supplement on Thursday May 23 and Friday May 24.

The supplement will feature interviews with members of the victorious squads, a reminder of how Dewsbury made it to the famous final with Leeds and a selection of pictures from the game.

Anyone with any memories of the 1973 team can get in touch by emailing reporter [email protected], or on Twitter at @MorleyOb_Jamie.