Legend has it that the teams after match washing facilities consisted of buckets of water in the back yard of East Row overlooking the field.

The early rounds in those days were two-legged affairs and in the first match played at the Recreation Ground, Kells lost by the narrowest of margins, 3–0.

In the late fifties Kells again reached the first round of the Challenge Cup drawing the powerful Hunslet side Parkside, losing 55–9.

Towards the end of the seventies Kells made two important developments which in retrospect perhaps account for their pre-eminence today, the set up of their youth system & the building of their own club house & changing rooms, which opened in 1980, thereby breaking their long established links with Haig Colliery.

The eighties saw this youth policy starting to pay dividends as Kells Under 19's appeared in two consecutive BARLA National Cup Finals.

In 1986 they lost out narrowly to Hunslet at Elland Road, while twelve months later drew 4–4 with Fulham at the Recreation Ground before losing the replay at Chiswick.