Liverpool Stanley

In 1921–22, the club made an application for full Rugby League status, but it was decided that their Tunstall Lane ground was not big enough.

By incorporating a field, it was possible to increase the size of the ground and in the 1922–23 season the club entered the Rugby League as Wigan Highfield.

Highfield generally struggled in the lower half of the league tables but in 1927–1928 they managed to finish above Wigan in 7th place on points percentage.

[citation needed] In 1926, the touring New Zealand Rugby League side visited Tunstall Lane, winning 14–2 in front of approximately 2,000 spectators.

The owner of the stadium, Brigadier-General A C Critchley, was impressed enough to take over Wigan Highfield, who had finished second from bottom in the league, and agreed to pay off their debts.

Highfield's first home game on 20 September 1933 was against Wakefield Trinity in front of a crowd of around 6,000 spectators, which they lost narrowly 9 points to 8.

Despite this reasonable success, the White City Company deemed the venture unprofitable and decided not to continue with rugby league beyond the first season.

Player's match fees and expenses, plus compensating other team's travel costs contributed largely to the club's loss that year of £8,000.

However, later in their career, due to acute money shortages, the club relied upon handouts and donations, most notably from Mrs Rose Kyle and clothing coupons from supporters.

For the start of the 1950–51 season, the club moved to Mill Yard, Knotty Ash and was renamed Liverpool City RLFC.

City developed the Knotty Ash stadium within their meagre means, mainly by fencing it and erecting a small grandstand.

In July 1964, the club's board were informed by the Carmelite convent that owned the land that their lease on Knotty Ash would not be renewed.

When these clubs were elected into the Rugby Football League, Runcorn FC withdrew its application and decided to allow Huyton RLFC to move to their ground instead.

Much of their tenure at Runcorn was generally unsuccessful and they drew little local support which was a contributing factor to their eventual departure from Canal Street.

However, the directors had the game switched to Central Park in exchange for a fee from Wigan, on the grounds that Canal Street did not have the capacity.

The team that faced Wigan comprised a number of trialists and reserves together with the coach, Bill Ashurst, who had come out of retirement.

Paul Woods was a Welsh rugby union and league player, who turned out for Runcorn Highfield towards the end of his career.

Robin Whitfield[4] who, after completing his playing career, became a top class referee Geoff Fletcher who went from player to coach to manager to board member Bill Ashurst was a player coach, another who completed his playing days with Runcorn Highfield In their first season, Highfield finished 14th out of 20 clubs in Division Two, and reached the second round of the Challenge Cup.

Chief Executive Maurice Lindsay wanted to reduce the number of clubs in the lower division of the league in 1993.

They lost to amateurs Beverley 27–4 in the Challenge Cup and their final game (played at Rochdale Hornets' ground on 23 April 1995) was a humiliating 104–4 defeat by Keighley.

Chairman Geoff Fletcher accepted a one-off payment of about £30,000 for the club to resign from the Rugby Football League.