AB SUNDECKS 1895 CUP – Fixtures & Format 2024

01 December 2023

Lions look to break Wembley hoodoo (again!)

The Lions will kick-off their competitive fixtures in 2024 with a visit to North Wales Crusaders in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup on Sunday 28 January – venue and kick-off time to be advised.

This game against last year’s League 1 promotion play-off finalists is part of a new-look 1895 Cup, which comprises of seven groups, each containing three clubs, who play each other once on a round-robin basis. The seven group winners then progress to the quarter-finals, alongside the runner-up with the best playing record from the group stages.

A week later at Heywood Road (4th February @ 3pm), Swinton will face Widnes in what is sure to be an emotional reunion with some old friends as well as a cracking and attractive match! Both the Lions and the Vikings will feel North Wales are beatable, therefore the group winners may well be decided by the showdown at Heywood Road.

The Lions got to within one game of Wembley back in 2021 when we went down in a semi-final at York after defeating Newcastle Thunder and Oldham. But that effort aside, the 1895 Cup has not been particularly kind to us and Wembley continues to elude us.

However, an optimistic Swinton Head Coach, Alan Kilshaw, said, “The new structure gives everyone a genuine chance of progression to Wembley, which presents every club with a great opportunity.

“We want to be competitive in every game and competition we play in, and the 1895 Cup in the new year will be no different. The two teams we have been paired with we know well, and there will be plenty of motivation on all sides for all sorts of reasons! We are really looking forward to the battles ahead!”

Ticket information for both games will be announced soon.