Researching players from the 1980s was quite a difficult task as records for some - if not most - were simply absent. Yet, a few names continuously stood out from the rest for not only the amount of games they played in a Castleford shirt, but for how much they were respected and how much adulation they were given by the Castleford fans. For the purposes of this article, the 1979-80 season will not be included because it began in the era before, but the 1989-90 season will be.
The 1980s proved to be quite a successful decade for the West Yorkshire side; they won the Challenge Cup in 1986 - beating Hull KR in a tense, nail-biting affair in which only a missed conversion - the last kick of the game - by Rovers' kicker John Dorahy handed Castleford the trophy in a 15-14 victory.
And, whilst Castleford finished 12th in the 1981-82 and 1984-85 season - just a place above the relegation zone - the club ended the decade with a 7.4 average finish in the table.
Throughout the years, Castleford have prided themselves on producing local talent. In this respect, it is no surprise that those players mentioned were all from the town or surrounding area - not one was born outside the Wakefield district.
The Beardmore twins
Though including the Beardmore twins as one is perhaps cheating, the duo were inseparable away from the pitch and on it they formed an incredible partnership. Born on Tuesday 21 June, 1960, Bob and Kevin Beardmore grew up to be keen players from an early age - like most in the Castleford area.
Whilst Bob was a half-back, Kevin plied much of his trade as a hooker and even had a dalliance at prop. And, though Bob played for Castleford for 11 years - compared to Kevin's 14 - the former registered 293 appearances for the club as opposed to Kevin's 247.
During the 1980s, the duo were pivotal in everything that Castleford did well; Bob played at half-back in Castleford's Yorkshire Cup victories in the 1981-82 and 1986-87 seasons, whilst Kevin missed the 1981-82 final, but played at hooker in the 1986-87 final.
More importantly, both had stellar games in Castleford's impressive 15-14 Challenge Cup victory over Hull KR at the old Wembley in 1986. Bob especially took home much of the glory, scoring a try, kicking a drop-goal and winning the Lance Todd Trophy. Bob's records do not end there however. He held Castleford's "Most Points in a Season" title with 334 points scored in the 1983-84 season for 33 years until Luke Gale ended the remarkable run in 2017.
Kevin scored 80 tries in 247 appearances and also won three Yorkshire caps, one England cap and 14 Great Britain caps whilst at his hometown club. Bob, on the other hand, scored an agonising 99 tries in 293 appearances, but he also kicked 518 goals as well as nine drop goals to earn himself an astonishing overall points haul of 1397. Remarkably though, Bob was never called up to the county or national side.
Barry Johnson
Dubbed a 'gentle giant' by those that knew him, Barry Johnson was a formidable prop forward that played a vital role in Castleford's cup successes in the 1980s. Between 1979 and 1989, Johnson registered 222 appearances, scoring 22 tries in the process and, remarkably, kicking one goal in the 1986-87 First Division season.
Johnson was like few prop forwards in the '80s, in fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that he was ahead of time. Barry was in the mould of props today - a ball-handling, mobile forward that also had an intelligent rugby brain. It was unfortunate for Johnson that he was never called up to the national side as he was a brilliant ambassador for his hometown club as well as the game in the general.
John Joyner
John Joyner was one of the best ever players to don a Castleford shirt, not just in the 1980s but throughout the club's 92-year history. Joyner was a special character; he played all of his career at Wheldon Road and in a number of positions. Centre and stand-off were the positions which John played at for the majority of his 20 years at the club, although he became an excellent loose-forward as he entered the last five years of his career.
The club ran through his veins and after retiring he took up the role as head coach in 1993.
Throughout his time at Castleford, John won the Player's No.6 Trophy (which later became the Regal Trophy), three Yorkshire Cups and was captain of the infamous Challenge Cup winning side in 1986. Joyner was a frightening player to go up against, but the kind of person one would want on their side. He was tough, physical and always capable of something brilliant. It was no surprise therefore that he earned Yorkshire (seven), England (four) and Great Britain (17) caps whilst with his boyhood club - most of which came in the 1980s.
Whilst at Castleford, Joyner notched up an impressive 613 appearances and 185 tries.
For Castleford, Joyner was the go-to man; he was at the hub of everything Castleford did well in the '80s and was one of the most talented and determined players to ever grace the Wheldon Road turf.
Tony Marchant
Born on 22 December 1962, Tony Marchant will forever be remembered for one particular moment in the 1980s. It was the Challenge Cup Final against Hull KR in 1986 when Marchant firmly etched his name into Castleford folklore. Taking an offload from the ever industrious Kevin Ward, the speedy centre burst through a massive gap around halfway and, when the commentator and most Castleford fans felt he should have passed to winger David Plange to score in the corner, Marchant backed himself, sold an outrageous dummy and charged over the line for one of the greatest tries to ever have been scored at Wembley.
The 5 ft 11 Marchant began his Castleford career in 1982 and went on to score 98 tries in 257 games over a period of seven years, before he left for Bradford Northern in 1989. Whilst at Wheldon Road, Marchant earned four Yorkshire caps and three Great Britain caps whilst also being part of the Castleford team that won the 1986-87 Yorkshire Cup and the 1986 Challenge Cup. A hard-working, defensively solid and exciting attacker, Marchant was a real stalwart of the club in the '80s. He even returned to the club in 1995 for one last hurrah at the age of 32, registering three tries in nine appearances before retiring in 1996.
Kevin Ward
To have left this man off the list would have been a catastrophe; arguably the greatest prop forward Castleford have ever had, Kevin Ward was born in Wakefield on Tuesday 5 August, 1957.
He played his early career rugby with amateur side Stanley Rangers before Castleford picked him up at the age of 20. Initially, Ward was a centre before he made the inspired move to the forward pack.
Known for his bullocking runs, impressive offloads and the ability to punch holes through any defensive line, Ward was an incredible player with an engine that most forwards today would be envious of. He spent 11 seasons at Castleford from 1978 to 1989 - although he only made his debut in 1980 - and recorded 74 tries in 313 tries before leaving for St Helens.
At Castleford, he won two Yorkshire Cups (in the 1981-82 and 1986-87 seasons) and, of course, was a key member of the Challenge Cup winning side in 1986.
His rampaging run and superb offload to Tony Marchant in that final will forever be remembered by Castleford fans old enough to recall the moment. An international-quality player, Ward appeared once for Yorkshire in 1987 and 18 times for Great Britain, becoming one of the nation's most fearsome props. It was therefore sad that Ward's career ended on Good Friday 1993 when he sustained a horrific leg break in St Helens' fixture against Wigan.
