Well, it was Rugby League!

It had to happen. Clubs in the round ball code were looking for extra income, particularly from under-utilised grounds, while the professional oval ball game was looking to expand beyond its traditional boundaries. The inevitable result was that football clubs and rugby league clubs would join forces and play from a single ground.

The trendsetters were Fulham and unlike what happens currently where football clubs and rugby union clubs share grounds but remain independent organisations, Fulham FC formed at Rugby League club in their name and entered the Second Division of the Rugby League.

There first competitive match could hardly have been against better opposition - Wigan, who were having something of a 'blip' in their fortunes at the time. In the match played at Craven Cottage on Sunday September 14th 1980 Fulham won 24-5 and both clubs were to go on to win promotion in the 1980/81 season.

The crowd that day was 9554 which was to be Fulham's best League gate of the season (home or away) although they did attract higher attendances at Craven Cottage in cup matches against Leeds (12,583) and Wakefield Trinity (15,013). However with the average home attendance being over 6000 - and having gained promotion - the experiment was considered an initial success.

Rugby League hadn't had a home in London since the 1930s so Fulham offering a home for the sport was a major coup for the Rugby League authorities. However they were not alone and both Cardiff City and Carlisle followed their lead in the 1981/82 season. But while London still has its Rugby League side (which has descended from Fulham although no longer part of Fulham FC) that particular experiment did not prove to be a long-term success.