Sport in Short: Rugby League

SCARBOROUGH Pirates, of the Third Division, folded yesterday with debts of pounds 60,000. A shareholders' meeting agreed to place the club in voluntary liquidation after a last-minute rescue package failed to attract enough interest. Geoffrey Richmond, the chairman and sole director who has put pounds 163,000 into the club since its formation a year ago, blamed a shortage of spectators, rather than financial worries. By the end of last season, home matches were attracting fewer than 200 supporters. The Pirates made a trading loss of pounds 220,000 last season, with transfer fees and players wages costing pounds 235,000.

OLDHAM, who are pounds 600,000 in debt, may soon stage speedway meetings on their greyhound track at the Watersheddings ground.

CASTLEFORD have extended their sponsorship with Hickson, the chemical company, by two years.

LEEDS have transfer-listed Phil Ford, the former Welsh rugby union winger, at pounds 30,000. Ford joined Leeds from Bradford Northern in 1989 for pounds 90,000.

ST HELENS, the holders, face Barrow, of the Third Division, in the first round of the Greenalls Lancashire Cup on 13 September.

GREENALLS LANCASHIRE CUP First round: Swinton v Highfield, Salford v Whitehaven, Oldham v Warrington, Barrow v St Helens, Rochdale Hornets v Wigan, Blackpool Gladiators v Workington, Widnes v Carlisle, Leigh v Chorley Borough.