This week I’ve been cataloguing financial records in the Rugby Football League collection. These records include cash books, records of gate receipts, correspondence and statistics.

Financial records are often quite difficult to catalogue and may not always be the most exciting on the surface. However, they can give a valuable insight into the fortunes, expansion (and contraction) of an organisation for those who are willing to look beyond the rows of figures to find their meaning.

Amongst the financial records relating to tours by the Great Britain team to Australasia and the Australian team to Great Britain are hand drawn maps showing the increase (or decrease!) in gate takings in Australia and New Zealand from 1946-1961.