7th June….
The 1977/78 Rugby League Retained and Released List for Hunslet shows brothers Ian and Martin Nicholson signing for the club today. Ian would play for Great Britain Colts and make his first team debut in September 1979. In October 1980 he scored four tries against Doncaster equalling the New Hunslet record set by Steve Lane six weeks earlier. He would play 76 times for Hunslet scoring 25 tries.
Martin would have to wait until December 1980 for his debut at Fulham and went on to play 40 games and score 2 tries and was “A” Team player of the year in 1980/81.
8th June….
The Lions tours to Australasia were underway and the 1966 team were in Rockhampton to play Central Queensland with Geoff Shelton at centre. It’s reported that the Aussie forwards were superior to the GB pack and won the game 10-5. The Lions were without skipper Harry Poole and vice-captain Ken Gowers.
Back at home, having won the Yorkshire Cup and gained promotion to Division One, in 1963 Hunslet travelled to Workington to take part in a benefit match for Town’s Harry Archer. On the hotest day in Cumbria for four years, it seems tackling was banned and both sides only played attacking players! The only match report found gave up at half time with Town 24-22 in front. The final score was 62-53 to Workington. The scorers we know about in the first half were Billy Walker two tries, Barry Lee one try, John Griffiths two tries and Ronnie Watts one try. Langton kicked two goals.
9th June….
The 1957 World Cup was held in Australia and Great Britain played a warm-up game on their arrival in Perth. On a very muddy Perth Cricket Ground they strolled to a 66-5 win over Western Australia. Geoff Gunney kicked 6 goals.
10th June….
Closer to home and in 2003 Craig “Batman” Ibbetson was in the National League Under 21’s facing up to their Super League Counterparts at Leigh. It turned out a rather one sided match, Super League winning 52-12.
In the early 20th century Australia must have seemed a lot further away than it does today, with no messaging services, emails etc giving instant contact with home. The early tours had telegrams for match reports etc. but these were expensive and a letter would take six weeks by ship. Airmail started in the thirties and by the time Alf “Ginger” Burnell was on the 1954 tour it would take typically around five days to get a letter home. Alf took advantage of the service and one of his letters was kindly shared with the club recently and is reproduced below. It refers to a minor operation Geoff Gunney was to have today.
