In 1938 Leeds Corporation Transport were proposing an express tramway from Middleton to the city centre which would pass Parkside. The Yorkshire Evening Post reported they were to apply to Leeds City Council for permission to construct a station stop to serve Parkside, The platform would have to carry passengers over a “ravine” through which a stream runs. The club would install turnstiles at this point.
In 1974/75 the value of a drop goal was dropped from two points to one. The honour of scoring Hunslet’s first one pointer fell to Geoff Nicholls today in 1974 at Barrow. Barrow levelled the scores 14-14 in injury time with their own drop goal. In February 1975 it was the first time we only scored one point in a match. It was at Whitehaven and Allan Agar was the man responsible in a 1-14 defeat. Hunslet were not the first, however, as Blackpool Borough lost 5-1 to Huyton earlier in the season. We did a repeat in 1979, though, going down 1-6 at Hull. There was a story about a rugby union player signed by Leeds who dropped a goal when something like 30 points down. His team mates asked him what he was doing dropping a goal at that point in the game. His answer – “well, if we’d have all dropped one it would have been a closer game”!
Geoff Nicholls
There were two representative games today over the years and Hunslet had seven players involved in them. First, in 1930, it was Yorkshire v Cumberland at Whitehaven. Jack Walkington (captain), Hector Crowther and Billy Thornton were the Hunslet players. Thornton was criticized in the Athletic News for not using the possession his forwards gained, but later in the report said it was his three-quarters who frequently dropped the ball. Two goals gave Cumberland a 4-0 lead but a second-half penalty by the White Rose and a 77th minute try took Yorkshire home 5-4.
The second was Yorkshire v New Zealand in 1965 at Castleford. Half the pack were from Hunslet with Kenny Eyre, Dennis Hartley and Bill Ramsey and Geoff Shelton was at centre. The match was the first under the new Wheldon Road floodlights. 14,000 watched the County side defeat the Tourists 15-8. Shelton came nearest of the Hunslet contingent to score but was dropped a yard from the line. Arthur Keegan missed five out of eight goals which would have made the result more emphatic.
Two prominent debutants today. First in 1920 was winger Albert Everson at Leigh. He had signed from Horsforth Woodside Trinity and played in the 1905 Yorkshire Cup final. He played in the two Yorkshire Trials in 1906 but was not called up to the county side. In six season he played 123 goals and scored 22 tries.
Albert Everson
In 1933 goal-kicking forward Cliff Whitehead made his bow at home to Bramley. He signed from Hunslet Supporters and played for around a year before transferring to Leeds where he played 78 games in four seasons. He returned to Hunslet for the 1938/39 season and played until 1946/47 when he moved to Batley, He was restricted in missing three of the wartime seasons but he still played 140 times and scored 18 tries an 133 goals.
The 2009 season ended today with a play-off match at Oldham. Still in the game at half-time Hunslet fell apart at the start of the second, losing 30-54.Michael Brown and Michael Mark both had 11 tries and Darren Robinson had 52 goals.
For 1950’s Yorkshire Cup Quarter-final at Parkside Dewsbury were the visitors. Les Williams scored in the first five minutes in the corner with no conversion and that was it for Hunslet. Scrums went 45-30 and penalties 18-7 to Dewsbury so it was a backs to the wall show. Dewsbury did get a goal back but 13,000 saw Hunslet go through 3-2.
In 1961 it was a visit to York, also in the quarter-final final. It was another backs to the wall after Geoff Shelton went off with suspected broken ribs and Stan Moyser was sent off. The 11 men tried their best but were overcome 9-31.
Following 2014’s Grand Final win, Hunslet’s tenure in the 2015 Championship was brief as they were relegated after one season . Eight wins in thirty games was Hunslet’s return, ending with a 12-60 loss at Batley in the Championship Shield. Jack Lee was top try scorer with 13 and Simon Brown got 59 goals.
