6th November….
Having been promoted for the first time the previous season New Hunslet were getting their chance to test themselves against the most famous clubs in the game and today in 1977 in the John Player Trophy it was the club’s first game against Wigan since the 1965 Wembley final. Although Wigan had lost their last two home games they would still have been confident of a comfortable afternoon against the new boys who had only won three games. However they had recently added New Zealanders Gary Kemble and Lyndsay Proctor to add some class to the team and they gave Wigan an almighty fright. Inspired by captain Frank Davies and with a tremendous performance by front row Proctor, Ian Payne and George Standidge they took Wigan all the way before succumbing 7-9.
In the same competition in 1983 Hunslet travelled over the hill again, this time to Station Road, Swinton. Phil Tate, Geoff Wright and Bryan Murrell scored tries which should have been enough against a side who only scored one try. However they were to be undone by Swinton stand-off Danny Wilson who, apart from getting their try also dropped five goals. Four Ken Jones goals sealed a 17-16 victory with Hunslet rueing an injury to goalkicker Eric Fitzsimons as Billy Foley missed the conversion attempt after the third try with the score at 16-16.
Making his debut today in 1948 at home to Leigh was winger Keith Bowman. He had signed from Pocklington RU and would make 113 appearances and score 56 tries. In his last season at Hunslet, 1952/53, he played twice for Yorkshire, scoring a try in his first against Cumberland and being on the end of an 11-55 hiding against the touring Australians. He had played against the Aussies earlier in their tour for Hunslet but was again in a well beaten side, this time 2-49. Shortly after his 2nd County game he left Hunslet for Hull, following in his father Harold’s footsteps. He would add a further six County caps to his record while at the Boulevard.
Keith Bowman
In 1965, having already won the series against the New Zealand tourists, Great Britain had a dead rubber against them at Wigan. Kenny Eyre and Bill Ramsey were in the pack and Geoff Shelton in the centre as the sides fought out a 9-9 draw in what was described as a drab game.
7th November….
In 1908 Hunslet played a touring side for the second time when they faced Australia at Parkside. Hunslet, obviously looking to cash in when there was no other football in the city, increased their admission to one shilling but it backfired when only 6,000 turned up. The Aussies had beaten Yorkshire comfortably two days earlier 24-5 at The Boulevard and fielded their strongest side. Early on Australia scored directly from a scrum, Dally Messenger converting. After two missed penalties by Messenger, Albert Goldthorpe put a short kick through which Billy Batten was first to reach and he knocked the ball back for Bill Jukes to score. Albert missed the conversion. A further converted try by the visitors against a Billy Batten try and Goldthorpe penalty gave Australia a 10-8 half-time lead. This was extended by a drop goal which is how it stood until the 70th minute when Herbert Place charged a kick and a Goldthorpe, Batten and Jack Randall passing move saw the last named score wide out. The goal kick was missed as was a late Goldthorpe penalty attempt and the tourists held on for a 12-11 win. This game was depicted in a 1988 film called The First Kangaroos where Dennis Waterman played Albert Goldthorpe as a hard drinking, smoking, dirty player – absolutely the opposite of how Albert lived his life and played his football.
Back in 1896 Albert was representing Yorkshire against Cheshire at Hull along with team-mate Owen Walsh. He got a drop goal from a penalty and a conversion, although he did miss a try when he intercepted a Cheshire pass but dropped the ball. Yorkshire won 17-10.
Three players were on duty for Yorkshire in 1910’s Roses match at Wigan – Bill Jukes, Fred Smith and Albert Jenkinson. Yorkshire suffered a blow early in the game when winger Stacey was hurt and was a limping passenger until half-time when he was forced to retire. After twenty minutes half-back Grey got a kick in the groin and had to leave the field leaving the Tykes to play the second half with 11 men. Captain Jukes led his depleted forwards manfully and Jenkinson played up to his reputation, scoring a try but the extra two men of Lancashire proved to be too much as they ran out 17-3 winners. A fourth Hunslet man on show was referee Frank Renton.
Harry Beverley took his place in England’s side for the 1936 game against Wales at Pontypridd. Injury again played a part as England winger Stott had to leave the field with an ankle injury in the first half and Wales took advantage to win 3-2 on a dismal day.
In 1954 in Bordeaux Sam Smith was hooking for England against France in the World Cup. Puig-Aubert, the French goalkicker, was usually reliable but missed seven out of nine kicks which would have won the match and it ended in stalemate at 13-13.
1984’s John Player Trophy brought Workington Town to Elland Road for a Wednesday night Preliminary round tie. Having won in Cumbria 10 days earlier Hunslet would be confident of progressing but Town won a tight game 6-2.
