Wigan Album

It's got to be, I would have thought, the Wigan Championship play-off team of 1950 who beat Huddersfield without 8 of their top players who were on their way to Australia with the GB tourists. They beat Huddersfield, 20 - 2 against all the odds at Maine Road, Manchester on 13th May 1950. From the front, Mountford, Blan, Silcock, Ward, Nordgren, Large, Broome, Barton, Hudson, Slevin, Roughley, McIntyre, Alty. I trust I have identified Large and McIntyre correctly. For the record the 8 missing Wigan players were. Ryan, Hilton, Gee, Bradshaw, Egan, Cunlife, Ashcroft and Ratcliffe - what strength in depth Wigan had in those days.

Only just realised it is the Championship Cup.

I was there. A young Nat Silcock, a second row forward, played on the wing against the mighty Lionel Cooper, and Ces Mountford inspired the team to glory.

Spot on with the players I think, a crowd of 65000 watched the match. What would elf and safety think? Billy Blan used to joke that my father had finally passed to him when he scored his try!