Wigan Album
Wigan Rugby Team
3 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 24133
However it gave a rare opportunity for a certain George Newey to try and fill Jim’s boots on this occasion. The other “notable” aspect of this photo was that it shows a certain Chuck Feiger in his one and only appearance for the Wigan first team.
The great Alf Ellaby is also present. Alf had already had a fantastic career with St Helens, his Wigan career wasn’t bad either, in 3 seasons he played 102 games and scored 90 tries before returning to St Helens for the twilight of his career.
Wigan won this match,10 -8 but I’m not sure why Wigan are not playing in their usual cherry and white strip since Huddersfield’s kit didn’t clash with theirs.
You have dug this one out Keith.I was 3 years old.My father talked about these players,The only one I saw play was George Banks and that was 10 years later.and then Hector Gee was landlord of The Star" at Roby Mill and Gwinne Davies owned the West Lancashire Cabinet Co at Rose Bridge. I must admit I had never heard of Chuck Felger .and many of these players are Wigan folklore including " Darky Bennet" ( A racial name not acceptable today)
AB, I quite agree about the epithet given to George Bennett but quite "normal" in those distant innocent days. Chuck Feiger came from a Barrow club, with a name like that I did wonder if he'd played American football.
Gwynne's grandson? I think still has a Grocery/Newsagents shop in Wigan Lane/Swinley area or at least it was there a few years ago when my father used to take his papers from there.
Like many footballers before and after him, including my father, Hector Gee became a pub Landlord, his pub was at Roby Mill. My father's were at Birkett Bank - The Crispin, and the Wellfield Hotel at Beech Hill.
Two others, George Banks and Ken Gee also kept pubs. George who came from Yorkshire, had a pub in Pontefract, apparently his younger brother is still around.
Thanks Keith, one of the regulars at the Crispin was Bob Anglesea his son Bob went to school with me and served his time as a cabinet Maker at West Lancs and I am still in contact with him. In the last year at school (1948) we were taken on a visit to West Lancs and Bob and others went to work there