Wigan Album
Wigan Rugby Players
10 CommentsPhoto: Keith
Item #: 32588
Standing left to right:- Tom Hesketh (Director), Vic Johnson, Johnny Lawrenson, Jack Cunliffe, Martin Ryan (all 4 Wigan players), Hermus Llewellyn (Guest), a second Director, name unknown.
In front:- Teddy Parkes Trainer and ex Highfield RL player, Tommy Bradshaw (Wigan player), Unknown perhaps the Kit man.
Johnny, Jack, Martin and Tommy all local talent were to have fantastic careers with the club.
In total they played nearly 1,300 games for the first team between them.
It looks like this photo could have been taken on the old training pitch, Keith at the back of the spion kop end.
Ian, l wondered that at first, but if you look to the extreme left you can just see part of the goalpost at the far end of the pitch. On the extreme right you can see St George’s school, so they are on the main pitch.
Is that St Georges's to the right, if so could be on the main pitch, in front of the Hen Pen. Not sure. Good photo.
I'm not sure now about the location!
I thought that may have been Woodfield / the old girls high school on the right?
I do recall them having rugby posts on the training pitch but l cant remember them being that tall.
Great photo though.
Thank you to all for those nice comments. Ian, just to re-assure you regarding location, this wasn't the only photo my father took that day, 80 years ago.
All of them showing the various groups planted firmly on the Central Park pitch. This wasn't a training session, if so they might have been found on the training pitch. I'll dig out some of the other photos and post them at some stage.
Just for the record I believe the player, 2nd in from the left standing is as stated, Vic Johnson who was at the club between 1939 - 1942. He made 18 first team appearances and scored 11 tries.
I m going to agree with the comments that it is on the main pitch. The bank that you can see would be the Kop end before it was covered
I like the look of the Trainer - the type to see the good in someone.
Hi Philip, I understand the trainer's son was Arthur Parkes. He attended Wigan Grammar School, eventually becoming a Headmaster at a school in Cornwall.
Thanks Keith. 'Insight' a part of the Parkes' nature then.