I played for the club from the mid 1950’s to 1969. During that period Warrington didn’t really win much, but we did win the Lancashire Cup twice. In 1959 we beat St Helens, who were a team of internationals and were hot favourites. We played them at Wigan in front of over 40,000 fans. We went on to win the cup again in 1966 when we beat Rochdale.
Training was twice a week, Tuesday and Thursday on an evening after work. 6pm till 8pm. We used to think we’d trained really hard but going by today’s standards it really wasn’t that intense, if I had my time over again, knowing what the lads do now, I’d have trained a lot harder.
We’d do sprinting first. We had a professional sprinter, Harry Lloyd, who coached us and it di put yards on us. We’d sprint on the cinders at the back of the stands at Wilderspool then we’d go onto the field and do a few laps. It was basically P.E.
When we got to the final in 1961 against Leeds, we had daylight training, where our employers let us off early to train in the afternoon, which was a real novelty. I’d only just got into the first team when I was first brought in for daylight training, in February 1958. I remember we were having a meal together after training when Ces Mountford our manager came in and said there’d been a plane crash involving the Manchester United team. They didn’t have any news on casualties, I was only 17 or 18 at the time but I always remember where I was when I heard the news.
A game that sticks in my mind was the Challenge Cup semi final when we played Wakefield, who went on to win it at Wembley against Wigan. We played the semi final at Swinton and they beat us 5-4. It was a really tight game and with about a quarter of an hour to go our centre Joe Pickavance made a break in the middle. It was probably the only break we made in the whole game. He’d never kicked in his life. He had Jackie Edwards on one side and Bobby Greenhough, one of the fastest half-backs to have ever played the game on his other side. A full back to beat, all he needed to do was draw the full-back and pass it either way, so barring a knock on we’d score under the sticks. Joe chose to kick it and the ball went dead. At 3 points for a try and 2 for a conversion in those days, had we scored from that break I’m sure we’d have gone on to win it.
The following week when went to Wakefield for the league match and absolutely thrashed them! Bobby Greenhough got a standing ovation, he played superbly and got a hat trick.
I really enjoyed my time playing rugby, even though it has left me disabled. The medical side of things is so much better nowadays. Back then all your manager was interested in was getting you patched up and back on the field as soon as possible! But that was the norm.
Alastair Brindle
Comment from Lee Stephens, May 13 2013: Hi Ally, I posted a memory just before yours. You went far further than me in the game, and whilst I never saw you play, my Uncle Fred Leigh (who played for Widnes) talked about you, and I just remember Joey Pickavance & Brian Glover being a formidable left-side pair! What your first post did remind me about, was the Tuesday/Thursday training, and Tommy Lomax (in his woolly hat!) taking boxing sessions at Warrington Gym near Parr Hall. Great times!
Warrington Wolves v Hull FC Superleague memories game 17th May 2013
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Memory added on May 8, 2013
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