I was sitting in the stand at Lang Park, Brisbane watching a game when I shouted down to my old friend Eric Harris, the legendary Leeds winger of the ‘30s, and asked him how it came about that he ended up as a nineteen year old from Toowoomba playing on the other side of the world at Headingley.
‘It was here at this ground, which was known as Browns Field then’, he told me. ‘I was playing for Brisbane Wests in a game and the referee ran past me and said “Harris I hear you want to play in England”.
I told him I did and every time he ran alongside me he gave me little bit more information.
“A man will come and see you” he said, “and you’ll play for a team called Rochdale Hornets”. I thought little more about it but a few weeks later a man did come to the door and my mother answered and said it was about playing in England.
“Oh, so you’re the agent for Rochdale” I said. “Definitely not” replied the man I recognised as Jeff Moores. “I’m the captain of Leeds and you’re coming to Headingley. It’s a good club, they’ll pay you well if you make it and there’s a new college just being built- Carnegie, you can go there to finish your studies and then they’ll get you a job as a teacher”.
So I was on my way’. ‘How much did they offer to pay you?’ I asked him. ‘There was no signing on fee, but after four games they gave me £450 which was a season’s wages in those days.’ I was absolutely amazed that he had risked everything without a guarantee, but then he told me a similar tale of when the time came to leave the club ten glorious seasons later:
‘I had married a Leeds girl by then and we had a young son. It was early 1939 and war clouds were gathering and after a lot of soul-searching I decided that it was best to take the family home to Australia and asked for a meeting with the Chairman Sir Edwin Airey. Although small in stature- most of his players towered over him and I was six foot one- he was extremely firm. I eventually got the call to go and see him and stood, almost to attention, at the end of his desk. He looked up and asked me why I wanted to see him. “Well, Sir Edwin”, I said, “I have been here for quite a while and always given of my best. I’ve scored 391 tries in 383 appearances- many of them vital ones, I’ve broken all the try scoring records for the club and always behaved honourably when representing the colours.
In view of the political situation in Europe I would like to be released to return home for the good of my family and would the club be prepared to pay the passage” which was at a cost of forty-five pounds.
Sir Edwin looked up and over at me and thought for a minute before replying, “There is no doubt that you have served this club with distinction. As you say, you have thrilled the crowds with some spectacular performances and won many medals.
For each of those you have been very well paid, so the club will not reimburse your passage”. How ironic I thought, I came for nothing and left for nothing.’
Harry Jepson
Originally published in 'Headingley Rugby Voices' Recollections of supporters, compiled by Phil Caplan.
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Memory added on November 26, 2012
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