Syd Abram: First Ever Try Scorer at Wembley

A small request came to us from one of our Twitter followers @Noseyp1 who asked "please do something on Syd Abrahm he was my Grandma's cousin ;) all I have is one sentance and one pic x " so we could only oblige.

Syd Abram is the gentleman in question and played for Wigan between 1926-1932 appearing 171 times for the Cherry and Whites scoring 48 tries, 1 goal. Syd played at stand-off or centre in an immortal Wigan team that included Jim Sullivan, Johnny Ring, Tom Parker, Lou Brown and Wilf Hodder. Mr. Abram's claim to fame is that he scored the first ever Wembley try in the Cup Final against Dewsbury on May 4th 1929, at around 3.15pm. Wigan scrum-half Arthur Binks (who later was awarded the MOM) sent Abram away on a 40 yards dash but Syd was blocked trying to find Lou Brown. Abram then cleverly skipped around Dewsbury fullback Jack Davies to score in the corner and claim the first ever Wembley try. Jim Sullivan missed the conversion.

Syd played stand off that day but Syd nearly didn't get the chance to play for Wigan - he thought he wasn't good enough! In 1925 he signed on for Salford aged 19 but here came the twist. Syd had played in the Intermediate Section of the Wigan Junior League and the Wigan club had first claim on lads who play in this section. A rugby referee Frank Fairhurst told Wigan not to miss Abram, so after three weeks' stay at Salford, Syd came to Central Park, signing on in September 1925, as a stand-off.

Syd Abram proudly wearing his 1929-79
memorial Blazer

For about a season and a half Syd played in the Wigan "A" team until the day came for his call up. Tommy Howley, a main-stay in the Wigan squad got injured so Syd made his first appearance with the senior team as partner to Johnny Ring, of all people. Not at all daunting for a young lad. The opposition was Widnes at Naughton Park yet it was a good debut as Wigan won 35-2. Syd scored his first try on debut! Johnny Ring scored a hat-trick so not bad setting up Ring and scoring on debut! He went on to make 19 appearances that season, scoring 4 tries. After only making 8 appearances in the 1927/28 season, it was in the 1928/29 where Abram cemented his place in the Wigan first team. He made 40 appearances, scoring 10 tries, including his famous Wembley try. He once scored a hat-trick in 1929 against Broughton Rangers in a season where he made 43 appearances, scoring 13 times.

Syd began his career in Hindley, playing for Hindley St. Peters boys' team, and captained the Wigan Old Schoolboys when they lowered the colours of the unbeaten Hunslet Old Boys, beating them at Hunslet, on Easter Monday 1924 - The first bit of rugby Syd came to be proud of.

Fast forward to Syd's greatest moment and we're back at Wembley, 1929. The Wigan team only had 3 Wiganers in it: that of Syd Abram himself, John Bennett and Jack Sherrington. Dewsbury, on the other hand had a team full of local lads. Syd recalled many years later that great day:

"Our forwards mauled for the ball - the play-the-ball was different in those days - just around the centre line.

"A pass came to me and I simply started to run. I kept on going, all the time expecting to be challenged. I thought I may have to pass the ball but suddenly there was a gap. Lou Brown kept shouting "Keep going Syd" and then there was the line. One of their players just arrived to tackle me but it was too late, I was over.

"There was no kissing and cuddling like there is now. I just ran back towards our half and as I did one of our players shouted "Good lad Syd, the first man to score a try at Wembley and he comes from Wigan!"

"It was the first RL Final to be played at Wembley and we all thought it was very strange. We couldn't understand why it had to be played down South when all the fans had to travel from the North (5,000 Wiganers turned up). But once we settled down we thoroughly enjoyed the occasion.

Syd Abram celebrates crouched down next to Johnny Ring (left, bottom) holding his Winners Medal.

When Syd returned home to Hindley after the Cup win he was met off the tram by cheering crowds. "They carried me shoulder high down Liverpool Road and as we passed the Bridgewater public houses everyone threw their caps in the air and raised their beer mugs. It was a wonderful day.

"We each got £3.15s winning money and a £7 bonus. But the pack got ten bob less - the Club thought they didn't earn as much as the rest of the team!"

Syd was the youngest player that day, aged just 22. Amongst the three Wiganers, there were five Welshmen (Jim Sullivan, Johnny Ring, Tommy Parker, Wilf Hodder and Frank Stevens) a Scotsman (Roy Kinnear), and two New Zealanders (Lou's Brown & Mason)

The thing is, most people have never heard of Syd, or know that he scored the first ever Wembley try unless you look into it. Does that matter? Of course it does. It isn't just the Jim Sullivan's or Johnny Rings, names that roll off the tongue, that matter to Wigan's history, it is the team. If the great Tommy Howley didn't get injured then who knows what would have happened. Many people don't remember Mick Cassidy in the 1994 Wembley Cup Final against Leeds, but without his run, would Offiah have scored his second sensational, memorable try? Syd Abram matters to Wigan RL, so too does Lou Brown, Jim Slevin, Jimmy Birts... Syd wrote his name into the history books, Tommy Martyn knows how that feels scoring the last try at Central Park.

I hope this goes down well with
@Noseyp1 who wanted to know a bit about Syd. Wembley 1929 was his moment of history and an historic afternoon in the history of Wigan Rugby League. Syd's story didn't end there, he was later transferred to Bramley with whom he captained until he retired. He later became a fireman with the Royal Marines at Risley. In 1939 he passed the Rugby League referee's exam and went on to do some officiating.

If anyone would like to know anything just send an email (on site) or send a tweet @WiganRugbyPast on Twitter

Syd Abram is on the far left, front row with the Wigan team that won the Challenge Cup and Lancashire Cup



One Borough, One Cup, Two Teams

In the fourth round of the Challenge Cup in the 2013 edition, Wigan were drawn to face neighbours Leigh at the DW Stadium. The last time the two sides had met in competitive rugby was way back in 2005 when the Leigh Centurions were playing in the Super League competition. As always, Wigan have had an upper hand over Leigh since 1895, in time becoming the dominant rugby club in the Borough of Wigan.

Since then, Leythers have been jealous of their big brothers, often trying anything they can to have a go at Wigan, even supporting St Helens. A Challenge Cup game therefore is something special when won. In all, Wigan and Leigh have met 12 times in the Cup with Wigan winning 10 and Leigh only notching up 2 wins (technically, but you'll see if you read on). Here are the meetings for those interested:

1904/05: 22 March (h) WON 5-0 Round 1*
1923/24: 16 February (h) WON 7-5 Round 1
1934/35: 9 February (a) WON 44-0 Round 1
1938/39: 4 February (h) WON 33-0 Round 1
1948/49: 12 February (h) LOST 11-12 Round 1 (1st leg)
               26 February (a) WON 10-4 (2nd leg) (agg 21-16)*
1958/59: 11 April (Station Road, Swinton) WON 5-0 Semi Final
1967/68: 24 February (a) WON 20-2 Round 2
1969/70: 7 March (a) WON 6-4 Round 3
2002: 12 March (a) WON 30-16 Quarter Final

Leigh have enever knocked Wigan out of the Cup. Now... you may have seen a * appear in there once or twice. Firstly, let's look at the 1905 tie which Wigan won 5-0 at Central Park. The game was originally played at Mather Lane, Leigh on 4 March with the Leythers winning 3-0 but, due to them fielding an ineligible player the game was ordered to be replayed at Central Park. Luckily, Wigan won in a team which included legendary captain James Leytham and Johnny Thomas.

Secondly, we go back to February 1949 when Challenge Cup ties were played in 'legs'. Joe Egan, Ken Gee and Cec Mountford (to name but a few) failed to win the first leg, played at Central Park, losing 11-12. The second leg at Mather Lane, Leigh saw Brian Nordgren score a try and Ted Ward converting to see Wigan into a narrow win 5-4. With the aggregate score 16-16, extra time was not played as ruled, and the match was declared void. Instead, the game was ordered to be replayed in Leigh on 26th February in which Wigan won more easily 10-4 thanks to Nordgren and Ward doing the honours yet again.

In all, despite twice losing to Leigh, Wigan have never been knocked out of the Challenge Cup in 12 attempts since the 1904/05 season. It is interesting to note that Wigan and Leigh faced each other in the first round of the Cup for the first five encounters.

By the time Wigan and Leigh faced each other for the second time during the 1923/24 season Wigan had only lost once in the Challenge Cup at home. As this first round tie was at home, Wigan were fancied favourites. South African winger Attie Van Heerden was in devastating form at the time. A week before the Cup tie against Leigh, he scored no fewer than 5 tries against Hull KR, a nice warm up. Such was the attraction of this Cup tie, the Central Park secretaries had decided not to take any monies at the ground on match day but instead, told supporters to pre-purchase tickets beforehand or entry would be refused. The idea of this was to keep the crowd levels DOWN so that there wasn't to be thousands of fans locked out on match day. Due to a big crowd being expected, the Central Park pitch was covered a couple of days before match day just in case the weather got to it. In all, 32,226 spectators were in attendance which was comfortably the biggest attendance the game had seen in many a year with gate receipts of £1,786 breaking many records of the time.

The Wigan Observer reported on the day of Hull Kingston Rovers' mauling, that Leigh had gone into special training, similar to when they won the Cup a few years earlier against Leeds. New foods, 'less' alcohol, longer walks etc... were all in preparation for the Challenge Cup. Leigh were up for this one. Leigh lost 7-5 in a close game with Wigan going on all the way to the Final and winning the Trophy at last against Oldham.

Eleven years later in the 1934/35 season, the local neighbours met again, this time at Leigh again in Round 1. Despite historically being a close game, the traffic came all the way from Wigan. Wigan won 44-0 with ten tries, Jim Sullivan converting 7 of them with prolific try scorer Alf Ellaby scoring a hat trick. With Cup games against Leigh averaging one meeting every ten years or so, rugby supporters in the township only had to wait until 1939 to face Leigh again. This time played at Central, Wigan could only manage a score of 33-0 scoring 7 tries and Jim Sullivan converting 6 of them! Jackie Morley this time claimed a hat trick as Wigan could only manage a semi final appearance (losing to Salford) before the outbreak of War.

By the time 1959 came around, Wigan and Leigh supporters were thankful that they had finally avoided each other in Round 1 of the Cup. This time there was a great prize at stake: Wembley. In one of the most high profile matches between the two clubs, supporters from Wigan and Leigh travelled the short distance to Station Road, Swinton for the semi final. Wigan's team included unfamiliar names such as Billy Boston, Eric Ashton and Brian McTigue (who they?). Wigan edged out winners 5-0 thanks to a solitary score from Mick Sullivan. Wigan went onto Wembley and defeated Hull 30-13 in what was to be one of Billy Boston's finest games for the Wigan club.

By now, Leythers were starting to think that they would never beat Wigan in the Cup at all. In some ways they have been hard done by with winning a first leg match in 1949 and fielding an ineligible player in 1905 but that was the closest they have come to knocking Wigan out. Boston and Ashton were at it again nine years later in Round 2 of the Cup which was drawn to be played in Leigh. It wasn't a close game with Wigan winning 20-2 but by now Boston and Ashton were becoming the last two men standing of the Great post-War era. As the 1960s drew to an end, so too did Wigan's fortunes it seems. The 1970s were a disaster for the Wigan club whilst Leigh did win the Challenge Cup in 1970/71. The decade was started by a 6-4 win for Wigan in the 1970 Cup third round and then nothing...

It was to be another 32 years before the Borough would have at least one team entering the next round. 2002 saw a quarter final clash in which Wigan won 30-16 on their way to their 17th Challenge Cup triumph (over St Helens). As you can tell, the last few ties have been skipped over. The romance is long gone between Wigan and Leigh and no longer can we have crowds of 30,000+ watching a Round 1 tie against the two. Fortunes for both clubs have changed. Wigan eventually forgot about the 1970s and from the mid-80s the rest, they say, is history. Leigh on the other hand had their moment of glory in 1981/82 winning the Championship and Lancashire Cup. Today Leigh flirts with administration and crowds normally dip below 3,000. Wigan are the best supported club in the land and arguably possess the best rugby player in either code in the country in Sam Tomkins.

Whatever happens in the future I hope that the romance will return to this fixture. Once every ten years is enough, enough time for a generation to witness it. It may not seem much to many but it is a lot to some. Now all we have are slanging matches between townsfolk which achieves nothing. One thing is for certain: the Greatest players this Wigan club has seen have played in this fixture: James Leytham, James Sullivan, Johnny Ring, Billy Boston, Ken Gee, Joe Egan, Eric Ashton, Cec Mountford and today we have Sam Tomkins.

Match Facts & Stats

• Leigh have never knocked Wigan out of the Challenge Cup
• This fixture has been played 9 times at the earliest possible stage in the Cup when applicable (eg 2013 will be round 4 for Wigan) in 13 meetings.
• Two previous fixtures have 'not counted': 1905 - Leigh had an ineligible player and 1949 - Extra Time didn't happen so 2nd leg was replayed
• Three times have Wigan gone on to win the Cup after defeating Leigh (1924, 1959 & 2002) - we lost in 1970 to Castleford.
• Wigan have won the Cup a record 18 times, Leigh have won it twice (1921 & 1971)
• The Aggregate score for the matches that count is Wigan 171 - Leigh 43 from 10 matches (or 17-4)
• Jim Sullivan has scored 34 points against Leigh in the Cup.

89 Years of Love

Saturday 12^th April 1924. 
Not exactly a date that jumps out at you is it? A quick Google search doesn't reveal much. Wigan Borough beat Chesterfield 3-1, as did Blackburn rovers against Bolton Wanderers. Alas for Wigan Rugby League Football Club it was a date that started it all. As 1,000 or so spectators watched Wigan Borough FC at Springfield Park, 21,000 Wiganers made their way to Rochdale. Why? Wigan Rugby were playing in their Challenge Cup Final against Oldham with the hope of finally winning the Famous trophy at the third time of asking.

For Saturday 12^th April 1924  was to be the date that kick started Wigans love affair with the Challenge Cup as Jim Sullivan's men defeated Oldham 21-4 in front of 41,500 at the Athletics Grounds, Rochdale. At the time of writing this post, Wigan were inbetween Challenge Cup rounds. On the 15th March, 1924 Wigan defeated Hunslet at Parkside 13-8 in front of a record 25,000. On the 29th March, Wigan were due to play Barrow at Salford in the semi final. So what's the big deal? 89 years ago Wigan first lifted the Famous old Trophy. Since then, the Trophy has come back to the Wigan town 17 times dressed in cherry and white ribbons. Roughly every 5 years Wigan have lifted the Trophy since to become the dominant name in the sport and Cup competition.

I think that it is important to remember our proud history in this competition. There are people alive still who may still remember that day, albeit they are very old and certainly, people's fathers and grandfathers would have been there and told the story through the generations. Back in 1924, Wigan had a class team for the Final which included Sullivan, Ring, Howley, Parker, Van Heerden, Jerram, Hurcombe, Webster, H. Banks, Van Rooyen, Brown, Roffey, Price. Players names are made during the Challenge Cup. The first thing you think about when anyone mentions Martin Offiah is Wembley 1994. Henderson Gill? 1985. Brett Kenny? Trevor Lake? Joel Tomkins? Attie Van Heerden is almost unknown today but back then his 1923/24 season was amazing. Johnny Ring too, the free-scoring Welshman also scored a try in this Final. Everyone knows about Jim Sullivan who in his own right is remembered perhaps more for the first ever Final at Wembley in 1929 against Dewsbury.

The win in 1924 certainly captured the spirit of the Wigan town. On the team's homecoming an estimated 100,000 people lined the streets of Wallgate, King Street and Library Street to get a glimpse of their heroes. Times have changed since then, I doubt 100,000 will turn up today, or even 10,000. It doesn't matter though, the events of April 1924 triggered a love affair in this town that has remained ever since. Over time, Wigan have risen past Leeds, Broughton Rangers, Oldham and Huddersfield to have won the trophy on more occasions - and kept on going. Nobody comes close. Wigan stand alone on 18, their bitterest rivals St Helens are at least 6 years away on 12 wins. We then get Leeds (11) and Warrington (8). It is looking increasingly familiar that no team will catch Wigan. As cycle's go, every club has a period of success and failure. Wigan for example enjoyed the 1960s, forgot the 1970s and early '80s and then enjoyed the late '80s and '90s. The turn of the millenium saw another low period for the Wigan club and now... now we are on an upward curve.

Old clubs like Batley, three times winners, the last in 1901 will never win it again. Huddersfield perhaps, on 6 wins with the last being in 1953 or maybe Bradford on 5 wins have a realistic chance. Hunslet, 2 wins, sadly, have not. The thing is, for clubs like Hunslet and Batley, the Challenge Cup remains their dream. The love is there in the old boardrooms, the old men on the terracing remember days of old hoping that their day will return. It is like that for Wigan, or at least, me.

The Challenge Cup defines this club. Without it, Wigan RLFC would not be what it is today. 8 in a row? what was that? St Helens won it three times in a row in the 2000's. It's not the same is it? For those back in 1924, they were witness to the start of something great, something that defines the town and the sport of rugby league. 100,000 can't be wrong. Many of those travelled down to Wembley in 1929 and saw Jim Sullivan bring home the Cup. Their children would have been around the next time Wigan tasted success in 1948 when Joe Egan starred. The next big name would have been Billy Boston in the late 1950s, Brett Kenny in 1985, Ellery Hanley, Shaun Edwards... Martin Offiah and onto Kris Radlinski and more recently Sam Tomkins. You see the big names, the really big names that have played for our club have brought the Trophy home. It defines us.

Growing up in the late 80s and 90s I only knew of success, that was the way it was, the way it should be. Anything that will be achieved today will always be compared to the 1990s. When I am 80 I can stand up and argue that nothing was better back then, despite the game changing. It's success like that which drives and moulds a supporter. We are lucky here in Wigan, and have been for the past 89 years. For those who were born after the Glory Years of the Uncle Mo era, they must know. When we sing "We were by far the greatest team, the world has ever seen", people will actually know it has meaning.

There is nothing better than Wembley week. Having a day off work and heading into town. You don't actually need anything, you have the shirt already and possibly a scarf or two. It's the walking down Marketplace and feeling the buzz of flag sellers and looking into a shop window at Good Luck messages for the team. It's old fashioned but it's still here.

In the past 89 years the Cup has been ours, we merely lend it out every now and then.

If you'd like to read all about where it started in 1924, click here... extensive read through of the 1924 Cup success from start to finish: http://www.wiganrugbypast.co.uk/1924-Challenge-Cup 

Flimby & Fothergill
20.3.13

Farewell Joe Egan

Last week we have heard the sad news that Joe Egan had died, aged 93. Joe was a legend of our club known by many and loved by all. The quick stats and facts that you will find will tell you that Joe was the Captain of the Wigan club and made 362 appearances for Wigan from 1937-1950. Amongst many things, he was Great Britain's first choice hooker during their "Indomitables" Tour of Australia and New Zealand and won 14 caps. Another popular fact was that Joe was the first Captain to receive the Challenge Cup Trophy from a reigning monarch (George VI) during the 1948 Cup win over Bradford Northern at Wembley.

Impressive stuff but he seems to be almost forgotten. At the time of his death he was 93 and the only surviving member of that Indomitable team that has gone down in history. Egan was Wigan through and through and a product of the World Famous Wigan St Patricks Amateur club which have seen many stars of the game appear over the years.He started out as a fullback with St. Pat's but quickly ended up as Wigan's hooker in the first team. He was also handy at loose forward.

To get away from this turning into an obituary I shall stop. Facts and achievements can be seen elsewhere. At the time of his death, there was no fanfare in the media, save local press. To many, it seems that Joe Egan is simply a name who played long ago and appears in record books and Wigan's Hall of Fame. Older generations will have remembered watching Egan play as children with experiences staying with them until this day. In time Egan will be just a name to many to rank alongside Johnny Ring, Jimmy Leytham and Billy Blan. As the older generations disappear so to will the memory of these fine players. It is sad in a way. The Wigan RLFC we see today would not be as Great without the likes of Joe Egan. The pioneering spirit and romance that he and many others gave have made us become the Greatest club in the world. He and many others were superstars of their day, perhaps not nationally - being rugby league - but certainly locally. These were the days when the rugby club WAS the town. I found a quote recently by Joe which he said “I was also a wartime fire watcher at the top of Rushton’s store and one night the chief said I should keep my eye on the Wigan scene in general and not just the Central Park Rugby League ground.” Another quote I shall nick from a Telegraph newspaper piece is this: During the war Egan worked as a brass moulder — a reserved occupation — at the Naylor’s foundry and also served in the Home Guard: “We used to march through Wigan on a Saturday and by this time folks recognised me,” Egan recalled. “ Kids would run alongside asking if Wigan would win in the afternoon and I had to tell them to buzz off.

It may seem nothing to many but to me, this sort of stuff is what Wigan RLFC is about. Joe Egan and countless others too 'back in the day' had a real love for Wigan and the game which in my view is a fantastic reason why Wigan RLFC is what it is today. To last to 93 years of age is some achievement in itself! Joe became a life member of the club and rightly so. He still attended matches now and then but not of late. Joe's family should hold their heads high as in my view he should rank alongside the likes of Billy Boston, Ellery Hanley and Shaun Edwards as the men who define Wigan.

In a recent poll to determine Wigan Team of All Time, Martin Dermott won the #9 jersey, ahead of Egan. Yes, it is true to say that if they played eachother, Dermott would probably be fitter, faster and more skillful in more or less every department. Many voters suggested that why should they vote for a player they had never seen play? This is very sad in my eyes. A Great team isn't necessarily the best players. I am sure if Joe Egan received the same training, science and diet Dermott had he would be a better player. Nobody takes into account inflation, the changing of time and the changing of the game. It is things like this that make Great men be forgotten. To add, Terry Newton was second in the poll and even Jim Sullivan didn't get the fullback jersey and that to me says it all. A Great Wigan team without Egan and Sullivan? Ignorance and the lack of education I think is to blame.

Joe Egan shall be remembered for all time by those who will make the effort to champion them, and for those willing to remember them. He is what Wigan RLFC is today and for tomorrow. To me, there has been no better hooker playing in a Wigan jersey and probably, there perhaps never will be.

Thankyou Joe for everything and take care. You will be remembered.

Flimby & Fothergill

16.11.12

 

Image from http://www.wiganworld.co.uk/album/7/v2vzwfh3.jpg