Clubs > Hebden Bridge > The 1950’s
The 1950’s
The open age team was a real force to be reckoned with throughout the 1950’s.Indeed, the open age team, were coached for in the early 1950’s by ex-Māori All Black, Ike Proctor, who was playing for Halifax RLFC at the time. Towards the end of the decade, Hebden Bridge also ran an “A” team.
Hebden Bridge reached their first final of the Halifax Cup in 1952-53 losing on the day to Siddal. It would be a decade before they would win the Halifax Cup.
1956/57 was a successful season for the club as Hebden Bridge made the Halifax Championship Final although they were eventually runners up to Ovenden.
Hebden Bridge were also members of the Huddersfield and Halifax Joint Amateur Rugby League finishing the 1964-65 season in the top four teams.
There were several close games against local Halifax rivals including a memorable game in 1957 when they played Ovenden. Although the highlight of the first half was Shearon’s solo try for Ovenden, the Halifax Courier reported that, Hebden Bridge with
“the greater weight in the pack… assumed command with tries by Proctor and Cox improved by some superb goal-kicking by full back Riley.”
There is often mention of the Hebden Bridge pack in reports of games and memories of the team. Hebden Bridge had a reputation as a physical team.
Hebden Bridge were hit by controversy in 1958 when they selected two New Zealanders, Donald Rainbeck and Keith Graham, who just turned up asking for a game. Other clubs objected causing the Rugby Football League to act and to set a rule prohibiting overseas players from playing without clearance from their own country.
The Hebden Bridge club seems to have been the only one to produce an annual Handbook (see below).
The 1957-58 edition confirms the home pitch as White House Holme and their headquarters in a converted terrace house at 34, Burnley Road, Hawksclough, Hebden Bridge although the location is in Mytholmroyd.. Councillor John Barnes is listed as the club President alongside a whole host of vice presidents.
Fixtures for the season were shown for both the first and second teams. There were noticeably a number of friendly games in the schedule. That season, the first team were to play friendlies against Mooreside (Widnes), Blackpool Borough, Royal Army Pay Corps (Ovenden Camp) and Luddenden whom they also played in a league game. The “A” team fixtures included trips to Queensbury, Keighley Albion and Low Moor whilst more local fixtures were against St Malachy’s, Asquith’s, Stainland, Ovenden and Brighouse.
Interestingly, the rules of the Hebden Bridge club included one relating to team selection. “The team selected to represent the club at all matches shall be made by the Coach with a sub-committee acting in an advisory capacity.”
Like many clubs in many local Leagues, Hebden Bridge looked to join also other Leagues to increase their fixture possibilities. Hebden Bridge looked west and were accepted as members of the Oldham and District Rugby League.
The star Hebden Bridge player was full-back Gerry Round, who won international honours in his first season with Wakefield Trinity in 1959-60 and was part of their four Wembley Cup Finals teams. Another famous son was a young Bernard Ingham, later Sir Bernard Ingham, who later became a noted political figure as Margaret Thatcher’s press secretary in the 1980’s!
The club also ran an U19/U18 team for six seasons in the 1950’s enabling the club to feed younger players into the open age teams.