Alan Edwards (rugby)

Alan Edwards
Personal information
Full name Alan Spencer Edwards
Born Kenfig Hill, Bridgend, Wales
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Aberavon RFC
Rugby league
Position Wing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1935–46 Salford 199 129 29 445
Leeds
Dewsbury
1946–49 Bradford Northern 133 83 33 315
Total 332 212 62 0 760
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1935–48 Wales 18 0 0 0
1936–37 Great Britain 7 7 0 21
Source: rugbyleagueproject.org englandrl.co.uk

Alan Spencer Edwards (born in Kenfig Hill) is a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s and 1940s, playing club level rugby union (RU) for Aberavon RFC, the Royal Air Force and playing representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Salford, Leeds, Dewsbury and Bradford Northern, as a Wing, i.e. number 2 or 5.[1]

Playing career

International honours

Alan Edwards won 18 caps for Wales (RL) in 1935–1948 while at Salford and Bradford Northern, and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Salford in 1936 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches); and in 1937 against Australia (2 matches). He was the youngest member of the 1936 tour party[2]

Championship final appearances

Alan Edwards played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5 in Salford's Championship winning teams of 1937 and 1939. They beat Warrington 13-11 in 1937 and Edwards scored the winning try in 1939 when Salford beat Castleford 8-6 at Maine Road Manchester. He played in Dewsbury's 14-25 aggregate defeat by Wigan in the War-time emergency play-off final during the 1943–44 season; the 9-13 first-leg defeat at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 13 May 1944, and the 5-12-second-leg defeat at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury on Saturday 20 May 1944. The year after he played for Bradford Northern when they beat Halifax 26-20 on aggregate to win the last war-time emergency play-off. He played in his last Championship final in 1948 when he was in the Bradford Northern team that lost 15-5 to Warrington at Maine Road Manchester.[3]

County League appearances

Alan Edwards played in Salford's victories in the Lancashire League during the 1936–37 season, and 1938–39 season, and played in Bradford Northern's victory in the Yorkshire League during the 1947–48 season.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Alan Edwards played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5 for Salford in Challenge Cup Finals of 1938 and 1939, Salford beat Barrow 7-4 to win on Saturday 7 May 1938, and lost 20-3 to Halifax on 6 May 1939. He won the Challenge Cup with Leeds when they beat Halifax 15-10 in the wartime final of 1942 and won again the following year when he was part of the Dewsbury team that beat Leeds 16-15 over two legs. He was also in The Bradford Northern team defeated over two legs 13-9 by Huddersfield in 1945. He played in Bradford Northern's 8-3 defeat by Wigan in the 1948 Challenge Cup final during the 1947–48 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1948,[4] and his last final was in Bradford Northern's 12-0 victory over Halifax in the 1949 Challenge Cup final during the 1948–49 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 7 May 1949. He played in a total of seven Rugby League Challenge Cup Finals which was a record at that time he shared with Eric Batten.

County Cup final appearances

About Alan Edwards' time, there was Salford's 2-15 defeat by Warrington in the 1929 Lancashire Cup final during the 1929–30 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 23 November 1929, the 10-8 victory over Swinton in the 1931 Lancashire Cup final during the 1931–32 season at The Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 21 November 1931, the 21-12 victory over Wigan in the 1934 Lancashire Cup final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934, the 15-7 victory over Wigan in the 1935 Lancashire Cup final during the 1935–36 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 19 October 1935, the 5-2 victory over Wigan in the 1936 Lancashire Cup final during the 1936–37 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 17 October 1936, he played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5, in the 7-10 defeat by Wigan in the 1938 Lancashire Cup final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.[5] and he played Left-Wing, i.e. number 5, and scored 2-tries and 3-conversions in Bradford Northern's 18-9 victory over Castleford in the 1948 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1948–49 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 30 October 1948.

Other notable games

Alan Edwards played Left-Wing for a Rugby League XIII against Northern Command XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.[6]

All Six Cups

Only five rugby league footballers have won "All Six Cups" during their career, they are; Aubrey Casewell (while at Salford and Leeds), Alan Edwards (while at Salford and Bradford Northern), John Etty (while at Oldham and Wakefield Trinity), Edward "Ted" Slevin (while at Wigan and Huddersfield), and Derek Turner (while at Oldham and Wakefield Trinity). "All Six Cups" being the Challenge Cup, Championship, Lancashire Cup, Lancashire League, Yorkshire Cup, and Yorkshire League.[7]

Career records

Alan Edwards is one of less than twenty-five Welshmen to have scored more than 1000-points in their rugby league career.[8]

Personal life

Edwards' marriage to Jessie Burgess was registered on 28 December 1941 in Salford district.[9] They had two children, Alan Blair Edwards (birth registered during April→June 1943 (age 72–73) in Salford district), and Marvyn A. Edwards (birth registered during July→September 1944 (age 71–72) in Salford district). In 1973, Alan and Jessie emigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

References

  1. ↑ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 108–114. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
  2. ↑ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "1943–1944 War Emergency League Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  4. ↑ "1947–1948 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "22nd October 1938: Salford 7 Wigan 10 (Lancashire Cup Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  6. ↑ "inside programme, Northern Command v. A Rugby League XIII, 1942". rugbyleagueoralhistory.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ↑ Edgar, Harry (2006). Rugby League Journal Annual 2007 Page-29. Rugby League Journal Publishing. ISBN 0-9548355-2-2
  8. ↑ Robert Gate (1988). "Gone North – Volume 2". R. E. Gate. ISBN 0-9511190-3-6
  9. ↑ "Marriage details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

External links

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