Wigan Album
HARRY SUNDERLAND
2 Comments
Photo: Keith
Item #: 14738
The plan, according to my father who was involved as a player, was that each player contributed £50 (a lot of money in 1938) towards the cost, and profits would be shared out afterwards. Dad told me that the players were keen for it to take place. The War came along and that was that but it reflect the ambitions of Harry Sunderland a great publicist and one who never missed an opportunity to spread the greatest game to all corners of the world.
Just to add a little more to the above.The plan was to travel to Australia via America (Panama canal?) at some point (perhaps on the way back) and allow Wigan to play an exhibition game (or two) in the States.
In Australia Harry had a 4 cornered tournament planned whereby Wigan would take part and play two of the best clubs from Sydney and two from new South Wales, this he believed would generate much interest.
After War was declared Harry stayed on in Britain (he lived in Manchester) and it’s said he was “doing work of national importance”. The implication being that it might be secretive war work of some kind.
He joined the staff of the Daily Mail as a sports writer and spent some of his time as a BBC broadcaster (he was a gifted speaker and a great PR man). I believe he was a family man with two children one of whom became a noted surgeon in London.
Apologies here is the correction. Harry's son wasn't a surgeon and didn't live in London. He was Sir Sydney Sunderland, lived in Melbourne Australia and was was a member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Melbourne from 1939. He was Professor of Anatomy 1939-61, Professor of Experimental Neurology 1961-75, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1953-71 and a member of the University Council 1951-67. I believe Harry himself died at his home in Chorlton-cum-Hardy in 1964.