Wigan Album
Harry Lowe
9 Comments
Photo: JohnB
Item #: 23788
His services to Wigan RL were not limited to the field of play and his contribution to persuading the likes of Percy Coldrick, Gwyn Thomas, Wilf Hodder, Len Mason, Lou Brown, Benny Davidson, Danny Hurcombe, Jerry Shea, Jack Morley, Jack Price, Tommy Howley, Billy Wood, Dave Booysen, Louie Bradley, Jack Bennett, Frank Stephens, George Stephens, George Hayward, to join Wigan. All of these very fine players surely helped Wigan retain their high profile in the game in the early part of the 20th century, thanks in no small way to Harry's endeavours.
In 1921 he became Wigan's first Chairman of the Board until 1933 when he resigned his chairmanship on grounds of ill health.
Yes Harry Lowe, my sons great grandfather.
You quote some great players here, I had an experience as a young boy of working with Jack Bennet, the only man to win a Northern Union cup medal and a Rugby League cup medal. He was a hooker and related, on coming to the end of his career with Rochdale he was approached by Harry to join Wigan, Jack was reluctant due to his age,but was persuaded by Harry who said "If you can get us the ball We'll carry you from scrum to scrum" Hookers were important in those rough tough days and Jack bore the Scarsto prove it.
That's a wonderful quote and probably typifies Harry's "modus operandi" - he must have been some operator. As you say scrums really were scrums in those days and when you look at the stats, 70 to 80 per game, of contested scrums, it's a wonder passing movements ever came about but they did and the skill levels were there in abundance. Arthur Clues, the Australian International who came over in 1946 to play for Leeds and stayed on, was a player of the highest quality. I'm paraphrasing here but he talked about the games between Australia and Britain, essentially he was saying that the Australians lacked nothing in comparison to the poms but when it came to the "dark arts" of the scrum the Aussies had a lot to learn from the Brits.
As you say AB, hookers were important in those days but just as important were the "rocks" supporting them, the props. One of the reasons Wigan were so great in the 1940's was because the great Joe Egan had the great Ken Gee alongside him - my father who played at the time told me that as loose forward his ears were spared the constant friction caused by the scrum moving this way and that, when Ken was "up front" the whole thing was solid, hardly any movement.
Hi Lynne, I have a small article that accompanies this photo of Harry, I'll happily send you a copy if you wish, just let me have your email. Harry must have been a very effective wheeler dealer indeed and from his record he did a fantastic job for Wigan RL.
Thanks John, I would like to see the article that was with the photo.lea.livesley@hotmail.co.uk
Thanks for letting me know you got the article Lynne.
I thought this was an old picture of Bruce Forsyth when I first glanced at it. Anyone else see the resemblance?
Harry was married to my granddads sister annie walker
I never meet him but I use too visit my great auntie when I was a child 60s