Wigan Album
Orrell RUFC
9 Comments
Photo: David Simm
Item #: 20202
Back in 1972 the Lancashire Cup was brought out of retirement after 70 plus years under wraps, the two finalists were Orrell RUFC and Liverpool at the Waterloo ground. It was a fairly tough match with absolutely no score until the closing minutes. There was a small contingent or news/sport photographers covering the event and even the most hardened pros were not ready for what happened with just seconds to go.
As spectators were drifting towards the club house for the obligatory post game pints Orrell forwards broke through the Liverpool defense and passed the ball to Barry Fishwick, who powered his way across the try line to win the game for Orrell.
Only two of the press contingent were able to capture the image, Gordon Hurst, from the Brock Mill Office of The Lancashire Evening Post, who had walked under the Liverpool sticks with me, after I had said "If it's going to happen at all it has to be now". Together we waited until Barry put the ball down at my feet and I went home with the best shot of the day.
Superb picture David capturing a great moment in the history Of Orrell RUFC. Thank you for your memories too.
Thanks Tony, FYI, not long after this was shot, Orrell Member Sol Holland copied it onto the club house wall and created a full size mural directly from my image.
Cracking photograph. What was the final score then?
The try was converted and that was the only score of the game, what you can't is that this score was right under the sticks making for an easy conversion
Just a few corrections David. The final score in this match was 16-0 with Bill Lyon getting Orrell's other try just before half-time.
Also Gordon Hurst was working for the Wigan Observer at the time.
I was one of the photographers who missed Barry Fishwick's try. I had been covering a golf tournament in Wigan where the sports editor wanted loads of pictures and arrived at Waterloo with 10 minutes of the match to go.
To get some action pictures quickly I went downfield and fired away not getting back to the try line for Barry's try.
Never the less your picture is superb and I am jealous.
For the life of me Frank, I can't remember the final score, I know this was the closing seconds of the match, Gordon got an almost identical shot, just miliseconds and a couple of feet apart, we walked to the sticks together because I was convinced that if anything would happen in this match it would be there,
I don't even remember Billy scoring, he'll not be pleased with me forgetting that, perhaps a good thing I haven't seen him in over a ¼ century
I was a that game too as a interested 10 year old, The Lancs Cup Final became a bit of a Liverpool v Orrell thing in the late 70's early eighties with honours fairly even, the Liverpool players in view are Hooker Paul Dadswell and Centre trying to make the tackle Terry MacGillicuddy , both who went on to be capped for Lancashire!
Wonderful pic. Some years later, I was in a Stafford 3rd XV which was beaten 100-0 (still in the days of the 4-point try!) at Orrell. Who was your left winger, who scored 6 tries? Barry Fishwick, whom an aged Orrell fan gleefully informed me had been dropped a couple of teams for missing training. Thanks ...