Wigan Album

What does N.U.R. Stand for? What are their names?

Could be Northern Union Rugby,It must be Rugby League--13 players

Maggie,that would be Northern Union Rugby,until 1895 it was called the Rugby Football Union and then teams from Lancs and Yorks decided they wanted to be payed for playing so the broke away from the RFU and formed the NRFU the Northern Rugby Football Union sometimes shortened to Northern Union, which was the start of the Rugby League as we know it now.

National Union of Railwaymen!

The daily citizen is clearly a "workers rights" publication as can be seen from http://people.wku.edu/charles.smith/wallace/S703B.htm and http://www.co-op.ac.uk/politicalwomen/cs4_2.html and seems to have been founded about 1912. The National Union of Railwaymen (NUR) itself was founded in 1913. All of these details tying in nicely with the details in the photo.

Wikipedia...Not always the right answer!

Wanner, I'm not sure if your comment relates to my early comment. If so, please be explicit. For my part, the sources I used did not include Wikipedia.

Not you neil. I am 100% behind your thought process.

Although the writing is not clear the captain is Jim Sharrock and the player sitting to his left is the welshman Bert Jenkins both famous players,so it must be Wigans first team

The writing is not clear but the player last in the list appears to me to be F Gleave (Fred Gleave) another player with Wigan Rugby with Sharrock and Jankins at the time. It would be helpful if someone could confirm (or otherwise) from the photo itself. The team is however not in Cherry and White which would be expected as a Wigan first team photo. The event is obviously prestigious, in a stadium and a large trophy (which would be useful if it could be identified, but it does resemble the left cup in the photo at http://www.wiganrugbypast.co.uk/all-time-team/honours-records).

The cup is the Lancashire Cup (labelled bottom row of the picture)

Wigan initially played in blue and white hoops but then changed to cherry and white hoops in 1886. There could have been a colour clash for this match and Wigan lost the toss, there were a few clubs playing in cherry and white. Also the stand on the right could be the Douglas side stand.

Thanks George, now I see it (I was looking for player's names). Now in 1912/13 Wigan beat Rochdale Hornets in the LC final. Rochdale's colours were originally amber and black but by 1922 Rochdale's colours were red/white/blue so there might have been colour clash in 1912. However in 1913/14 Wigan lost to Oldham in the LC Final and Oldham played in red/white/blue (in 1912) and hence a colour clash in that match. So the photo might be pre-match in 1913/14 when Wigan were holders.

The 1913-14 Wigan RL team and Committee men, seen here with the Lancashire Cup. Committee men would never have turned out for anything less! Back row, left to right, W Counsel (Committee), Wood (vice-chairman), Cllr., Walkden (Committee) 2nd Row, left to right, Arthur (Bolla) Francis (NZ), the great Charlie Seeling (NZ), Dick Ramsdale (Platt Bridge), Ald., Dickinson (Mayor), Percy Coldrick (Welsh), Percy Williams (NZ), Laing (Committee?) 3rd Row, left to right, Prescott (Committee), Cllr., J Counsell (Chairman), Lance Todd (NZ), Jim Sharrock - captain (Aspull), Bert Jenkins (Welsh), Dick Silcock (Leigh), Henderson (President) Front Row, left to right, Lew Bradley (Cinderford), Johnny Thomas (Welsh), Frank Walford (Wigan), Fred Gleave (Birkenhead). No doubt the variety of countries that this successful side came from contributed to the tag that Wigan were "a team of all nations". "Bolla" Francis although a New Zealander by birth managed to play for Australia and Lew Bradley, although from Cinderford in the west country, was signed when he was playing for a Welsh Club. He had a great try scoring record at Wigan but sadly his career was to end when he fought in WW1 and was killed.

Correction - this photo was taken in 1912 and so this is the 1912/1913 season - the caption in the newspaper is incorrect. This match result was
WIGAN 29 OLDHAM 6, played at Central Park, December 21st 1912
Wigan had won the Lancashire 10 days earlier by beating Rochdale 21 - 5, and this was the first match at home since the final which was played at Salford's Weaste ground and the first opportunity to show the cup to their fans. Wigan would have lost the toss since they are in white strip and Oldham play in red and white stripes and so Wigan changed into their alternative kit, at least I think that explains it. Wigan appeared in the following Lancs Cup final in 1913 and 1914, losing on both occasions.

Hi Neil, tried to access the website address you gave but without success could you please check. Many thanks.