Wigan Album

Ted Ward, Brian Nordgren

Brian Nordgren, apart from being good looking was very fast, in the photo it looks as though he has running shoes on - As lads I remember it was rumoured that Cec Mountford used to practise taking goal kicks in his bare feet.

Hi Derek, you make a great point, Brian told me that at 17 he lost by a fraction to the State's sprint champion (Brian was also a very good swimmer), in fact he was a fantastic all-round athlete, despite joining the Army aged 14, and only stopped from re-signing by his mother at 17 when she told the Authorities his true age, an amazing man. Both Cec and Brian came originally from South Island in New Zealand, a tough mining area as far as Cec was concerned so kicking a rugby ball with bare feet is a distinct possibility in my opinion. Cec also had brothers who were very good players. Incidentally there was, and still is, a North/South divide between the Islands of New Zealand, but in reverse to ours. Auckland the capital is in the North Island and the selectors were based here. Cec and others would say they would favour the Northern Island players and often overlook better players who were based in the South. Nothing new there, the Welsh also have a West/East (Cardiff) divide - exactly the same complaint and one of the reasons my father signed for Wigan.

I'm glad these photographs have brought back happy memories and a bit of discussion, as it's taken me hours to put them on the site<g>

Ron Hunt's remark that it is good that happy memories are recalled reminded me that my Grandfather 'Dick'Hesketh ran Platt Lane Junior RL club and provided a fair number of young players who went on to make careers at Wigan RLFC. Platt Lane was successful on many occasions in playing competition finals at Central Park. I recall as a 10 year old, with a pal Stan Derbyshire, feeling very privileged in carrying the 'skip' ( which was a big basketwork container) which was used to carry all the players' strip- shorts, boots, stockings and jerseys - 13 sets!! Monday morning washing for my grandmother was a washing line with 44 items of kit pegged out!! Grandad also provided the boots as well and all this was paid for out of small signing-on fees he would get. He was a good customer of Oliver Somers.