Jack Fish (rugby league)

Jack Fish
Personal information
Full name John Fish
Born 30 December 1878
Runcorn, England
Died 23 October 1940(1940-10-23) (aged 61)
Warrington, England
Playing information
Height 5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Weight 11 st 8 lb (73 kg)
Position Wing

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1898–11 Warrington 321 214 263 1168
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1901–07 Lancashire 16 16 12 72
1904–08 England 3 3 2 13
Source: [1][2][3]

Jack Fish (30 December 1878 – 23 October 1940), also known by the nickname of "Jackie", was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s. He played at representative level for England, and Lancashire, and at club level for Warrington (Heritage № 65), as a wing, i.e. number 2 or 5.[1]

Biography

Jack Fish was born in Runcorn, Cheshire in 1878, he played for Lostock Gralam FC where he was soon noticed, and a trial game for Warrington was organised in 1898. Legend has it that as he entered the committee room he was confronted with a table heaped with £50 in silver, and the signing was then a mere formality, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £20,190 in 2017),[4] and he died aged 61 in Warrington, Lancashire.

Professional playing career

Fish played in Warrington's friendly at home against Barrow on 15 October 1898 and scored from the half-way. His league début was the following week on 22 October 1898; a 3-2 victory at Rochdale Hornets. He went on to be Warrington's leading try scorer that season' and for the following six seasons, becoming the club's first superstar. Fish was a stockily built man, at only 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) and 11 st 8 lb (73 kg). He had fantastic acceleration and a tricky swerve, but he could also stop dead in his tracks whilst running at full speed, which left many would-be tacklers whizzing into touch! He once accepted a £100 sprint challenge with a flying wing called Buckie Green from Wigan, at Springfield Park, and won in a canter, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £37,760 in 2017).[4]

Fish played right wing, i.e. number 2, and scored a try, and a conversion in Warrington's 10-3 victory over Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain tour match during the 1908–09 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, Saturday 14 November 1908, in front of a crowd of 5,000, due to the strikes in the cotton mills, the attendance was badly affected, the loss of earnings meant that some fans could not afford to watch the first tour by the Australian rugby league team,[5] and played and scored a try in the 8-8 draw with Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain tour match during the 1908–09 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, Monday 8 February 1909, in front of a crowd of 7,000.

He was idolised in the town, and supporters could be seen wearing metal fish badges at games. When it came to cup ties he was put in the care of Heesom, a local professional sprinter, who gave the wing special preparation. He was prominent in Challenge Cup Finals, scoring twice including one from half way in 1905 as Warrington beat Hull Kingston Rovers 6-0 to win the trophy for the first time.

Two years later, as captain, he scored a sensational try hacking on a wayward Oldham pass, dribbling forward and then picking up the bouncing ball to swerve round the fullback, to complete a 17-3 victory.

His testimonial match in 1910 raised over £268, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £93,470 in 2013),[4] before playing his final match at Coventry in a First Round Challenge Cup match, where he scored his last try to help Warrington into the next round in an 18-10 victory. Fish won caps for England while at Warrington in 1904 and in 1906 against Other Nationalities.[2] He broke his leg in the 1906 match. Fish played again for England in 1908 against Wales.

Fish's last game for Warrington was on 18 February 1911. Altogether he played 321 games for the club, scoring 215 tries and kicking 262 goals for a total of 1,169 points.

His representative honours amounted to playing twice for England and 16 times for Lancashire for whom he scored and amazing 16 tries and 12 goals.

Post-playing

Fish is still the only player in Warrington's history to score more than 200 tries and 200 goals.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ↑ Slater, Gary (2012). Jack Fish : A Rugby League Superstar. London League Publications. ISBN 978-1-903659-61-8.
  4. 1 2 3 "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  5. ↑ "100 years since Wire took on the Aussies for the first time". warringtonwolves.com. 31 December 2015. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Hall of Fame at Wire2Wolves.com (archived)". wire2wolves.com. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
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