Eric Ayles

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
21-02-1928
N/A
12-09-1953
Belle Vue Rangers
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
26-09-1953 v Halifax
Keighley
1955- Salford
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1953-1955
48 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
4
0
0
12

Biography of Eric Ayles



HERITAGE NO : 717
Eric Ayles by Alex Service

Eric was a stalwart of the Belle Vue Rangers club when he signed for Saints at the end of the 1953-54 season. He missed just four games for the Rangers in five and a half seasons, ending with 227 appearances. He also shared a Testimonial with stand-off Ray Price in 1952-53, who also came to St. Helens in the late 1950s.

The former Worsley Boys Club junior helped to strengthen the pack when he arrived at Knowsley Road as a result of Belle Vue’s financial woes. Denis Whittle remembers him as being quite similar in build to George Mann of later years. He wore the number ten jersey, with Alan Prescott and hooker Paddy Lannon frequently making up an impressive front row combination. A great forager in the loose with a high work-rate, Eric was later transferred to Salford, where he became team captain. In 1939 he was living in Knowles Avenue, Wigan.

Salford Historian Graham Morris has given us some further information on Eric’s career.

As you will know Eric transferred from Saints to Salford but I found there was a bit more to it than that. Due to limited opportunities Eric was actually on Saints transfer list during 1955-56 at £750 and Salford initially took him on a loan/trial basis and he played in Salford`s last 6 matches at the end of the 1955-56 season (24 March 1956 to 17 April 1956).Salford could not raise the transfer fee and during Aug 1956 it was reported Saints had agreed to an offer from Keighley but then Salford came back and signed him for a reported £350 on 14 Aug 1956 (he had already played in Salford`s pre-season match with Swinton on Sat 11 Aug, presumably on loan). Apparently, he preferred to stay in Lancashire.

He worked in the haulage business and was tragically killed when working at Wigan’s Central Park ground on 26th May 1972 at the premature age of 44.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1953~543 0 0 26
1954~551 0 0 21
1955~56 0 0 0 1
TOTALS:4 0 0 48
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1954~550002
TOTALS:0002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
26th Sep 1953 1
L
 10 Halifax L A 3 14 VIEW
3rd Oct 1953 2
W
 8 Bradford Northern L H 22 12 VIEW
10th Oct 1953 3
W
 8 Belle Vue Rangers L A 27 5 VIEW
17th Oct 1953 4
W
 8 Castleford L H 35 9 VIEW
31st Oct 1953 5
W
 8 Workington Town L H 20 5 VIEW
7th Nov 1953 6
W
 8 Oldham L A 5 3 VIEW
11th Nov 1953 7
W
 9 Castleford L A 31 14 VIEW
14th Nov 1953 8
W
 9 Swinton L H 2 0 VIEW
28th Nov 1953 9
W
 8 Whitehaven L A 12 4 VIEW
12th Dec 1953 10
W
 10 Oldham L H 21 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1953 11
W
 10 Wigan L H 14 4 VIEW
2nd Jan 1954 12
L
 10 Warrington L H 2 7 VIEW
9th Jan 1954 13
W
 10 Swinton L A 8 0 VIEW
16th Jan 1954 14
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L H 28 5 1 VIEW
23rd Jan 1954 15
W
 10 Barrow L A 15 11 VIEW
30th Jan 1954 16
W
 10 Salford L H 29 0 1 VIEW
13th Feb 1954 17
W
 10 Featherstone Rovers CC1(1) H 26 7 VIEW
20th Feb 1954 18
D
 10 Halifax L H 5 5 VIEW
6th Mar 1954 19
L
 8 Huddersfield CC2 A 5 12 VIEW
13th Mar 1954 20
L
 8 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 9 VIEW
20th Mar 1954 21
W
 8 Liverpool City L H 18 0 VIEW
3rd Apr 1954 22
W
 10 Whitehaven L H 34 12 1 VIEW
7th Apr 1954 23
L
 10 Leigh L A 13 14 VIEW
16th Apr 1954 24
W
 10 Wigan L A 14 8 VIEW
19th Apr 1954 25
L
 10 Huddersfield L A 13 29 VIEW
1st May 1954 26
L
 10 Warrington ChSF A 0 11 VIEW
7th Aug 1954 --
L
 10 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 17 31 VIEW
14th Aug 1954 27
W
 8 Widnes L H 31 3 VIEW
18th Aug 1954 28
W
 8 Belle Vue Rangers L A 20 11 VIEW
21st Aug 1954 29
W
 8 Blackpool Borough L A 34 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1954 30
W
 8 Swinton L H 28 9 1 VIEW
18th Sep 1954 31
W
 10 Wakefield Trinity L A 32 18 VIEW
20th Sep 1954 32
L
 10 Oldham LC2 A 9 20 VIEW
25th Sep 1954 33
W
 10 Huddersfield L H 20 7 VIEW
2nd Oct 1954 34
W
 10 Liverpool City L A 30 14 VIEW
9th Oct 1954 35
W
 10 Leeds L H 13 6 VIEW
16th Oct 1954 36
W
 10 Salford L A 19 2 VIEW
13th Nov 1954 37
W
 10 Barrow L H 11 4 VIEW
20th Nov 1954 38
W
 10 Leeds L A 21 10 VIEW
27th Nov 1954 39
D
 10 Warrington L H 8 8 VIEW
11th Dec 1954 40
W
 10 Workington Town L H 16 2 VIEW
27th Dec 1954 41
W
 10 Wigan L H 19 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1955 42
W
 10 Leigh L H 27 3 VIEW
21st Mar 1955 43
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 3 VIEW
26th Mar 1955 44
W
 10 Salford L H 16 8 VIEW
28th Mar 1955 45
W
 10 Liverpool City L H 12 4 VIEW
9th Apr 1955 46
W
 10 Halifax L H 14 8 VIEW
11th Apr 1955 47
L
 10 Huddersfield L A 11 35 VIEW
7th May 1955 --
W
 8 Leigh* Fr H 40 16 VIEW
8th Oct 1955 48
W
 8 Keighley L A 21 6 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 38 | LOSSES : 10 | DRAWS : 2

GALLERY





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