MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
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Frank Balmer

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
04-11-1920
N/A
31-01-1938
Wigan RUFC
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
21-01-1939 v Salford
11 - 09 - 1948 v Liverpool Stanley
1948-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1938-1948
68 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
13
0
0
39

Biography of Frank Balmer



HERITAGE NO : 494
Frank Balmer by SHS with additional information from Keith Bowen

Frank was a very talented player with strength and skill who could play anywhere for the Saints and he did. He played in all seven back positions and even donned the loose forward jersey. Like so many, he had a rugby career which was blighted by the Second World War. Starting in the centres he went on to score 13 tries for the club including two braces against Barrow and Workington Town. His career straddled the pre and early post war years, mirrored by another Saint Jimmy Stott. Frank once scored a hat trick against Barrow in the early season Ward Cup charity fixture. Keith Bowen advises us that he also played one match for Wigan in January 1943 against Huddersfield. His observations about Frank make interesting reading:

I attended Wigan Grammar School from 1953 - 59 and a certain PE teacher there was Frank Balmer who played for Saints and managed one game for Wigan on January 2nd 1943 in an away match against Huddersfield which was lost 20 -7. He faced my father a number of time when he played for Saints and dad played for Wigan. As a teacher Frank had a touch of the Robert Mitcham tough guy style I thought, but underneath was a heart of gold. Only after I left school did I realise he had played against my father who had played for Wigan RL. I also remember him on the annual sports day which gave him the opportunity to wear his Loughborough College blazer - it always impressed me. Sometime in the late 1950s he moved to the John Rigby RC Grammar in Orrell, which was closer to where Frank was born in Billinge.

On the 1939 Census he is recorded as an electrician living in Birchley Road, Billinge, who later went on to attend Loughborough College and joined the teaching profession. He died in January 1985, aged 64 and his death was registered in Wigan.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1938~39 1 0 0 10
1939~40 1 0 0 13
1942~43 3 0 0 13
1943~44 0 0 0 9
1944~45 4 0 0 12
1945~46 2 0 0 3
1946~471 0 0 5
1948~491 0 0 3
TOTALS:13 0 0 68
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1942~43 0001
1948~493001
TOTALS:3002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
21st Jan 1939 1
L
 3 Salford L H 5 32 VIEW
4th Mar 1939 2
W
 3 Bramley L H 13 7 VIEW
18th Mar 1939 3
W
 4 Leigh L H 22 12 VIEW
25th Mar 1939 4
L
 4 Oldham L A 0 2 VIEW
3rd Apr 1939 5
L
 4 Halifax L A 5 20 VIEW
7th Apr 1939 6
L
 4 Wigan L A 2 6 VIEW
8th Apr 1939 7
L
 4 Bramley L A 8 10 VIEW
10th Apr 1939 8
W
 4 Rochdale Hornets L H 36 8 1 VIEW
15th Apr 1939 9
L
 4 Oldham L H 10 15 VIEW
24th Apr 1939 10
W
 4 Warrington L A 8 7 VIEW
26th Aug 1939 11
W
 4 Leigh L A 23 3 VIEW
29th Aug 1939 12
W
 4 Swinton L H 13 0 VIEW
2nd Sep 1939 13
L
 4 New Zealand Tour H 3 19 1 VIEW
29th Sep 1939 14
W
 4 Rochdale Hornets WEL H 28 9 VIEW
7th Oct 1939 15
W
 4 Liverpool Stanley WEL A 20 0 VIEW
14th Oct 1939 16
W
 4 Warrington WEL H 13 9 VIEW
21st Oct 1939 17
L
 4 Swinton WEL A 2 41 VIEW
2nd Dec 1939 18
L
 4 Salford WEL A 5 10 VIEW
9th Dec 1939 19
W
 4 Broughton Rangers WEL H 27 9 VIEW
16th Dec 1939 20
L
 4 Warrington WEL A 6 8 VIEW
16th Mar 1940 21
L
 6 Wigan LC2 (1) A 0 5 VIEW
22nd Mar 1940 22
L
 6 Wigan WEL A 0 6 VIEW
25th Mar 1940 23
L
 12 Rochdale Hornets WEL A 10 12 VIEW
24th Oct 1942 24
W
 3 Wigan YC2(1) H 21 8 VIEW
31st Oct 1942 25
L
 4 Keighley WEL H 7 12 1 VIEW
7th Nov 1942 26
L
 4 Wigan YC2(2) A 11 32 VIEW
28th Nov 1942 27
L
 4 Wakefield Trinity WEL A 3 36 VIEW
5th Dec 1942 28
L
 3 Halifax WEL A 12 36 VIEW
25th Dec 1942 29
L
 1 Wigan WEL A 3 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1942 30
L
 1 Wigan WEL H 8 20 VIEW
6th Feb 1943 --
L
 3 Wigan * Fr H 3 24 VIEW
27th Feb 1943 31
L
 3 Oldham WEL A 6 12 VIEW
6th Mar 1943 32
W
 13 Oldham WEL H 12 11 VIEW
13th Mar 1943 33
W
 6 Barrow CC1(1) H 13 2 2 VIEW
20th Mar 1943 34
L
 6 Barrow CC1(2) A 0 4 VIEW
27th Mar 1943 35
L
 6 Oldham CC2(1) A 12 17 VIEW
3rd Apr 1943 36
L
 6 Oldham CC2(2) H 5 20 VIEW
11th Sep 1943 37
L
 6 Leeds WEL H 5 28 VIEW
25th Sep 1943 38
L
 1 Barrow WEL H 5 24 VIEW
16th Oct 1943 39
L
 1 Wigan YC1(1) H 9 14 VIEW
23rd Oct 1943 40
L
 1 Wigan YC1(2) A 10 20 VIEW
30th Oct 1943 41
L
 3 Oldham WEL A 8 10 VIEW
6th Nov 1943 42
L
 4 Batley WEL A 8 16 VIEW
18th Dec 1943 43
L
 3 Wakefield Trinity WEL H 0 10 VIEW
27th Dec 1943 44
L
 3 Wigan WEL H 2 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1944 45
L
 3 Featherstone Rovers WEL H 0 30 VIEW
2nd Sep 1944 46
D
 1 Huddersfield WEL H 5 5 VIEW
30th Sep 1944 47
L
 1 Halifax WEL H 7 21 1 VIEW
14th Oct 1944 48
W
 1 Featherstone Rovers WEL H 18 3 VIEW
21st Oct 1944 49
L
 1 Barrow YC1(1) H 8 22 VIEW
25th Nov 1944 50
L
 1 Wakefield Trinity WEL H 6 14 VIEW
25th Dec 1944 51
L
 7 Wigan WEL A 5 20 1 VIEW
26th Dec 1944 52
L
 3 Wigan WEL AB H 3 12 VIEW
30th Dec 1944 53
W
 3 Keighley WEL H 10 0 VIEW
17th Feb 1945 54
L
 4 Barrow WEL H 8 24 VIEW
24th Feb 1945 55
L
 4 Leeds WEL A 14 20 1 VIEW
10th Mar 1945 56
L
 3 Oldham WEL H 10 21 1 VIEW
17th Mar 1945 57
L
 3 Bradford Northern CC1(1) H 8 15 VIEW
22nd Sep 1945 58
L
 1 Workington Town LC1(1) A 8 9 VIEW
29th Sep 1945 59
W
 2 Workington Town LC1(2) H 21 11 2 VIEW
2nd Mar 1946 60
L
 5 Workington Town CC2 H 6 13 VIEW
31st Aug 1946 61
L
 2 Widnes L H 2 10 VIEW
7th Sep 1946 62
L
 2 Leigh LC1(1) H 5 14 1 VIEW
14th Sep 1946 63
L
 2 Leigh LC1(2) A 4 17 VIEW
21st Sep 1946 64
L
 2 Widnes L A 10 17 VIEW
28th Dec 1946 65
L
 3 Huddersfield L A 12 19 VIEW
14th Aug 1948 --
W
 2 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 38 2 3 VIEW
21st Aug 1948 66
W
 2 Widnes L H 6 2 VIEW
8th Sep 1948 67
L
 5 Wigan LC1(2) A 7 8 VIEW
11th Sep 1948 68
W
 5 Liverpool Stanley L A 17 0 1 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 19 | LOSSES : 50 | DRAWS : 1

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