Frank Beesley

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
16-07-1924
N/A
Date unknown.
St.Helens RUFC
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
25-10-1947 v Hull K.R.
Warrington
1950-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1947-1949
46 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
3
0
0
9

Biography of Frank Beesley



HERITAGE NO : 665
Frank Beesley by SHS

A former pupil at Cowley Grammar School, Frank Beesley was signed by the Saints from St. Helens RUFC, or the Old Boys, as they were known, in 1947. He had played for Lancashire whilst at Moss Lane. Somebody who remembered him well was former St. Helens Star journalist Denis Whittle: “He was quicksilver around the scrum and unlike scrum-halves from rugby union, he would actually run with the ball rather than pass it out to the stand-off. It might be a cliche, but he was pencil slim and not a very big man, but a good player nonetheless, who shared the half-back duties with the likes of Eric Hesketh, Jimmy Honey and Welshman Steve Morris.”

Frank made his debut at home to Hull KR on 27th October 1947, when Saints won 14-9. He was 22 years of age and was partnered at stand-off by another local lad, Jimmy Myers. Frank went on to play 26 matches during the campaign. He was a member of the team that famously beat Wigan 13-6 at Knowsley Road on Boxing Day 1947, when there was a packed crowd to witness one of the great games of the early post-war era.

His final game for the club was against Carcassonne at Knowsley Road at the start of the 1950-51 campaign, during one of their popular tours to the UK. Jimmy Honey was his stand-off. He made over 40 appearances for the First Team and was highly regarded by the fans. Frank worked in the office at Greenalls Brewery in Hall Street, before taking up a post as an Area Manager with John Smiths for the Wirrall area.

A long-time resident of O’Sullivan Crescent in Blackbrook, he met his wife Irene soon after leaving school and volunteered to join the RAF during the war. Frank went to train as a pilot in Texas, but fortunately, before he could finish his training, hostilities had ceased. He declined to further his flying career in civil aviation.

Irene, who once taught Commerce at Grange Park Technical School, recalled that the Saints at one stage wanted to transfer him to Leigh, but the company could not guarantee him time off with training and matches for his prospective new club and so he retired after about five seasons as a professional.

Frank passed away on 3rd December 2014 at the age of 90. He had been retired for thirty years and his great-grandchildren Ben and Alex Yoxall went on to play for Blackbrook ARLFC.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1947~48 0 0 0 26
1948~493 0 0 13
1949~50 0 0 0 7
TOTALS:3 0 0 46
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1947~480001
1948~491003
1949~500001
1950~51 0001
TOTALS:1006

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
25th Oct 1947 1
W
7 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 14 9 VIEW
8th Nov 1947 2
L
7 Belle Vue Rangers L H 0 9 VIEW
15th Nov 1947 3
W
7 Liverpool Stanley L H 23 8 VIEW
22nd Nov 1947 4
L
7 Liverpool Stanley L A 7 10 VIEW
29th Nov 1947 5
W
7 Salford L H 31 10 VIEW
25th Dec 1947 6
W
7 Leigh L H 22 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1947 7
W
7 Wigan L H 13 6 VIEW
27th Dec 1947 8
D
7 Wakefield Trinity L H 5 5 VIEW
1st Jan 1948 9
L
7 Leigh L A 3 8 VIEW
3rd Jan 1948 10
W
7 Swinton L A 6 3 VIEW
17th Jan 1948 11
L
7 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 17 VIEW
24th Jan 1948 12
L
7 Rochdale Hornets L H 8 9 VIEW
31st Jan 1948 13
L
7 Workington Town L A 0 20 VIEW
7th Feb 1948 14
W
7 Bustlingthorpe Vale CC1(1) H 48 0 VIEW
14th Feb 1948 15
W
7 Bustlingthorpe Vale CC1(2) A 13 2 VIEW
28th Feb 1948 16
L
7 Oldham CC2 A 0 5 VIEW
6th Mar 1948 17
L
7 Warrington L A 3 21 VIEW
13th Mar 1948 18
W
7 Bramley L H 13 7 VIEW
26th Mar 1948 19
L
7 Wigan L A 11 22 VIEW
27th Mar 1948 20
W
7 York L H 44 10 VIEW
28th Mar 1948 21
L
7 Barrow L A 8 12 VIEW
6th Apr 1948 22
W
7 Rochdale Hornets L A 15 10 VIEW
8th Apr 1948 23
L
7 Widnes L H 8 9 VIEW
17th Apr 1948 24
W
7 Halifax L H 20 7 VIEW
22nd Apr 1948 25
W
7 Belle Vue Rangers L A 21 2 VIEW
24th Apr 1948 26
W
7 Bramley L A 19 11 VIEW
15th May 1948 --
W
7 Roanne* Fr H 36 19 VIEW
14th Aug 1948 --
W
7 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 38 2 VIEW
21st Aug 1948 27
W
7 Widnes L H 6 2 VIEW
23rd Aug 1948 28
L
7 Workington Town L A 11 15 1 VIEW
28th Aug 1948 29
L
7 Oldham L A 11 15 VIEW
18th Sep 1948 30
W
7 Workington Town L H 8 2 VIEW
12th Mar 1949 31
W
7 Belle Vue Rangers L H 18 0 VIEW
19th Mar 1949 32
L
7 Salford L A 6 7 2 VIEW
26th Mar 1949 --
L
7 Batley* Fr H 10 12 VIEW
31st Mar 1949 33
L
7 Wigan L H 8 13 VIEW
9th Apr 1949 34
W
7 Halifax L A 8 3 VIEW
15th Apr 1949 35
L
7 Wigan L A 5 19 VIEW
16th Apr 1949 36
L
7 Huddersfield L A 0 34 VIEW
18th Apr 1949 37
L
7 Keighley L H 2 4 VIEW
23rd Apr 1949 38
L
6 Swinton L A 3 16 VIEW
25th Apr 1949 39
W
7 Barrow L H 16 5 VIEW
21st May 1949 --
L
7 Huddersfield* Fr Tour A 16 25 1 VIEW
13th Aug 1949 --
W
7 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 34 22 VIEW
20th Aug 1949 40
L
7 Widnes L A 2 15 VIEW
25th Aug 1949 41
W
7 Wakefield Trinity L H 22 12 VIEW
15th Oct 1949 42
W
7 Belle Vue Rangers L H 28 5 VIEW
24th Dec 1949 43
W
7 Whitehaven L A 14 7 VIEW
26th Dec 1949 44
W
7 Wigan L H 15 8 VIEW
27th Dec 1949 45
W
7 Swinton L H 10 5 VIEW
4th Mar 1950 46
W
7 Warrington L H 12 3 VIEW
5th Oct 1950 --
W
7 Carcassonne * Fr H 24 22 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 29 | LOSSES : 22 | DRAWS : 1

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