MEN 1873-1895
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Harry Pimblett

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
05-04-1920
N/A
05 -10-1937
The Star, Merton Bank
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
15-10-1938 v Dewsbury
Rochdale Hornets
1947- Belle Vue Rangers
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1938-1946
103 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
22
3
0
72

Biography of Harry Pimblett



HERITAGE NO : 488
Birthday Boy Harry is Saints Record Survivor by Denis Whittle

An old-time Rugby League star who has battled through the trials and tribulations of life celebrates his 90th birthday on Monday, April 5 and became Saints oldest veteran en-route!

Ex-full-back Harry Pimblett, of Newtown, was born in Union Street, Gerards Bridge, in 1920, and attended Windle and the 'dole' schools before working at the BI, Corporation Transport Department and UGB. Standing 6ft and weighing 13 stone, the personable Pimblett played junior soccer and rugby for the Star, Merton Bank, Saints' 'A,' and also in the last Saints v Recs match (Alf Ellaby included) prior to answering the call of King and Country in 1940, when he married Betty Chisnall at St. Thomas's Church.

Remarkably, given that the name of Pimblett has been a household one in St. Helens for many seasons, Harry was related to no other, including former Test centre Albert of Warrington, and Saints' stars of more recent vintage Arthur, Geoff and Tom.

Enlisting as a ramrod-backed recruit in the Welsh Guards, he was promoted to corporal, served in North Africa and Italy and was taken prisoner after the battle of Monte Cassino in 1944, and was held near to Dachau concentration camp.

Before leaving Blighty Pimblett appeared in both codes by guesting for Wigan and Dewsbury, plus Union sides Metropolitan Police, Wasps and Sandown Park along with England versus Wales at Swansea, where he was man-of-the match.

Blessed with an encyclopaedic memory and military matters now behind him, Harry did not like his brown pin-stripe demob suit and sold it for a '1 to Saints' captain Jimmy Stott. Pimblett went on to make 104 appearances for the Knowsley Road team, scoring 22 tries, was in the squad winning the Wigan Sevens, and scored a 60-yard try in the 12-7 victory at Central Park in 1947.

In that year Pimblett was transferred to Belle Vue Rangers and on returning 'home' dropped a goal in their 9-0 triumph, and enjoyed his stay with the Manchester club, whose chairman was legendary Tom Spedding and left winger Saints' target Stan McCormick. Harry then hung up his boots, age 34, when BVR folded in 1954.

Philosophical as ever, Harry nonetheless reflected on a trio of tragedies that befell him in life, such as the loss of his only child Jack, who died after sustaining injuries when playing for Pilkington Recs at City Road in 1971. He was just 27. There was also the death of his beloved Betty in 2003 following 63 years of happy marriage and several health issues, including having his right leg amputated due to gangrene in 2005, and not being suitable for an artificial one.

Grandfather of Michael and Cliff and great-grandfather of Jack, and now ensconced in a specially-adapted house in Grafton Street, gentleman Harry Pimblett is well-loved by his carers and enjoys a wee dram in Windle Labour Club on Sunday nights. We'll drink to that!

In 1921 he was living with his parents, sister and brother in Union Street, St. Helens. His father, James, was a collier at the Ashtons Green Colliery.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1938~39 9 0 0 30
1939~40 6 0 0 30
1941~42 2 1 0 3
1942~43 1 2 0 3
1945~46 1 0 0 11
1946~473 0 0 26
TOTALS:22 3 0 103
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1942~43 0001
TOTALS:0001

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
15th Oct 1938 1
W
 2 Dewsbury L A 10 5 VIEW
22nd Oct 1938 2
W
 5 York L H 15 13 VIEW
5th Nov 1938 3
W
 5 Dewsbury L H 16 4 1 VIEW
12th Nov 1938 4
L
 5 Rochdale Hornets L A 8 10 1 VIEW
19th Nov 1938 5
W
 5 Swinton L H 12 8 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1938 6
L
 5 Broughton Rangers L A 7 10 VIEW
3rd Dec 1938 7
L
 5 Huddersfield L H 3 10 VIEW
10th Dec 1938 8
W
 5 Liverpool Stanley L A 12 10 VIEW
17th Dec 1938 9
W
 5 Broughton Rangers L H 22 6 1 VIEW
24th Dec 1938 10
W
 5 Leigh L A 18 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1938 11
L
 5 St. Helens Recs L H 4 5 VIEW
27th Dec 1938 12
L
 5 Wigan L H 2 28 VIEW
31st Dec 1938 13
L
 5 Featherstone Rovers L A 5 10 VIEW
14th Jan 1939 14
L
 5 Salford L A 0 37 VIEW
21st Jan 1939 15
L
 5 Salford L H 5 32 1 VIEW
28th Jan 1939 16
L
 5 Huddersfield L A 5 33 1 VIEW
4th Feb 1939 17
L
 5 Salford CC1 A 0 11 VIEW
11th Feb 1939 18
W
 5 Barrow L H 17 2 1 VIEW
27th Feb 1939 19
L
 5 Keighley L A 5 8 VIEW
4th Mar 1939 20
W
 5 Bramley L H 13 7 VIEW
11th Mar 1939 21
L
 5 York L A 0 10 VIEW
18th Mar 1939 22
W
 5 Leigh L H 22 12 VIEW
25th Mar 1939 23
L
 5 Oldham L A 0 2 VIEW
3rd Apr 1939 24
L
 5 Halifax L A 5 20 VIEW
7th Apr 1939 25
L
 5 Wigan L A 2 6 VIEW
8th Apr 1939 26
L
 5 Bramley L A 8 10 VIEW
10th Apr 1939 27
W
 5 Rochdale Hornets L H 36 8 2 VIEW
22nd Apr 1939 28
L
 5 Halifax L H 4 25 VIEW
24th Apr 1939 29
W
 5 Warrington L A 8 7 VIEW
29th Apr 1939 30
W
 5 Featherstone Rovers L H 37 10 VIEW
26th Aug 1939 31
W
 5 Leigh L A 23 3 VIEW
29th Aug 1939 32
W
 5 Swinton L H 13 0 VIEW
2nd Sep 1939 33
L
 5 New Zealand Tour H 3 19 VIEW
29th Sep 1939 34
W
 5 Rochdale Hornets WEL H 28 9 VIEW
7th Oct 1939 35
W
 5 Liverpool Stanley WEL A 20 0 1 VIEW
14th Oct 1939 36
W
 5 Warrington WEL H 13 9 VIEW
21st Oct 1939 37
L
 5 Swinton WEL A 2 41 VIEW
28th Oct 1939 38
W
 5 Swinton WEL H 15 7 VIEW
4th Nov 1939 39
W
 5 Broughton Rangers WEL H 28 10 1 VIEW
11th Nov 1939 40
L
 5 Salford WEL H 10 15 1 VIEW
18th Nov 1939 41
L
 1 Oldham WEL A 3 7 VIEW
25th Nov 1939 42
W
 5 Barrow WEL H 23 3 VIEW
2nd Dec 1939 43
L
 5 Salford WEL A 5 10 VIEW
9th Dec 1939 44
W
 5 Broughton Rangers WEL H 27 9 1 VIEW
16th Dec 1939 45
L
 5 Warrington WEL A 6 8 VIEW
25th Dec 1939 46
D
 5 Widnes WEL A 6 6 VIEW
26th Dec 1939 47
L
 5 Wigan WEL H 9 12 VIEW
24th Feb 1940 48
W
 5 Liverpool Stanley WEL H 18 8 1 VIEW
2nd Mar 1940 49
W
 4 Broughton Rangers LC1 (1) H 26 7 VIEW
16th Mar 1940 50
L
 5 Wigan LC2 (1) A 0 5 VIEW
22nd Mar 1940 51
L
 1 Wigan WEL A 0 6 VIEW
23rd Mar 1940 52
W
 1 Leigh WEL H 11 5 VIEW
25th Mar 1940 53
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets WEL A 10 12 1 VIEW
29th Mar 1940 54
W
 1 Wigan LC2 (2) H 10 4 VIEW
6th Apr 1940 55
W
 1 Widnes LCSF (1) H 7 5 VIEW
13th Apr 1940 56
L
 1 Widnes LCSF (2) A 0 13 VIEW
20th Apr 1940 57
L
 1 Barrow WEL A 15 17 VIEW
27th Apr 1940 58
W
 1 Leigh WEL A 16 5 VIEW
4th May 1940 59
W
 1 Oldham WEL H 12 5 VIEW
18th May 1940 60
L
 1 Widnes WEL H 11 20 VIEW
4th Oct 1941 61
W
 5 Batley WEL H 26 16 2 VIEW
19th Oct 1941 62
L
 4 Hunslet WEL A 5 13 1 VIEW
6th Apr 1942 63
L
 3 Dewsbury WEL H 2 9 VIEW
25th Dec 1942 64
L
 4 Wigan WEL A 3 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1942 65
L
 4 Wigan WEL H 8 20 1 VIEW
6th Feb 1943 --
L
 4 Wigan * Fr H 3 24 VIEW
13th Mar 1943 66
W
 1 Barrow CC1(1) H 13 2 2 VIEW
25th Aug 1945 67
L
 1 Widnes L A 8 20 VIEW
1st Sep 1945 68
L
 4 Widnes L H 2 7 VIEW
8th Sep 1945 69
W
 4 Oldham L A 23 15 VIEW
15th Sep 1945 70
W
 1 Wakefield Trinity L H 15 3 1 VIEW
29th Sep 1945 71
W
 1 Workington Town LC1(2) H 21 11 VIEW
6th Oct 1945 72
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 11 4 VIEW
13th Oct 1945 73
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L H 21 0 VIEW
20th Oct 1945 74
W
 1 Hunslet L H 15 12 VIEW
3rd Nov 1945 75
D
 1 Swinton L A 5 5 VIEW
24th Nov 1945 76
L
 1 Dewsbury L A 0 9 VIEW
26th Dec 1945 77
L
 1 Wigan L H 3 38 VIEW
31st Aug 1946 78
L
 1 Widnes L H 2 10 VIEW
7th Sep 1946 79
L
 1 Leigh LC1(1) H 5 14 VIEW
14th Sep 1946 80
L
 3 Leigh LC1(2) A 4 17 VIEW
21st Sep 1946 81
L
 1 Widnes L A 10 17 VIEW
28th Sep 1946 82
L
 1 Leigh L H 7 11 VIEW
5th Oct 1946 83
L
 1 Warrington L A 10 19 VIEW
12th Oct 1946 84
W
 1 Workington Town L H 12 7 VIEW
19th Oct 1946 85
W
 1 Salford L A 11 2 VIEW
26th Oct 1946 86
W
 1 Halifax L H 15 8 VIEW
2nd Nov 1946 87
W
 1 Oldham L A 7 3 VIEW
9th Nov 1946 88
L
 1 Swinton L H 11 15 VIEW
16th Nov 1946 89
D
 1 Belle Vue Rangers L A 10 10 VIEW
23rd Nov 1946 90
L
 1 Bramley L A 0 10 VIEW
30th Nov 1946 91
W
 1 Huddersfield L H 18 10 VIEW
7th Dec 1946 92
L
 1 Leigh L A 3 10 VIEW
26th Dec 1946 93
L
 1 Wigan L H 9 11 VIEW
28th Dec 1946 94
L
 1 Huddersfield L A 12 19 VIEW
1st Jan 1947 95
L
 1 Liverpool Stanley L A 7 8 VIEW
11th Jan 1947 96
L
 1 Leeds L H 7 8 VIEW
22nd Mar 1947 97
L
 2 Warrington CC2 A 2 24 VIEW
29th Mar 1947 98
L
 5 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 3 11 1 VIEW
4th Apr 1947 99
W
 1 Wigan L A 12 7 1 VIEW
5th Apr 1947 100
L
 1 Warrington L H 6 10 VIEW
7th Apr 1947 101
L
 1 Belle Vue Rangers L H 10 12 VIEW
12th Apr 1947 102
L
 2 Oldham L H 7 18 1 VIEW
6th May 1947 103
L
 2 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 7 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 43 | LOSSES : 58 | DRAWS : 3

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