Albert Graham

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
08-07-1904
N/A
17-11-1924
St. Helens Recs
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
10-01-1925 v Wigan Highfield
Rochdale Hornets
1929- Wigan Highfield
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1924-1928
50 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
11
12
0
57

Biography of Albert Graham



HERITAGE NO : 334
Bob Graham by Alex Service

According to his former team-mate, George Lewis, Albert, or rather Bob, as he was often called, had quite a bit of pace, but not quite as much as Alf Ellaby. This is by no means derogatory, however, as Ellaby is one of the fastest of all time! The Minutes of the St. Helens Committee describe his signing as follows: "Graham full-back, late St. Helens Recs interviewed the Committee and agreed to accept £25 as a signing-on fee providing the club wished to retain him at the end of the season."

He could fill in virtually anywhere in the threequarters with aplomb and was an established goal kicker. Bob made his debut in the number one jersey at Wigan Highfield on 10 January 1925, which Saints lost narrowly by 8-12.

He made 50 appearances altogether for the First Team and was a stalwart in the A Team too. He scored 11 tries and kicked 12 goals for a 57 point haul. His most memorable performance was the league match against Salford on 15 October 1927, when he scored a hat trick of tries and booted over three goals for good measure. His centre partner on that memorable afternoon was the veteran Teddy McLoughlin. Bob played his last game as a Saint in the 12-5 victory at Rochdale Hornets, on 13 April 1929.

He went on to represent Wigan Highfield and the Wigan club, although he did not seem to represent the latter at First Team level. A resident of Morley Street in St. Helens, he passed away in 1971 at the age of 67. His elder sister, Elizabeth, is my grandmother, who lived a goal kick away from the Saints ground at nearby Poplar Grove. The Players Registers also tell us that another member of the Graham family, Henry, was also on the books of St. Helens RFC, although he never graduated to the First Team. I also have it on good authority that Saints' stand-off Les Fairclough was Best Man at his wedding.

There is another interesting postscript. The Graham family originated from Ireland. George Graham, from County Fermanagh, married Margaret, from County Cavan and by the 1911 Census, they were living in Morley Street in a five room dwelling in Morley Street, St. Helens with no less than eleven siblings. They were listed as follows. Glass Worker Robert 26, Sarah, a General Servant 24, William, a Blacksmith 22, Maggie, 20, George, a Glassworks Labourer 18, Alice, a Confectioner 15, John, an Errand Boy 13, Elizabeth 10, Henry 9, Albert 6 and Maud 3. Albert later lived in Milton Street, Sutton Manor and worked, like so many, at Pilkingtons.

Alas the First World War was to take a toll on two family members. 7742 Lance Corporal William Thomas Graham, of the Second Battalion Canadian Infantry, died on 26 April 1915 aged 26. He had previously sought a new life in Canada. He is commemorated at Ypres on the Menin Gate. His younger brother, John, was killed on 6 November 1918. He was in the Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery. He had also earned the Military Medal for gallantry under fire. A letter sent back from the front just before his demise still remains and is a sad testament to his bravery. He is buried in the Communal cemetery at Pont sur Sambre.



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1924~250 0 0 2
1925~26 6 5 0 18
1926~270 0 0 1
1927~283 6 0 18
1928~29 2 1 0 11
TOTALS:11 12 0 50
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1926~270001
TOTALS:0001

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
10th Jan 1925 1
L
 1 Wigan Highfield L A 8 12 VIEW
24th Jan 1925 2
L
 4 Swinton L A 3 49 VIEW
12th Dec 1925 3
L
 6 Salford L A 3 17 1 VIEW
16th Dec 1925 4
W
 3 Dewsbury L H 7 0 2 VIEW
19th Dec 1925 5
L
 3 Swinton L H 9 10 3 VIEW
25th Dec 1925 6
D
 3 St. Helens Recs L A 3 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1925 7
L
 3 Wigan L H 5 10 VIEW
1st Jan 1926 8
W
 3 St. Helens Recs L H 4 2 VIEW
2nd Jan 1926 9
L
 5 Oldham L A 6 24 2 VIEW
9th Jan 1926 10
W
 3 Wigan Highfield L H 16 6 1 VIEW
16th Jan 1926 11
L
 5 Warrington L A 7 9 VIEW
23rd Jan 1926 12
W
 5 Salford L OBJ H 13 10 1 VIEW
30th Jan 1926 13
W
 6 Batley L A 7 0 VIEW
6th Feb 1926 14
W
 5 Broughton Rangers L H 24 8 VIEW
13th Feb 1926 15
W
 5 Widnes CC1 A 10 7 VIEW
20th Feb 1926 16
W
 5 Leigh L A 6 0 1 VIEW
27th Feb 1926 17
L
 5 Hull CC2 H 7 10 VIEW
6th Mar 1926 18
W
 5 Wigan Highfield L A 15 10 VIEW
15th Mar 1926 19
W
 5 Hunslet L H 16 8 VIEW
20th Mar 1926 20
L
 5 Barrow L A 2 9 VIEW
27th Dec 1926 21
L
 1 Wigan L H 13 14 VIEW
12th May 1927 --
L
 6 Barrow* Fr Lonsdale Hospital L 8 16 VIEW
15th Oct 1927 22
W
 5 Salford L H 44 10 3 3 VIEW
22nd Oct 1927 23
D
 5 Hull L A 5 5 VIEW
29th Oct 1927 24
W
 5 Wigan Highfield L H 15 5 2 VIEW
5th Nov 1927 25
W
 5 Warrington L A 8 4 VIEW
12th Nov 1927 26
W
 5 Warrington L H 13 0 VIEW
19th Nov 1927 27
W
 5 Rochdale Hornets L H 10 2 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1927 28
L
 5 Oldham L A 2 11 VIEW
3rd Dec 1927 29
W
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 25 7 VIEW
10th Dec 1927 30
L
 2 Featherstone Rovers L A 3 15 VIEW
26th Dec 1927 31
L
 1 Wigan L H 13 20 VIEW
29th Dec 1927 32
L
 1 St. Helens Recs L H 5 22 VIEW
7th Jan 1928 33
W
 1 Leeds L H 8 0 VIEW
11th Feb 1928 34
L
 2 Oldham CC1 A 5 15 VIEW
3rd Mar 1928 35
W
 1 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 11 0 VIEW
10th Mar 1928 36
W
 1 Barrow L H 15 6 VIEW
7th Apr 1928 37
L
 1 Wigan Highfield L A 15 20 VIEW
9th Apr 1928 38
W
 1 Hunslet L H 30 10 VIEW
10th Apr 1928 39
L
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 5 15 VIEW
25th Aug 1928 40
L
 2 Widnes L A 0 2 VIEW
1st Sep 1928 41
D
 2 Widnes L H 12 12 1 VIEW
8th Sep 1928 42
W
 2 Carlisle City L A 8 5 VIEW
15th Sep 1928 43
W
 2 Broughton Rangers L H 12 5 VIEW
19th Sep 1928 44
W
 2 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 6 0 1 VIEW
22nd Sep 1928 45
W
 2 Dewsbury L A 17 7 VIEW
17th Nov 1928 46
W
 5 Halifax L H 12 6 VIEW
8th Dec 1928 47
W
 1 Oldham L A 14 11 VIEW
19th Jan 1929 48
L
 5 Swinton L H 2 3 VIEW
2nd Feb 1929 49
D
 1 Salford L H 11 11 1 VIEW
13th Apr 1929 50
W
 1 Rochdale Hornets L A 12 5 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 27 | LOSSES : 20 | DRAWS : 4

GALLERY





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