Arthur Kelly

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
24-12-1886
N/A
15-12-1908
New Zealand
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
12-12-1908 v Rochdale Hornets
Swinton
1914-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1908-1913
63 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
8
6
0
36

Biography of Arthur Kelly



HERITAGE NO : 180
Arthur Kelly by Alex Service

The 1907-08 New Zealanders, led by Albert Baskiville, who came over to England were real pioneers. Their inaugural Test Matches against the Northern Union were the start of true international competition in the thirteen a side code. Such was their success, that it was only a matter of time before their best players were snapped up by English clubs. Perhaps the most famous was Lancelot (Lance) Todd, who signed for Wigan. A member of that touring team was a dapper little scrum-half called Arthur Kelly, who did not play in either of the two fixtures against St.Helens at Knowsley Road. He did play against Wales, on the wing and was at left centre in the First Test match at Leeds at Headingley on 25th January 1908.

In December 1908, Kelly became the Saints first-ever overseas signing, which caused tremendous interest in the town. Born in Petone, Wellington he stood 5ft 6ins in height and 10st 6lbs. Despite his young age (22) he was an experienced footballer, having played through the various grades of football in New Zealand, until he reached First Grade. Arthur or Podge, as he became known, was a courageous, even reckless, player, who seemed to relish nothing more than a headlong dive in the direction of on-coming footballers to stop a dribble developing.

Arthur was a popular figure at Knowsley Road and his presence enabled the club to sign another member of the 1907-08 squad, Jum Turtill, who was his friend. Arthur stayed at Saints for six years, but the team was never really good enough to compete for major honours and Arthur himself found competition for the number 7 jersey intense with the likes of Fred Trenwith and Matt Creevey around and he made 64 appearances for the First Team.

He became Player-Coach and Captain of the A Team and they won the Lancashire Shield in 1913-14 as a result of his steadying influence. The St.Helens Newspaper informed its readers that the St.Helens club would be somewhat below-strength for the start of the 1914-15 campaign, as a result of a burgeoning conflict in Europe: 'The club will be short of some of their regular players this season. Immediately on the declaration of war by Great Britain, Arthur Kelly, the popular captain of the 'A' Team, joined the Corps of Colonials which had been formed by the oversees and colonial residents in England and he is now stationed in Shepherds Bush. Manchester and Mosedale, being Reservists, have rejoined the colours and W Woods, F.Molyneux, Roughsedge and another of the players are Territorials and, of course, will not be available.'

That was the end of Arthur Kelly at Knowsley Road. He survived the terrible conflict,however and stayed in the UK, living in the Oldham district until his death in 1965 at the age of 78. Arthur was living in Napier Street, Oldham in 1939 and worked as an Iron Moulder. He was the first of many superb players from New Zealand over the years and a member of a special group of men who were true pioneers for the Code.


Special thanks to Arthurs grand-daughter for providing some of this information.


SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1908~09 3 0 0 13
1909~10 2 0 0 20
1910~113 6 0 24
1911~12 0 0 0 2
1912~130 0 0 2
1913~140 0 0 2
TOTALS:8 6 0 63
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1908~09 0001
1909-100001
TOTALS:0002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
12th Dec 1908 1
D
 3 Rochdale Hornets L H 13 13 VIEW
19th Dec 1908 2
L
 6 Salford L A 14 15 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1908 3
W
 6 Runcorn L H 6 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1908 4
L
 3 Wigan L H 7 22 VIEW
1st Jan 1909 5
L
 6 York L A 0 16 VIEW
9th Jan 1909 6
L
 3 Broughton Rangers L H 8 19 VIEW
16th Jan 1909 7
D
 3 Rochdale Hornets L A 3 3 VIEW
23rd Jan 1909 8
L
 2 Warrington L H 9 15 VIEW
30th Jan 1909 9
D
 7 Barrow L A 3 3 VIEW
6th Mar 1909 10
L
 7 Oldham L A 0 13 VIEW
13th Mar 1909 11
W
 7 Aberdare L A 45 18 1 VIEW
20th Mar 1909 --
W
 7 Leigh * Fr H 20 6 VIEW
9th Apr 1909 12
W
 7 Wigan L A 8 5 VIEW
10th Apr 1909 13
W
 7 York L H 33 20 1 VIEW
2nd Sep 1909 14
L
 6 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 7 30 VIEW
4th Sep 1909 15
W
 6 Broughton Rangers L A 10 7 VIEW
11th Sep 1909 16
D
 6 Runcorn L H 5 5 VIEW
18th Sep 1909 17
L
 6 Warrington L A 15 19 VIEW
25th Sep 1909 18
W
 6 Bramley L H 27 5 VIEW
13th Nov 1909 --
L
 7 Hull* F A 21 33 VIEW
4th Dec 1909 19
W
 6 Hunslet L A 24 8 VIEW
11th Dec 1909 20
W
 6 Salford L H 7 3 1 VIEW
13th Dec 1909 21
W
 6 Swinton L A 20 9 VIEW
18th Dec 1909 22
L
 6 Oldham L A 6 36 VIEW
25th Dec 1909 23
W
 6 Runcorn L A 13 0 1 VIEW
27th Dec 1909 24
L
 7 Wigan L H 6 7 VIEW
1st Jan 1910 25
W
 7 Broughton Rangers L H 15 8 VIEW
8th Jan 1910 26
L
 7 Salford L A 5 24 VIEW
12th Feb 1910 27
W
 6 Warrington L H 18 10 VIEW
19th Feb 1910 28
L
 6 Rochdale Hornets L A 0 6 VIEW
19th Mar 1910 29
L
 6 Widnes L A 3 10 VIEW
25th Mar 1910 30
L
 6 Wigan L A 10 23 VIEW
29th Mar 1910 31
W
 6 Hunslet L H 28 15 VIEW
2nd Apr 1910 32
W
 6 Bramley L A 33 18 VIEW
9th Apr 1910 33
W
 6 Barrow L H 21 5 VIEW
17th Sep 1910 34
W
 6 Salford L H 19 14 VIEW
24th Sep 1910 35
W
 6 Merthyr Tydfil L A 17 6 VIEW
1st Oct 1910 36
L
 6 Widnes L A 12 28 VIEW
8th Oct 1910 37
W
 6 Broughton Rangers L H 31 2 VIEW
22nd Oct 1910 38
L
 6 Rochdale Hornets LC1 H 5 11 VIEW
29th Oct 1910 39
L
 6 Warrington L H 9 17 VIEW
12th Nov 1910 40
W
 7 Merthyr Tydfil L H 13 3 1 VIEW
19th Nov 1910 41
L
 7 Barrow L A 11 16 VIEW
26th Nov 1910 42
W
 7 Batley L H 8 5 VIEW
3rd Dec 1910 43
W
 7 Rochdale Hornets L H 21 8 VIEW
10th Dec 1910 44
L
 7 Oldham L A 0 9 VIEW
17th Dec 1910 45
W
 7 Warrington L A 8 7 VIEW
24th Dec 1910 46
W
 7 Runcorn L H 25 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1910 47
L
 7 Wigan L H 6 18 VIEW
31st Dec 1910 48
L
 7 Batley L A 8 24 VIEW
2nd Jan 1911 49
W
 7 Hunslet L H 24 2 2 VIEW
7th Jan 1911 50
W
 7 Swinton L H 11 10 1 VIEW
11th Jan 1911 51
L
 7 Wakefield Trinity L A 9 26 2 VIEW
14th Jan 1911 52
W
 7 Coventry L A 14 2 1 VIEW
21st Jan 1911 53
L
 7 Wakefield Trinity L H 8 18 VIEW
4th Feb 1911 54
W
 7 Coventry L H 26 15 VIEW
11th Feb 1911 55
D
 7 Barrow L H 8 8 VIEW
18th Feb 1911 56
W
 7 Bramley CC1 H 26 7 1 VIEW
4th Mar 1911 57
L
 7 Leeds CC2 H 6 11 1 VIEW
2nd Dec 1911 58
W
 7 Broughton Rangers L H 10 5 VIEW
30th Dec 1911 59
L
 7 Oldham L A 5 35 VIEW
19th Oct 1912 60
L
 7 Dewsbury L A 11 27 VIEW
26th Oct 1912 61
L
 7 Runcorn L H 5 12 VIEW
20th Sep 1913 62
L
 7 Salford L A 4 17 VIEW
24th Jan 1914 63
L
 7 Swinton L A 3 16 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 30 | LOSSES : 30 | DRAWS : 6

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