The New Zealand touring side visited Crown Flatt at the start of their tour in 1926 – a crowd of 13000 watched the All Blacks beat the home side 9-13. The only previous appearance of New Zealand at Dewsbury had been during the 1907/08 season when a combined Dewsbury and Batley side took on the visitors in front of 7000 … Read More
Dewsbury Team for Yorkshire Cup
A wintry day for the team photo – Dewsbury wearing all white for the forthcoming Yorkshire Cup fixtures in 1925
1922 Australasians vs Dewsbury
In 1922, the Crown Flatt was visited by the Australian touring party – they took on Dewsbury (billed as the Australasians) in front of 6000 supporters. Dewsbury won the match 13-6, although Australia would soon out the defeat behind them and win their next 6 fixtures on the tour. The touring side were especially impressed with Yorkshire and the hospitality … Read More
1921 Players Union
In 1921 Northern Union players formed their own union, Dewsbury’s Joe Lyman being elected to the Management Committee. One of their main aims was “To develop friendship and the spirit of comradeship between players, and so act as a deterrent to rough play.” The jury is still out on it’s success!
Dewsbury A Team Cup presentation
This is a wonderful photo of the Dewsbury A Team celebrating the winning of a cup at the start of the Twentieth century.
1919 Newspaper jottings
Just as today, there was much speculation about new signings in the off-season in 1919. Dewsbury were rumoured to in talks with players from Hull, Huddersfield and Wakefield Trinity – but according to those “in the know” these talks hadn’t happened!
Jack Johnson at Dewsbury v York game
Jack Arthur Johnson (March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946), nicknamed the “Galveston Giant”, was an American boxer who, at the height of the Jim Crow era, became the first black world heavyweight boxing champion (1908–1915). He is widely regarded as one of the most influential boxers in history, and his 1910 fight against James J. Jeffries was dubbed the … Read More