MEN 1873-1895
MEN 1895-2024
WOMEN 2018-2024
 

John Appleton

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
12-10-1870
N/A
Date unknown.
Unknown.
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
07-09-1895 v Rochdale Hornets
Salford
1903-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1895-1902
71 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
11
1
1
39

Biography of John Appleton



HERITAGE NO : 3
John Appleton by Alex Service and Dave Dooley

John was a local lad who began his rugby career with the Saints before the advent of the professional Northern Union in 1895. John was playing as a threequarter in the 1893-94 season when the Saints won promotion to the First Division of the Lancashire and Border Towns Rugby Union at a canter. In fact, he made over 40 appearances and seemed to be one of the stalwarts of the team.

He continued as a threequarter in 1894-95 before staying with the Saints for their first season in the Northern Union, when he started well and faded somewhat in terms of appearances. By 1896-97 he had gone to rivals the Recs, who had initially stayed with the RFU in 1895-96, but had turned by this time and actually took part in the inaugural Challenge Cup.

By 1897-98 he had returned to Knowsley Road and for the next six seasons, he played a dominantly utility role, filling in at left centre, but also in both half-back positions.

John seemingly retired at the end of the 1902-03 campaign, when the Saints had an established pair of half-backs called Banks and Hall in the First Team.

John played the most matches in the pre-Northern Union days and as far as his completed record goes, he played in 135 matches from 1891-92 to 1894-95, scoring 27 tries. He made 70 appearances in the Northern Union itself. His combined total would therefore exceed 200 for the club. He was obviously a splendid servant to St.Helens RFC.

He appears on a team picture as one of the backroom staff in 1907-08, so perhaps that was the role he adopted when his playing career came to an end.

Appleton is a common name in St Helens and it has proved difficult to confirm which John Appleton in the late nineteenth century played for the Saints. Our best efforts have identified the most likely suspect. Our John had joined the South Lancashire Regiment at the age of 19 in 1890 but matters did not suit him. He was stationed in Farnborough, Hampshire where he ended up embroiled in trouble. The following year he returned to St Helens where his energies were channeled into playing rugby. Like his father he found employment in the coal mines where he was a stoker. John had married Margaret and they had six daughters and a son who sadly died aged just two years old. For twenty years John and his brood lived with his parents and several siblings at 98 Dunriding Lane St Helens. Tragedy struck in 1911 when his wife Margaret died.

In 1921 John was a widower living in Dunriding Lane, St. Helens with his parents, brother William sister Mary Anne and a household including four children. He was a Miner in the Grundy Potteries Works in Rainford. When John finished his toils down the coal mines as a Colliery Fireman John retained the lure of the Saints and Dunriding Lane must have been irresistible. John relocated across the road to spend the rest of his days at 55 Dunriding Lane in and close to the Knowsley Road ground. he died in October 1943 in St Helens at the age of 73.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1895~961 0 1 22
1897~98 0 0 0 7
1898~990 0 0 2
1899~00 6 0 0 17
1900~01 2 0 0 10
1901~02 2 1 0 9
1902~030 0 0 4
TOTALS:11 1 1 71
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1895~96 0001
1896~97 1001
1897~98 1002
1899~00 1003
1901~02 0001
TOTALS:3008

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
7th Sep 1895 1
W
 3 Rochdale Hornets L H 8 3 VIEW
14th Sep 1895 2
W
 3 Runcorn L H 5 0 VIEW
21st Sep 1895 3
D
 3 Batley L A 3 3 1 VIEW
28th Sep 1895 4
L
 3 Stockport L H 0 3 VIEW
5th Oct 1895 5
W
 3 Broughton Rangers L A 5 3 VIEW
7th Oct 1895 6
L
 3 Bradford L A 4 15 1 VIEW
12th Oct 1895 7
W
 3 Warrington L H 3 0 VIEW
19th Oct 1895 8
W
 3 Hull L H 3 0 VIEW
26th Oct 1895 9
D
 3 Tyldesley L H 3 3 VIEW
2nd Nov 1895 10
D
 1 Leigh L H 6 6 VIEW
16th Nov 1895 11
D
 14 Wigan L H 0 0 VIEW
23rd Nov 1895 12
W
 3 Leeds L H 9 0 VIEW
30th Nov 1895 13
W
 3 Huddersfield L H 11 3 VIEW
21st Dec 1895 --
W
 3 Broughton Rangers * Fr H 13 10 VIEW
1st Jan 1896 14
L
 10 Manningham L H 3 8 VIEW
4th Jan 1896 15
L
 11 Brighouse Rangers L A 4 6 VIEW
11th Jan 1896 16
W
 11 Halifax L H 6 3 VIEW
18th Jan 1896 17
L
 3 Stockport L A 3 18 VIEW
25th Jan 1896 18
W
 11 Batley L H 11 5 VIEW
1st Feb 1896 19
L
 11 Hull L A 0 9 VIEW
14th Mar 1896 20
L
 10 Leigh L A 3 11 VIEW
21st Mar 1896 21
L
 11 Wigan L A 0 10 VIEW
16th Apr 1896 22
W
 4 Liversedge L H 14 7 VIEW
16th Apr 1897 --
W
 2 Halifax * Fr H 11 3 1 VIEW
30th Oct 1897 23
L
 4 Runcorn L A 0 11 VIEW
6th Nov 1897 --
W
 3 Hull Kingston Rovers * Fr A 24 13 1 VIEW
27th Nov 1897 24
L
 3 Oldham L H 4 6 VIEW
4th Dec 1897 --
W
 3 Birkenhead * Fr H 8 3 VIEW
11th Dec 1897 25
L
 3 Stockport L A 7 14 VIEW
18th Dec 1897 26
W
 3 Morecambe L A 3 2 VIEW
27th Dec 1897 27
L
 3 Warrington L A 0 8 VIEW
1st Jan 1898 28
L
 3 Broughton Rangers L H 6 23 VIEW
8th Jan 1898 29
L
 1 Swinton L H 5 13 VIEW
8th Apr 1899 30
W
 4 Morecambe L H 7 2 VIEW
15th Apr 1899 31
L
 4 Runcorn L A 8 11 VIEW
2nd Sep 1899 32
D
 14 Warrington L H 3 3 VIEW
9th Dec 1899 33
W
 7 Oldham L H 17 14 2 VIEW
23rd Dec 1899 34
W
 7 Warrington L A 11 0 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1899 35
W
 7 Broughton Rangers L H 4 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1899 36
L
 6 Millom L A 8 10 VIEW
30th Dec 1899 37
W
 7 Tyldesley L A 14 3 VIEW
1st Jan 1900 38
W
 7 Leigh L H 26 0 1 VIEW
6th Jan 1900 39
D
 7 Swinton L A 0 0 VIEW
20th Jan 1900 40
W
 7 Rochdale Hornets L H 6 0 VIEW
27th Jan 1900 --
W
 6 Birkenhead * Fr A 15 0 1 VIEW
17th Feb 1900 41
L
 7 Runcorn L A 0 9 VIEW
24th Feb 1900 42
W
 7 Runcorn L H 3 2 VIEW
27th Feb 1900 43
D
 7 Leigh L A 0 0 VIEW
3rd Mar 1900 44
L
 7 Oldham L A 6 35 VIEW
10th Mar 1900 45
L
 7 Salford L A 0 8 VIEW
17th Mar 1900 46
L
 7 Warrington CC1 H 0 6 VIEW
13th Apr 1900 --
L
 6 Birkenhead * Fr A 5 8 VIEW
14th Apr 1900 --
W
 6 Lancaster * Fr A 15 8 VIEW
26th Apr 1900 47
W
 7 Widnes BTCSF A 3 0 1 VIEW
30th Apr 1900 48
W
 7 Runcorn BTCF N 6 0 1 VIEW
29th Dec 1900 49
L
 6 Widnes L A 0 8 VIEW
19th Jan 1901 50
W
 6 Swinton L H 6 3 VIEW
9th Feb 1901 51
W
 7 Widnes L H 7 5 VIEW
16th Feb 1901 52
L
 5 Runcorn L A 0 5 VIEW
2nd Mar 1901 53
W
 6 Goole CC1 A 12 2 VIEW
9th Mar 1901 54
D
 6 Stockport CC2 H 0 0 VIEW
13th Mar 1901 55
W
 6 Stockport CC2(rep) A 11 5 2 VIEW
16th Mar 1901 56
L
 6 Swinton L A 2 19 VIEW
23rd Mar 1901 57
L
 6 Batley CC3 H 5 7 VIEW
15th Apr 1901 58
W
 6 Widnes LPO N 3 0 VIEW
14th Sep 1901 59
W
 6 Lancaster L H 4 0 VIEW
21st Sep 1901 60
L
 4 Widnes L & SWLL H 2 5 VIEW
28th Sep 1901 61
W
 6 Rochdale Hornets L A 9 2 1 VIEW
5th Oct 1901 62
W
 6 Barrow L H 7 3 1 VIEW
12th Oct 1901 63
L
 6 Stockport L A 0 3 VIEW
1st Mar 1902 64
W
 7 Morecambe L H 3 2 VIEW
8th Mar 1902 65
W
 7 Widnes L & SWLL A 3 2 1 VIEW
15th Mar 1902 66
L
 7 Hull Kingston Rovers CC1 A 0 7 VIEW
29th Mar 1902 --
W
 7 Oldham * Fr A 26 2 VIEW
31st Mar 1902 67
L
 7 Runcorn SWLL A 3 11 VIEW
27th Dec 1902 68
L
 3 Widnes L A 0 8 VIEW
1st Jan 1903 69
W
 3 Batley L H 7 5 VIEW
3rd Jan 1903 70
L
 7 Bradford L A 2 14 VIEW
13th Apr 1903 71
L
 6 Salford L A 3 11 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 39 | LOSSES : 32 | DRAWS : 8

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