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Len Aston

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
10-07-1920
N/A
11-12-1939
Cresswell Recs
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
09-12-1939 v Broughton Rangers
Leigh
1950- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1939-1950
125 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
26
9
0
96

Biography of Len Aston



HERITAGE NO : 503

Len Aston by Dave Dooley:
Len signed for the Saints just before the Second World War. He made his debut against Broughton Rangers on the 9th., December, 1939. In 125 matches for the Saints, Len scored 26 tries and kicked 9 goals for a total of 96 points.

Len played only 7 games without scoring in his first season. The following season yielded only two games, yet again his name did not appear on the scoresheet. Due to wartime duties Len did not put on a Saints jersey until the 1946-47 season when in the penultimate match of the season Aston scored a brace of tries against Barrow in a 36 points to 7 home victory on May 31st. 1947. Len scored again the following week. It had taken seven and a half years get on the scoresheet!

Season 1947-48 was the most productive in Len`s career with 15 tries and a solitary goal playing in the second row with four outings in the centres. Len played in most Saints games over the next two years with his ball handling skills coming to the fore. His final match for the Saints was against Leigh on Christmas Day 1950. He was one of those players whose rugby career was severely curtailed by the war.

Article from Rugby League Gazette October 13th 1950

Len Aston – A Great Sportsman

The forward who deliberately threw away a career as a centre in order to go into the pack will take his benefit this season.

Len Aston, the man with the magic hands, the subtle sidestep, and the superb turn of speed, suddenly flashed into the limelight in 1947-48. Almost overnight he played himself into Great Britain’s team versus New Zealand as a forward. Evidently he knew, when he rejected the centre threequarter position, where his future really lay. Then, pneumonia nearly ended his career. Len beat the attack off, but it took away his sudden acceleration of pace, and brought him back to club level again.

Like most St. Helens boys, Aston played soccer or rugby, which ever game happened to be on top. Often he played both codes in the same week, even the same day. That is one of the reasons why a big lad in a junior soccer team around St. Helens today is always a possible mark for a rugby scout. Aston was in the Lancashire R.L. Schoolboy team. Five minutes after he was in Bethel Mission Soccer team, in the Sunday School League. There he stayed until 1939. Then he played in St. Helens Rugby Club’s medal competition with Cresswell Recs, and was signed on by Saints at the same time as Jim Stott and Harold Fishwick. In August, 1940, he joined the army, and added Rugby Union football to his soccer and Rugby League experience. De-mobbed, he played centre, then prop-forward, then second row, in the Saints second team; and so on to the first team and fame.

Though born within a stones throw of the ground, he was practically unknown to the home crowd until he became famous overnight.

Aston is a splendid sportsman, quiet and unobtrusive in manner, never boasting, never in trouble, never in the referee’s bad books. His biggest laugh was when two forwards advanced from opposite directions to sandwich a lightweight back. The back twigged the move and ducked! The forwards met head on, and both went down in a double knock out. Aston went down with laughter. He was entirely on the little fellow’s side. That’s typical of him. He never uses a hammer to crack a nut, even a big nut; and as a result has no enemies. The Supporters Club have already opened their campaign on his behalf, and that is a guarantee of success.

In 1939 he was working as a Coal Dealer and living in Gladstone Street, St Helens. He died in Impington, a small village outside Cambridge, in August 1987, aged 67.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1939~400 0 0 7
1940~410 0 0 2
1946~47 3 0 0 8
1947~48 15 1 0 29
1948~496 0 0 29
1949~50 2 4 0 34
1950~510 4 0 16
TOTALS:26 9 0 125
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1948~493005
1949~500202
1950~510002
TOTALS:3209

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
9th Dec 1939 1
W
 11 Broughton Rangers WEL H 27 9 VIEW
25th Dec 1939 2
D
 10 Widnes WEL A 6 6 VIEW
24th Feb 1940 3
W
 10 Liverpool Stanley WEL H 18 8 VIEW
2nd Mar 1940 4
W
 10 Broughton Rangers LC1 (1) H 26 7 VIEW
29th Mar 1940 5
W
 10 Wigan LC2 (2) H 10 4 VIEW
6th Apr 1940 6
W
 10 Widnes LCSF (1) H 7 5 VIEW
4th May 1940 7
W
 10 Oldham WEL H 12 5 VIEW
2nd Nov 1940 8
L
 10 Warrington WEL H 0 13 VIEW
9th Nov 1940 9
W
 11 Warrington WEL A 2 0 VIEW
1st Jan 1947 10
L
 12 Liverpool Stanley L A 7 8 VIEW
4th Jan 1947 11
L
 10 Leeds L A 5 20 VIEW
10th May 1947 12
W
 12 Bramley L H 29 0 VIEW
17th May 1947 13
W
 4 Featherstone Rovers L H 35 0 VIEW
24th May 1947 14
L
 12 Barrow L A 9 15 VIEW
26th May 1947 15
L
 11 Halifax L A 9 10 VIEW
31st May 1947 16
W
 11 Barrow L H 36 7 2 VIEW
7th Jun 1947 17
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 26 4 1 VIEW
23rd Aug 1947 18
L
 12 Widnes L A 8 9 1 VIEW
4th Sep 1947 19
W
 11 Leigh LC1(2) H 31 5 2 VIEW
13th Sep 1947 20
W
 11 Oldham L H 16 2 VIEW
25th Sep 1947 21
L
 11 New Zealand Tour H 5 11 VIEW
29th Sep 1947 22
L
 11 Wigan LC2 H 7 8 VIEW
11th Oct 1947 23
L
 11 Wakefield Trinity L A 7 10 VIEW
15th Nov 1947 24
W
 11 Liverpool Stanley L H 23 8 1 VIEW
29th Nov 1947 25
W
 11 Salford L H 31 10 VIEW
13th Dec 1947 26
W
 11 Halifax L A 6 2 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1947 27
W
 12 Leigh L H 22 3 VIEW
26th Dec 1947 28
W
 11 Wigan L H 13 6 1 VIEW
27th Dec 1947 29
D
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 5 5 VIEW
1st Jan 1948 30
L
 12 Leigh L A 3 8 VIEW
3rd Jan 1948 31
W
 11 Swinton L A 6 3 VIEW
10th Jan 1948 32
L
 11 Warrington L H 2 8 VIEW
17th Jan 1948 33
L
 3 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 10 17 1 VIEW
24th Jan 1948 34
L
 3 Rochdale Hornets L H 8 9 1 VIEW
31st Jan 1948 35
L
 3 Workington Town L A 0 20 VIEW
7th Feb 1948 36
W
 12 Bustlingthorpe Vale CC1(1) H 48 0 2 VIEW
14th Feb 1948 37
W
 12 Bustlingthorpe Vale CC1(2) A 13 2 1 VIEW
28th Feb 1948 38
L
 12 Oldham CC2 A 0 5 VIEW
6th Mar 1948 39
L
 12 Warrington L A 3 21 VIEW
13th Mar 1948 40
W
 4 Bramley L H 13 7 1 VIEW
20th Mar 1948 41
W
 12 Oldham L A 13 3 VIEW
26th Mar 1948 42
L
 11 Wigan L A 11 22 VIEW
6th Apr 1948 43
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 15 10 2 VIEW
17th Apr 1948 44
W
 11 Halifax L H 20 7 1 VIEW
22nd Apr 1948 45
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L A 21 2 VIEW
24th Apr 1948 46
W
 11 Bramley L A 19 11 1 VIEW
14th Aug 1948 --
W
 11 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 38 2 1 VIEW
21st Aug 1948 47
W
 11 Widnes L H 6 2 VIEW
23rd Aug 1948 48
L
 11 Workington Town L A 11 15 1 VIEW
28th Aug 1948 49
L
 11 Oldham L A 11 15 VIEW
4th Sep 1948 50
L
 11 Wigan LC1(1) H 9 24 VIEW
23rd Sep 1948 51
W
 11 Liverpool Stanley L H 41 0 VIEW
25th Sep 1948 52
W
 3 Dewsbury L A 14 7 VIEW
2nd Oct 1948 53
W
 11 Hunslet L H 41 11 1 VIEW
23rd Oct 1948 54
L
 4 Keighley L A 10 12 VIEW
6th Nov 1948 55
W
 11 Salford L H 17 12 1 VIEW
13th Nov 1948 56
L
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 3 10 VIEW
20th Nov 1948 57
W
 11 Dewsbury L H 27 7 VIEW
27th Nov 1948 58
W
 11 Oldham L H 28 2 VIEW
4th Dec 1948 59
L
 12 Warrington L A 5 15 VIEW
11th Dec 1948 60
W
 12 Whitehaven L A 13 0 VIEW
18th Dec 1948 61
W
 11 Whitehaven L H 61 0 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1948 62
D
 12 Leigh L A 5 5 1 VIEW
1st Jan 1949 63
W
 11 Leigh L H 12 0 VIEW
8th Jan 1949 64
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 3 0 VIEW
15th Jan 1949 65
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers L A 17 5 VIEW
22nd Jan 1949 66
W
 11 Hunslet L A 11 5 VIEW
26th Feb 1949 67
L
 11 Swinton L H 8 11 VIEW
12th Mar 1949 68
W
 11 Belle Vue Rangers L H 18 0 VIEW
19th Mar 1949 69
L
 12 Salford L A 6 7 VIEW
26th Mar 1949 --
L
 11 Batley* Fr H 10 12 VIEW
31st Mar 1949 70
L
 11 Wigan L H 8 13 VIEW
9th Apr 1949 71
W
 11 Halifax L A 8 3 VIEW
15th Apr 1949 72
L
 11 Wigan L A 5 19 1 VIEW
16th Apr 1949 73
L
 11 Huddersfield L A 0 34 VIEW
23rd Apr 1949 74
L
 11 Swinton L A 3 16 VIEW
25th Apr 1949 75
W
 11 Barrow L H 16 5 VIEW
16th May 1949 --
L
 13 Huddersfield* Fr Tour P 11 46 1 VIEW
18th May 1949 --
W
 13 Huddersfield* Fr Tour B 33 17 1 VIEW
21st May 1949 --
L
 11 Huddersfield* Fr Tour A 16 25 VIEW
13th Aug 1949 --
W
 11 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup H 34 22 2 VIEW
20th Aug 1949 76
L
 12 Widnes L A 2 15 VIEW
25th Aug 1949 77
W
 12 Wakefield Trinity L H 22 12 VIEW
27th Aug 1949 78
L
 12 Workington Town LC1(1) H 0 7 VIEW
31st Aug 1949 79
L
 12 Workington Town LC1(2) A 4 7 VIEW
3rd Sep 1949 80
L
 11 Dewsbury L A 12 18 VIEW
7th Sep 1949 81
L
 11 Barrow L A 3 18 VIEW
10th Sep 1949 82
W
 12 Oldham L H 16 8 VIEW
17th Sep 1949 83
L
 12 Wakefield Trinity L A 9 12 VIEW
19th Sep 1949 84
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 12 5 VIEW
24th Sep 1949 85
W
 12 Workington Town L H 43 10 VIEW
1st Oct 1949 86
W
 12 Bramley L H 39 2 1 VIEW
15th Oct 1949 87
W
 12 Belle Vue Rangers L H 28 5 1 VIEW
22nd Oct 1949 88
W
 11 Oldham L A 12 2 VIEW
5th Nov 1949 89
D
 12 Hull L A 5 5 VIEW
12th Nov 1949 90
W
 12 Warrington L A 7 3 VIEW
19th Nov 1949 91
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 14 3 VIEW
3rd Dec 1949 92
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 0 4 VIEW
10th Dec 1949 93
L
 11 Salford L A 4 8 VIEW
24th Dec 1949 94
W
 12 Whitehaven L A 14 7 VIEW
26th Dec 1949 95
W
 12 Wigan L H 15 8 VIEW
27th Dec 1949 96
W
 12 Swinton L H 10 5 VIEW
2nd Jan 1950 97
W
 13 Hull L H 30 0 VIEW
7th Jan 1950 98
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 23 2 VIEW
21st Jan 1950 99
L
 12 Dewsbury L H 2 15 VIEW
11th Feb 1950 100
L
 11 Halifax CC1(2) A 0 2 VIEW
18th Feb 1950 101
L
 11 Swinton L A 8 11 VIEW
25th Feb 1950 102
W
 11 Salford CC2 A 9 2 VIEW
4th Mar 1950 103
W
 11 Warrington L H 12 3 VIEW
11th Mar 1950 104
D
 12 Bradford Northern CC3 H 0 0 VIEW
15th Mar 1950 105
L
 12 Bradford Northern CC3(rep) A 0 11 VIEW
18th Mar 1950 106
D
 11 Belle Vue Rangers L A 7 7 VIEW
1st Apr 1950 107
W
 13 Liverpool Stanley L H 27 2 VIEW
19th Apr 1950 108
W
 12 Salford L H 38 3 VIEW
22nd Apr 1950 --
W
 11 Neath * Fr H 48 10 VIEW
26th Apr 1950 109
W
 12 Bramley L A 12 2 VIEW
12th Aug 1950 --
W
 13 Barrow* Fr Ward Cup A 15 2 VIEW
19th Aug 1950 110
W
 12 Widnes L H 17 2 VIEW
23rd Aug 1950 111
W
 12 Barrow L A 14 4 VIEW
26th Aug 1950 112
W
 12 Liverpool Stanley L A 36 2 VIEW
30th Aug 1950 --
W
 12 Italy* Fr H 74 38 VIEW
2nd Sep 1950 113
W
 12 Swinton LC1(1) A 19 10 VIEW
16th Sep 1950 114
L
 12 Workington Town L A 11 19 VIEW
23rd Sep 1950 115
W
 12 Swinton L H 21 2 VIEW
27th Sep 1950 116
W
 12 Salford LC2 H 20 3 4 VIEW
30th Sep 1950 117
L
 12 Huddersfield L A 9 19 VIEW
7th Oct 1950 118
W
 12 Hunslet L H 20 14 VIEW
11th Oct 1950 119
L
 12 Wigan LCSF H 7 9 VIEW
14th Oct 1950 120
L
 12 Salford L A 3 25 VIEW
28th Oct 1950 121
L
 11 Warrington L A 2 19 VIEW
4th Nov 1950 122
W
 11 Workington Town L H 13 11 VIEW
11th Nov 1950 123
L
 11 Oldham L H 7 13 VIEW
23rd Dec 1950 124
W
 11 Swinton L A 11 3 VIEW
25th Dec 1950 125
L
 11 Leigh L H 2 12 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 78 | LOSSES : 50 | DRAWS : 6

GALLERY





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