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Ralph Banks

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
12-11-1878
N/A
Date unknown.
Pocket Nook Shamrocks
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
27-09-1902 v Brighouse
Leigh
1907-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1902-1907
95 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
6
2
0
22

Biography of Ralph Banks



HERITAGE NO : 111
Ralph Banks by Alex Service

Ralph was originally from Pocket Nook and in 1891 his father owned the Nancy Hotel in Pocket Nook Street. Yet in the 1901 Census, a Ralph Banks is found in Westfield Street at the age of 22, working as a general labourer. Ralph was a scrum-half who played along side fellow Pocket-Nooker Tom Hall at stand-off half. Ralph played for the Saints for over five seasons and accrued nearly 100 matches for the club. He could also play stand-off himself, although his presence in the team was under threat with the emergence of Teddy Toole later in his career at Knowsley Road.

The death of former Saints half-back Ralph Banks in January 1941 prompted the following obituary by Veteran in the St.Helens Newspaper.

Rugby star of yesterday dies at age of 62
Memories of great half-back pair.
Do you remember Hall and Banks, asks 'Veteran' who has contributed to our columns some interesting interesting articles of bygone days. No Sir! Hall and Banks were not music hall comedians. They were two of the finest half-backs ever to play for the St.Helens Rugby Club. They played in the Northern Union days about 40 years ago. On Monday, January 20th 1941, banks, the out-half, passed away at the age of 62. He only suffered a few days illness.
Hall was remarkable for his skill at dropping goals. He was very small, about five foot three inches and more than once have I seen him 'pop one over' from a range of only seven or eight yards. I remember one notable incident very clearly. Saints were pressing and a scrum was ordered near the posts. The ball came out very quickly while the referee had his head turned away and before you could say 'Jack Robinson' little Hall had dropped the ball to his boot and banged it over the bar. The referee's attention had only lapsed for a split second, but it was enough for Hall's brilliant drop goal. When the referee again turned his eyes to the scrum, the forwards were still struggling apparently not knowing that the ball had left the scrum. The referee wondered where it had gone too, but the crowd yelled its approval of the goal. Hall told him he had dropped a goal and the touch judge verified this, so the referee allowed a goal he had never seen.

The good old days
Hall and Banks played in the days of Tommy Foulkes, Bob Doherty, Jimmy Barnes, Neddie Bacon (backs) and Billy Briers, Frank Lee, Billy Green, Tom Reynolds (not the well-known rugby writer) will Prescott, Frank Mooney and Bill Whiteley. The last named of course has been player, checker and groundsman for a long period with the Saints. He duly retired from the position of groundsman recently.
From Pocket Nook
Hall and Banks were products of the Pocket Nook district of Parr. They learned their football on what was known as the Cinder Field which is in Pocket Nook. Many great players have joined Saints after hurly-burly early breaking in on the Cinder Field. These include David Traynot (transferred after many years to Swinton, a team in those days that was a power in the league) Charlie Creevey (transferred after a long spell to Wigan), matt Creevey (who left Saints to join Warrington and who was a notable jumper. Before one match at Warrington he gave a performance) Jimmy Creevey, Billy Lavin, Tommy Gormley (who saw service with St.Helens, Wigan and St.Helens Recreation), Joe Creevey and Joe Gormley (Tom's younger brother). All the Creevey's I have mentioned were brothers.
In the days of the beloved Hall and Banks, the pay used to be a shilling or two a match, with free tea. There was no insurance for players as there is today. On many Saturdays, however, especially when the club was away, each player would fill in the insurance form contained in a well-known weekly magazine.
To me it is refreshing to recall the days when players did their darndest for their club for so little pay. I remember Banks, only five feet three inches, but every inch a footballer, as clearly as if he had played yesterday. May he rest in peace



SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1902~03 0 2 0 30
1903~04 2 0 0 38
1904~05 2 0 0 11
1905~06 2 0 0 12
1907~08 0 0 0 4
TOTALS:6 2 0 95
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
TOTALS:

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
27th Sep 1902 1
W
 7 Brighouse Rangers L A 4 3 1 VIEW
4th Oct 1902 2
L
 7 Swinton L H 6 10 VIEW
11th Oct 1902 3
D
 7 Runcorn L H 0 0 VIEW
18th Oct 1902 4
L
 7 Batley L A 4 7 VIEW
25th Oct 1902 5
W
 7 Salford L H 9 5 VIEW
1st Nov 1902 6
L
 7 Halifax L A 0 8 VIEW
8th Nov 1902 7
L
 7 Leigh L H 2 13 VIEW
15th Nov 1902 8
W
 7 Hull L A 4 3 VIEW
22nd Nov 1902 9
L
 7 Oldham L H 0 3 VIEW
29th Nov 1902 10
L
 7 Broughton Rangers L A 0 23 VIEW
6th Dec 1902 11
L
 7 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 0 10 VIEW
13th Dec 1902 12
L
 7 Hunslet L A 3 9 VIEW
20th Dec 1902 13
L
 7 Wigan L H 5 6 VIEW
27th Dec 1902 14
L
 7 Widnes L A 0 8 VIEW
1st Jan 1903 15
W
 7 Batley L H 7 5 VIEW
10th Jan 1903 16
L
 7 Huddersfield L H 5 13 VIEW
24th Jan 1903 17
L
 7 Brighouse Rangers L H 0 7 VIEW
31st Jan 1903 18
L
 7 Swinton L A 0 15 VIEW
7th Feb 1903 19
L
 7 Runcorn L A 0 19 VIEW
14th Feb 1903 20
W
 7 Warrington CC1 H 6 3 1 VIEW
21st Feb 1903 21
L
 7 Rochdale Hornets CC2 H 2 8 VIEW
24th Feb 1903 22
L
 7 Warrington L A 0 6 VIEW
28th Feb 1903 23
W
 7 Halifax L H 7 3 VIEW
7th Mar 1903 24
W
 7 Leigh L A 8 5 VIEW
14th Mar 1903 25
W
 7 Hull L H 10 8 VIEW
28th Mar 1903 26
L
 7 Broughton Rangers L H 3 18 VIEW
31st Mar 1903 27
L
 7 Oldham L A 4 13 VIEW
4th Apr 1903 28
L
 7 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 2 6 VIEW
11th Apr 1903 29
D
 7 Hunslet L H 5 5 VIEW
25th Apr 1903 30
W
 6 Widnes L H 8 3 VIEW
1st Sep 1903 31
W
 7 Leigh SWLL A 5 2 VIEW
5th Sep 1903 32
W
 7 Dewsbury L H 29 5 VIEW
12th Sep 1903 33
W
 7 Birkenhead Wanderers L A 3 0 VIEW
19th Sep 1903 34
W
 7 Barrow L H 18 6 VIEW
26th Sep 1903 35
L
 7 Holbeck L A 3 19 VIEW
3rd Oct 1903 36
W
 7 Normanton L H 27 0 VIEW
17th Oct 1903 37
W
 7 York L H 2 0 VIEW
24th Oct 1903 38
D
 7 Morecambe L A 2 2 VIEW
31st Oct 1903 39
W
 7 Brighouse Rangers L H 10 0 VIEW
14th Nov 1903 40
W
 7 Millom L H 17 4 VIEW
21st Nov 1903 41
D
 7 Bramley L A 0 0 VIEW
28th Nov 1903 42
W
 7 Wakefield Trinity L H 11 8 VIEW
5th Dec 1903 43
W
 7 Pontefract L A 10 3 VIEW
12th Dec 1903 44
L
 7 Castleford L A 0 7 VIEW
19th Dec 1903 45
W
 7 Rochdale Hornets L OBJ H 14 2 VIEW
25th Dec 1903 46
L
 7 Wigan SWLL A 6 12 VIEW
26th Dec 1903 47
L
 5 Lancaster L OBJ A 3 10 VIEW
9th Jan 1904 48
W
 7 Birkenhead Wanderers L H 3 0 VIEW
30th Jan 1904 49
W
 6 Normanton L A 8 6 VIEW
13th Feb 1904 50
L
 7 York L A 0 5 VIEW
16th Feb 1904 51
D
 7 Dewsbury L A 3 3 VIEW
20th Feb 1904 52
W
 7 Morecambe L H 8 0 1 VIEW
22nd Feb 1904 53
W
 3 Rochdale Hornets L H 6 0 VIEW
27th Feb 1904 54
L
 7 Brighouse Rangers L A 0 3 VIEW
5th Mar 1904 55
W
 7 Highfield CCP H 48 5 VIEW
12th Mar 1904 56
L
 7 Halifax CC1 A 0 15 VIEW
16th Mar 1904 57
W
 7 Millom L A 3 0 VIEW
19th Mar 1904 58
W
 7 Bramley L H 21 2 VIEW
26th Mar 1904 59
L
 7 Wakefield Trinity L A 0 20 VIEW
1st Apr 1904 60
W
 7 Widnes SWLL A 8 4 VIEW
2nd Apr 1904 61
D
 7 Runcorn SWLL A 3 3 VIEW
4th Apr 1904 62
L
 7 Warrington SWLL A 3 19 VIEW
9th Apr 1904 63
W
 5 Castleford L H 31 3 1 VIEW
13th Apr 1904 64
W
 3 Lancaster L A 12 2 VIEW
16th Apr 1904 65
L
 5 Rochdale Hornets L A 0 5 VIEW
23rd Apr 1904 66
W
 7 Lancaster L H 35 2 VIEW
30th Apr 1904 67
W
 3 South Shields L H 23 0 VIEW
14th May 1904 68
W
 7 Holbeck LPO N 7 0 VIEW
3rd Sep 1904 69
L
 6 Oldham L H 4 10 VIEW
10th Sep 1904 70
L
 6 Wigan L H 7 11 VIEW
17th Sep 1904 71
L
 6 Swinton L A 7 17 VIEW
24th Sep 1904 72
L
 6 Broughton Rangers L A 5 24 VIEW
12th Nov 1904 73
W
 4 Wakefield Trinity L H 5 0 VIEW
3rd Dec 1904 74
L
 7 Hull L A 0 14 VIEW
10th Dec 1904 75
L
 7 Bradford L H 8 18 1 VIEW
17th Dec 1904 76
L
 7 Leeds L A 2 17 VIEW
11th Feb 1905 77
L
 6 Hunslet L A 5 16 VIEW
4th Mar 1905 78
W
 7 Rochdale Rangers CC1 H 9 2 1 VIEW
11th Mar 1905 79
L
 7 Wakefield Trinity L A 0 21 VIEW
2nd Sep 1905 80
W
 7 Millom L H 34 3 VIEW
9th Sep 1905 81
W
 7 Morecambe L H 26 6 1 VIEW
16th Sep 1905 82
L
 7 Widnes L A 2 3 VIEW
23rd Sep 1905 83
W
 7 Hull L H 8 5 VIEW
30th Sep 1905 84
L
 7 Salford L A 5 25 VIEW
14th Oct 1905 85
L
 7 Wigan LC1 A 0 18 VIEW
21st Oct 1905 86
L
 4 Runcorn L A 3 12 VIEW
25th Dec 1905 87
W
 3 Runcorn L H 7 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1905 88
L
 7 Wigan L H 5 13 VIEW
20th Jan 1906 89
W
 6 Normanton L H 28 3 1 VIEW
27th Jan 1906 90
L
 6 Oldham L A 2 12 VIEW
17th Feb 1906 91
L
 6 Runcorn CCInt. H 0 3 VIEW
16th Nov 1907 92
D
 6 Ebbw Vale L H 11 11 VIEW
23rd Nov 1907 93
W
 3 Swinton L H 8 0 VIEW
7th Dec 1907 94
L
 6 Salford L H 0 18 VIEW
14th Dec 1907 95
L
 3 Leigh L A 2 20 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 41 | LOSSES : 47 | DRAWS : 7

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