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Bob Burdell

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
13-01-1939
N/A
Date unknown.
Liverpool City
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
25-01-1964 v Keighley
Whitehaven
1965- Salford
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1963-1965
24 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
1
0
0
3

Biography of Bob Burdell



HERITAGE NO : 814
Bob Burdell by Alex Service

From his debut against Keighley, at Knowsley Road, on 25th January 1964, [A 28-3 victory for the Saints] to his last match, against Whitehaven at the Recreation Ground on 4th December 1965 [a 4-2 success], Bob Burdell would always come in a do a good job for the team! He joined the Saints for £1,250 in a deal that saw winger Arthur Johnson go to the Liverpool club. With the likes of Bob Dagnall around, perhaps the general perception was that he would be essentially a back-up player, but he was a good, reliable hooker and lively in the loose. But are we really talking about just a stand-in player? Definitely not! He was certainly a talented footballer and a bit of a character too!

Born in Birkdale and one of three brothers, Bob was educated at Farnborough Road school and King George V Grammar School. Inevitably, he played rugby union and went on to become the youngest-ever player to be picked for Southport RFC`s First XV, aged 16. He had just been called up for Lancashire trials when he decided to have a shot at rugby league. He approached Wigan and got no reply! [somewhat ironic, as we shall see later] Yet he was signed up by Liverpool City in 1960 for the sum of fifty pounds. He was an immediate success in the hooking role and was selected for the combined Widnes/Liverpool City team to face the Kiwis in 1961. In 1963 he was a Great Britain `Shadow squad` member for the French test and therefore became close to being the first Liverpool City international. Liverpool City were always a struggling club in the early 1960s and were glad of the fee they got from St. Helens for his services.

Bob did manage to play in a major final for his new club, when he partnered John Tembey and Stan Owen in the front row for the Western Division Championship final against Swinton, at Wigan on 16th May 1964 the game where Ray French got the winning try! After three years at Knowsley Road and 24 appearances, Bob joined Salford, where he won three Lancashire caps in the 1967-68 season and was a vital cog in a resurgent team. He was unlucky, also, not to make the Great Britain World Cup squad in 1968. Yet the signing of Johnny Ward from Castleford limited his chances once more and Wigan swooped just before the 1969-70 Challenge Cup deadline to bring him to Central Park. He became first choice, at the expense of Colin Clarke and played in the 1970 Challenge Cup final against Castleford, before hanging up his boots in the early 1970s.

A Post Office and later British Telecom engineer, he ended up on the Costa Brava, where he passed away on 15th May 2013, aged 74. The funeral was held at Torrevieja.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1963~641 0 0 15
1964~650 0 0 4
1965~66 0 0 0 5
TOTALS:1 0 0 24
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1964~650001
TOTALS:0001

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
25th Jan 1964 1
W
 9 Keighley L H 28 3 VIEW
1st Feb 1964 2
W
 9 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 9 5 VIEW
8th Feb 1964 3
L
 9 Castleford CC1 H 6 13 VIEW
15th Feb 1964 4
W
 9 Barrow WDC A 14 10 VIEW
22nd Feb 1964 5
L
 9 Leeds L H 6 14 1 VIEW
29th Feb 1964 6
W
 9 Warrington L A 17 10 VIEW
7th Mar 1964 7
W
 9 Huddersfield L A 16 11 VIEW
14th Mar 1964 8
W
 9 Workington Town L H 14 8 VIEW
21st Mar 1964 9
W
 9 Whitehaven WDC H 50 7 VIEW
27th Mar 1964 10
W
 9 Wigan L H 11 5 VIEW
30th Mar 1964 11
W
 9 Swinton L A 10 7 VIEW
4th Apr 1964 12
L
 9 Widnes L H 6 10 VIEW
8th Apr 1964 13
L
 9 Featherstone Rovers L A 12 19 VIEW
16th May 1964 14
W
 9 Swinton WDCF N 10 7 VIEW
27th May 1964 15
L
 9 Castleford L A 10 11 VIEW
14th Aug 1964 --
W
 9 Swinton* Fr Gallie Cup H 22 2 VIEW
12th Sep 1964 16
W
 9 Blackpool Borough L H 37 5 VIEW
14th Sep 1964 17
W
 9 Barrow LC2 A 22 11 VIEW
19th Sep 1964 --NPS
W
 15 Rochdale Hornets L A 17 6 VIEW
17th Oct 1964 18
W
 9 Featherstone Rovers L H 25 12 VIEW
23rd Jan 1965 19
W
 9 Whitehaven L H 16 3 VIEW
16th Oct 1965 20
W
 9 Salford L A 15 11 VIEW
30th Oct 1965 --NPS
W
 15 Barrow L A 15 10 VIEW
16th Nov 1965 21
W
 9 Leeds FT2 H 21 9 VIEW
19th Nov 1965 22
W
 9 Rochdale Hornets L H 19 7 VIEW
27th Nov 1965 23
D
 9 Wakefield Trinity L H 9 9 VIEW
4th Dec 1965 24
W
 9 Whitehaven L A 4 2 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 21 | LOSSES : 5 | DRAWS : 1

GALLERY





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