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Albert Fildes

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
09-02-1901
N/A
24-10-1930
St. Helens Recs
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
04-10-1930 v Dewsbury
Widnes
1934- when he Retired
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1930-1934
129 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
19
0
0
57

Biography of Albert Fildes



HERITAGE NO : 388
Albert E. Fildes by Dave Dooley
Albert Fildes was a giant second row forward who represented Lancashire and went on the 1928 Great Britain tour of Australia and New Zealand as a St Helens Recs player. Albert played 129 times for the Saints scoring 19 tries for a total of 57 points.

He made his debut for the club on the 4th of October, 1930 in the 12 points to 10 home win over Dewsbury. His first try for the club came against Halifax during a 20 points to 6 victory that same season on January 3rd. 1931. In his first season Albert played 27 matches and scored two tries.

In the 1930/31 season Albert secured a second row berth which was to become his most popular position for the club eventually forming devastating second row partnerships with Ben Halfpenny and Jack Arkwright. The 1931/32 season saw Albert at the top of his game running in nine tries during the campaign and running hard to set up a score of other touchdowns for his colleagues. As the team were engaged in battle in the Championship Final against Huddersfield, Albert and Alf Ellaby were on the ship heading for Australia on their second tour down under. As Saints were crowned champions for the first time other players remembered the debt of gratitude owed to these two stalwarts who had got the team to the Final. Albert received a winners medal for the Saints winning the Lancashire League at a canter that season.

The next two seasons saw Fildes play another 70 matches for the club running in ten more tries in the process. Albert retired after only one game of the 1934/35 season. This final game was against Widnes on September 1st. 1934. Albert won England and Lancashire caps whilst at the Saints. As financial pressures caused Saints to sell their top players in the mid-thirties and the departure of stars like Albert resulted in Saints free-falling down the league table. Outside rugby Albert was a publican and later worked in the glass industry. He stayed in St. Helens until his death in September, 1976, aged 75.

Albert Fildes a further appreciation by SHS

Runcorn-born Albert Fildes was already a major star with local rivals St. Helens Recreation with a formidable reputation in club and international football when the Saints signed him early in the 1930-31 season. Albert formed a legendary back three at the Recs, with Tommy Smith and loose forward Bill Mulvanney, a combination feared throughout the league! He played in three Lancashire Cup Finals and a Championship Final for the Recs and was one of seven players from the two St. Helens clubs to be selected for the Australian tour in 1928.

Tremendously strong with supreme tackling ability, Fildes led a formidable Saints` pack that also included his fellow tourist Ben Halfpenny and a tall, aggressive second rower by the name of Jack Arkwright. Aided and abetted by a pacy threequarter line, with wingers Roy Hardgrave and Alf Ellaby sharing 77 tries between them, Albert enjoyed a particularly successful campaign in 1931/32 as the Saints clinched second place in the table and lifted the Lancashire League trophy. They won the last ten games of the campaign, with Fildes a tower of strength with his fantastic work-rate and cover-tackling. He also showed his ability in the loose with 9 tries during the season.

Albert and flying winger Alf Ellaby missed the Championship semi-final against Leeds and the final itself against Huddersfield at Belle Vue, Wakefield, Saints` first-ever Championship success! They were on the boat to Australia, with Fildes joining Ellaby in the side for the crucial Third Test at Sydney on 16th July. Britain roared back from a 9-0 deficit to win 18-15 and retain the Ashes. Albert played 19 matches overall, scoring 6 tries and it was a whitewash in New Zealand, with Fildes playing in the first and last Tests, both in Auckland. In the third, he scored a try as Great Britain won 20-18 on what was the final match of the tour. On their return to St. Helens, both players were awarded a Championship-winner`s medal by the Knowsley Road club.

Albert scored a try in the Saints` 9-10 loss to a strong Warrington outfit in the Lancashire Cup Final at Central Park in November 1932 and he was once again on the losing side in the Challenge Cup semi-final at the hands of the same opponents later in the campaign. The great team of the early thirties started to break up shortly after, largely a result of financial constraints and Albert retired early in the 1934/35 season after a marvellous career. He was a popular figure in St. Helens town centre as Mine Host of the White Hart Hotel in Church Street for many years. Saints` supporters wished Fildes had been signed a few years earlier, yet he was still highly regarded by all at the Knowsley Road club, a true `great` of the game between the Wars!

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1930~312 0 0 27
1931~327 0 0 33
1932~336 0 0 34
1933~344 0 0 34
1934~35 0 0 0 1
TOTALS:19 0 0 129
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1930~31 0001
1932~32 1001
TOTALS:1002

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
4th Oct 1930 1
W
 12 Dewsbury L H 12 10 VIEW
11th Oct 1930 2
L
 11 Wigan LC1 A 7 24 VIEW
25th Oct 1930 3
W
 11 York L A 10 4 VIEW
1st Nov 1930 4
W
 11 Bramley L H 34 14 VIEW
29th Nov 1930 5
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 33 15 VIEW
6th Dec 1930 6
W
 12 Wigan Highfield L A 10 7 VIEW
20th Dec 1930 7
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L A 9 2 VIEW
25th Dec 1930 8
W
 12 St. Helens Recs L H 7 6 VIEW
26th Dec 1930 9
L
 12 Wigan L H 2 23 VIEW
27th Dec 1930 10
L
 12 Leeds L A 0 23 VIEW
1st Jan 1931 11
L
 12 St. Helens Recs L A 3 5 VIEW
3rd Jan 1931 12
W
 12 Halifax L H 20 6 1 VIEW
10th Jan 1931 13
L
 12 Warrington L A 3 14 VIEW
21st Feb 1931 14
W
 10 Castleford CC2 A 8 2 VIEW
28th Feb 1931 15
W
 12 Barrow L H 30 0 1 VIEW
7th Mar 1931 16
W
 12 Broughton Rangers CC3 A 8 7 VIEW
14th Mar 1931 17
W
 12 Leigh L A 20 19 VIEW
17th Mar 1931 18
W
 12 Dewsbury L A 10 7 VIEW
21st Mar 1931 19
W
 12 Leigh L H 23 3 VIEW
28th Mar 1931 20
L
 12 Halifax CCSF N 2 11 VIEW
3rd Apr 1931 21
L
 12 Wigan L A 2 5 VIEW
4th Apr 1931 22
L
 12 Oldham L A 7 28 VIEW
6th Apr 1931 23
W
 12 York L H 13 3 VIEW
7th Apr 1931 24
L
 12 Halifax L A 13 15 VIEW
11th Apr 1931 25
W
 12 Broughton Rangers L H 37 5 VIEW
22nd Apr 1931 26
W
 12 Wigan Highfield L H 40 17 VIEW
25th Apr 1931 27
W
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers L H 25 5 VIEW
9th May 1931 --
W
 12 Barrow * Fr Carnival Cup L 33 7 VIEW
29th Aug 1931 28
W
 11 Widnes L H 39 2 VIEW
5th Sep 1931 29
D
 11 Widnes L A 7 7 VIEW
9th Sep 1931 30
W
 11 Barrow L A 12 0 VIEW
12th Sep 1931 31
W
 11 Wigan Highfield L H 14 10 VIEW
19th Sep 1931 32
L
 11 Huddersfield L A 2 5 VIEW
26th Sep 1931 33
W
 11 Dewsbury L H 49 0 1 VIEW
10th Oct 1931 34
L
 10 Salford LC1 A 5 16 VIEW
24th Oct 1931 35
L
 11 Broughton Rangers L A 12 24 VIEW
31st Oct 1931 36
W
 11 Bradford Northern L H 35 5 1 VIEW
7th Nov 1931 37
W
 11 Wigan Highfield L A 19 4 VIEW
14th Nov 1931 38
W
 11 Salford L H 10 2 VIEW
21st Nov 1931 39
W
 11 Warrington L A 23 8 VIEW
28th Nov 1931 40
W
 11 Warrington L H 38 8 1 VIEW
5th Dec 1931 41
W
 11 Bradford Northern L A 31 5 VIEW
12th Dec 1931 42
W
 11 Leigh L A 16 8 1 VIEW
19th Dec 1931 43
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 33 12 1 VIEW
25th Dec 1931 44
L
 11 St. Helens Recs L A 2 13 VIEW
26th Dec 1931 45
W
 11 Wigan L H 10 4 VIEW
1st Jan 1932 46
D
 11 St. Helens Recs L H 7 7 VIEW
2nd Jan 1932 47
W
 11 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 5 3 VIEW
9th Jan 1932 48
W
 11 Wakefield Trinity L H 11 2 VIEW
13th Jan 1932 49
L
 11 Salford L A 3 9 VIEW
23rd Jan 1932 50
W
 11 Halifax L H 24 10 VIEW
30th Jan 1932 51
W
 11 Swinton L A 8 7 VIEW
6th Feb 1932 52
L
 11 Keighley CC1 A 6 12 VIEW
27th Feb 1932 53
L
 11 Castleford L A 0 5 VIEW
5th Mar 1932 54
W
 11 Barrow L H 36 15 VIEW
12th Mar 1932 55
W
 11 Huddersfield L H 21 8 VIEW
19th Mar 1932 56
W
 11 Dewsbury L A 24 15 VIEW
25th Mar 1932 57
W
 11 Wigan L A 12 3 VIEW
26th Mar 1932 58
W
 11 Castleford L H 24 6 1 VIEW
29th Mar 1932 59
W
 11 Halifax L A 13 3 1 VIEW
2nd Apr 1932 60
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L A 16 3 VIEW
1st Oct 1932 61
L
 10 Swinton L H 11 37 VIEW
8th Oct 1932 62
W
 11 Widnes LC1 A 10 5 VIEW
15th Oct 1932 63
W
 11 Barrow L H 18 11 VIEW
22nd Oct 1932 64
D
 11 Wigan Highfield L A 11 11 VIEW
24th Oct 1932 65
W
 11 Broughton Rangers LC2 H 22 4 1 VIEW
29th Oct 1932 66
W
 11 Batley L H 14 7 VIEW
2nd Nov 1932 67
D
 11 Salford LCSF A 2 2 VIEW
5th Nov 1932 68
W
 11 Leigh L A 13 3 2 VIEW
7th Nov 1932 69
W
 11 Salford LCSF(rep) H 17 10 VIEW
12th Nov 1932 70
W
 11 Wigan Highfield L H 34 7 VIEW
19th Nov 1932 71
L
 11 Warrington LCF N 9 10 1 VIEW
26th Nov 1932 72
W
 11 Leeds L H 21 5 VIEW
29th Nov 1932 73
L
 11 Batley L A 12 17 VIEW
10th Dec 1932 74
L
 11 Warrington L H 16 18 VIEW
17th Dec 1932 75
L
 11 Salford L A 5 13 VIEW
24th Dec 1932 76
L
 11 Oldham L A 8 12 VIEW
25th Dec 1932 77
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L H 8 3 VIEW
27th Dec 1932 78
W
 11 Wigan L H 13 10 VIEW
31st Dec 1932 79
L
 11 Leeds L A 0 27 VIEW
2nd Jan 1933 80
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L A 10 5 VIEW
7th Jan 1933 81
W
 11 Salford L H 12 5 VIEW
14th Jan 1933 82
L
 11 York L A 5 11 VIEW
11th Feb 1933 83
W
 11 Bradford Northern CC1 A 24 3 VIEW
18th Feb 1933 84
W
 11 Oldham L H 23 0 VIEW
2nd Mar 1933 85
W
 11 Hunslet CC2 H 14 3 VIEW
11th Mar 1933 86
W
 11 Halifax CC3 H 18 6 1 VIEW
13th Mar 1933 87
W
 11 York L H 9 8 VIEW
18th Mar 1933 88
L
 11 Huddersfield L A 4 27 VIEW
25th Mar 1933 89
L
 11 Warrington CCSF N 5 11 VIEW
14th Apr 1933 90
L
 11 Wigan L A 12 23 VIEW
15th Apr 1933 91
L
 11 Warrington L A 17 24 VIEW
17th Apr 1933 92
W
 11 Broughton Rangers L H 26 0 VIEW
22nd Apr 1933 93
W
 11 Rochdale Hornets L H 47 19 1 VIEW
29th Apr 1933 94
W
 11 Castleford L H 39 5 VIEW
18th May 1933 --
W
 12 Halifax * Fr Carnival Cup L 35 13 1 VIEW
16th Sep 1933 95
W
 12 Oldham L H 25 8 VIEW
18th Sep 1933 96
L
 12 Oldham L A 3 16 VIEW
23rd Sep 1933 97
L
 10 Huddersfield L A 0 10 VIEW
30th Sep 1933 98
W
 12 Salford LC1 H 12 8 VIEW
7th Oct 1933 99
L
 12 Keighley L A 8 16 VIEW
14th Oct 1933 100
W
 12 Leigh L H 20 13 VIEW
16th Oct 1933 101
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets LC2 H 52 14 1 VIEW
21st Oct 1933 102
W
 12 Dewsbury L A 11 0 VIEW
2nd Nov 1933 103
L
 12 St. Helens Recs LCSF A 2 9 VIEW
9th Dec 1933 104
W
 12 Broughton Rangers L A 11 9 VIEW
16th Dec 1933 105
W
 12 Broughton Rangers L H 36 5 VIEW
23rd Dec 1933 106
L
 12 Salford L A 10 17 VIEW
25th Dec 1933 107
L
 12 St. Helens Recs L A 9 11 VIEW
26th Dec 1933 108
L
 11 Wigan L H 8 21 VIEW
30th Dec 1933 109
L
 11 Leeds L A 5 20 VIEW
1st Jan 1934 110
W
 11 St. Helens Recs L H 10 2 VIEW
13th Jan 1934 111
W
 12 Rochdale Hornets L H 29 13 VIEW
20th Jan 1934 112
W
 12 Leeds L H 21 19 VIEW
27th Jan 1934 113
L
 12 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 8 23 VIEW
3rd Feb 1934 114
L
 12 Huddersfield L H 7 20 VIEW
10th Feb 1934 115
W
 12 Bradford Northern CC1 A 34 6 VIEW
17th Feb 1934 116
L
 12 Halifax L A 8 16 VIEW
24th Feb 1934 117
L
 12 Bramley CC2 A 12 17 VIEW
28th Feb 1934 118
W
 12 Swinton L A 8 5 VIEW
3rd Mar 1934 119
W
 12 Bradford Northern L A 15 11 VIEW
14th Mar 1934 120
L
 12 London Highfield L A 8 16 VIEW
19th Mar 1934 121
W
 12 Warrington L H 7 3 VIEW
24th Mar 1934 122
W
 12 Swinton L H 25 5 1 VIEW
30th Mar 1934 123
L
 12 Wigan L A 3 27 1 VIEW
1st Apr 1934 124
L
 12 Barrow L A 10 21 VIEW
3rd Apr 1934 125
W
 12 Keighley L H 23 14 VIEW
7th Apr 1934 126
W
 12 Barrow L H 31 23 1 VIEW
9th Apr 1934 127
L
 12 Halifax L H 9 19 VIEW
14th Apr 1934 128
W
 12 London Highfield L H 34 12 VIEW
1st Sep 1934 129
L
 11 Widnes L H 5 10 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 82 | LOSSES : 45 | DRAWS : 4

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