MEN'S LEAGUE	32	53	59	66	70	71	75	96	99	00	02	06	14	19	20	21	22	MEN'S WORLD CLUB	01	07	23
MEN'S CHALLENGE CUPS	56	61	66	72	76	96	97	01	04	06	07	08	21					WOMEN'S MATCHES	21	22	23	24	21

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

James Webb
OVERALL STATISTICS
BIRTH	AGE	SIGNED ON	FROM
8-4-1859	N/A	Date unknown.	Unknown.
DEBUT		LAST MATCH	LEFT
13-3-1880 v Widnes		Aspull	1882-
CAREER			APPEARANCES (SUBS)
1880-1882			15 (0)
TRIES	GOALS	DGOALS	PTS
0	0	0	0

Biography of James Webb
HERITAGE NO : James Webb MOVER AND SHAKER James was a local lad who was born in Sutton, St Helens on the 8th of April, 1859. His father, Thomas, was a blacksmith. All members of the Saints community owe a great deal to this character whose initiative and organisation was critical in our history. Originating in Sutton he was relocated as a child to live at 71 Brook Street in St. Helens. This was an are of high population density and the rough and tumble of boys in the area led itself to a tight knit community and a plethora of street games. As a teenager James and a gang would walk the short distance to the Queens Recreation Ground at Boundary Road and watch the Old Originals of the Club play their matches on Saturdays. James was also a frequent visitor to the nearby YMCA situated in the Ragged School. There James and his pals would practice kicking an old boxing glove through the trapeze emulating the gentlemen playing rugby fields nearby. Occasionally, if the Saints or their opposition were short of players one of the boy spectators would be invited to try their hand at rugby. His Saints’ debut came on the 13th of March 1880 against Widnes. It was the first match that the former Eccleston Rangers lads were completing the season’s fixtures for the Originals. The contest was marred by almost riotous invasions of the pitch by the local spectators. The Saints went down to a hefty defeat. In order to keep rugby being played in the town James and his chums needed to raise money. That said there was an even greater problem The owner of the ground, Mr. Foster had refused to let them use the ground any longer. The new secretary, Dick Prescott, wrote to Lord Derby to ask for money to help secure a new pitch. On the day before their next fixture a cheque for 5 guineas arrived in the post and James and his pals dashed to see Ralph Smith who owned land on the site which is now occupied by houses on Lingholme Road and Harris Street. After work on the Friday a gang of lads including fellow player Bill Heaton dug up the posts at St Anns and collect equipment and using a handcart transferred it down the their new ground. They worked by candlelight to mark out their new pitch and raise the goalposts. The work was completed on Saturday by five in the morning before most of the volunteers had to clock on work one hour later for their half day shift. They played Widnes in the afternoon and won. James played regularly as the Club evolved. He was essentially a three quarters player. The final match where James was recorded as a player was against Widnes True Blues on the 4th of November 1882. Outside rugby James worked as an iron moulder. He married Elizabeth Norbury in the Spring of 1888. They had a son Frank Percival Webb who was born in April 1904. By 1890 James had set up a Dairy and was doing quite nicely. He moved to live at 99 Dentons Green Lane close to where he used to ply his rugby skills. James wrote an impressive account of the history of the early Saints in a letter to the then Supporters Club secretary, Jesse Skepper. A fuller account of this letter cab be found in the excellent publication “Nomads and Ruffians’ by Alex Service. James died on the 24th of October, 1944 at the age of 85. He left the sum of £1257 to his son Frank.

Biography of James Webb

HERITAGE NO :

James Webb

MOVER AND SHAKER

James was a local lad who was born in Sutton, St Helens on the 8th of April, 1859. His father, Thomas, was a blacksmith. All members of the Saints community owe a great deal to this character whose initiative and organisation was critical in our history.

Originating in Sutton he was relocated as a child to live at 71 Brook Street in St. Helens. This was an are of high population density and the rough and tumble of boys in the area led itself to a tight knit community and a plethora of street games.

As a teenager James and a gang would walk the short distance to the Queens Recreation Ground at Boundary Road and watch the Old Originals of the Club play their matches on Saturdays. James was also a frequent visitor to the nearby YMCA situated in the Ragged School. There James and his pals would practice kicking an old boxing glove through the trapeze emulating the gentlemen playing rugby fields nearby.

Occasionally, if the Saints or their opposition were short of players one of the boy spectators would be invited to try their hand at rugby.

His Saints’ debut came on the 13th of March 1880 against Widnes. It was the first match that the former Eccleston Rangers lads were completing the season’s fixtures for the Originals. The contest was marred by almost riotous invasions of the pitch by the local spectators. The Saints went down to a hefty defeat.

In order to keep rugby being played in the town James and his chums needed to raise money. That said there was an even greater problem The owner of the ground, Mr. Foster had refused to let them use the ground any longer. The new secretary, Dick Prescott, wrote to Lord Derby to ask for money to help secure a new pitch. On the day before their next fixture a cheque for 5 guineas arrived in the post and James and his pals dashed to see Ralph Smith who owned land on the site which is now occupied by houses on Lingholme Road and Harris Street. After work on the Friday a gang of lads including fellow player Bill Heaton dug up the posts at St Anns and collect equipment and using a handcart transferred it down the their new ground. They worked by candlelight to mark out their new pitch and raise the goalposts. The work was completed on Saturday by five in the morning before most of the volunteers had to clock on work one hour later for their half day shift. They played Widnes in the afternoon and won.

James played regularly as the Club evolved. He was essentially a three quarters player. The final match where James was recorded as a player was against Widnes True Blues on the 4th of November 1882.

Outside rugby James worked as an iron moulder. He married Elizabeth Norbury in the Spring of 1888. They had a son Frank Percival Webb who was born in April 1904. By 1890 James had set up a Dairy and was doing quite nicely. He moved to live at 99 Dentons Green Lane close to where he used to ply his rugby skills.

James wrote an impressive account of the history of the early Saints in a letter to the then Supporters Club secretary, Jesse Skepper. A fuller account of this letter cab be found in the excellent publication “Nomads and Ruffians’ by Alex Service.

James died on the 24th of October, 1944 at the age of 85. He left the sum of £1257 to his son Frank.

Date	Match		Pos	Opponents	Comp	Venue
13th Mar 1880	1	N/K	3	Widnes*	FR	H	VIEW
9th Oct 1880	2	N/K	2	St Helens Recs*	FR	H	VIEW
16th Oct 1880	3	N/K	2	Runcorn Second XV*	FR	A	VIEW
4th Dec 1880	4	N/K	3	St Helens Recs*	FR	A	VIEW
1st Jan 1881	5	N/K	3	St Helens Recs*	FR	A	VIEW
12th Mar 1881	6	N/K	3	Tranmere*	FR	A	VIEW
29th Oct 1881	7	N/K	2	Widnes True Blues*	FR	H	VIEW
31st Dec 1881	8	N/K	2	Runcorn A*	FR	A	VIEW
21st Jan 1882	9	N/K	2	Glodwick*	FR	A	VIEW
28th Jan 1882	10	N/K	4	Widnes Excelsior*	FR	A	VIEW
25th Feb 1882	11	N/K	3	Widnes True Blues*	FR	H	VIEW
4th Mar 1882	12	N/K	3	St Helens Recs*	FR	H	VIEW
4th Nov 1882	13	N/K	4	Widnes True Blues*	FR	H	VIEW
18th Nov 1882	14	N/K	4	St Helens Recs*	FR	A	VIEW
2nd Dec 1882	15	N/K	4	Aspull*	FR	A	VIEW

*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.

WINS : \| LOSSES : \| DRAWS :

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James Webb

OVERALL STATISTICS

Biography of James Webb