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

David Red Traynor

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
28-10-1873
N/A
Date unknown.
Unknown.
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
15-10-1892 v Sale
Blackley
1894-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1892-1894
18 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
4
1
0
11

Biography of David Red Traynor



HERITAGE NO :
David Traynor

TALENTED CENTRE AND CHALLENGE CUP HERO

David was born in Widnes on the 28th of October 1873. He moved to St. Helens as an infant to live in the Cinder Field area of Pocket Nook. His father, James, was a chemical worker. He worked as a blacksmith for many years.

David went on to play 178 matches for the Saints. He also turned out for local rivals St. Helens Recreation before coming to Knowsley Road and had a spell at the Swinton club during his days in the professional Northern Union.

His debut was against top side Aspull on the 8th of February, 1892. That game ended in a draw. He played 18 matches for the Saints prior to the Northern Union era. In those matches he scored 4 tries and kicked a solitary goal. In the same period, David also played for St. Helens Recs.

NORTHERN UNION ERA

David made his Northern Union debut against Rochdale Hornets at the start of the 1896-97 campaign.He was solidly-built and had pace, put to good use at the start of the 1896-97 Challenge Cup run when he notched five touchdowns against non-league Lees, an individual club record at the time, which stood for many years until the arrival of Alf Ellaby. Essentially, he was a centre and a good one too, good enough to represent Lancashire County.

David scored the Saints’ only touchdown in the 1897 Challenge Cup final. In the third quarter of the match at Headingley, a sliced drop goal from Goodall was fielded by Saints Cumbrian forward `Bob` Doherty, who shrugged off two attempted tackles. A dummy to the supporting Jacques, a quick turn and a lovely timed pass fizzed out to Dave Traynor on the wing. He ran at full pace along the touchline, hotly pursued by Garner and Davies of Batley. Eventually, Goodall and Shaw tried to cut him off, but he brushed them off with his powerful frame, eventually running a few yards closer to the posts, grounding the ball just as he was tackled. The applause that rang around Headingley that famous afternoon was fully justified: it was the first and only time the Batley defence had been breached in the whole cup run.

There is no doubt that he was a capable footballer. He scored hat-tricks against Tyldesley and Normanton and was also a powerful goal-kicker, with 89 successes in his 160 Northern Union matches. His last game for the club was on 12th December 1906, against Rochdale Hornets.

Rumour has it that he could be awkward and truculent at times. Outside rugby he was known to have been in trouble with the police on several occasions. Perhaps his life settled down after he married Mary McDermott in October 1919 in Toxteth Park. He died in Southport in January 1948 at the age of 74. 


DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
15th Oct 1892 1
W
 2 Sale* FR A 4 0 VIEW
22nd Oct 1892 2
W
 1 Stockport* FR H 17 0 VIEW
12th Nov 1892 3
W
 1 Tyldesley* FR A 2 0 VIEW
19th Nov 1892 4
D
 1 Runcorn* FR H 0 0 VIEW
26th Nov 1892 5
W
 1 Morecambe* FR H 9 4 VIEW
8th Apr 1893 6
L
 2 Salford* FR A 2 6 VIEW
4th Nov 1893 7
W
 3 Morecambe* FR H 8 0 1 VIEW
11th Nov 1893 8
W
 2 Blackley* LCC A 11 0 1 VIEW
18th Nov 1893 9
W
 2 Tuebrook* FR H 25 3 1 VIEW
25th Nov 1893 10
D
 3 Swinton* FR A 6 6 1 VIEW
2nd Dec 1893 11
L
 3 Ulverston* LCC A 3 18 VIEW
9th Dec 1893 12
W
 3 Rochdale St. Clements* LCC H 9 0 1 VIEW
23rd Dec 1893 13
W
 2 Tuebrook* FR A 8 4 VIEW
25th Dec 1893 14
D
 3 Leigh* LCC H 0 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1893 15
L
 3 Wigan* FR A 3 5 VIEW
29th Dec 1893 16
L
 3 Stockport* FR A 0 6 VIEW
1st Jan 1894 17
W
 3 Runcorn* FR H 8 0 VIEW
13th Jan 1894 18
W
 3 Blackley* LCC H 21 5 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 11 | LOSSES : 4 | DRAWS : 3




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