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

Joe McLees

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
2-2-1873
N/A
Date unknown.
Unknown.
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
22-4-1893 v Tuebrook
Widnes
1895-
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1893-1895
56 (0)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
6
0
0
16

Biography of Joe McLees



HERITAGE NO :
James (Joe) McLees

ELUSIVE IRISHMAN

James McLees, who was nicknamed Joe by his rugby team mates was born in Galway on the 2nd of February, 1873. His family moved to Widnes from Galway in the late 1860s. By 1881 they had moved the short distance to St Helens where his father Daniel and Joe eventually took up employment in local brick and pottery works. It was this type of hard labour that strengthened Joe’s body for his leisure time on the rugby fields.

Before the great schism in 1895 Joe played 56 matches for the Saints as a rugby union team. He made his debut in the drawn game against Tuebrook on the 22nd of April, 1893. Over the next two years Joe became a fixture in the team playing 53 matches and scoring 7 tries in the process.

NORTHERN UNION ERA

The dynamic half-back who played in the first-ever game of Northern Union football at Knowsley Road, against Rochdale Hornets on 7th September 1895. He played mostly at scrum-half, with Cumbrian Player-Coach Billy Cross outside him at stand-off. He could also play in the centres, which he did on a few occasions when he was partnered on the outside by Tom Sudlow. One gets the impression of a nuggety little player, in the mould of Wilf Smith in later years.

Joe did not complete the season in the First Team, for whatever reason and he made 15 appearances overall. He was, however, a member of those pioneering group of players who formed the Northern Union in 1895 and one of the few Saints` players to have been born in Ireland.

This made him a fixture in the side. The 1901 Census tells us that he lived with his parents in Westfield Street and was a pipe carrier at a pottery works. After this date Joe moved to the Liverpool area and left a somewhat smoky trail. We know that in 1919 he was still single and living in Phythian Street, Edge Hill, Liverpool. That said his details cannot be found on the 1921 Census.

Later the Irishman could be found living in Field Street, Liverpool in 1939 and he was recorded as a widower and working as a dock labourer. Predictably, there was nor record of any marriage involving Joe up to that date. However, in October 1944 Joe dis take a wartime bride, Julia Mahoney. He died in Liverpool in 1948 at the age of 75.
DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
22nd Apr 1893 1
D
 10 Tuebrook* FR H 4 4 VIEW
24th Apr 1893 2
W
 5 Swinton* FR H 4 2 VIEW
29th Apr 1893 3
W
 5 Rochdale Hornets* FR H 10 0 1 VIEW
16th Sep 1893 4
W
 7 Birkenhead Wanderers* FR H 17 4 VIEW
11th Nov 1893 5
W
 7 Blackley* LCC A 11 0 VIEW
18th Nov 1893 6
W
 7 Tuebrook* FR H 25 3 1 VIEW
9th Dec 1893 7
W
 7 Rochdale St. Clements* LCC H 9 0 VIEW
16th Dec 1893 8
W
 7 Kendal* FR A 10 0 VIEW
23rd Dec 1893 9
W
 7 Tuebrook* FR A 8 4 VIEW
25th Dec 1893 10
D
 7 Leigh* LCC H 0 0 VIEW
26th Dec 1893 11
L
 7 Wigan* FR A 3 5 VIEW
29th Dec 1893 12
L
 7 Stockport* FR A 0 6 VIEW
1st Jan 1894 13
W
 7 Runcorn* FR H 8 0 VIEW
13th Jan 1894 14
W
 7 Blackley* LCC H 21 5 VIEW
27th Jan 1894 15
D
 7 Leigh* LCC A 3 3 VIEW
3rd Feb 1894 16
W
 7 Tyldesley* FR A 4 0 VIEW
10th Feb 1894 17
W
 7 Ulverston* LCC H 11 0 VIEW
17th Feb 1894 18
W
 7 Rochdale St. Clements* LCC A 3 0 VIEW
24th Feb 1894 19
W
 7 Widnes* LCC A 14 0 VIEW
19th Apr 1894 20
W
 6 Stockport* FR H 15 10 VIEW
21st Apr 1894 21
W
 7 Broughton Rangers* LCCPO N 12 5 VIEW
28th Apr 1894 22
W
 7 Tyldesley* FR H 11 0 VIEW
1st Sep 1894 23
W
 7 Birkenhead Wanderers* FR H 16 3 VIEW
8th Sep 1894 24
W
 7 Blackley* FR H 16 0 VIEW
15th Sep 1894 25
W
 7 Ulverston* FR H 27 0 1 VIEW
22nd Sep 1894 26
W
 7 Tranmere Wanderers* FR H 20 0 VIEW
29th Sep 1894 27
L
 7 Broughton Rangers* LSC A 8 13 VIEW
6th Oct 1894 28
W
 7 Tyldesley* LSC H 16 0 VIEW
13th Oct 1894 29
W
 7 Warrington* LSC H 9 0 1 VIEW
20th Oct 1894 30
L
 7 Oldham* LSC A 0 6 VIEW
27th Oct 1894 31
L
 7 Broughton Rangers* FR H 0 3 VIEW
3rd Nov 1894 32
W
 7 Morecambe* FR H 17 10 VIEW
7th Nov 1894 33
L
 7 Swinton* LSC A 0 3 VIEW
10th Nov 1894 34
W
 7 Dewsbury* FR H 9 0 VIEW
17th Nov 1894 35
D
 7 Ulverston* FR A 0 0 VIEW
24th Nov 1894 36
W
 7 Broughton Rangers* FR A 10 3 VIEW
1st Dec 1894 37
W
 7 Millom* FR H 24 0 VIEW
8th Dec 1894 38
W
 7 Rochdale Hornets* LSC H 5 3 VIEW
15th Dec 1894 39
D
 7 New Brighton* FR A 0 0 VIEW
19th Jan 1895 40
W
 4 District* FR H 23 0 1 VIEW
26th Jan 1895 41
D
 4 Leigh* FR A 5 5 VIEW
2nd Feb 1895 42
L
 7 Runcorn* FR H 0 7 VIEW
2nd Mar 1895 43
W
 7 Stockport* FR H 13 0 VIEW
9th Mar 1895 44
W
 7 Oldham* LSC H 8 3 VIEW
16th Mar 1895 45
W
 7 Salford* FR A 8 6 VIEW
23rd Mar 1895 46
D
 7 Swinton* LSC H 0 0 VIEW
30th Mar 1895 47
W
 7 Rochdale Hornets* LSC A 11 5 VIEW
1st Apr 1895 48
W
 7 Warrington* LSC A 11 0 VIEW
6th Apr 1895 49
D
 7 Wigan* FR A 0 0 VIEW
12th Apr 1895 50
L
 7 Tyldesley* LSC A 0 11 VIEW
13th Apr 1895 51
W
 7 Morecambe* FR A 8 0 VIEW
15th Apr 1895 52
W
 7 Broughton Rangers* FR H 23 0 1 VIEW
18th Apr 1895 53
W
 7 Broughton Rangers* LSC H 3 0 VIEW
20th Apr 1895 --
L
 7 Runcorn* FR A 0 10 VIEW
25th Apr 1895 --
L
 4 Wigan* FR H 3 7 VIEW
27th Apr 1895 --
W
 7 Widnes* FR H 18 0 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 38 | LOSSES : 10 | DRAWS : 8




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