| Discovered through scrum.com - Karl Ludvigsen |
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Firstly, I had lost touch with the chaps after going overseas so
that I did not know that both Cyril Brandon and Mick Adler had died
I have found the team photograph, taken in
1956, in my steamer/cabin trunk and the players on it with their
positions in the "old style" are :-
Phil Dicker (2nd.row),John Righton (o.s. wing forward),Ron Ellis
(2nd.row),Stu.Denny (right wing),Mick Adler (lock,capt.), "Me"
(left centre/vice capt.),Bert Wyatt (blind side w.f.) Bob King ( leftprop),
Peter Shepherd(scrum half),Paddy Parkes(full back),Mike Maas (right
centre),Dan Worms (hooker), Dave Truran (left wing). Maurice March
(stand-off) Peter Dale (right prop)
Mike Maas and Dan Worms were South Africans
and Bert Wyatt and I later left at the same time, he emigrated to
Canada and I went to Ceylon to become a tea planter. Harry
Danbury, who must have been close to fifty and playing in the
"A" XV, when I joined the club, was still captain of the
"A" XV when I left. Stu Denny was a frightening prospect
at speed for anyone who had to stop him and all the birds would faint
when Peter Dale smiled at them !!
(was the RSPB informed at the time ....ed)
They were a really good bunch.
We also gave Ricky Bartlett's Harlequins XV a
fright in a specially arranged fixture, I believe by Cyril, and just
lost by a few points. I was personally overwhelmed when Cyril told
me after the match that the 'Quins captain that day, the
England full back, John Wilcox , had asked permission to approach
me to join Harlequins, and I had to tell him, with sincere thanks, that
I had to decline as I was leaving in a few days for Ceylon to
plant tea. Great days indeed and within a month or so of
arriving in Ceylon and two or three provincial games. I was
selected to play for Ceylon against the visiting Australian under
23 side, which was quite an eye opener in terms of moving up quite
a few levels, and a year or so later, against the visiting, combined
Oxford and Cambridge XV, So the rugby knot was not cut by going to
Ceylon, as I thought it might be !!
Please excuse the personal stuff above.
Just thought you might, just might !!!, find it interesting,
coming from an ex- Lyons player.
I hope you get a smile from all this !!
All the best,
Karl.
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