Albert Johnson (rugby league)
Encyclopedia
Arthur Johnson a.k.a. Arthur "Chick" Johnson (son of Old "Chick" (James) Johnson), a local to Widnes
, played for Widnes RLFC
in the early 1900's.
On the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
, Widnes provided Jack O'Garra, from a well-known footballing family, and Arthur "Chick," son of "old" Chick Johnson and renowned as an exponent of the long-dead art of dribbling a rugby ball. He was a forward playing out of position on the . With 20 minutes left in the game he dribbled the ball from inside his own half, beating the fullback. This paid off in a sensational test—, the Rorke's Drift Test of 1914.
Arthur Johnson, gained a cap for England
at Widnes
in 1914 versus Wales, and four caps for Great Britain
while at Widnes
in 1914 versus Australia, and New Zealand, and in 1920 versus Australia twice.
His Great Britain stats are below.
, a Great Britain player of the 1940's. However contemporary press reports, RFL playing registers and census records all confirm that the Widnes forward "Chick" Johnson was named Arthur and not Albert.
Widnes
Widnes is an industrial town within the borough of Halton, in Cheshire, England, with an urban area population of 57,663 in 2004. It is located on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form the Runcorn Gap. Directly to the south across the Mersey is the town of Runcorn...
, played for Widnes RLFC
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
in the early 1900's.
On the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the British national rugby league team's second ever tour of Australasia, where it was winter and matches were played against the Australian and New Zealand national sides, as well as several local teams...
, Widnes provided Jack O'Garra, from a well-known footballing family, and Arthur "Chick," son of "old" Chick Johnson and renowned as an exponent of the long-dead art of dribbling a rugby ball. He was a forward playing out of position on the . With 20 minutes left in the game he dribbled the ball from inside his own half, beating the fullback. This paid off in a sensational test—, the Rorke's Drift Test of 1914.
Arthur Johnson, gained a cap for England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
at Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
in 1914 versus Wales, and four caps for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
while at Widnes
Widnes Vikings
Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...
in 1914 versus Australia, and New Zealand, and in 1920 versus Australia twice.
His Great Britain stats are below.
| Caps | Tries | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 9 |
Note
Johnson's forename is stated as Arthur on the rugby.widnes.tv website, but Albert on both the englandrl.co.uk, and rugbyleagueproject.org websites. The latter error is a longstanding one (dating back at least as far as Keith Macklin's 1962 book History of Rugby League Football) and probably arises from confusion with Albert JohnsonAlbert Johnson (rugby league born circa-1920)
Albert E. Johnson was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, '40s and '50s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Warrington, playing at , i.e...
, a Great Britain player of the 1940's. However contemporary press reports, RFL playing registers and census records all confirm that the Widnes forward "Chick" Johnson was named Arthur and not Albert.