Alf Ellaby
Encyclopedia
Alf Ellaby was an English
rugby league
footballer of the 1920s and '30s. He was born in Liverpool
. A , he remains the English national team
's all-time top try-scorer and became the highest try scorer in the game's history with 446 tries until overtaken by Brian Bevan
in 1954. Ellaby was Liverpool's first rugby league superstar, who saw a promising Association football career with Rotherham United
ended by a knee injury before going on to become a St. Helens legend. He set the club's record for most tries in a match with six on 5 March 1932. A record that has since been matched, but never broken. Ellaby scored 50 tries in the 1926–27 season and 280 in 289 matches. A Great Britain
, England
, and Lancashire representative player, he was dubbed the "Hat-trick
King", with 31 for his home-town club. Ellaby was transferred to Wigan
in the mid 1930s to help ease the club’s financial burden but returned to Knowsley Road
to complete his fantastic career.
Alf was, at various times, the landlord of the Veevers Arms and Ardwick Hotel in Blackpool, together with the George Hotel at Garforth, becoming a Director of Castleford for a spell. A member of the Saints’ Past Players’ Hall of Fame, he lived in Garforth until his death at the age of 90 in 1993. There was to be a final twist, however, quite befitting to one of the great sporting heroes of St.Helens. His ashes were taken home on the Saints ‘A’ Team coach after a match at Castleford and were later scattered on the pitch at his beloved Knowsley Road.
It was no surprise when Alf was inducted into the Saints Greatest 17 in the autumn of 2010 and he was joined by Les Fairclough, his stand-off who had done so much to keep the threequarter line moving to provide Alf with so many of his scoring opportunities.
while at St. Helens in 1927 against Wales, in 1928 against Wales (2 matches), in 1930 Other Nationalities, in 1931 against Wales, in 1932 against Wales (2 matches), in 1934 against France, while at Wigan in 1935 against France, and won caps for Great Britain
while at St. Helens in 1928 Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1929 against Australia, 1930 against Australia, in 1932 Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1933 Australia.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
footballer of the 1920s and '30s. He was born in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
. A , he remains the English national team
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...
's all-time top try-scorer and became the highest try scorer in the game's history with 446 tries until overtaken by Brian Bevan
Brian Bevan
Brian Eyrl Bevan was a legendary rugby league winger who scored a world record 796 tries for Warrington RLFC...
in 1954. Ellaby was Liverpool's first rugby league superstar, who saw a promising Association football career with Rotherham United
Rotherham United F.C.
Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history...
ended by a knee injury before going on to become a St. Helens legend. He set the club's record for most tries in a match with six on 5 March 1932. A record that has since been matched, but never broken. Ellaby scored 50 tries in the 1926–27 season and 280 in 289 matches. A 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"....
, 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...
, and Lancashire representative player, he was dubbed the "Hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
King", with 31 for his home-town club. Ellaby was transferred to Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
in the mid 1930s to help ease the club’s financial burden but returned to Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
to complete his fantastic career.
Alf was, at various times, the landlord of the Veevers Arms and Ardwick Hotel in Blackpool, together with the George Hotel at Garforth, becoming a Director of Castleford for a spell. A member of the Saints’ Past Players’ Hall of Fame, he lived in Garforth until his death at the age of 90 in 1993. There was to be a final twist, however, quite befitting to one of the great sporting heroes of St.Helens. His ashes were taken home on the Saints ‘A’ Team coach after a match at Castleford and were later scattered on the pitch at his beloved Knowsley Road.
It was no surprise when Alf was inducted into the Saints Greatest 17 in the autumn of 2010 and he was joined by Les Fairclough, his stand-off who had done so much to keep the threequarter line moving to provide Alf with so many of his scoring opportunities.
International honours
Alf Ellaby won caps for EnglandEngland 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...
while at St. Helens in 1927 against Wales, in 1928 against Wales (2 matches), in 1930 Other Nationalities, in 1931 against Wales, in 1932 against Wales (2 matches), in 1934 against France, while at Wigan in 1935 against France, and won 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 St. Helens in 1928 Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1929 against Australia, 1930 against Australia, in 1932 Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1933 Australia.