My 39 Alphabetical Sporting Steps

By John Davis

The author is a dedicated follower of Castleford Tigers in the sport of rugby league and has previously published 27 books featuring this club and sport in general. His full portfolio adds five animal stories, both fictional and real, describing their adventures plus another nine books detailing interesting memoirs and thoughts and how he has overcome the odds. This book, released in autumn 2022, covers the author’s participation in sport when he was able and followed as a supporter of Castleford in rugby league and Yorkshire in cricket.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Apr 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9781447549543

John Davis

Author, self-taught electrical engineering designer, worked for 50 plus years, finally retired and always wanted to write a book put his fingers to the keyboard. The words of this book poured out from his life experiences, lost loves, friends, grandparents and family. A fictional book with touches of true life and life long characters from his past.

Book preview

My 39 Alphabetical Sporting Steps by

Dr John Davis

First Edition Published in November 2022 Copyright © 2022 Dr John Davis

All rights reserved

The moral right of the author has been asserted Published by Dr John Davis with the assistance of Alex and his team

at Expect Best Ltd through www.lulu.com

The reader is asked to note that the author has severe disabilities and health conditions which have made it necessary for him to organise a number of very dedicated people to pull together to enable this work of art to be transmitted from his mind to the printed page. His team has made every reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of this book. The assistance of volunteers has been imperative to its fruition and all those involved should be congratulated for their respective individual contributions. The author is therefore very appreciative for the unstinting commitment of Rosie Balmer, Paul Davis, Paul Harding, Megan Hastings, Val Kendall, Paul Tatterton and Graeme Way.

This book is dedicated to those very loyal and reliable people who have enabled me to overcome the severe constraints of chronic health problems.

978-1-4475-4954-3

Contents

It is tough to deal with bereavement So consider the concept of achievement

If you get really stuck How about producing a book

In 1915 John Buchan had one published ‘The 39 Steps’ is now well established

In 1935 this title was a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock

A year to Castleford in which rugby league legend Arthur Atkinson was a rock

After climbing 39 steps he lifted the Challenge Cup for Cas

At Wembley Stadium adjacent to this venue’s hallowed green grass

In what follows I offer some 39s relating to me on a sporting theme For readers to peruse and perhaps one day stream

Chapter 1

Places of Team Sport Participation

I played rugby union at Ampleforth College at least twice Then again it might well have been thrice

I played many home games for Archbishop Holgate’s Grammar School in York In every position in the backs in rugby union about which to talk

Rugby league for Alwoodley took me to the Archie Gordon Ground Where my tackling on the left wing was good and sound

At the Army Apprentices in Harrogate it is back to the union code Where my brief goal-kicking for my school came to the end of the road

I also played rugby union at Ashville College in Harrogate This to the reader I can accurately relate

I appeared on athletics tracks both intra and inter-schools In Leeds, Escrick, the East Riding and York adhering to rules

I captained the Second XV at Bridlington School one Saturday morning On 29 November 1975 our teacher was very supporting

At Burley I played rugby league against a future Leeds player Kevin Dick Dropping goals at a very young age was his trick

I visited Burnholme School to play rugby league late one afternoon Archbishops Holgate’s breaking with union tradition prior to the appearance of the moon

At Cawood near the River Ouse I played football Unfortunately, Escrick were beaten 2-5 I recall

In a rugby league fixture at Chapeltown

I was in an Alwoodley side which 6-8 went down

At the village of Cliffe I participated in an exciting 2-2 cup tie football game On the scoresheet for Escrick was each of the Davis brothers’ name

On the football field in Escrick I played many a match Some we lost but often the two points we did catch

On the tennis court in Escrick and on the grass in this village’s park In tennis and friendly cricket I made my mark

Ar Garforth School I played rugby union in the centre and at full-back Striving to keep my side on track

The last time I visited Hymers College in Hull I was at fly-half Running, passing, kicking and tackling without a problem to a calf

At King’s School in Pontefract I featured on the wing Sometime in the autumn, winter or spring

At Leeds Grammar School in 1976 we lost by a 0-65 score Still, looking on the bright side, it might have been more!

On the Leodiensians pitch in Adel Woods I opposed my brother Paul One against one with a rugby ball

Lingfield Park is where Alwoodley played home fixtures Many we won but occasionally experienced hitches

On the practice pitch at Moortown Rugby Union Football Club I played friendly sport before being old enough to enter a pub

An U12 rugby union encounter at Normanton was tough After a great effort for my team a 3-6 score was rough

On Olympia’s football pitch in Selby I scored a hat-trick of goals As a centre forward finishing was one of my roles

On playing rugby union at Pocklington School I nearly missed out Luckily, to ask the way there was someone about

On the grass in Potternewton in Leeds was in my early rugby years Sometimes it was cold but there were no fears or tears

At Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield my tackle prevented a try In my rugby days this was undoubtedly a high

In football at RAF Church Fenton Escrick lost A match the hosts clearly bossed

Riccall was Escrick’s near neighbour in the Charles Rice Selby U13 competition We took fixtures seriously even in the days before the study of nutrition

At Ripon I thought I had lost a contact lens In the days when writing was done with pens

At Scarborough College in 1975 we lost nil to four I should have scored to open the victory door

At a similar time at the High School in Scarborough I should have scored as well Following a brilliant interception, however, it ended a disappointing story to tell

Silcoates School was another tough opponent in the vicinity of Wakefield Where I and my team-mates strove not to yield

Each of the goals at Snalth had a net So it was a thrill toi score there, you bet!

My only proper cricket match was in Stillingfleet

A friendly when the Escrick lads this nearby village did greet

At St Michael’s in Leeds I played for Archbishop Holgate’s first team A cold, wet January afternoon was not my dream

At St Peter’s in York I played rugby union a couple of times Two successes to add to these rhymes

At Swillington in football this was hardly the case Escrick lost 0-9 at this place

At Wetherby my U15 team won 66 to nil That was certainly a rugby union thrill

At Wigginton Road in York

I won a medal in Rugby league about which to talk

Counting both codes of rugby, I have played six outdoor sports which are covered in this chapter. Following my first corneal transplant at the age of 20 contact sport for me was ruled out and so all the activity detailed here took place prior to this major event in my life, apart from a brief reference to a tennis competition just after this momentous occasion. Rugby dominates the picture, which is not surprising given my Dad’s participation in rugby union at secondary school and his keen interest in following the professional rugby league club of Castleford. In Leeds I played scrum-half in the rugby league code for Alwoodley County Primary School for a year and then on the left wing for a season. In rugby union I represented Archbishop Holgate’s Grammar School in York for a total of seven years covering every position in the backs. I began in the three-quarters before switching to the full-back position and later played the odd match or two in the halves. At this school I briefly turned my hand back to rugby league. For a couple of years I appeared for Escrick in association football as a centre forward. In addition, I mention the odd moment or two in athletics, cricket and tennis.

I always enjoyed playing rugby union against Ampleforth College. Not because we won, indeed I lost when playing for Archbishop Holgate’s Grammar School every time I opposed them, but in light of the way they played the sport. Being a

Public School this opposition was well drilled and had more opportunity to practice than we did. I can distinctly recall two visits. Each time I was worried that our school coach would not have the power to climb the hills as it travelled north from York but at least I took the chance when it was travelling slowly to insert my contact lenses ahead of the games. I remember being impressed by how each match was well supported by other pupils around the field, the hundred or more obviously cheering on the home side. On my final visit, and I may have had three, I was captain of the Second XV and we were met and welcomed by the skipper of our opponents, who showed us to the changing room. That was a nice touch but I reckon what he really wanted to know was how good we were because he asked what kind of season we were having. Well, I knew how good they were and I wasn’t going to tell him how poor we were. I told him we were undefeated and he responded by saying it was going to be a good match because so were they. Early on Ampleforth played safe, until they discovered our weaknesses. There was not much score in the first half and we eventually went down 0-65. My tactics kept the score down! I have to add that we did have several young players.

In home matches at Archbishop Holgate’s I played on four fields, covering every position in the backs over the seven years. All my tries (I believe I scored nine or so) came on the two back fields, close to the Badger Hill housing estate. Perhaps my first was the best. In December 1969 in the Under 12s we faced Pocklington and from their kick our full-back gathered possession and passed to me on the half way line. One thing I could do in those days was run fast, which is why I was playing on the right wing. I sped down the touchline and no-one touched me as I scored in the corner. That was my last act before all our family got flu that year!

An interesting try was against the same opposition a couple of years later when, on the other back field, I followed a kick and was pushed just before I touched down. The referee gave an obstruction try but he did not know the rules and the conversion was taken from wide out instead of in front of the posts. I did not argue at the time but later pointed out his mistake.

I got my chance to play for the First XV against King’s School, Pontefract, in my final year at school. They played on the front pitch, which ran parallel to Hull Road. Sometimes younger teams also played on this field and so I had several matches on this pitch as well. One game I distinctly remember here was not against another school but when the Second VX took on the Prefects one lunch time and it seemed the whole of the rest of the school wanted us to beat them. It was nice to have such support but I cannot remember the outcome!

Going back to school rugby, the Second XV once played against Hymers College on the nearby field, across Windmill Lane which belonged to St John’s College. We lost that one but only just.

I also played a number of House matches, for Holgate House who played in green. My most memorable occasion was when I scored two tries in the last five minutes to win a game against Johnson. I was only in my second