John "Johnny"/"Johny" Thomas ( – 25 September 1954
) was a Welsh
rugby union, and professional
rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for
Glamorgan and
Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire ( cy, Sir Fynwy) is a county in the south-east of Wales. The name derives from the historic county of the same name; the modern county covers the eastern three-fifths of the historic county. The largest town is Abergavenny, with ...
, and at club level for
Maesteg RFC
Maesteg is a town and community in Bridgend County Borough, Wales. Maesteg lies at the northernmost end of the Llynfi Valley, close to the border with Neath Port Talbot. In 2011, Maesteg had a population of 20,612. The English translation of M ...
and
Cardiff RFC
Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly afte ...
, as a
full-back or
scrum-half, i.e. number 15, or 9, and representative level rugby league (RL) for
Great Britain,
Wales,
Glamorgan and
Lancashire, and at club level for
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
, as a or , i.e. number 6 (number
10 in a 15-player team), or 7 (number
9 in a 15-player team).
[Graham Williams, Peter Lush, David Farrar (November 2009). "The British Rugby League Records Book age-108…114. London League Publications Ltd. ]
Background
Johnny Thomas was born in
Aberkenfig
Aberkenfig ( cy, Abercynffig, meaning "mouth of the Kenfig" (stream)) is a village located in the County Borough of Bridgend, Wales to the north of Bridgend town. It is in the community of Newcastle Higher.
Location
Aberkenfig is located in So ...
, Wales, after retiring from playing, he joined the
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
boards of directors,
and he died aged 73 in
Ince Ince may refer to:
*Ince, Cheshire, a village in Cheshire, UK
*Ince-in-Makerfield in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, UK
*Ince (UK Parliament constituency), a former constituency covering Ince-in-Makerfield
*Ince (ward), an electoral ward covering ...
district,
Lancashire, England.
Playing career
International honours
Johnny Thomas won
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal s ...
s for
Wales (RL) while at Wigan including in 1908 against New Zealand, and won
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal s ...
s for
Great Britain (RL) while at Wigan in 1908 against New Zealand, and Australia, in 1909 against Australia (2 matches), on the
1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand
The 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand was the first international tour of the Great Britain national rugby league team, "The Lions". They played the second ever Ashes series against Australia, and their first as the visi ...
against
Australia (2 matches), and
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
(2 matches), and
New Zealand,
and in 1911 against Australia.
County honours
Johnny Thomas won
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal s ...
s for
Glamorgan (RU) while at Cardiff, including against
Devonshire, and won a
cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal s ...
s for
Glamorgan (RL), and
Lancashire (RL) while at Wigan.
Championship final appearances
Johnny Thomas played in
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
's 7-3 victory over
Oldham in the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this system ...
Final during the
1908–09 season at
The Willows, Salford
The Willows was a rugby league stadium in Weaste, Salford, England. It had a final capacity of 11,363 with 2,500 seats.
History
In 1900, Salford agreed a 14-year lease on of land belonging to the Willows Estate Company, named after the abunda ...
on Saturday 1 May 1909.
County League appearances
Johnny Thomas played in
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
's victories in the
Lancashire County League during the
1908–09 season,
1910–11 season,
1911–12 season,
1912–13 season,
1913–14 season and
1914–15 season.
County Cup Final appearances
Johnny Thomas played , i.e. number 9 (in a 15-player team), in
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
's 0-0 draw with
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staff ...
in the
1905
As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is ...
Lancashire County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
Final during the
1905–06 season at
Wheater's Field
Wheater's Field was a rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, the stadium hosted a match between Rangers and the New Zealand All Golds. I ...
,
Broughton, on Saturday 2 December 1905,
played , and scored a
try in the 8-0 victory over
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staff ...
in the
1905
As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony is ...
Lancashire County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
Final
replay during the
1905–06 season at
Wheater's Field
Wheater's Field was a rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, the stadium hosted a match between Rangers and the New Zealand All Golds. I ...
,
Broughton, on Monday 11 December 1905,
played (in a 13-player team), and scored a
try in the 10-9 victory over
Oldham in the
1908
Events
January
* January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the '' Nimrod'' for Antarctica.
* January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 4 ...
Lancashire County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
Final during the
1908–09 season at
Wheater's Field
Wheater's Field was a rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, the stadium hosted a match between Rangers and the New Zealand All Golds. I ...
,
Broughton, on Saturday 19 December 1908,
played (in a 13-player team), and scored a
try in the 22-5 victory over
Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staff ...
in the
1909
Events
January–February
* January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes.
* January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama.
* Januar ...
Lancashire County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
Final during the
1909–10 season at
Wheater's Field
Wheater's Field was a rugby ground in Broughton, Salford, England. It was home to the Broughton Rangers rugby league club of the Northern Union. On 19 October 1907, the stadium hosted a match between Rangers and the New Zealand All Golds. I ...
,
Broughton, on Saturday 27 November 1909.
and played , and scored a
goal in the 21-5 victory over
Rochdale Hornets
The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...
in the
1912
Events January
* January 1 – The Republic of China is established.
* January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens.
* January 6
** German geophysicist Alfred ...
Lancashire County Cup
The county football associations are the local governing bodies of association football in England and the Crown dependencies. County FAs exist to govern all aspects of football in England. They are responsible for administering club and playe ...
Final during the
1912–13 season at
Weaste
Weaste () is a suburb in the City of Salford, Greater Manchester, England. In 2014, Weaste and Seedley ward had a population of 12,616.
History
Historically in Lancashire, it is an industrial area, with many industrial estates. The A57 (E ...
,
Salford
Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...
, on Wednesday 11 December 1912.
Notable tour matches
Johnny Thomas played , and scored a
try, and 2-
goals in
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
's 16-8 victory over
Australia in the
1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the first ever such tour for the newly-formed Australia national rugby league team (or 'The Kangaroos'). The tour was to England and Wales and coincided with the first Wallabies Rugby Union tour of ...
match at
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
, on Wednesday 20 January 1909,
and played , and scored a
goal in the 7-2 victory over
Australia in the
1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain
The 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the second ever Kangaroo tour and was actually a tour by an " Australasian" squad that included four New Zealand players in addition to 24 Australian representatives. It took place over the British ...
match at
Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
,
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
, on Saturday 28 October 1911.
Testimonial match
A
Testimonial match at
Wigan
Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...
was shared by;
Bert Jenkins
Thomas Bertie "Bert" Jenkins (first ¼ 1885 – 4 February 1943) was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Troedyrhiw RFC and Mounta ...
,
Dick Ramsdale, and Johnny Thomas.
[Tom Mather (2010). "Best in the Northern Union". Pages 128–142. ]
References
External links
Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk (statistics currently missing due to not having appeared for both Great Britain, and England)Statistics at wigan.rlfans.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Johnny
1880s births
1954 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
Cardiff RFC players
Footballers who switched code
Glamorgan County RFC players
Great Britain national rugby league team captains
Great Britain national rugby league team players
Lancashire rugby league team players
Maesteg RFC players
Rugby league players from Bridgend County Borough
Place of death missing
Rugby league five-eighths
Rugby league halfbacks
Rugby union fullbacks
Rugby union players from Aberkenfig
Rugby union scrum-halves
Wales national rugby league team players
Welsh rugby league players
Welsh rugby union players
Wigan Warriors players