Profile

A.E. (Bert) “Slosher” Avery came to Oldham from the Plymouth Devonport club in October, 1905. A robust forward with an amazing turn of speed, he would be a mainstay of the Oldham pack for the next eight seasons.

Famed for his rampaging charges down the field, fending off would be defenders with a mighty hand-off, Bert was also an adept ball handler and once enjoyed an extended spell in the stand off half position. A further experiment saw him play centre to a certain James Miller on October 31st, 1908. The occasion marked the young winger’s debut game at Barry in South Wales. Here he proved to be more than a handful for the hapless Welshmen as he paved the way for young Miller to create a club record by crossing for seven tries.

In the 1909-10 season, in which he played all his 36 appearances in the forwards, Bert hit absolute top form which saw him cross for 16 tries. In those days this was a fantastic figure for a member of the pack. His efforts were recognised by the selectors for the first tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1910 and he had the honour to be the club’s first ever player to play “down under”. Continuing his good form, he scored a hat trick in the 52-20 test victory over New Zealand in Auckland.

After the tour he kept his place in the Oldham team right up to the 1913-14 season, when he played 35 out of a possible 40 games. In the close season he fell ill and, by way of a benefit, a match between the 1910 Tourists and a Colonial Xlll was played at Watersheddings on September 14th, 1914. Sadly Bert died on November 14th, exactly one year after his brother Claude died in similar circumstances, back in Plymouth.
He was regarded as a keen competitor but a perfect gentleman both on and off the field. In an article shortly after his death the famous Oldham official, George Hutchins, had this to say about the likeable West Countryman; “…the passing of so genial a giant from our midst has made a wound in our hearts which time will be long in healing…”

Eloquent words directed from one legendary club figure to another.