Profile

Alan Davies is regarded by many supporters as the best player ever to have played for Oldham RLFC and the fact that he is the most capped player in the history of the club would certainly add weight to the argument.

Alan joined Oldham from Leigh amateur club Dootsons in July 1950 and made his senior debut on September 9th in the 35 – 8 victory over Wakefield, on the left wing.

However, it was as a centre that Alan would build his reputation – one of the GREATEST centres the game has ever known. He lacked nothing in confidence, having great belief in his own ability. Apparently when he first got into the side some of the more senior players gave him the nickname, “Waggy”, after the legendary Huddersfield captain Harold Wagstaff. The association between the two, though probably originated in jest to bring the precocious youth down to size, was not out of place.

He was the complete Rugby League player, capable of displaying all the skills associated with top class threequarter play. He had a good eye for an opening and enough pace to capitalise on the opportunity and also a good handler and passer of the ball with strength and determination to make the half chance into a score. On defence he was equally resolute with great timing allied to hard and decisive tackling.

Alan played in all the successes of the 1950’s for Oldham and captained the side in the 1954-55, Championship final at Maine Road against Warrington. Considered extremely unlucky to miss out on the 1954 tour, he won 20 Great Britain caps, scoring eight tries and strangely enough two goals for his country (one more than he kicked for Oldham), played many times for Lancashire and got his deserved place on the 1958 tour “Down Under”. Add to this the fact that he is the leading, all time, try scorer for the club and it is easy to see why he was elected as an original member to the Oldham RLFC “Hall of Fame”.