Profile

It so happened that when the club were about to lose the services of one local, long serving, centre threequarter, they were fortunate enough to have another waiting in the wings. I refer to the retirement of Billy Mitchell and the emergence of Johnny Noon.

John came to Oldham from the Lowermoor club having previously played with St Patricks. He soon established himself in the first team and in 1955-56 he was top appearance maker with 36 out of a possible 40. The following season an injury kept him out of the side with his place going to another local lad, Dennis Ayres. Undeterred he would force his way back into the first team and played left centre to John Etty in the 1958 Lancashire Cup Final triumph over St Helens and went on to play for Lancashire.

A versatile player who played every back position except scrum half for the club, he is best remembered as a centre, forceful on attack and uncompromising on defence. In three consecutive seasons; 1959-60/60-61/61-62, he topped the 20 try mark and was the leading goal kicker in 1962-63. John went on to captain the club and on September 4th, 1961, he thumped over five goals as a combined Oldham / Rochdale Xlll triumphed over New Zealand 10 – 8, this being the last occasion either club was successful over a touring team. His last game was in the Law Cup match of 1964, after which he became the captain at Rochdale Hornets.