Profile

Trevor Simms, “the scrum capped winger”, joined Oldham from Rochdale Hornets for the start of the 1962-63 season, but his first appearance for the club came as part of the combined team of Oldham & Rochdale players that beat the 1961 Kiwis, 10 – 8 at Watersheddings.

Although it is not so uncommon now, the sight of a back wearing protective headgear in the 1960’s was indeed a rare occurrence and this provided Trevor with a sort of trademark. He topped the Oldham try list in 62-3 and 63-4, the latter being the season of second division Championship success and the Hull K.R. semi finals, when he scored 24 touchdowns.

Lightning fast off the mark, his impressive form brought him Lancashire honours, but a most promising career was badly disrupted in his first game of the 1964-65 season when he broke his leg after crashing into the wall while diving over for a try at Leigh. I remember being at the match and although being stood well away from the incident it was soon clear that something was badly wrong.

He missed the rest of that season and although he returned the following year the speed was never quite the same again. On the odd occasion, Trevor was still capable of scoring some fabulous tries and an eighty yard effort against Leeds in November 1966, which clinched a 16 – 13 victory, immediately springs to mind.