John Etty was born in the Yorkshire wool town of Batley and would give just under ten years great service to the “Gallant Youths”, before he was lured over the Pennines to assist Oldham. Although his favourite and most effective position was on the wing, he often played at centre for Batley, this being so that the tall, well-built threequarter would be able to take on more defensive duties. While at “The Mount” John represented Yorkshire County and a British Empire Xlll.
So it was that after joining Oldham in January 1955, he played eleven games in the centre position, with only reasonable success. The following season he was switched to the wing with immediate effect. His barnstorming runs down the flank made him a great favourite with the Watersheddings fans. The 1956-57 season was a personal triumph for John, when he established the Oldham post war try record with 43 touchdowns, which included two in the Championship final against Hull at Odsal and one in the Lancashire Cup Final triumph over St Helens. The golden streak of form that John found that year was a major contribution to the Championship coming to Oldham.
John has published his autobiography called “A Rugby League Winner” and, considering that while with Oldham and later at Wakefield he won every domestic honour the game had to offer, the title is most appropriate. An original member of the Oldham RLFC Hall of Fame inducted on November 1st 1995.
Player profile
John Etty was born in the Yorkshire wool town of Batley and would give just under ten years great service to the “Gallant Youths”, before he was lured over the Pennines to assist Oldham. Although his favourite and most effective position was on the wing, he often played at centre for Batley, this being so that the tall, well-built threequarter would be able to take on more defensive duties. While at “The Mount” John represented Yorkshire County and a British Empire Xlll.
So it was that after joining Oldham in January 1955, he played eleven games in the centre position, with only reasonable success. The following season he was switched to the wing with immediate effect. His barnstorming runs down the flank made him a great favourite with the Watersheddings fans. The 1956-57 season was a personal triumph for John, when he established the Oldham post war try record with 43 touchdowns, which included two in the Championship final against Hull at Odsal and one in the Lancashire Cup Final triumph over St Helens.
The golden streak of form that John found that year was a major contribution to the Championship coming to Oldham.
John has published his autobiography called “A Rugby League Winner” and, considering that while with Oldham and later at Wakefield he won every domestic honour the game had to offer, the title is most appropriate. An original member of the Oldham RLFC Hall of Fame inducted on November 1st 1995.