IT was good to welcome representatives of the Players Association to the Swinton game, including Scott Ranson, making his first visit and Shane Tupaea, making his second.
Scott, a winger, could run a bit and he scored 59 tries in 130 appearances for the club between 1992 and 1997 when the old club folded and he hung up his boots despite numerous inquiries from other clubs.
Pictured here with club chairman Chris Hamilton in our hospitality suite, Scott did a Q and A session with Roger Halstead who, in another life, reported for the then Oldham Evening Chronicle on most, if not all, of those 130 games in which Scott played.
Other former players in hospitality included Martin Murphy legend that he is), Adrian Alexander (a club ambassador), Ray Hicks, plus locals Alex Melling, who played for Swinton; Tony Finan (Huddersfield) and John Watkins, who in his capacity as “sponge man” was probably closer to the players than anyone else in his many years at Watersheddings.
Also in there were Neil and Beverley Challinor from Warrington.
Neil is the son of the great, late Jim Challinor, who was Brian Bevan’s centre for many years and who toured Down Under in 1958 before coaching Great Britain to World Cup glory in 1972.
As coach, he took St Helens to Wembley and also coached at Barrow and at Oldham.
Neil was delighted to see the World Cup at the Vestacare. He said:
“When GB won it in 1972, Dad brought it home with him. I was a small boy at the time – thrilled to bits to have the World Cup, which stood at the bottom of my bed on the first night we had it.”
You, too, can be in the hospitality suite (otherwise known as the sponsors lounge) when we are at home again this Sunday to Midlands Hurricanes. Just ring the club on 07904 898177 for details.
