Author chronicles golden era of RL

A NEW book has been published chronicling the closing stages of Widnes’s golden era of rugby league.

Widnes experienced its greatest period of success during the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s.

During this time, the club earned the title of ‘Cup Kings’ after reaching the Challenge Cup Final a remarkable seven times in the space of a decade between

1975 and 1984 and winning the trophy on four of these occasions.

A new book written by Anthony J Quinn is entitled End Of An Era and covers the last six of those 20 seasons from 1987/88 until the 1992/93 season where the club won two successive Championships, three Premierships, the Lancashire Cup and the World Club Championship.

In 1993, Widnes narrowly lost the

Challenge Cup Final in 1993 against Wigan, which marked the end of 20 seasons of the club being a major force.

Author Anthony, 64, who is retired and lives in the Ditton area, suggests the club could have achieved even more and may have dominated British rugby league until Super League began in 1996.

The book’s back cover reads: “He suggests the famous World Club

Championship victory in 1989 may have had ‘ramifications’. He speculates that it may have cost a third successive Championship and a place in the 1990 Challenge Cup Final, which in turn may have led to the departures of coach Doug Laughton and star winger Martin Offiah from the club.

“The author also gives his opinion that the club should not have signed

Jonathan Davies. Whilst acknowledging the Welshman’s great performances for Widnes, he writes that his signing was a factor in the club’s financial problems that, along with the departures of Laughton and Offiah, resulted in an era ending before it should have done.”

Anthony has used old cuttings from the Widnes Weekly News in the book, which is available from the Wellington Inn on Prescott Road and is retailing at £10.

Alternatively, it can be purchased by email for £12 through Paypal with the extra £2 for postal costs.

Anthony said: “A Widnes fan and fellow musician named Colin Wright persuaded me to write it.

“I wrote one 10 years ago entitled The Greatest Try which was about Widnes RLFC in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with special emphasis on the brilliant young Widnes star of the era Dennis O’Neill.

“Colin enjoyed the book so much, that he wanted me to write one about Widnes RLFC in the late 1980s and early 1990s.”

For more information and details on how to purchase the book through PayPal email anthonyquinnuk@ hotmail.com