Walker’s positivity inspired Coventry

HARRY WALKER, England’s oldest surviving international, passed away earlier this week aged 103 but hopefully his ‘can do’ spirit will continue to inspire his beloved Coventry as they continue to fight their way back to the top.

Walker, below, was unapologetically old school. When he left school aged 14 he formed the John Gulson Old Boys club so he could continue playing the sport he loved with his mates.

He started as a centre and played his first game for Coventry as a flanker in their second XV before graduating to the front row where he won nine England caps, being ever present in the 1947 and 1948 Five Nations.

The outbreak of War in 1939, when he was on the verge of England selection, meant that Walker was deprived of his best years and wasn’t capped until the age of 32. But for the hostilities he would surely have been one of the most capped players of his era.

He also played for the Midlands against all three major touring teams – New Zealand, South Africa and Australia – made 30 appearances for Warwickshire and during his time as match secretary for Warwickshire they won four County Championships.

Among the off-beat tales he would tell was the time Cov dropped him for scoring too many tries – props weren’t meant to score tries – and the day he and Micky Steele Bodge nearly got kicked out by England for claiming for a taxi to training at Rosslyn Park on the Friday after their train from the Midlands arrived in London late.

A former Coventry secretary and president, he attended most home games right up to the end of last season which saw Coventry win promotion back up to the Championship.