Cliff crossed the great divide and took the game of rugby by storm
Rugby ace was barred from his old clubhouse for daring to make the switch to Rugby League
Cliff is regarded as one of the best Great Britain front-rowers of all time
WE live in age where there is complete interaction between rugby’s dual codes, Union and League, with players changing codes with impunity.
This is a fairly recent arrangement and although I neither played nor was an ardent fan of the oval ball game I took a passing interest in the performances of Dudley-kingswinford Rugby Union Club arising from the fact that I worked with and played cricket with a number of their players.
This was in the late 1950s and early 1960s when the club was based in Penzer Street, Kingswinford before their move to the greatly improved facilities in Swindon Road, Wall Heath.
A chance meeting and conversation with Stuart Mcmaster, stalwart of Dudley Kingswinford and known at the club as Bob, made me realise that I should include Cliff Watson as one of my ‘57 Black Country Sportsmen’.
In 1959 I was certainly aware that Cliff had decided to “cross the great divide” and in future would be playing Rugby League for St Helens, and would now be paid for his endeavours. Shock, horror!
How could he do such a thing? The Rugby Union edict at that time meant that he was to be ostracised after relinquishing his amateur status. Not only would he never again be allowed to play for a Union club but neither would he be granted access to any Union premises, including that of his old club, not even to enjoy a pint with his mates. He became a persona nongrata. Difficult to believe in our enlightened era.
Although born in London in 1940 Cliff and his family moved to Fisher Street, Dudley, after the family’s house was destroyed in a bombing raid during the Second World War.
His education was at Roseland Secondary Modern School. Incidentally George Andrews, another of my 57 Black Country Sportsmen, was also educated there.
Cliff was a player who achieved every honour the game had to offer. The fact that he had to leave Rugby Union and go to Rugby League to achieve those honours was possibly due to his personal circumstances at the time. He was a big, strong young man who needed a job.
In 1952 Harold Chambers and Len P reedy, two President soft he Dudley kings win ford club, attended a meeting with the Dudley Schools Association which revealed much encouragement of Rugby football and as a result a circular was sent to all head teachers in the borough.
In response in 1953 two lads from the Roseland School reported to the club; a tiny lad named John Gallis, later to become a life member of the club, and a strapping fourteen-yearsold, Cliff Watson.
After being tried in several positions in the forwards he finally settled as a prop.
His basic learning must have been very good and in a very few years he made the First XV and by 1959, at the age of nineteen, he had played for the county side of Hereford and Worcester. Unfortunately for rugby union, Midlands rugby and Dudley-kingswinford in particular, Cliff saw an advertisement placed by the Rugby League club, St Helens, offering employment and the opportunity to play Rugby League, and to be paid for the privilege!
It was reported that Cliff received an initial payment of £750 to be followed by a similar amount after six first team appearances. Presumably the club were more than happy with the lad from Dudley, as he went on to make a total of 373 appearances for them, playing on many occasions alongside the legendary Ray French, the two becoming great friends.
Cliff’s progress was rapid and just eighteen months after joining St Helens, he played prop in the 1961 Rugby League cup final at Wembley, as the club defeated Wigan in front of 95,000 spectators.
He again went to Wembley five years later, same opponents, same result. Cliff was a permanent fixture in the side over the next ten seasons, becoming known for his physical, tough and all-round fearless style of play. He was voted in the club’s top seventeen players over their 120 year history.
Cliff became an England player, receiving his first cap in 1963 against Australia, and over the next seven years played in 34 internationals, appearing in both the 1968 and 1970 World Cup tournaments.
He captained the St Helens club for two seasons and achieved what is surely the ultimate honour when in 1968 he captained his country in the game against Wales. He went on to represent Great Britain in thirty tests, touring Australia three times.
Cliff also holds the dubious record of being the only British player to have been sent off twice against Australia!
Pertinently he is widely regarded as one of the best Great Britain “frontrowers” ever.
Cliff finished his playing days in Australia with Cronulla-sutherland Sharks, and finally with Wollongong before retiring in 1974. He remained in Australia, living near Sydney. He died in May 2018, aged 78.
A campaign was launched for a plaque or display in the Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, now closed and relocated to Dudley Archives Centre in Tipton Road.
The campaign was launched by Deb Brownlee, chair of the group raising funds for the regeneration of St John’s Church, where Cliff was married in 1960.