17 replies to this topic

[dotcomdan]

I was wondering if any of the members had a photo of Walter Delves who played for the Saints, he is a relative of mine and was called "Digger" Delves due to an Australian connection. I don't know whether he went there or came from there, maybe one of your historians could oblige.

[Griffin]

A bio and photograph here. I don't suppose he could have been called Digger because to "delve" means to dig? Just an idea.

[Voll]

Oops, I forgot which forum I was in.

Edited by Voll, 16 November 2008 - 12:20 AM.

[Alan]

Walter Delves was mainly on the fringe of the first team. My memories of him are of playing in the A team in the fifties. As far as I know he was of good St Helens stock and I tend to agree with Griff that his nickname probably came from his surname. I'm sure that Griff or someone will direct you to the Saints heritage site.

One final memory of Walter Delves; he had a bit of a cult following, certainly amongst the die-hard supporters, most unusual for a fringe player, so he must have had a very entertaining personality

[Griffin]

Saints Heritage Society home page here. I hope the IRFU doesn't hear about this.

[brunty]

i remember digger playing in the 50s and one pic in particular sticks out was the one which shows him scoring under
the sticks with the ball in one hand i think they were playing barrow,the picture won the best picture in sport tha year.

[Alan]

I wasn't going to mention this but I have a similar memory Brunty. It was an A team game and as he strolled in under the posts with ball in hand, he blew his nose through his fingers, you know like miners etc, with dust up their nostrils, used to do. I think it was the start of his cult following

[Griffin]

Had he been a Union player, of course, he'd have had a handkerchief in his shorts pocket. Far more civilised.

[Voll]

Up his sleeve, more like, Griffin.

I suppose I'll be accused of being a pedant, not by you, Griffin, but should that be shorts' pocket? Isn't it odd that a single item of clothing is called a pair.

Edited by Voll, 16 November 2008 - 03:32 PM.

[brunty]

the picture i had in mind was post card size he was tackled short of the line and he reached over with one hand to score.

[Alan]

I thought those pockets in RU shorts were to keep their hands warm, ever since the RFU banned woollen mittens

Edited by Alan, 16 November 2008 - 04:27 PM.

[Griffin]

I suppose saying shorts pocket is like saying hat band - shorts and hat act as adjectives, more or less. I've often pondered the designation "pair." I suppose, in reference to trousers, it denotes the inherent duality. You rarely hear "trouser," except as a transitive verb, widely used in Ireland where much trousering (mainly of bribes) goes on. Alan, you can scoff...

[dotcomdan]

Alan, on Nov 15 2008, 11:33 PM, said:

Walter Delves was mainly on the fringe of the first team. My memories of him are of playing in the A team in the fifties. As far as I know he was of good St Helens stock and I tend to agree with Griff that his nickname probably came from his surname. I'm sure that Griff or someone will direct you to the Saints heritage site.

One final memory of Walter Delves; he had a bit of a cult following, certainly amongst the die-hard supporters, most unusual for a fringe player, so he must have had a very entertaining personality

Looking at his Saints record I don't think he was that bad, 102 appearances and 22 tries for the first team. he was my mother's second cousin and I remember her saying he went to Australia so I'll have to check him out further on Ancestry, it may be just family rumour.

Thanks to everyone for your input.

[Alan]

That wasn't intended to be a derogatory comment. Without the benefit of having checked any statistics, I remembered him not as an ever-present but as a cult-figure nonetheless. Having just checked on the website Griff found for us it appears that he played in about half the forty-odd first team games in each of the seasons recorded which is better than the "fringe" status of my memory

[brunty]

his mate was roy robinson another fringe player who wasnt a bad utility,when you check the forwards saints had in
the fifties no wonder places were hard to come by.