Please any info or where I can get photos would be VERY welcome. Bert was my Mum's grandfather and my great grandfather. We used to have International caps and photos of his, but have now disappeared due to theft
I have one pic of him in the 1910 Wigan's representatives on the British Northern Union Tour. He was Welsh by birth and moved up to Wigan to play for Wigan RL. My Nanna, her brother and sister were all born in Wigan as a result. Apparently Bert used to own (?) a local pub at the time.
Any information would be VERY welcome.
Thank you.
I have a book from 1909 with a good 300-400 words about bert with a photo...
I dont have time at present but I promise I shall type it up by tomorrow afternoon.
first line:
bert jenkins played centre three-quarter to the great Jimmy Leytham, and wherever the fortunes of the Wigan club are discussed his name is sure to crop up.
Bert Jenkins played centre three-quarter to the great Jimmy Leytham, and wherever the fortunes of the Wigan club are discussed his name is sure to crop up.
Jenkins joined the Wigan club as a youth of nineteen. He came to Central Park from an obscure Welsh club named Mountain Ash, and when he came he was already being spoken of as a future international in Welsh Rugby Union circles. Indeed his Welsh friends eagerly told him that he was ruining his football chances by coming to Wigan. He signed for Wigan on 8th December, 1904, and only the previous week he had scored four tries for Mountain Ash against Grange Stairs. The season before he had been vote the best player in the Glamorgan Times League. No wonder Wigan were anxious to get him!
Before joining Mountain Ash Bert played for Troedyrhiw, a club he played for as a half back when sixteen years of age. The two men who first got Jenkins interested in the possibilities of the professional game were Treherne and James Thomas, the Wigan forward. And so on a wintry day shortly before Christmas in 1904, Bert Jenkins signed for Wigan.
The Wigan committee of those days were greatly enthusiastic about his chances, and were sorely in need of a class centre at the time. But (believe it or not) they made a singular error of playing him for his first game the very next day after he signed, against Runcorn, at Central Park, before a large and critical crowd, with fellow players whose style he knew not, to manipulate a slippery ball on a wet turf and a pitilessly cold day.
Small wonder that the big raw lad failed to make an impression. Windsor James was centre with him, and (James) Leytham and Harry Lowe were on the wings. Harry Lowe got a try from of Birts cross-kicks, but what Jenkins got mostly was a very bad cold, and off back he went to his home in Wales. For several weeks he was out of the game, his next game was against Hull Kingston rovers, at Central park, on 18th January the next year, and then he was put in the 'A' Team and it was not only towards the end of the season that Jenkins got his chance again. Then he was pulled out to play against Runcorn in the return fixture, and it was about this time that Northern Union players began tor ealise what what it was to have a strapping big centre run slap into them before passing out to his winger, Leytham.
There were several big club pairs playing aorund those days - Wilson and Hogg, of Broughton, Williams and Hoskins (Salford, and Messer and Lewis (Swinton) were three pairs who could be mentioned. But there was no wing who played with such harmony and for so long as Jenkins and Leytham. When Jenkins got the ball he never had to worry where Leytham would be, for the latter was always read at hand for the pass. If Leytham was being watched Jenkins would go on according to plan except - he didn't pass. Jenkins was a player who thrilled the crowds. How often did the cry go round Central Park, "Jenkins is away!".
Jenkins toured Australia on two occasions, in 1910 and 1914, and played in Test matches at Sydney, Newcastle and Birmingham. He shared in benefit match, along with Johnny Thomas and Dick Ramsdale, on 8th January, 1921. His last match with the Wigan first team was against Leeds, at headingley, on 11th September, 1920. His final appearance in a cherry and white jersey was for Wigan 'A' against St Helens 'A', at central Park, on 27th December, 1920.
A fine player and a great, good tempered sportsman.
Mather, T. (1995) James Leytham Diary: Wigan's First Four Cup Season
great pic chester,my grandads uncle, jim sharrock is also on that photo and i think he still has an original amongst other stuff, ill get him to dig it out and ill post any info, ive aloso found other pics from around the same time on http://www.rugbyrelics.com but they come and go. theres also other info about that tour on http://www.rlhalloffame.org.uk/tour10.htm , your great grandad was top try scorer :smil:
Jenkins won over 20 international caps for Wales and Great Britain. After his first disastrous game, he wasn't given another chance until the end of the 1904/05. But he grabbed it with both hands. Soon afterwards his famous partnership with Leytham was born. Jenkins came in for some rough treatment but he never retaliated and won the reputation of being a fine sportsman.
He won 4 Lancashire cup winners medals, and 1 Championship medal. He toured Australia with the Northern Union team in 1910 and 1914, when he was top try scorer with 14. Altogether he played in 12 tests.
He ended his Wigan career in the 10-2 defeat by Leeds at Headingly at the start of the 1920/21 season.
In his 16 years at Central Park he scored over 150 tries and made countles more for Leytham.
The best threequarter line Wigan ever had was,
This has been brilliant! Thank you so much for all your replies, I VERY much appreciate it. I've got lots more information than I had. Bert moved back to Wales and lived with my Nanna until he died, which was why we did have some of his things.
I have lots of information to pass onto my son now because of your posts! He got his first Welsh rugby shirt for his 1st Birthday last week, and my husband - who happens to be from Chorley but has moved to Wales for me - is buying our little one his first Wigan warriors shirt. Never know, my boy may one day play for Wigan like his great great grandfather, that would be fabulous!
WINK.